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Search: Nymphs (100 results)
Glossary of terms

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…

Last Updated: May 2023
Getting started – trout wet flies

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Rivers – fly positioning on droppers

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…

Last Updated: November 2020
Fly fishing options – Central Tasmania

Activity [months] Fly suggestions Brown trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [40] [40] [20] [20] [60] [60] [60] [50] Quicklink Rainbow trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [50] [40] [40] [20] [20] [60] [60] [60] Quicklink Dry fly fishing [40] [60] [60] [60] [40] [00] [00] [00] [00] [00] [30] [30] Dry…

Last Updated: April 2015
Fly fishing options – Central Victoria

Activity [months] Fly suggestions Brown trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [40] [40] [20] [20] [60] [60] [60] [50] Quicklink Rainbow trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [50] [40] [40] [20] [20] [60] [60] [60] Quicklink Dry fly fishing [40] [60] [60] [60] [40] [00] [00] [00] [00] [00] [30] [30] Dry…

Last Updated: April 2015
Fly fishing options – sub-alpine NSW and Victoria

Activity [months] Fly suggestions Brown trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [40] [40] [20] [20] [60] [60] [60] [50] Quicklink Rainbow trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [50] [40] [40] [20] [20] [60] [60] [60] Quicklink Dry fly fishing [40] [60] [60] [60] [40] [00] [00] [00] [00] [00] [30] [30] Dry…

Last Updated: April 2015
Fly fishing options – Snowy Mountains of NSW and Victoria

Activity [months] Fly suggestions Brown trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [50] [30] [20] [10] [10] [20] [40] [60] Quicklink Rainbow trout feeding [50] [50] [50] [50] [50] [30] [20] [10] [10] [20] [40] [60] Quicklink Dry fly fishing [40] [60] [60] [20] [00] [00] [00] [00] [00] [00] [20] [30] Dry…

Last Updated: April 2015
My “trout” fly boxes

The number of fly boxes you carry is obviously one of personal choice. One difficulty you may encounter when you are setting up your fly boxes is which flies you should include, and how many flies you should carry in your fly box or boxes. The last thing you want to be doing is standing on the bank…

Last Updated: March 2026
Nymphs and spiders

The word nymph has of course two fly fishing meanings. The first is "Juvenile, sexually immature stage of certain insects, usually similar to the adult in form, and which require an intermediate stage before becoming an adult. Mayflies, Caddis flies, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Stone flies and Midges…

Last Updated: August 2012
What trout eat – Central Tasmania

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…

Last Updated: April 2015
Arthurs Lake

==Perhaps the most iconic lake in Tasmania and for many the most iconic lake in Australia. Arthurs is a hydro lake that was created by the damming of the Upper Lake River in the early 1960's and the flooding of the areas that contained Blue Lake, Sand Lake and the Morass Marsh. From a fly fishers…

Last Updated: May 2026
What trout eat – sub alpine NSW and Victoria

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…

Last Updated: April 2015
What trout eat – Central Victoria

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
What trout eat – Snowy Mountains of NSW and Victoria

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)…

Last Updated: April 2015
Lakes – loch style … static and slow retrieve fly fishing

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…

Last Updated: February 2017
Rivers – traditional up stream nymphing

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article: [member Link="p=6028" Title="Fly fishing tips"] This is the first river fishing technique that I was introduced to and is probably the most widely used technique used by recreational fly fishers in Australia and New Zealand and the…

Last Updated: October 2012
Seasons of Lake Jindabyne

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…

Last Updated: December 2011
Hybrid spider nymph – Chatto’s original

This is more a class of flies rather than just one fly and is a hybrid of a spider fly and a bead head nymph with a tungsten bead up front. I carry 4 different hybrid spider nymphs in two sizes and find them particularly useful in situations where I need a bit of weight to get a fly down yet still…

Last Updated: April 2026
Life cycle of the mayfly (order ephemeroptera)

Insects such as Mayflies, Stoneflies and Dragonflies that have part of their life cycle in the water provide a significant part of a trouts diet. For a Mayfly Life begins as an egg. Gestation period is only a few days and the hatched nymph is a miniature of the adult except for the wings and tail….

