NOW IN STOCK! The new film by Gin-Clear Media is here. While this gets said every year, it is their BEST FILM YET. You won't believe how close you'll be to the action. This film is simply jaw dropping and unlike anything you've seen before. Treat yourself to a copy today. You won't be disappointed. 

Fly fisherman have always lusted after big fish, those large predators that dominate the rivers, lakes and oceans in which they preside. Narrated by Greg French, PREDATOR explores the globe highlighting the most fascinating predators that can be taken with a fly rod.

These large predators employ all sorts of techniques to maximise their chance of catching prey. Some, like the Queenfish use pure speed to outrun and crush their prey in the surface film. Others like the rainbow trout of New Zealand's swamps use cunning and guile to get a feed. Regardless of the species, a film about fishing for the world's greatest predators is guaranteed to be a visual extravaganza.

Buy a copy before the end of March and you'll receive free postage with your order.
To order online and/or view the trailer, follow this link http://www.theflyfisheronline.com/home/browse/product/565/new_predator_ginclear_media

By shopping with us, your support helps us sponsor worthy fly fishing projects such as PREDATOR. We're proud to play a small part in the production of this great film and we look forward to future productions by Gin-Clear Media.

Thanks for reading.
Andrew and Russ

Anglers Rest Trip Report December 1-5 2012

Recently we had our annual trip to the Bundarah for the "bundarah hunt club". After a few years living and working at "The Willows" owned and operated by Helen Packer I had fished much of the water in the area. What started as myself and my old man heading up regularly has now become 8 close mates. Once a year we book out Helen's huts and after a curried scallop pie and a beer in Bairnsdale we head up the hill. The area is an attractive prospect for flyfishermen of any skill level. The sheer amount of streams and attractive fishable water within an hours drive of Anglers Rest means that a group of people can head up for a week together, enjoy the social side of the trip and not step on each others toes when it comes the the fishing.

 

I have noticed over the years that introducing my mates to the sport and the area that it has grabbed them as it has myself and extra encouragemnent is never needed to get the guys up there. It is a truly magical spot.

Without mains electricity or any other real utility services it can feel quite remote and indeed there is some epic 'backcountry' fishing to be had but there is also many streams lazily gurgling over the pebbles and boulders through open farmland making it great water to be learning how to flyfish. I have witnessed many people over the years catch their first trout in one of the many mountain streams in the area including the legendary Mitta, Bundarah, Cobungra, Gibbo, Victoria and many, many more more.

There has been much said in flyfishing circles in the last two years about the good health of the rivers and the quality of the fish caught. This trip was no exception and produced some wonderful fish all of which were in pristine, fat condition and Im not sure if its just me but there seemed to be much more leaping out of the water this year than ever before??!! in the smaller streams there was lots and lots of fingerling sized fish all eager to take on a large wulfff, this is surely a great indication of a healthy river system.

The lucky green hat!

Early mornings produced really aggressive takes on nymphs before the sun came up. As soon as the sun hit the water the fish started to look up and were smashing pretty much anything you can offer them. There were huge hatches of caddis all day long and lots of of stoneflies with the fish targeting them right on dark.

Sam with a quality brown.

The streams were in great condition and as low as I've seen them at this time of year (at least for the last few years!) one night there was 2 inches of rain up on top. The next day we fished the Victoria river which is a 50 minute drive away from Anglers rest. Upon arrival and finding it high and dirty we discussed turning around and exploring other options but decided we would have a walk up and see what happened. 10 minutes later we had released two small but very encouraging browns and the excitement started to rise!! for those of you unfamiliar with this part of the world imagine an alpine meadow covered in snow grass, free of trees with a meandering snaking stream flowing through the middle. The sun was shining and hangovers were slowly wearing off!

Hugh with a lovely brown.

We came to a slightly deeper corner pool and after watching for a minute or two my mate Hugh noticed a rise followed shortly afterwards by another and another. Solid swirls suggested a larger than average fish which seem to be common in this small stream. Hugh gave me the opportunity. I cast the 20 feet to the feeding fish presenting a caddis moth three times and three times being ignored despite putting it on his nose. I told hugh to try his wee ck hopper (possibly the most effective fly ive ever used in this part of victoria, (when I initially asked Muz Wilson, who designed this simple yet unfailling pattern what it was he replied "its friggen food mate"!!!!)). Hugh cast to the fish who turned and literally swallowed the fly before doing what those wild browns do best and fighting well above its weight. A very satisfying release indeed all caught on the GoPro camera.

