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Search: Shrimp shell yabby (100 results)
Freshwater crustaceans

Yabbies Floating yabby Shrimp shell yabby Sinking yabby Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and lake Eucumbene and many anglers suggest that the Yabby has been responsible for changing the feeding habits of trout in the lakes as the…

Last Updated: December 2014
Yabby feeders

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
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
PET shell nipper

Endemic to beaches all the way from Northern Queensland to Central Victoria nippers (Trypaea australiensis) are widely regarded as the best of baits for a range of coastal and estuary species of fish. They are a borrowing shrimp and generally harvested with the use of a nipper pump. They are a…

Last Updated: March 2026
Zonker yabby / crayfish

I designed this fly in 2002 and when the yabbies are on the move it's one of my go to flies. My original notes on this fly are set out below. "In lakes like Jindabyne and Eucumbene you seldom catch a trout with a full stomach when the contents doesn’t include yabbies. Over the years I have…

Last Updated: April 2026
PET shell prawn

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…

Last Updated: April 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 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
Floating yabby / crayfish

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…

Last Updated: April 2026
Sinking yabby / crayfish

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and many other places. 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…

Last Updated: April 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
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
Yabby /crayfish

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and many other places. 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…

Last Updated: April 2026
Foam back prawn

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Hot spot yabby bugger – Chatto’s original

Large populations of dark olive Yabbies of the Cherax Genus have developed in both Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene and many other places. 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…

Last Updated: April 2026
MANGROVE JACK & FINGERMARK-Species

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…

Last Updated: May 2026
Fusion – soft plastic lures as flies

Over the last two weeks or so I have had the pleasure of fishing with good friend Ray Ellis in various water ways around Gladstone. For a lot of the time we both fished fly and finished up with similar results. When the fly fishing got tough Ray swapped over to the "dark side" and fished with his…

Last Updated: March 2026
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
Mangrove Jack and Fingermark

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…

Last Updated: May 2026
Low snag fly – baitfish

I developed this fly to fill a place in my fly box for a fly that can be fished in all those areas where scroungers including: Flathead, Mangrove Jack, Fingermark, Grunter and Salmon and other predators scrounge are targeting small fish that are being flushed out of mangroves, rocky shores, drowned…

Last Updated: March 2026
Low snag fly – jelly prawn

Jelly prawns are one of the critical building blocks at the lower end of the food chain in our tropical and sub-tropical estuaries. They are also a favourite food item for many species of iconic tropical sport fish such as barramundi, king threadfin salmon and blue threadfin salmon and tarpon to…

Last Updated: March 2026
Pregnant prawn – size #1/0 7 cm long

I came up with the design for this fly in 2011 and have used it with great success ever since. Designed to be fished with a stop start retrieve along the bottom this fly looks very much like a shrimp or prawn that is in row carrying eggs)and is an ideal fly for targeting bottom feeders such as…

Last Updated: March 2026
Species – Javelin fish (AKA barred and silver grunter)

Before we go too far I just want to put it out there that this post is just a reflection of part of my fly fishing journey. Don't take it as gospel but do feel free to use it as a foundation in developing your own abilities to catch a fish on fly … in this case grunter. The original of this post…

Last Updated: October 2020
Mullet fly

Like many fly fisher folk I did my fishing apprenticeship using bait. One of my favourite baits was poddy mullet that abounded in Lake Illawarra just beyond our back fence. We caught these little fish in many ways but one of my favorites was with the help of one of those long oyster bottles that…

Last Updated: May 2024
Calendar – Central Qld species

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Mud prawn – small 5cm to 6cm long

In 2003 one of my fishing mates Ray Ellis developed a Crazy Charlie variation which had an epoxy head and a translucent body of Superhair. Ray's Epoxy Charlie as I named it worked very well and by experimentation we concluded that it was the heavily dressed translucent body that was in fact fooling…

Last Updated: March 2026
Straggle shrimp

This is a shrimp or prawn imitation which I made up as an alternative to my Mud Prawn for competition fishing trout fishing. That's right trout fishing. I had been using small versions of my Mud Prawn for trout feeding on shrimp with considerable success and I wanted to carry that success into my…

