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…
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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…
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…
Fishing fashion – revisited
We wrote about fishing fashion a few years ago here. It’s time for another round of fishing fashion faux pas. And…GO! Here is a great outfit modelled by our very own Hamish Webb. Brett going for the ‘north American trout bum’ styles. This guy needs to stop reading so much Gierarch. Buff, stripy shorts over tights, this outfit has it…
Hitting the ‘bong
It’s the dry season. The tidal rivers have shut down due to low water temps and the blue water is subject to the relentless south easterlies that blow hard enough to wash mud crabs up the beach. The billabongs are one of the only options left and luckily we have plenty to choose from. Hitting the ‘bongs is a seasonal…
How to catch smart trout
Smart trout don’t exist. Trout are not smart. Smart trout are a myth. Smart trout are a myth made up by anglers trying to explain away how we get beaten by an animal with the brain the size of a pea time and time again. Trout are not smart. Calculus will always be well beyond their mental capacity. This does…
Scratching the fishing itch
Life has been busy lately. I’ve started a new job working in fisheries and have just exchanged contracts on a 60 acre property just south of Canberra. Needless to say, finding time for fishing (and writing) has been tough, and is likely to be for some time. I’ve had a few short sessions here and there, mostly a few hours…
Runoff report – floods and failure
It happens every year. It rains and I can’t help myself. The rivers are still rising, the clouds are angry and the roads are submerged. Most fishos stay at home to avoid the tempest. I just pack a bigger tarp, upsize my bilge pump and accept the inevitable drenching. This year has been no different. I’m up to my third runoff…
Two years fishing one pool- lessons from the “carp hole”
Most of the fishing we do here at the blog is catch and release. Some fish are just way to special to only catch once. Treasured, valuable trophies, be they tiny fish that one day, with a little luck will rule the river, or huge trophies, kings in the here and now, fish worth so much more alive than dead.…
Expectations…
My folks moved to Eden four years ago now. They have loved it there, its a wonderful house where they can entertain their friends and many of mine when I come visit. Its also allowed Dad to go fishing more often, which has been wonderful. Over that time Dad has learnt a load. He is 10 times the fisherman he…
Poor Man’s Quad #1 Finished!
I finally got around to finishing my first PMQ (poor man’s quad). We’ve done a few earlier posts on the building process, so I just wanted to share a few quick lessons learnt from the process. 1. Use quality bamboo (Tonkin cane). If you’re going to invest the time and effort, you might as well use decent materials. I started…
Rubber legs and tails on dry flies
Rubber legs are a staple of bigger dry fly patterns such as hoppers and cicada patterns as well as becoming increasingly common on nymph patterns (e.g Manic Tackles wonderful rubber legged nymphs). However, they are far less common on smaller more traditional fly patterns. There are a few, mainly balloon caddis or elk hair caddis variants (e.g mini hoppers, yakcaddis…