Hooked up.

The ability to fish a different river every day is a great way to make sure I didnt sleep past dawn. The fact that you can fish all day from day break to after dark and catch good solid fighting wild trout all day long, mostly on dry flies is very exciting this early in the season and I feel that we may just be in for one epic summer on the streams!!!

 

This report comes from Sam Stringer, FlyLife magazines newest contributor! Thanks for the update Sam.

The Flyfisher Team

Termite Delight

TERMITE DELIGHT!

Termites! I guess the appearance of thousands of flying termites on a warm humid,Spring day strikes fear into the hearts of most Australians. Not physical fear, more that fear of a silent assassin who has briefly shown himself before disappearing to possibly do untold damage to the wooden structure of your home. But for me, and other fly fishermen who have witnessed the affect a termite hatch has on a Trout stream, the feeling is very different and goes one of three ways.

Firstly, you aren`t fishing but when you see those flying termites your imagination goes into overdrive as the desire “to be there” washes over you. Second, and only slightly better, you are “out there” on a Trout stream BUT you don`t have a fly that remotely resembles a termite – and the Trout know it! Nirvana is when you are on the water and the termites appear in their hundreds and thousands, a previously fishless stretch of water comes alive with feeding Trout AND you have a termite pattern or a “near enough” fly that passes close inspection by the occasional fish.

You may think I am overplaying the effect of a termite hatch, but I kid you not – it has to be seen to be believed. It really goes against all the rules of Trout fishing in so many ways. For starters, you can and must fish the dry as you are not searching for clues as to where in the water column the Trout are feeding. A previously barren looking stretch of river immediately becomes interesting as dimples appear in the slower, quieter glides and regular slurps are heard as other fish confidently pluck the termites from the faster riffles. You also know exactly which insect the Trout are taking because, at best, there are thousands of them on the water, flying around you or even on your face and hands. Previously, you could have been using one of a dozen or more patterns to tempt a rise, but now you know precisely what they want!

Best of all, the Trout seem to have thrown caution to the wind and have appeared from nowhere to feed steadily on this Spring bounty, plus they become so locked on to the food source that you can present your fly more times than usual. Even if you do spook  your quarry, it`s usually only a few minutes before greed brings that Trout back on to the feed – but by then you will probably have selected another confident feeder – did I mention Nirvana?

There just has to be a catch in this heaven sent fly fishers dream and that catch is whether or not you have a specific termite pattern, or one you can adapt on the day. If the triggers aren`t there in your fly then you might as well go home. What are the triggers? Well, a quick look at a termite, and they are so easy to catch in your hand, shows a very small, super slim body attached to comparatively huge wings that, on the water, are usually stuck in the surface film at right angles to the body. Then there are the legs! A peek underneath a termite tells you how active they are and I guess those legs would initially be in overdrive when the termite finds itself on the water. Legs are for the purist I think, not usually necessary, but a challenge at the fly tying desk. Colour can sometimes make a difference as Termites definitely vary in shades of body and wing colour from one location to another. However, I believe it is the specific body and wing profile that are the main feeding triggers, so initially aim to copy these and consider colour (and legs) on your later creations. Effective body colours range from cream through to light brown whilst a grizzly or light brown hackle are ideal for the wings.

Personally, I am on termite pattern Mk 6 or 7, but I was astounded at just how effective my specific Mk 1 pattern was in the early days. Put simply, my termite fly is just an adapted para-dun with a white or yellow post for visibility. The body however, is very slim, small and compact whilst the wings are comparatively large. I cut out the forward and rear 90 degrees of the parachute hackle to simulate the wings splayed out at right angles to the body in the surface film of the river. If you find yourself surrounded by termites and without a specific pattern, the secret is not to continue flogging away with the fly you have on. Take a few minutes to adapt an Adams, para-dun or even a conventionally hackled dry fly. Remove the tail, cut out the front and rear sections of the para hackle, or cut off the bottom fibres of a standard hackled fly, and then really trim the body down to a very slim cigar shape. Believe me this is so much better than having to walk away in frustration from a river full of feeding Trout!

