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On hot summer days or at almost any time for that matter you can get huge hatches of termites and flying ants. They vary in colour but the dominant hatches are of brown termites, red ants and black ants. When the fish are feeding on ants they just sup the insects down one by one often at the…

On hot summer days or at almost any time for that matter you can get huge hatches of termites and flying ants. They vary in colour but the dominant hatches are of brown termites, red ants and black ants. When the fish are feeding on ants they just sup the insects down one by one often at the…

Foam beetles have probably been around since not long after foam itself was first invented but I'm not sure if any of the traditional foam beetles are of the scale of this monster. Ray Ellis has scaled up the basic foam beetle to create a great representational fly for Christmas beetles, other big…

OF FLY TYING AND FLY FISHING TERMS   See also: A TO Z OF FLY TYING SKILLS ABDOMEN. Rear most of the three body divisions of an insect. ADIPOSE EYELID: an immovable transparent outer covering or partial covering of the eye of some groups of bony fishes, such as mullets and trevallies. AMADO. A…

Closed cell foam is exactly what the name implies. It is for with multitudes of tiny closed cells each filled with air. The material that closed cell foam is made out of varies but it is heavier than water and therefore sinks, it is only the trapped tiny bubbles of air that cause the material to…

If the fish is big enough it will take a mouse. This applies to trout, barra,cod, saratoga and a range of other fish. This little mouse lands right way up most of the time, swims well and has a reasonable mouse profile. The eyes and the ears are really only for the angler and hopefully add a little…

Food source [months] Fly suggestions Adult yabbies [30] [30] [30] [20] [20] [20] [10] [10] [20] [30] [40] [30] Yabby Woolly bugger Floating yabby Shrimp shell yabby Small yabbies [00] [00] [60] [60] [50] [50] [30] [20] [10] [10] [00] [00] Mini woolly bugger Woolly bugger Worms (as vegetation is…

Food source Seasonality (Jan–Dec) Fly suggestions Adult yabbies Woolly bugger Floating yabby Shrimp shell yabby Booby Small yabbies Woolly bugger Floating yabby Shrimp shell yabby Booby Ants & termites Foam flying ant / termite Foam flying ant / termite 2 Ant Midge Midge Beetles Red tag…

Food source [months] Fly suggestions Adult yabbies [30] [30] [30] [20] [20] [20] [10] [10] [20] [30] [40] [30] Woolly bugger Floating yabby Shrimp shell yabby Small yabbies [00] [00] [60] [60] [50] [50] [30] [20] [10] [10] [00] [00] Mini woolly bugger Woolly bugger Worms (as vegetation is drowned)…

Food source [months] Fly suggestions Gudgeon and galaxia [50] [50] [50] [50] [10] [10] [10] [10] [10] [10] [10] [50] Bead head nymphs Magoo Shrek Mrs Simpson Murdoch Adult yabbies [30] [30] [30] [20] [20] [20] [10] [10] [20] [30] [40] [30] Yabby Woolly bugger Floating yabby Shrimp shell yabby Small…

For a few years now I have fished for bass on and off with wiggle minnows. I always thought they should have worked but the limited success made me wonder if it was all about the shape. Being pretty confident that bass take frogs I decided to modify the wiggle minnow concept so that it would look…

As the name implies this fly has been designed specifically for fishing into mangroves and other tropical structure such as gravel and rock bars. It has several attributes that make it the ideal fly to entice fish like Barramundi, Mangrove Jacks and Fingermark out of structure and to take the fly….

I have been keeping a data base record of my fishing outings now for around 15years. When you do a search say on November, December and January for Lake Jindabyne its interesting to see the similarities for that period of time over the years. There is obviously some skewing of the results because…

If it's a hot day, a warm balmy night, if water is rising over previously dry ground or almost any time for that matter you can get huge hatches of ants. They vary in colour but the dominant hatches are of black meat ants and banded sugar ants. The ants that I have come across in my fly fishing…

Boobies are a fantastic bass fly when fished on the surface but occasionally they hang so low in the water they get a bit hard for me to see. To overcome that when seeing the fly is necessary I added a back of 2mm closed cell foam – works like a dream. This is undoubtedly my favourite bass fly….