Last Updated: April 2015
Choosing the right trout fly

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Flash back fuzzy nymph

In fast flowing water or where you just want your nymph to stand out a little a Flash Back nymph is an option. Whilst this nymph is not tied to represent the nymphal (sub imago or pupa) stage of any specific insect it is a good “buggy” looking fly and readily accepted by trout. I generally only…

Last Updated: April 2026
TBH dark magic – Chatto’s original

This is a hybrid of a spider fly and a bead head nymph with a tungsten bead up front  and are particularly useful in situations where I need a bit of weight to get a fly down yet still want the anchor fly to fish well and be enticing to trout rather than just being an anchor for other flies in the…

Last Updated: April 2026
Wet fly – proportions

AKA: proportions – wet 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. Just as the…

Last Updated: May 2023
Olive damsel bugger

Keep an eye for swallows dipping on the water feeding on midge. That's a sure sign that there will also be damsel nymphs around and then of course further up the food chain there are likely to be trout feeding on both the midge and the damsel nymphs. This is the time to start thinking about fishing…

Last Updated: April 2026
Black Spectra nymph

Although a similar tie to my fuzzy nymph this fly incorporates your choice of Hends Spectra dubbing for the thorax. This makes the fly a lot more visible in dirtier water and also a great alternative to bigger flashy nymphs such as Montana nymphs. I also tie it with a little added weight because if…

Last Updated: April 2026
TBH brown and peacock hybrid spider

This is a hybrid of a spider fly and a bead head nymph with a tungsten bead up front and is particularly useful in situations where I need a bit of weight to get a fly down yet still want the anchor fly to fish well and be enticing to trout rather than just being an anchor for other flies in the…

Last Updated: April 2026
Fly boxes – how I set mine up and why

Hi Jon, Yours is a good question. (Full question is at the end of the blog) There are 3 reasons why I have gravitated to my set of six fly boxes as set out below: My "trout" lake fly box My bass EP & perch fly box – lake and river My booby fly box My dry fly box My nymph fly box My salt water fly…

Last Updated: March 2026
Lake Jindabyne

=NSW=Completed in 1967 Lake Jindabyne is part of the iconic Snow Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme. Its an iconic lake has a reputation as a brown and rainbow trout fishery. It also produces reasonable numbers in the coldest of months. Jindabyne is the gateway for the NSW snow resorts and as you can…

Last Updated: May 2026
Thredbo River

=NSW=The Thredbo River runs from just east of the ski fields of Thredbo to Lake Jindabyne where it enter the lake at Waste Point. Once known as the Crackenback River it is very accessible and consequently receives a lot of attention from both fly fishers and those pesky lure fisher folk. Moving up…

Last Updated: May 2026
Tumut River

=NSW=The Tumut River runs for 145 km from Blowering dam just east of Tumut to the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai. During its passage it flows through the picturesque town of Tumut before cutting through fertile and generally green alluvial plains which have built up over a millennium. The river…

Last Updated: May 2026
Derwent River – upper

==I Have only fished the Upper Derwent River a few times now around November between  2005 and 2009 Nationals so I am by no means an expert on this fishery. Having said that I have researched it and this information may be helpful. The general flows have been around 50 cubic meters per second (50…

Last Updated: May 2026
TBH caddis nymphs

This is more of a class of fly rather than just one fly. A very generic representation of a caddis nymph tied on a Czech nymph type hook. A good buggy looking fly that also has a hot spot emerging wing of UV material. Caddis fly (or Sedge) are of the order Trichoptera and are common throughout the…

Last Updated: April 2026
My favourite buggers and variants

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. My understanding is that the Woolly Bugger has its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a leach imitation. having said that there is also an English fly with bead chin eyes called a…

Last Updated: April 2021
Church nymph

I can remember the first time I tied this fly. I had lost a few nymphs during the day and had limited resources on hand to make up some replacements. A little dubbing and a few church window feather (rein neck pheasant) later and the church nymph was born. It's not dissimilar to many other nymphs I…