Prime time for termite hatches is Mid-October through to Mid-December on those days that are humid and hold a strong possibility of thunderstorms later during the day. Don`t wait too long though as the termites can be hatching throughout the day if the warmth and humidity levels are right. Quite often the hatches can peter out towards the end of the day and the Trout seek refuge with a full stomach. Worse still, it storms and become too lethal to fish with a carbon fibre rod in your hands! The 2011 season actually commenced in Victoria with a very warm and humid day that triggered dense termite hatches from the fallen gum trees that are strewn around the streams and rivers – the earliest termite hatch I have known since commencing fly fishing in 1994. I was unable to fish that day and was doubly frustrated to later hear that my mate Frank had caught 20 Termite feeding Trout from a small Gippsland stream on an adapted Adams pattern!

A few final thoughts for you. Despite my earlier comments, you don`t need to always fish a dry pattern as many crippled termites sink and the trout eat them as well, as you will discover if your dry pattern sinks or you use a small spider pattern wet fly. Also, if the water surface is inundated with naturals the trick is then to force a rise to your imitation! This, on occasions, can be achieved by imparting the slightest of movements to your fly (those kicking legs again!), or observing the feeding station and rhythm of your selected Trout and timing the cast so that the Trout is looking up as your fly lands on the surface. Not always easy, but very satisfying when it actually works.

Termites – I love them, just not in my house!!

Thanks to Glenn Strike for this article. I'm sure it will get our readers inspired to target the termite feeders in the coming months. Time to start working on the MK8 termite fly!

Los Roques Trip Report

Greetings from Los Roques, Venezuela! It has been a massive 9 days of fishing with a very cohesive group of anglers and now I have a week left fishing with the Roaming Flyfisher himself (www.roamingflyfisher.com) Scott Raggatt. So far all of us have caught literally truck loads of solid bonefish. Fortunately the tides have been suitable for chasing bones on the pancake flats and we’ve been seeing and catching tailing bones every day. But what really gets my blood flowing is the minnow feeding bonefish. Today for example, I chose to have a rest day and catch up on emails and sort some gear out for the week ahead. So I went for a walk along the beach outside the posada (hotel) and found some nice bones cruising less than a meter from the sand. I couldn’t help myself so I went and got the rod. It was like polaroiding trout in Tasmania! Fish cruising down, fly goes out, fish nears, strip, bonefish sees fly, strip-strip set! It was as much fun as I’ve had for the whole trip and just right outside the posada. I got some great footage with the camera set up on the tripod and caught several nice bones but nothing massive. There has been a many 5 and 6 pound bones caught but we’re yet to land anything bigger. The average bonefish here is about 3 pound. Which makes even casting at schools of fish a lot of fun. The most amazing thing I’ve witnessed so far is Jim (our guest) fishing from the pier near the posada early one morning, casting his deceiver out only to have a mammoth cruising tarpon emerge behind the fly and eat it. Unfortunately the fish didn’t stick but it was incredible to see. There’s not many places you can shore based fish for huge tarpon! Fortunately later that day, Jim did manage to land a nice tarpon, just before jumping on the plane home. Catch of the trip so far goes to Derbo from Melbourne with this huge permit on his secret fly. 

He is now a member of a very elite club (so he keeps telling us!) of 20 pound plus permit anglers. I hope to get a seat next to him in the coming week. Havier is THE permit guide in Los Roques and he has found us tailing permit every day.

The “Only in Los Roques” award goes to Will Minson who caught a great bonefish and got the photo to prove it.

LOS ROQUES 2013 - NOW TAKING BOOKINGS!

Autumn On The Timbarra

Autumn On The Timbarra

Driving up towards Buchan on a late April morning the weather was best described as brisk. Autumn had taken hold, the nights were colder and the deciduous trees portrayed that amazing array of colours, produced just before their leaves drop. Best thing was, the sky was blue, the day would warm to about 20 degrees and I was heading for the Upper Timbarra. I normally fish the settlement area however, my thinking went along the lines of the healthy river flows and colder weather combining to initiate the Trouts push to higher stretches prior to spawning. The promise of a warm day “should” result in insect activity and just maybe these Trout, if there, would dine well in anticipation of the rigours of piscine courtship – what optimism exists within the minds of fishermen!

