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…
Tag: fly fishing
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…
Guest post: What to Expect Fly Fishing in Alaska: It Isn’t Australia, But That’s OK
It might seem like we’re pretty far north of Australia. Flip that over, and it looks like Australia sets pretty far south of Alaska. Still, we have a lot in common stretching across those 7,400 miles. Both our homes give way to incredible backcountry, and fly fishermen all over the globe daydream about a chance to cast into our waters.…
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…
Some tips for fishing streamers in small streams
Its that time of year again. The leaves are turning brown, orange, yellow and every colour in-between, the water is cooling down, the fish are not looking up as regularly and I’m dusting off my streamer box. Autumn isn’t just pretty, it is a great time to throw some meat around. While people generally associate streamer fishing with larger waterways…
Appreciating the little things: A couple of hours fishing in New Zealand
It will come as no surprise to anybody that since the arrival of my son three months ago I’ve been spending far less time on the water. On a positive note, things are not as dire as many predicted, the talk of “you’ll never go fishing again” were a wild exaggeration. So while I am not fishing as much I…
Off the beaten track
A guest post by Jack van Delft of adventurestarts.com, who has just moved back to Canada after 16 years in Aus. You can follow Jack’s adventures over at his facebook and instagram pages. I’ve been away from Canada for 16yrs. Australia has been good to me from 10lb. brown trout on the Eucumbene river to Mac tuna on Fraser Island. Our…