Last Updated: April 2026
Foam beetle

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Loch flies

Loch Style fly-fishing  involves fly-fishing from a boat, side onto the wind, using a system incorporating one or a number of flies. There are both wet and dry lock style fishing techniques. The dry fly technique involves casting out in the direction of the drift, stopping the cast above the water…

Last Updated: August 2011
Pheasant tail nymph variant

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…

Last Updated: April 2026
Lakes – polaroiding tips

For me polaroiding is one of the most rewarding forms of fly fishing. It involves the process of sighting fish with the aid of polaroid sunglasses and then working out and executing a when, where, what and how equation with the aim of enticing the sighted fish to take the fly. I like it because it…

Last Updated: December 2014
Aspects of lake craft

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Aquatic insects – fresh water

This definition covers insects from two separate orders. The first are the aquatic bugs of the hemipterus order and the second the aquatic beetles of the order coleopteran. Water boatman and back swimmers Whilst there are over 5000 different species of aquatic bugs Australia only two are of…

Last Updated: December 2014
Bead head nymphs

I have listed this fly box first because its undoubtedly the most important of my river fly fishing boxes. I am a firm believer that when fishing rivers you have to get down to where the fish are holding and also that flies particularly in faster running water should include "hot spots". These…

Last Updated: August 2011
Czech nymphs

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water. Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

Last Updated: April 2026
Lake Eucumbene

=NSW=Lake Eucumbene is one of 16 lakes in the iconic Snow Mountains Hydro Electric Scheme and was completed as the second dam in the scheme in 1958. The full water level is 1030 meters putting the lake around 100 meters higher than Lake Jindabyne. The dam was created by damming the Eucumbene river…

Last Updated: May 2026
Dragonflies and Damselflies

Dragonflies are of the sub- order Zygoptera and Damselflies are of the sub-order Anisoptera which is part of the Odonata family of insects that spend part of their life cycle in the water. The Family Odonata is the oldest of the insect families and prehistoric fossils of dragon flies with wingspans…

Last Updated: December 2014
Rivers – up stream wet under dry (duo and trio)

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article: [member Link="p=6028" Title="Fly fishing tips"] There is a reason why up stream fishing is probably the most widely used technique used by fly fishers in Australia and New Zealand and the UK – it works. Given the attention this…

Last Updated: October 2012
Spring into action – 2011 in the Snowys

October 2011. Well the river season has opened with a blast and there have been great reports in relation to most of our local rivers and lakes. I have spent quite lot of time fishing the Eucumbene River either side of Providence Portal. It has been fantastic with plenty of double figure days. Most…

Last Updated: March 2026
TBH hybrid caddis spider

This is my favourite hybrid of a spider fly and a bead head nymph with a tungsten bead up front. I carry this fly in two sizes and find them particularly useful in situations where I need a bit of weight to get a fly down yet still want the anchor fly to fish well and be enticing to trout rather…

Last Updated: April 2026
Brown damsel bugger

At different times of the year you will start to see swallows dipping on the water feeding on midge. This is the time to start thinking about fishing either damsel buggers or olive woolly buggers. Unfortunately for the midge it's not only swallows that have them on their menu it's also carnivorous…

Last Updated: April 2026
River set up for short & long leader nymphing – competitions

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article: [member Link="p=6028" Title="Fly fishing tips"] At the 2012 World Fly Fishing Championships which I participated in as part of the Australian team leader lengths were limited to twice the length of the fly rod. Whilst at the…

Last Updated: May 2024
BH olive damsel bugger

At different times of the year you will start to see swallows dipping on the water feeding on midge. This is the time to start thinking about fishing either damsel buggers or olive woolly buggers because unfortunately for the midge it's not only swallows that have them on their menu it's also…

Last Updated: April 2026
My 2014 Fly Fish Australia National Fly Fishing Championships.