Just South of Buchan I turn towards Timbarra, but today drive up towards logging country before taking a discreet dirt track and commencing the slow 4WD descent to the hidden Timbarra River far below. The Trout here don`t see too many of us fishermen and there is a good reason for that, there is no bank access and you need to bush bash downstream for thirty to forty minutes in order to give yourself three hours or more upstream fly fishing. You travel light, very little gear and with the necessary water and first aid kit!

The water in this valley is magnificent, displaying so much promise and character with no need for complex fishing. As I tackled the assault course of thick scrub, fallen trees and Wombat holes, I reckoned a simple rig of weighted nymph below a bushy dry would allow me to search the rivers glides and deeper holes. Every day brings a different challenge and whereas in summer I would be sweating heavily and looking for snakes, todays challenge was to avoid the slippery surfaces of damp, fallen tree branches. Twice my feet had shot out at angles and I had to remain focussed to avoid this happening too often. At last a gap I could use to reach the river. A quick change into waders, drink, munchies and attach a size 12 Red Humpy. Hell, can`t be bothered to tie on a nymph as the water screams “Dry Fly”!!

 

How many times have I been here? Not the location, more this place in my mind! You know, it all looks so promising that you can`t fail to catch yet, whether through ineptitude, wrong fly or just some reason known only to Trout, it just doesn`t happen. You still have fun, the peace and scenery eases those inner stresses and you try to wonder why you only caught a couple, dropped the biggie and felt like CoCo the clown as you presented your fly to the best fish of the day. With these thoughts drifting through my mind I miss an “unmissable” take on the second cast – “Oh no! Here we go” my inner tormentor whispers.  “OK, focus, think and enjoy”. Next cast is to a spot just upstream of a large boulder and as the Humpy drifts past it simply disappears – Fly – No Fly! Rod up, no slack line and “Yes, I`m in”. In a split second the Trout is across the river, down the river and then airborne twice, showing me that light crimson flash that is only found on a Rainbow Trout. Strong flows, healthy fish, even a 10 incher like this gives a good account of itself until I slide into the net, admire its sheer beauty and quickly let it slip back into that cold, clear water to wonder just what happened to cause such panic in its normally predictable day to day existence.

Well, a good start gets better as I land 3 Browns, lose another Rainbow and then lose my fly  to the trees  that so densely line the  river banks. A good chance to reflect, admire the beauty of this hidden stretch of river and finally tie on another biggish Humpy, as why change a winning formula? It’s a commercially tied Humpy so I customise it to my preferred style – bottom hackles cut flush so it sits in the surface film and white posts trimmed to prevent the fly spinning  during each cast. Apply the mucilin, work out a bit of line and away we go again. The Browns had all been about 12 inches in length, fat, healthy and happy to slug it out against my light 4 weight rod using the vigorous high country flows to their advantage. 

For once it all comes together. I see very few rises to natural insects, but the Trout are looking up and happy to snatch my fly if I can avoid too much drag. One even pursues my fly when it is sprinting downstream under the forces of extreme drag! Three times the Trout grabs at it before finally seeing me and hurtling for the cover of the nearest boulder – always expect the unexpected! Three hours pass in a flash and I suddenly realise I don`t need to catch anymore. Fourteen fish landed, of which two were Rainbows. Most of these were between 11 and 13 inches and the biggest was just short of 14 inches, beautifully coloured and in prime condition for spawning – wow, what a special session that turned out to be. Looking up, I realised I still had nearly half a kilometre of water to fish. Instead I unrigged, waded up towards the gap that I knew was close to the Patrol and reflected that I had seen very little natural insect activity, or had I simply been too absorbed in my own activities? Either way, this had been a day to remember and reminded me that, despite the ravages of ten years of drought, the Timbarra River was now back in pristine condition, looking every inch the gem that it is.

Thanks to customer Glenn Strike (Great surname!) for this contribution.

Fly-Fish-My-Diction Proof

Scientists have now confirmed what most of us already knew, that our fly-fish addiction is akin to a drug addiction. As you’ll see, it is a cheap addiction too, with very little “drug-miles” so it’s good for the environment as well!