For the sake of convenience I have broken my fly suggestions up into 5 distinct sections. I have put those sections in the order in which I methodically go through as I determine what fly or flies to tie on. MATCHING THE HATCH WITH DRY FLIES It's hard to beat the exhilaration that comes with…

The Black Prince cicada can be found along the full eastern coast and hinterland of Australia. It is prolific in many forested areas in the wormer months and when it inadvertently falls or flies into the water more often than not provides a big protein rich snack for a range of fish species…

From what I can gather the original Wiggle Minnow was conceived by Mark Felty of Felty’s flies in Sydney. By varying the materials used, the colours and size I have accounted for trout, bream, flathead, mangrove jack and even barramundi on wiggle minnows. The recipe I have set out below is just one…

This is the big brother of my foam hopper which is a formidable trout fly. When I converted it for use as a bass and tropical fly fishing I added a sparkle chenille under-body and grossed it up dramatically so that it would withstand the aggressive nature of fish like Australian bass and tropical…

Large populations of red claw crayfish of the genus Cherax Quadricarinatus are native to Tropical Queensland and have been farmed as a food source and for stocking purposes very successfully for a number of years. There preferred habitat is still water impoundments but they also fare well in slow…

If you fish fast water and need a very buoyant hopper or a buoyant fly to support a nymph try this one. Materials Hook Thread Tail & over-body Wing Legs 4 to 10 2X long shank or bass stinger 3/0 thread for trout flies Wapsie 210 Denier thread for bass flies for bass flies Closed cell foam Deer…

This fly has a poddy mullet shape, casts well and as the name implies it has an action which is similar to both a jerk bait lure and suspending lure. The set up of the jig hook and extension puts the tow point 15mm back along the fly so that a medium to fast strips cause the fly to dart off in…

“Black Crickets” of the sub-family Teleogryllus move around freely at night and often find them self in trouble in the water. Like their hopper and locust cousins they are high in protein and sought after by trout. From a fly tiers point of view these crickets are up to 35 mm in length when mature…

A great fly to use when target fish are actively feeding on small fish such as sardines, whitebait and pilchards. You can either fish it on a floating line and strip it across the surface with dramatic effect or fish the fly on a sinking line, count the fly down and then retrieve it up through the…

Whilst there are over 2000 species of Grasshoppers and Locust in Australia there are really only three "hoppers" that are of significance to fly fishers. My bullet nosed foam hopper has a general hopper type form and function and works well in smaller sizes as a representation of a Trouser-Brace…

Beetles are of the order Coleoptera and there are over 28,000 species found in Australia. Terrestrial beetles Many different types of beetles are fond in the vegetation throughout Australia. There are those that live in forests, other that live in pastures and yet others peculiar to tussock ridden…

I reserve my dry fly selection for flies that are fished on the surface of the water and either represent the dun or spinner of a an insect that spends part of its life cycle in the water such as a Mayfly, Caddis fly, Midge, Dobsonfly, Cranefly etc. or they represent terrestrial insects that have…

One of the things we try to do when we fly fish is "match the hatch" in form and function. Well if you put a burley trail of bread out have a look at a bits of bread floating around they really doesn't have any one single form – there just bits of bread. They do however have function in that they…

What does it take to make a nymph float? There are really two simple elements behind the science that explains why things float or appear to float. The first part of the science is pretty simple and is down to Archimedes who worked out that for something to float it had to displace at least its own…

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene. Many anglers suggest that the Yabby has been responsible for changing the feeding habits of trout in the lakes as the populations of Yabbies have increased. In fact in both Lake…

Designed by Jack Gartside this fly is one of those flies that just works. It's amongst the most successful surface flies for American small mouth and large mouth bass type flt fishing. In Australia it is also a very useful fly and when tied along the lines of the original it takes Australian bass…

Cania Dam has been on my bucket list now for a couple of years and consequently I have been undertaking quite a lot of research so that when I do get up there hopefully this year I have enough information to make a reasonable job of that fishing trip. This is what I have found so far. Lake Cania is…

See also: Getting started – wet trout flies Getting started – salt water flies Getting started – bass and native fish flies Getting started – the gear There are only really two types of flies dry flies and wet flies. A dry fly is any fly that is designed to be fished on or in the surface film of…