I fished very well over the 2014 Nationals weekend with basically just two "small" problems. The first was that I blanked my first session which was on the Bundarra. As it turned out my beat on the Bundarra didn't give up 1 fish in any of the 5 sessions. Despite that disaster because I managed fish…

Last Updated: March 2026
Lake Wendouree

==This is an popular recreational lake located in the heart of Ballarat. It dried out in the drought but filled again in 2010 and is now a top fishery once again and is shared by fishers, sailing boats, sculls and other users. Even with all this activity the lake fishes well throughout the season….

Last Updated: May 2026
Fly suggestions – Central Tasmania

This is a list of flies that I know all work well for the lakes around Miena and Bronte in Central Tasmania. For the sake of convenience I have broken the list below up into 4 distinct sections: The first table deals with "Matching the hatch" and is best read in conjunction with an article I first…

Last Updated: May 2026
Fly suggestions – Snowy Mountains (Tantangara, Eucumbene & Jindabyne)

Published: Dec 31, 2016 Revised Mar 07, 2021 This is a list of flies that I know all work well for both Lakes Tantangara, Eucumbene and Jindabyne. For the sake of convenience I have set them out in my "go to" lock style teams and also some "matching the hatch" options and finally some alternative…

Last Updated: March 2021
N. Ireland – Fishing Report 2018 Commonwealths

Fantastic event that was well organised and mostly equally well executed. My rotation for the competition was: DENNETT RIVER On day one my departure time for my Dennett session was 7am. Competitors were supposed to be dropped of at their beats with at least 1 hour of time available to set rods up…

Last Updated: March 2026
Lakes – loch style basics

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…

Last Updated: October 2020
Bead heads – adding weight or eyes to a fly

Whilst beads used in fly tying are made from a variety of materials. There are basically two types. The first are beads that we use in fly tying that were designed for other purposes such as jewelry beads. They come in a rang of shapes and sizes and generally the opening at each end of the bead is…

Last Updated: May 2023
Tails

Whilst a lot of the things we seek to imitate with flies don't in fact have tails we still tie what are commonly referred to as tails into most of our flies. 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…

Last Updated: May 2023
Caddis grubs

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water.  Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trouts diet. Most caddis grubs make a retreat of…

Last Updated: April 2026
BBH fuzzy nymph

If your going to fish any faster flowing water or if you are going to fish running or still water where you may want your fly to get down then Bead Head or Cone Head nymphs are very useful. Beads and Cones can be made of various materials with tungsten being the heaviest. Whilst this nymph is not…

Last Updated: April 2026
Dry fly proportions

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…

Last Updated: May 2023
Shuttle cock brush

Emergers which resemble a shaving brush became popular a couple of years ago and continue to get support in the fishing press.  They are tied to represent a nymph that is trapped in the surface film just at that point of time when it is opening its wings. They are best fished, as a covering fly, to…

Last Updated: April 2026
Streamer and pulling flies

It's a subtle distinction between what I consider streamers and pulling flies and what I consider 'loch style flies' . The main difference for me is that whilst each of the flies below work well in a team of flies they also fish well by them selves. My favourite woolly bugger flies and some nymphs…

Last Updated: July 2011
Collared copper mary

I subscribe to a couple of British fly fishing magazines so its not surprising that I have been aware of "Mary" nymphs for quite a while. They are a recurring feature of many of the articles. I had tied and used them on and off for  few years but they really didn't come into their own until I…

Last Updated: April 2026
TBH flash back nymph

Flash back nymphs have been around for a long time but they still work. In my view the only trick associated with this fly is to select an appropriate flash material for the flash back. I favour several strands of sparkle flash or similar material rather than a single strand of flat Lurex or…

Last Updated: April 2026
TBH pheasant tail nymph variant

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…

Last Updated: April 2026
Cruncher

This British fly fly gets heaps of mentions in the UK magazines that I read. When it all boils down the "Cruncher" isn't that different to so many nymphs that you see but it does have a trigger point in the form of the front hackle and of course as you would expect it does catch fish. I tend to…

Last Updated: April 2026
Foetal caddis grub

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water.  Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

Last Updated: April 2026
Bibio variant

In entomological terms a 'Bibio' is a March fly or St. Mark's fly both of which are true flies of the order Diptera. True Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. They do not spend any part of their life cycle in the…