I recently read a book called “Wisdom” from Stephen Hall. I got it in a Kris-Kringle and as it was one of those random events where others can steal your gift, I took one look at the cover, decided I liked it, and sat on it pretending I had received an ugly vase. No-one bothered taking my ugly prentenda-vase and no-one asked me to please stand up. So at the end of the day I was in the possession of a nice – albeit slightly warmed – book on “Wisdom and Neuroscience”.

The book tells of one of the key experiments scientists have done to measure what happens in “the learning brain”. The experiment involves a game of fishing. What else could be used to reliably test for wisdom? Anyway, fisho’s were hooked to some neuro devices and every time the right action was chosen that resulted in catching fish, the brain released a spritz of dopamine. This is the stuff that gets some Tour de France riders over the mountains when they really couldn’t. The brain gets high and yells at the body:‘gimme more!’ Well, that’s no news to us fly-fishers. Let’s see… “I caught a fish and now I want to catch some more.” And they pay scientists for what?! So now you know that you are not simply fishing, you are really slowly getting high on dopamine on some pristine wilderness river or a majestic lake!

Proof that catching a tiny fish still
releases dopamine!

Next they found that as you keep catching fish and keep doing the right thing, the dopamine flow reduces to a mere trickle. The repeated action of success does not generate the same stimulus and we become ‘neurologically bored’! What a great label! Indeed, when you have had days where fish just keep taking the fly, you do indeed eventually become neurologically bored (I am going to use that term from now on). In that case I always start experimenting with new casting techniques, rigs or flies. Now I know why, I need more dopamine and I can’t help myself!

But wait, there’s more! Scientists kept the best for last. Apparently the brain really ‘freaks out’ when you do all the right things by learned behavior from a bucket load of dopamine, but that unexpectedly DOES NOT produce the expected result.  According to scientists this is when the brain truly goes crazy. Is that news to us?! Let me think, how often did I rock up to a piece of river that I absolutely smashed last time. But 3 hours later, my expectations of triple digits shrunk to one foul-hooked fish, a couple of flies stuck in the trees somewhere and all I had was a hole in my waders. And don’t we get absolutely wild about that!! Figuring out what went wrong and how to adapt to new conditions is thus scientifically proven to be a necessary condition to learn and attain wisdom. Although I would rather have caught a bucket load of fish and left that wisdom-stuff to the Buddha!

So there you have it. Our fly-fish addiction has been scientifically proven. The beauty is that the drug is legal, you don’t have to bother a single soul obtaining it and moreover, it is homegrown, leaving a zero carbon-footprint. Oh, that sounds very fly-fish like to me! Hang on – my brain just shot me some more dopamine, gotta go and fish!

THERE’S ONE!

Mike

Thank you Mike for allowing us to add this to our blog. For more musings from Mike you'll find his blog here http://mike-thereisone.blogspot.com.au/

 

Trout Fishing Report 17/1/12

In the shop we have had a constant flow of excellent reports. For local anglers the rivers have been awesome. The King (Upper), Howqua, Jamieson, Big River, Toponga, Rubicon, Goulburn, Stevenson, Acheron, Latrobe, Torongo, Tanjil (West Branch) all going bonkers. Also some good reports from the Otways streams such as The Cumberland and Erskine. The Tassie highlands has been tough this year. A lack of warm weather has meant the gum beetle falls haven't really got going. Fortunately the mayfly fishing has been spectacular with big hatches on Little Pine and enough of them out on the western lakes to keep the fish looking up. Warm weather looks to be on the way and so the fishing will really start to fire now. In the lowlands the rivers have been excellent with lots of trout and some very productive dry fly fishing.

Great Lake Gut Feeder

I'd heard people talk about gut feeding trout before but was never convinced they existed till now. Clinton is a long time customer of ours and he caught this monster 12lb+ brown. While cleaning his catch around the boat ramp after a successful days fishing, he threw the guts out and noticed it very quickly disappeared. With the next bit of gut he threw in he watched it intently only to see a three foot long trout come and shovel it off the bottom and eat it whole. The fish was so close he could count the spots on it. Quickly he grabbed his fly rod and cast everything he could at the fish but unfortunately it wasn't interested in anything of the feather and fur variety. Later that night he was on a mission. Fuelled with enthusiasm they combed Miena for a snapper outfit, a large hook and some guts. Within 15 minutes of being back at the boat ramp, Clinton was hooked up to this monster trout. While not on a fly rod, you could argue Clinton matched the hatch and so well done on this magnificent capture. I'm working on a Marabou gut fly right now just in case...