Last Updated: April 2026
Scud

Many anglers think that scud are shrimp but in fact they are not. Whilst they are Crustaceans they are of the Amphipoda order and are distinguished from shrimp both in habit and design. They spend their life inhabiting the detritus matter in both flowing and still water and take on the colour of…

Last Updated: April 2026
Chatto’s baitfish

I developed this fly to fish both the snaggy rock and coral waters for reef fish but more recently have found a place for it when fishing the open blue waters pelagics and estuary waters of Central Queensland when targeting bigger inshore fish which we regularly encounter including but not limited…

Last Updated: March 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
Lakes – loch style … all pumped up / booby pumping

There is nothing new about "Booby Pumping". English fly fishers have been doing it for years and for a time it was considered so successful in some impoundments that it was banned. I have been fishing boobies for quite a few years and booby pumping has even won a couple of competitions for me. I…

Last Updated: February 2017
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
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
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
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
Platypus’ continuing to die because of politicians passing the buck

Fishing a stream and seeing a platypus how good is that … well it seems that unless our politicians stop passing the buck and get on with the job of protecting them from "opera house yabby traps" our kids and grand kids may never experience that. The NSWCFA has been asking questions for many…

Last Updated: March 2026
Trout fly tying kit – trout

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Snail

Snails are a food source for trout throughout the year. Having said that they are often overlooked by fly fishers. In colours imitating the naturals in the area to be fished they can be slowly twitched along the bottom or the weed beds with great results. They are also a good ambush fly for trout…

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
Tidal flats shrimp – tan

This fly is basically my original mud prawn that I released in 2003 and have now miniaturised and modified so as to represent the sort shrimp that you find on tidal flats in tropical waters. On my next trip to CXI this year I am expecting that this variation will work really well particularly on…

Last Updated: December 2019
Chatto’s jig fly – olive bait-fish

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Mutant clouser – natural

I tie my mutant clousers in a range of colours and from size #1 up to #4/0 and if I could only carry one colour that would be olive over UV shrimp. That one colour tied in a range of sizes covers a big cross section of fish that I target in Central Queensland. In the smaller sizes it's great for…

Last Updated: May 2024
Chatto’s minnow – Qantas colours

Qantas colours of red or orange over white are very popular hard body lure colours in Queensland and equally successful for flies. This is second to only wild olive over shrimp as my favorite ‘all rounder’ colour for many flies that I use in Queensland. In the smaller sizes it's great for estuary…

Last Updated: December 2021
Bass, EP’S and perch flies

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…

Last Updated: June 2011
Lake Burrendong

=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…

Last Updated: May 2026
Pregnant prawn – size #2/0 9 cm long

I designed my original pregnant prawn in 2011. That fly is tied on a #2 hook and is a corker of a fly for targeting bream, whiting and flathead. This bigger pregnant prawn fly is one of my goto flies here in Central Queensland estuary waters. I often fish it when targeting barra, grunter, jacks and…

Last Updated: March 2026
Pregnant prawn – size #3/0 10 cm long with rubber legs

I designed my original pregnant prawn in 2011. That fly is tied on a #2 hook and is a corker of a fly for targeting bream, whiting and flathead. This is the biggest pregnant prawn fly that I tie and is one of my goto flies here in Central Queensland when targeting barramundi in estuary and harbor…

Last Updated: March 2026
Tiemco 40mm soft shell cicada

This very popular surface lure is my choice of cicada surface lure for bass and for any species that feeds on the natural. My colour choice is black or olive tsukutsuku. The wings fold in on the cast so that it casts well and the pressure of water as the lure is retrieved makes the wings fold out…

Last Updated: July 2022
Baited breath

This is a prawn or shrimp imitation that has stood the test of time. Whilst I have seen it in all sorts of sizes and colours I have found that small flies tied in translucent shades of olives through to browns work best. Materials Hook Thread Eyes Weight Mouth parts Sieves Legs Body Size 2 to 6…

Last Updated: May 2023
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
Bonefish shrimp

Bonefish are an amphidromous species which means they migrate from fresh to salt water or from salt to fresh water at some stage of the life cycle other than the breeding period. They live in inshore tropical waters and moves onto shallow mudflats and sand flats to feed with the incoming tide….