Last Updated: April 2026
Diawl bach

The name of this fly is Welsh and literally means "little devil". Regarded by many as one of the best flies ever created this fly is a great tie on as trout take it for everything from midge pupa right through to nymphs and stick caddis. I normally fish smaller sizes as a midge pupa and from time…

Last Updated: April 2026
Prospecting tips for lake trout

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Leech

Leeches are invertebrates and belong to the family Annelida which is the same as worms. There are some 20 different genera of leeches distributed around Australia and many are available as food for trout and other fish. The general form is similar they have bodies that are not segmented and are…

Last Updated: April 2026
Bobs bits

I was first introduced to this fly in 1999 when I was fishing for tailing trout in Bronte Lagoon in central Tasmania. Whilst the fish had their tail up and heads down and were obviously foraging for nymphs or drowned terrestrials my fishing partner said I should tie this non descript little dry…

Last Updated: December 2014
Parasol emerger

The authors of “The Fly Tiers Bench-side Reference” previewed this new concept in emerger flies in the Fall 2002 issue of Fly-fishing & Tying Journal. You can apply this technique to almost any of your favourite nymphs as long as you remember to substitute light materials for any materials in…

Last Updated: April 2026
Free swimming caddis

There are over 470 species of Caddis flies in Australia and they all lay their copious numbers of eggs in water. Given the numbers of caddis pupa (or nymphs) that hatch it's not surprising that Caddis fly pupa form arguably the largest part of a trout's diet. Caddis flies are of the order…

Last Updated: April 2026
Stone fly

Stoneflies thrive in the rubble of cold well oxygenated rivers & streams. They are an available food source throughout the season and fish may feed on them to the exclusion of all other food sources particularly during hatches. The nymphs crawl along the bottom and exit the water at the stream…

Last Updated: April 2026
South Esk River

== South Esk. Longest river in Tasmania. Session 2 010 Nationals. I has what Peter Walsh called the swamp after last competition. A beat of around 200 meters long but 90% of that behind tangled willow trees. Amongst the trees there was no acces to the main river but there was access to pockets of…

Last Updated: May 2026
Caddis (sedge)

Caddis flies are also known in some cases as sedge because of their habit of clinging to vegetation, particularly sedge type grasses, along the banks of rivers and impoundments. Whilst caddis appear on general inspection to only have one pair of wings they in fact have two pairs of wings but the…

Last Updated: December 2014
Fly lines that I use – #6 trout in lakes

Read in conjunction with: [start-member] [list Link="p=2890" Title="Fly lines"] [list Link="p=6193" Title="Casting a fly line"] [end-member] In terms of manufacturers of fly lines there are heaps of very good manufacturers out there. Look for brand names that are well known and proven in the fly…

Last Updated: May 2024
Spiders

The word nymph has of course two fly fishing meanings. The first is "Juvenile, sexually immature stage of certain insects, usually similar to the adult in form, and which require an intermediate stage before becoming an adult. Mayflies, Caddis flies, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Stone flies and Midges…

Last Updated: April 2011
Carixia and shrimp

I have extended the population of flies that I carry in my nymph fly box to include flies like Carixia and Shrimp flies because I fish them ostensibly in the same way that I fish my nymphs. Have a look at a full list of carixia and shrimp featured on this web site: QUICK LINK From the above list I…

Last Updated: July 2011
Flat knitted nymph

Because the nymphs of many mayflies and caddis spend a good part of their life cycle living under rocks in both still and running water its not surprising that many have taken on a relatively flat form. This knitted grub has a relatively flat body mimicking many of the naturals and also has plenty…

Last Updated: April 2026
Rivers – French leader / longer leader set up

Please read this article in conjunction with the companion article: [member Link="p=6028" Title="Fly fishing tips"] "French leader" or often called "leader to hand" came to my attention in 2009 through the competition sports fly fishing scene. At that stage I was President of Fly Fish Australia and…

Last Updated: October 2015
TBH chocolate caddis nymph

This fly whilst not being representational of any particular caddis is a good buggy looking fly that incorporates a hot spot in the form of a ultra violet (UV) emerging wing bud. Caddis are are common throughout the year but with the greater concentrations occurring from September through to March….