Clinton with his massive Great Lake gut feeder.

A small update from our mate Adam Royter who's been fishing around Eucumbene.

A quick Eucumbene update – The lake is steady at 53% and the fishing is as good as I've seen it for the last 10 to 15 years. Early morning and late afternoon there have been some reasonable midge hatches with enough rising fish to stick with the dry fly. During the day, polaroiding  and casting to the odd rising fish has been great while during the quieter periods blind casting wets is very productive. Lots of nuggety rainbows and the quality of fish can only get better from here

The surrounding rivers are also fishing well. The Thredbo River has plenty of flow and is fishing well right through the day with a dry and nymph combo. The Murrumbidgee has had fantastic mayfly hatches and is fishing best in mild overcast conditions.

Adam nets a solid Eucumbene rainbow.

Thredbo River Trip Report 30/10 till 3/11 2011

When it comes to a fly fishing trip, plans are made to be changed. On this occasion, we had enough rain to dirty many of the systems we had planned on fishing. Our original plan was to fish the Nariel, The Swampy and perhaps even the Tumut. When we woke in the rain on the Saturday morning of Cup Weekend, we had some hard decisions to make. After the breakfast of champions, we packed up our wet camping gear and shot off to the Swampy. This river is a tailrace and so they tend to be clearer after rain than the smaller streams. As was expected, the river was high and with the weather starting to improve, we felt we would get a hatch of some description through the the day. Well we didn't. The rain continued sporadically and while we still managed to catch the odd trout on a dry fly, nymphing was by far the most productive method and while we had a great time catching small trout, we didn't come accross any sizeable fish to write home about. 

 The Swampy Plains River.

A nice little Swampy rainbow.

We pulled the pin mid afternoon and after a quick re-charge in Khancoban and a couple of phone calls, we made the decision to head to the Thredbo. By current reports, the fishing had been good. Not lots of fish, but some larger rainbows scattered through the system feeding greedily on just about anything. I've always had a soft spot for the Thredbo. It's a beautiful stream with so much diversity. Slow glides, pocket water, riffles and runs... It's technical fishing and the fish have seen a lot of anglers. But this is rewarding angling. There is the need for constant mending of the line to achieve that all important drag free drift and in high levels such as what we experienced, the river has lots of current seams that make this hard to achieve. We found the most productive fishing to be below the hatchery. This area typically sees a lot of traffic and so if you plan a trip there, be prepared to do some walking and leave enough water for other anglers. We fished upstream through the day, methodically covering every inch of water we could. Nymphing through the faster water resulted in plenty of strong little rainbows up to around a pound. Copper Johns and hares ear nymphs proved productive as searching pattern. 

 A couple of Thredbo River rainbows.

We polaroided lots of fish in the slower water. Some we're still paired up, moving fast and thinking about spawning more than feeding. Don't waste your time with these fish. Finding a more stationary or actively feeding trout was a much more likely prospect. But if you really get your heart set on catching one, then try a big woolly bugger drifted down to the fish and stripped back. While we fished upstream through the day, we'd scope out likely spots for the evening rise to come back to. The parachute adams was our most productive dry fly but make sure you carry a decent selection because the fish can get very selective in a hatch. On the way home, we fished above the Ski Tube in rather tough conditions. Currently. there is so much undergrowth along the river that in these high flows, moving upstream proved very difficult. We spotted two tiger snakes but fortunately they were very quick to get out of the way. 

 The Thredbo River above the Ski Tube

We managed a couple of fish but the fishing in the lower Thredbo was considerably better. This will no doubt change as the weather starts to warm. We camped on Lake Jindabyne while we were there. We did spend a morning walking around the lake to try and polaroid some trout but we didn't come accross any fish. Since being back at the shop, we've had some great reports on the fishing at Eucumbene. But the Thredbo river is a very special place and who would complain about catching beautifully conditioned rainbows up to 3 pounds on dry flies! If you're planning a trip to the Thredbo or Eucumbene, feel free to give us a call at the shop on (03) 9621 1246 for up to date information to help make your trip a success.

Happy fishing,

Andrew