Last Updated: May 2016
Tidal flats shrimp – orange and brown

This fly is basically my original mud prawn that I released in 2003 and have now miniaturised and modified. This orange and brown size #2 hook version of my tidal flats shrimp is my first choice of fly when targeting feeding trigger fish. It stands out in the storm of mud and other debris that…

Last Updated: March 2026
Baitfish fly- pink over pink and / or white

This fly is inspired by the Clouser but it is so different I just call it a a baitfish fly. It's slightly translucent and swims well making it a realistic generic baitfish pattern. It also sheds water well on the pick up and back cast making it easy to cast. I tie my "baitfish fly" in a range of…

Last Updated: May 2024
Colours for “big fish” flies

When I am talking about big fish flies I have in mind the flies I carry when targeting species such as but not limited to: Barramundi (both freshwater & saltwater) Kingfish (Yellowtail and Cobia) Lutjanids (Mangrove Jack & Fingermark Javelin fish (Barred Grunter and Silver Grunter) Flathead (Dusky…

Last Updated: March 2026
Articulated swimmer – estuary species #2/0 version

My articulated swimmer dressed in the red and white "Qantas" colours has been one of my most successful prospecting flies for Central Queensland. It has caught more than its fair share of barramundi in both the Boyne River and Awoonga Dam and has caught other species including bream, flathead,…

Last Updated: March 2026
Bream

Classification Animalia (animals) > Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Sparidae (porgies) > Acanthopagrus In the Acanthopagrus family we have quite a few members in Australian waters. From both a commercial and recreational fishing point of view the main members of the Acanthopagrus…

Last Updated: March 2026
Borumba Dam

==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…

Last Updated: May 2026
Woolly bugger

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it's a very good fly. It's…

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
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
Sparkle bugger

My first fish on fly fell to the magic of a Woolly Bugger and many have gone the same way since then. With its origins in America where it appears to be tied, as a Leach imitation there is also an English version with bead chin eyes called a Dog Nobler. Whatever the name it’s a very good fly. Its…

Last Updated: April 2026
Yabby – Bill’s Eucumbene version

This little woolly bugger type fly was given to me by Jim Blyton. Jim and his mates fish Lake Eucumbene a lot. As is so often the case the locals have developed flies that work for their fishery and this fly is one that Jim and his mates use to great effect. Materials Hook Thread Weight Rib Body…

Last Updated: April 2026
Floating red claw

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…

Last Updated: March 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
Lake Eucumbene – Buckenderra Arm

=NSW=The Buckenderra Arm of Lake Eucumbene is one of my favourite fishing locations for a few reasons. Fortunately for me its less than 40 minutes by sealed road from my front gate to the Buckenderra Holiday Village where I launch my boat. On top of that the launching facilities are fantastic…

Last Updated: May 2026
Fuzzy nymph

This is just a great all round nymph. 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. Tie it in black, brown, dark olive, claret as well as Red Tag and  Adams or  Hare &…

Last Updated: April 2026
Stonefly 2

Although this is a nifty way of representing legs on a fly, particularly a nymph, it is not used very often. Materials Hook Thread Tail Rib Weight Body, thorax Wing casing Legs Size 10 & 14 long shank (Tiemco 3761 SPL) To suit body Feather fibres Fine copper wire Lead wire if required Dubbing…

Last Updated: April 2026
Chatto’s nymph

Published: Jan 1, 2011 If your only going to carry one nymph pattern this is the one. As a river fly this is my favourite non bead head nymph and it can be fished very effectively alone or in a team. When lock style fishing in lakes this fly can be fished in any position in a team. If you work…

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
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
Crazy charlie

If the Clouser Minnow is the quintessential blue water fly then the Crazy Charlie is perhaps the same for inshore waters. First tied by American Bob Nauheim as a flats fly for bluefish this fly has proven to be a very versatile fly pattern. The original was tied both, with and without a tail, with…

Last Updated: March 2026
Rattle prawn

This is quite a realistic prawn or shrimp imitation and incorporates a little bit of flash and a rattle in the body. Its particularly useful as a salt water polaroiding fly when just a twitch is often enough inducement for a strike and in murky water where a stop start strip gets the rattle…

Last Updated: May 2024
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
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
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
Queensland Grouper – juvenile

There are very few fish our there that wont eat a prawn or a shrimp. This Juvenile Queensland Grouper fell to my prawn fly. As usual the fish was released to fight another day. photo3