For the sake of clarity I just want to note that there are two Christmas Islands. The first is very well know as the Australian detention centre in the Indian Ocean where illegal ‘boat people’ heading mainly from Indonesia to Australia are housed and process when intercepted by our boarder security…

Whilst there are over 2000 species of Grasshoppers and Locust in Australia there are really only three "hoppers" that are of significance to fly fishers. Hoppers are normally fished as dry flies but it is worth noting that as some hoppers drown and sink and consequently fishing a hopper pattern wet…

==Located near Imbil south of Gympie Borumba Dam is unique in that it offers both great Bass and Saratoga fly fishing. The layout of the lake is interesting in itself and basically forms a cross. On the north east axis you have the dam wall and main lake and opposite that you have the Yabba Creek…

This is the lava of a Caddis fly (or Sedge) and is common from September through to December particularly in the flooded margins of lakes. Can be fished relatively static as a prospecting fly with a very slow retrieve or used as an ambush fly when polaroiding. Materials   Hook Thread Head Legs…

If bass are not actively feeding they will generally sit deep and either in or close to structure and out of reach of dry flies and you'll find it easier to target them with a seductive wet fly fished deep and slow. When their active its a whole different story and they will be attracted to almost…

==Lake Maroon is one of South East Queensland's best freshwater fly and surface fishing destinations It lays close to the base of the Great Dividing Range on Burnett Creek, a tributary of the Logan River. It is a relatively small impoundment with a surface area of 350 ha and an average depth of 9.6…

Hi Kerry, Thanks about your email looking for information on Lake Maroon. I love Maroon and have had a couple of podium finishes there in Fly Fish Australia competitions. I am not aware of any guides that fish the Lake Maroon area so I cant help you there but I have set out a little information on…

==Lake Maroon is one of South East Queensland's best freshwater fly and surface fishing destinations It lays close to the base of the Great Dividing Range on Burnett Creek, a tributary of the Logan River. It is a relatively small impoundment with a surface area of 350 ha and an average depth of 9.6…

Food source [months] Fly * Dark Side suggestions Bream [10] [10] [20] [30] [40] [50] [50] [40] [30] [20] [20] [10] FLY Mud prawn PET shell prawn Mutant clouser DARK SIDE Flathead [50] [40] [30] [20] [20] [20] [20] [20] [20] [30] [40] [50] Articulated swimmer Mutant clouser Mud prawn Pregnant prawn…

Each time I go on a major fishing trip I modify my packing list to make my packing for my next trip as comprehensive, as efficient and light as possible. My latest trip was to Christmas Island in the Pacific. The first list is my revised lists for my High Sierra bag for when it is used as my carry…

One of the best search flies in slow moving or still deeper water using a sinking line and a booby. If fishing from a fixed position cast it out, let the line sink to the desired depth, and then retrieve the line using a constant stripping motion, a pumping retrieve or a combination of both. The…

Foam beetles remain very popular because they can be truly representational and of course because they float so well. Process A Tie a hackle in at the front of the body. Use a softer hackle suited to wet fly tying and tie it in with the shiny side facing you so that the legs will lean backward….

When I fist tied this fly and asked my wife what it looks like her immediate response was "it looks like a guppy". Well it wasn't tied to represent a guppy and I don't think bass have guppies on their dinner menu but the name stuck. When bass are feeding on big insects like Cicadas and Hoppers that…

This is a nifty little fly that merges the hares ear nymph and the traditional booby both very high pedigree flies into one very useful loch fly. It also has a bit of flash about it which helps the fly fill an important role in my fly box for an attractor fly to use on my middle dropper when I loch…

Poppers are a bit harder to cast than a normal fly because of the wind resistance but if you slow your cast down a little I'm sure you'll soon get the hang of it. Once you do you have another tool in your arsenal which is useful in three diverse situations: When pelagic fish are actively pushing…

If I could only carry one surface fly when fishing for Bass, Yellow belly and other native species my black Poll-Head-Popper would be it. When Bass or Yellow belly are feeding on big insects like Cicadas and Hoppers that crash onto the water they also become susceptible to poppers cast around their…