Last Updated: April 2026
Bead head bibio variant

In entomological terms a 'Bibio' is a March fly or St. Mark's fly both of which are true flies of the order Diptera. True Bibio larvae grow up in grassy areas and are herbivores and scavengers feeding on dead vegetation or living plant roots. They do not spend any part of their life cycle in the…

Last Updated: April 2026
Bead head diawl bach

The name of this fly is Welsh and literally means "little devil". Regarded by many as one of the best flies ever created this fly is a great tie on as trout take it for everything from midge pupa right through to nymphs and stick caddis. I normally fish smaller sizes as a midge pupa and from time…

Last Updated: April 2026
Bead head bag fly

My bag fly is based on the Tom Jones flies and is suggestive of a number of items that find themselves on the trout's menu from time to time. They vary from the original Tom Jones flies in the materials used and the inclusion of an under-tail and beard. They are a good buggy looking fly. In…

Last Updated: April 2026
Gold ribbed hares ear

This is probably up there in the top 3 or 4 best known nymph patterns. It's a pattern that has stood the test of time and is suggestive of a wide range of caddis and mayfly nymphs and is best fished close to the bottom. It doesn't matter if your in Argentina or Australia or any where between, past,…

Last Updated: April 2026
Chatto’s “inch” nymph

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…

Last Updated: April 2026
Popper – bass foam head

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,…

Last Updated: March 2026
Gladstone Queensland – overview

==There are many rivers and creeks surrounding Gladstone, as well as a couple of close by dams, many of which offer great fishing at the right time of the year. Gladstone is a major Queensland city located approximately 550 kilometres by road north of Brisbane and 100 kilometres south-east of…

Last Updated: May 2026
TBH flash back PTN

Jeremy Lucas was our river coach leading up to the 2012 World Fly Fishing Championships and one of the flies we fished was a flash back bead head nymph but it was unlike other flash back flies we had all fished in that the flash was very thin. Jeremy's view was that too much flash spooked the fish….

Last Updated: April 2026
Leaders – set ups for trout

There is so much written about how to set up your leaders when trout fishing that if you try to follow it all, particularly if your a newcomer to fly fishing, you can be forgiven if your a little confused. When it all boils down it doesn't have to be as complicated as it's made out to be. I have…

Last Updated: October 2020
Location template

=NSW=Text photo1 photo2 photo3/td> Lake *name* water flows are as follows: Water flows into *name* from: text text Water leaves *name* via: text text Safety first: Given the water inflows and outflows it's not surprising that water levels in Lake Jindabyne vary considerably so caution is…

Last Updated: May 2026
Double eyed, soft hackle dog nobbler

Whilst the woolly bugger was evolving in Pennsylvania USA from a fly designed by Russell Blessing to represent the local hellgrammite or dobsonfly nymphs, probably from the woolly worm pattern, at the same time in England a similar fly that became known as a dog nobbler was also evolving. Dog…

Last Updated: March 2026
Eucumbene – summer 2014

Generally at this time of year there is an expectation that the midge would be starting to move and that there would be plenty of fish feeding on them and mayflies nymphs in Jocks, Cobrerbald, Coppermine and Wainui bays. Well on my latest visit I saw no evidence of that so I had to go to plan B….

Last Updated: March 2026
PTN variant

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…

Last Updated: April 2026
TBH stonefly

Stoneflies thrive in the rubble of cold well oxygenated rivers & streams. They are an available food source throughout the season and fish may feed on them to the exclusion of all other food sources particularly during hatches. The nymphs crawl along the bottom and exit the water at the stream…

Last Updated: April 2026
TBH “inch” nymph

This fly has it's origins based on my non bead-head inch nymph fly that I started tying over 20 years ago. For about 10 years now I have been tying this bead-head version in in black, dark olive, Adams colours, claret and brown. It's a great buggy looking fly and one of the on-going inclusions in…

Last Updated: April 2026
Lake Maroon (Blog for FFA Qld & Variety Club)

==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…

Last Updated: May 2026