Last Updated: March 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
Christmas Island – Pacific Ocean (Blog for Rav)

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Cania Dam

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Articulated swimmer – Chartreuse

"If it ain't chartreuse it ain't no use." Well I don't subscribe to that but I do carry a couple of flies in chartreuse over white, shrimp or off white in my fly box. These flies are a great standby for when big queenfish, GT's and goldens, that are either hunting on sand flats or are attacking…

Last Updated: March 2026
Articulated slow roller – garfish

Basically a mutant version of the quintessential fresh water trout streamer fly the Woolly Bugger this fly has and articulated shank and a down bib that gives the fly plenty of movement. One of my favourite prospecting flies taht can be fished on any type of fly line. It is slowly building a…

Last Updated: May 2024
Lake Maroon – great idea

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…

Last Updated: May 2026
Jig fly

This fly is designed as a bait to jig along the muddy and sandy bottom of local rivers and estuary bays when targeting fingermark, grunter and and flathead in particular. Presented to scrounging fish it can then be jigged along the bottom or close to the bottom suggesting it's a wounded bait fish….

Last Updated: March 2026
Impoundment barramundi

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…

Last Updated: May 2024
Chatto’s minnow – guns & roses

Guns and Roses coloured of red over chartreuse are very popular hard body and soft plastic lure colours in Queensland and work equally well for flies particularly in low visibility water. In the smaller sizes it's great for estuary and coastal species such as bream, flathead and whiting. Moving up…

Last Updated: December 2021
Chatto’s minnow – brown bomber inspired

Hard body lures in brown bomber colour have earned a place as a popular lure colour combination for barramundi in estuary and coastal mangrove edged water. The same colour scheme is a great colour combination for flies used to target barra along the edge of mangroves. In the smaller sizes it's…

Last Updated: December 2021
Chasebait – flick prawns

There are very few fish that don’t eat prawns or at least shrimp. Prawns can be fished in a number of ways right through from horizontal rolls at various speeds and depths to long vertical or angled lifts and falls in the zone where fish are holding or even jumped back to the boat just above the…

Last Updated: March 2026
Jackall Transam vibe 95mm

The Jackall Transam 95mm weighs 20g and is the first vibe that I caught barra on in Central Queensland and it is still my favorite. It sinks quickly and has a really tight vibration at a range of speeds. Effective across a wide range of retrieves from vertically vibing through schools of fish or…

Last Updated: March 2026
Fishing for scroungers – on fly and the dark side

We are very lucky around Gladstone in that we have a healthy population of different species of fish that spend much of their time scrounging for food. These species include Mangrove Jacks, Fingermark, Barred and Silver Grunter, Flathead and of course rock cod in our local waters and all these…

Last Updated: March 2026
Articulated baitfish – estuary version

Whilst not designed to represent any particular bait fish I have designed this fly to have a shape, form and function similar to many of the little fish that predators hunt. This #2/0 estuary fly is 9 cm long and because it's unweighted it's relatively easy to cast. It's a great fly to use when…

Last Updated: March 2026
Flathead

Flathead are definitely one of the easier species of estuary fish to catch on fly. They will respond to a wide range of traditional and specialist flies and you will catch them as a by catch when your fishing small flies (from a flathead's perspective) to species such as bream and whiting and…

Last Updated: March 2026
Barramundi

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…

Last Updated: March 2026
Boyne River

== I have fished the Boyne pretty much through all seasons and understand why it is regarded as one of the iconic fishing locations for the Gladstone Region. It can produces Barramundi all year round even though the number caught is often low. Other target species include Mangrove Jack, Grunter,…

Last Updated: May 2026
Calliope River

== The Calliope is a big river system and provides a variety of fishing options from very tidal hot water salt water at the power station near the entrance to almost fresh water above the Old Bruce Highway bridge just outside of the town of Calliope. Throughout its reaches it offers a range of…

Last Updated: May 2026
Cania Dam

==Cania Dam has a reputation of being an all round fishing venue but in reality for me it is best suited to the warmer months when there is plenty of insect activity. Even then, for the best results, fish a morning session from at least half an hour before sun rise to when the dawn bite window…

Last Updated: May 2026