On many occasions over the years I have been told that trout are true opportunistic feeders and that they will eat almost anything. From my experience this statement is both true and false. If you approach your fly selection on the basis that trout eat anything, over time (probably your first…

This is more of a class of flies rather than just a fly. Perhaps the best known Para Dun Emerger is the Parachute Adams. It was derived form the Adams Irresistible and whilst the Irresistible sits high on the surface film the parachute version sits comfortably in the film making it a very useful…

There are over 100 different species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trout's diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear…

The Zerek Live Mullet is a jointed soft plastic swimbait that is built from the super strong TPE. They swim well reaching depths of around 2 meters on a slow roll and of course swim a little shallower on faster retrieves. They are available in 3.5", 4.5" and 5.5" sizes and in 13 colours. Like all…

This is a fantastic lure from my point of view and and one that carry in all sizes except 165mm. The three sizes I carry are 65mm, 95mm an 10mm. All 4 sizes come in an extensive range of colours. Even when the lure is sitting on the bottom, the slightest current will have the tail pulsating and…

This is definitely my preferred popper for targeting Australian native bass in their natural river and lake habitat. Bass strike for 3 reasons. The fist and most obvious is when they are actively feeding. At those times bass can have an appetite for everything from nymphs, yabbies, small fish,…

The Pheasant Tail Nymph is a New Zealand pattern designed to suggest a small "Deleatidium Vernal" Mayfly. Whilst that family doesn't extend to Australia I suggest you still carry Pheasant Tail Nymphs or one or two of its variants in a couple of sizes because they are very buggy and particularly…

Over time I have come to understand that there are two distinct classes of Barramundi in Lake Awoonga and other similar freshwater impoundments … "residents" and "travelers". Residents Barra are released into Lake Awoonga generally at a range of sizes from fingerlings to grown on fish of around…

If it's a hot day, a warm balmy night, if water is rising over previously dry ground or almost any time for that matter you can get huge hatches of ants. They vary in colour but the dominant hatches are of black meat ants. Meat ants are of the genus Iridomyrmex and there are about 60 species in…

Over time I have come to understand that there are two distinct classes of Barramundi in Lake Awoonga and other similar impoundments … "residents" and "travellers". ADDING PHOTOS WITH TEXT BOX BELOW photo1 photo2 photo3 Residents Barra are released into Lake Awoonga generally at a range of sizes…

AKA "All depth booby". Boobies have been generally fished as a wet fly to target trout and other species This version is relatively neutral in buoyancy but can be fished at a a range of depths with the depth being determined by the speed of the retrieve and the fly line it's fished on. With a…

We are very lucky in Central Queensland (AKA "CQ) to have an extensive range of big fish that we can target. That includes but is not limited to the species listed below. Barramundi (both freshwater & saltwater) Kingfish (Yellowtail and Cobia) Lutjanids (Mangrove Jack & Fingermark) Javelin fish…

A wet fly is a fly designed to be fished below the water's surface of the water or a dry fly that has been drowned and is being fish below the surface of the water. Basically there are two main types of wet fly: The type is representational flies which are flies tied to represent food that trout…

AKA: Proportions – dry fly The physics of dry flies are quite simple either they rely on  buoyancy (displacement) to simply float or they rely on the materials used to be light and  resist water  penetration and consequently to be supported on the surface tension of the water. Booby beetles and…

There are over 100 different species of Damselflies in Australia and the lava which are usually slender with three terminal gills, that present as tails, form a significant part of a trout's diet. Their bodies have around 10 segments, they have 6 legs and they often have emerging wings. Most appear…

Theory:  Optional but great background. Spend (10 to 15 minutes) on [example Link="p=3549" Title="My favourite 6 knots"] Data base of fly tying skills:  A great fly tying resource at your finger tips. Step by step instructions on most of the major fly tying skills. It's as easy as a b c ….

