An ongoing topic of discussion in fishing circles, at least around the south-eastern Australian region, is the trout vs natives debate. It’s been raging for years — some might even say centuries — so we thought it about time to chip in and throw the proverbial two cents into the fray. Trout aficionados, with whom we often empathise via a…
Author: Hamish Webb
The value of birds as indicators when fishing
It’s something we read about time and time again: find the birds – find the fish. But what does it really mean, and what should we look for when we’re on the water? There are lots of different birds doing lots of different things, and it’s important to know which birds provide the cues we need in the multitude of…
A hunch
There is something special about fishing new water. An expectation of what may be to come, the sense of joy, mixed with trepidation that comes with stepping into the unknown. This goes for water that you absolutely know is going to hold fish, where the big challenge will be figuring them out, all the way through to what I like…
Catch and release: a little perspective goes a long way
The catch and release movement has grown considerably over the last few decades. Initiative like #keepemwet and others have done incredibly well at building strong support for catch and release in some parts of the fishing community. Social media has helped spread the message, driving a strong commitment to catch and release amongst many angling communities. Which is great! The fishing…
What is the future of the Howqua river?
I spent last weekend camping on the Howqua river at Sheepyards flat. It wasn’t a fishing trip. It was a camping, hanging by the river, hanging out with the kids, making new friends trip. The days were filled with swimming, throwing stones into the river, watching horses, grilling meats over an open fire, drinking cold mid-strength beer during the day…
Fly fishing notes from a Tassie holiday
I was lucky enough to spend 10 days in Tassie over New Years with my partners family (and my folks for the first few days), celebrating my father in laws 70th. The trip was a joy, revolving around tennis, walks, swims, food, hanging out and finska and was a chance for the extended family to spend an extended amount of…
Kayak bassin’
The plan was to chase kingfish, however once we were out of bed it became immediately obvious we wouldn’t be heading out to sea as the wind was howling, whitecaps peppering twofold bay. Time for plan B(ass), which we developed over coffee and google maps. After toying with the idea of an epic 15km car drop in order to fish…
9 tips for fly fishing with a baby
The little dude turned one a week ago and after a year of parenthood I feel that its high time that I share what I’ve learnt about fly fishing with infants. 1- Get someone else to look after the baby and leave them at home Its cheating, but it is by far the easiest, most enjoyable fishing option for both…
The old man and the fish
The old man was there when we arrived. Crouched down behind a tussock a few rod lengths from the bank. His quarry soon became apparent. Just a few feet from the shore, a dorsal fin and then a tail broke the surface. The old mans attention was totally focussed on the fish. Not once did his gaze wander as we…
Preparing for a trip
One of the things I enjoy most these days is prepping for a trip somewhere new. Unlike fishing locally, going on a destination trip means stepping into the unknown and stepping out of your comfort zone. Many hours are spent pouring over google maps scouting out potential fishing spots. More hours spent reading every bit of information the internet…
Fatherhood, fishing and a new appreciation of non-fishing day trips.
Since becoming a dad my fly fishing time has been somewhat reduced. Which is fine. It turns out there are far more important things in life than hitting the water at every chance possible. Plus, the dreams I had of strapping the wee fella into a carrier and heading off for an afternoon on the water have proved to…
The impact of trout on threatened galaxias
The issue of trout impacts on native fish raises its head from time to time in the recreational fishing community. The latest flare up happened a bit over a month ago when the Threatened species commissioner Gregory Andrews posted this facebook post. “Introduced #trout are great fun to catch, but did you know they are having a devastating impact on…