Data base of fly tying skills: A great fly tying resource at your finger tips. Step by step instructions on most of the major fly tying skills. It's as easy as a b c . [member Link="page_id=3024" Title="Data base of fly tying skills"] Flies to be tied by each participant: Click on photo or name to…

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article fly fishing tips. Loch style fly fishing is fly fishing over the lee side of a boat with the wind at your back with the boat side onto the wind, using a system incorporating one or a number of flies. It is a technique that is well…

The Pheasant Tail Nymph was created by Frank Sawyer during his days as river keeper on the Avon River in Wiltshire in England. The fly that he tied was not representational of any particular mayfly nymph but rather is suggestive of the broad range of nymphs that he came across in his duties and his…

This is the lava of a Caddis fly (or Sedge) and is common from September through to December particularly in the flooded margins of lakes. The bead head version has been designed to be fished as an anchor fly when loch style fly fishing or as an anchor fly when fishing rivers. Materials Hook Bead…

See also: Getting started – dry trout flies Getting started – wet trout flies Getting started – salt water flies Getting started – the gear Bass and native fish flies are are flies that have been designed specifically for use fresh water environments to catch bass and other native fish that spend a…

Prawns and shrimp are crustaceans, of the family Isopod, and are endemic to our Australian estuary waters. They are toward the top of the food chain for a lot of coastal species of fish including bream, flathead and whiting. Prawns and shrimp are similar in form and function to each other and have…

Outside the competition scene there are no rules about adding floating or sinking devices to leaders or fly lines as visible indicators for use when nymphing rivers. Consequently all sorts of floating indicators in the form of bits of foam, plastic, wool etc. are added to nymphing fly lines or…

We are lucky enough to have two of the Lutjanus family of fish endemic to Central Queensland, Fingermark (L.johnii) and Mangrove Jack (L.argentimaculatus). Mangrove jack Fingermark   They are both very solid fish that have powerful teeth (hence the Jack is often referred to as 'dog' or 'dog…

This variation of Frank Sawyers Pheasant Tail Nymph takes into account the shorter herl on pheasant tails that dominate the market these days and to include the substitution of peacock or coloured dubbing in the thorax and the addition of legs. Pheasant tails vary in colour in their natural form…

This is very popular Northern hemisphere fly and whist it more popular in still water it also has its uses in running water. Appealing to fish that are on mixed diet that includes mayfly nymph and midge. Materials   Hook Thread Tai and body Ribbing Thorax Wing casing Breathers 10 to 14 nymph…

I was recently at my home on the shores of Lake Jindabyne the wind was up and blowing from the north east at about 20 Km, it was cold and overcast and there were intermittent snow and sleet showers. All in all it was a miserable day and better suited to tying flies, reading or writing than actually…

I was first introduced to knitted flies around 20 years ago when they were a bit of a fad. Knitted bodies can be interesting and life like depending on the colours and materials used and have the benefit of being flatter than traditional dubbed or wrapped bodies. In the description of the process…

Round 1 of the NSW fly fishing championships was held over the weekend of 15th to 16th September 2012. For full details follow this link: www.flyfishaustralia.com.au/cms/ffa-nsw-act-201112-3 There was a lot of interest in this competition and a strong filed of competitors including 2 from Tasmania…

Commercial CV – Stephen Peter Chatterton (Retired) BEcon, BAcc, FASA, FIPM, FICS & FIPM BEcon – Batchelor of Economics UOW BAcc – Batchelor of Accountancy UOW FASA – Fellow and Principal in Public Practice ASA (Australian Society of Accountants) FIPM – 4 year Undergraduate Diploma Personnel…

I am a firm believer that in some flies realistic eyes are a trigger that elicits a response from fish. There are many ways of adding eyes to a fly. Alternatives A Burnt monofilament eyes Very realistic eyes can be made by taking a short length of monofilament and burning each end with a flame. The…

At the 1999 world fly fishing championships held at Jindabyne in 1999 fishing buzzers was the buzz (excuse the pun) and as soon as I got home I tied some up according to the patterns I had seen. I fished those flies many times , without conviction or confidence, and with the inevitable poor…

=NSW=Located in that part of New South Wales that is still referred to by some as “old town country”. By virtue of how it is accessed the lake is virtually split into three areas of public access. The only access point I have used, and consequently the focus of this post is via Burrendong State…

Mudeyes are the nymphal stage of the Dragonfly. There are two families that are particularly important to freshwater fisher folk in Australia. The Couta Mudeye is of the Family Aeshnidae, genus Hemianax and is one of the most popular freshwater fish bait throughout Australia. The lava or nymph are…

Casting can make or break your fly fishing experience and once you have mastered the basics its surprising how easy it all becomes. The basic thing you have to remember is that your casting a fly line and the terminal tackle (your leader tippet and fly or flies) are along for the ride. Good fly…

This is a variant of a variant and starts its journey with the oldest of true Australian trout flies the Bredbo which was designed around 1896 as a drowned hopper. Two hundred odd years later I tied a Bredbo MK1 variant which incorporated the materials from the Bredbo configured in much the same…

Detailed below are all the materials you will need to tie all the flies in the course "abc of fly tying for trout" plus heaps of other flies. The overall weight of this kit is 3kg. Over the years I have also used this as the fly tying kit that I take to international competitions such as the…

I designed this fly to cast easily and to displace or push a lot of water when retrieved. The water displace by the head creates currents along the body which activate the body materials. This black over gold version (i.e. gold bomber colours) is particularly good over weed banks or in dirty water….

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article: [member Link="p=6028" Title="Fly fishing tips"] Whilst it would be nice to have the right rod, line and leader set up for each sort of water in a river or stream it is not always possible. In competitions in particular you can…

There is no doubt about it Andy's destroyer is a very good saratoga fly and I am confident it will work on other species too. My variant does not include the shroud of mara wool tips around the zonker tail. I have left that off because for me the currents around the body of the fly produce more…

This fly is accredited as being the first Australian designed and made fly and whilst the originator is not known with certainty there is highly persuasive evidence that suggests that it was conceived around 1896 as a grass hopper imitation for targeting fish on the Bredbo river just outside of…

Whilst the tips I have set out below evolved from fishing in the Snowy Mountains of NSW, in general terms they are equally appropriate to a whole range of fisheries. These tips are all designed to help you locate trout to encourage their cooperation.   Location, location, location Location is…

Whilst not tied to imitate any particular insect this down wing style of fly can be tied with your favourite materials and in your favourite colours to imitate a range of insects. It is a good prospecting fly when nothing appears to be happening. In larger sizes it can be twitched or fished dead…

I have lumped the flies that I prefer for Australian Native fish into one group as by in large the species I target are all structure oriented. They tend to frequent areas with structure such as weed, sunken logs, rock bars, under cut banks, holes and drop offs etc. and generally react in much the…

Theory: Optional but great background. Spend (10 to 15 minutes) on [example Link="p=3402" Title="Choosing the right fly"] Data base of fly tying skills: A great fly tying resource at your finger tips. Step by step instructions on most of the major fly tying skills. It's as easy as a b c . [member…

Data base of fly tying skills: A great fly tying resource at your finger tips. Step by step instructions on most of the major fly tying skills. It's as easy as a b c . [member Link="page_id=3024" Title="Data base of fly tying skills"] Flies to be tied by each participant: Click on photo or name to…

The Cormorant was popularised by Graham Pearson who was a boatman in one of the English youth internationals. As the story goes it was one of those competition days when the fishing was tough and very few anglers boated fish. One of Pearsons angler bucked the trend and landed three fish using a…

In the late 90's I was president of Illawarra Fly Fishers Club (IFF) and lived in Wollongong but was lucky enough to have a holiday home on the shores of Lake Jindabyne. My favourite form of fly fishing at that time was polaroiding wild brown trout along the shores of Lake Jindabyne. That process…

As many of you will be aware there is a Welsh fly called a "Green Peter". It was designed as a dry fly. In a crunch one day when I was fishing a slick and targeting fish that were taking just below the surface I included a Green Peter dry fly in my team with two English wee wets behind. There was…

Casting a fly rod: 6 essentials There must be a pause at the end of each stroke, which varies in duration with the amount of line beyond the rod tip. Slack line should be kept to an absolute minimum. The rod tip must travel in a straight line in order to form the most efficient, least air resistant…

The Bredbo fly is accredited as being the first Australian designed and made fly and whilst the originator is not known with certainty there is highly persuasive evidence that suggests that it was conceived around 1896 as a grass hopper imitation for targeting fish on the Bredbo river just outside…