112 jan hare earPresented from Issue 112, October 2014

As the Spring bulbs flower, the willows bud up and turn to soft green, I get quite excited about what is to come. Last season was a little tough, but from what I have seen so far this season looks pretty good in the Highlands. Nymphs and dry flies are uppermost in my mind at the moment. For me October means mayflies on the rivers and that means dry fly fishing, which I look forward to.

But hatching mayflies also means nymphs rising through the water column. If I had to pick just one nymph it would be a Hares Ear pattern. Most importantly though is size, colour and shape. Small patterns for the start of the season and as they grown so do my artificials. I believe the nymphs vary widely in colour as well depending on the habitat.

111 janPresented from Issue 111, August 2014
Writing for the start of the season is a delight and full of anticipation. What will the new season bring? As I write this I am finishing a coffee in my front room looking out over Great Lake.

Two parrots are noisily pulling the bark back on a small gum tree in front of the house and I can only assume they are looking for and finding some insects of some sort — perhaps gum beetles are on their menu. I don’t imagine there is too much else around.

110 katePresented from Issue 110, June 2014
Winter is a time to reflect on the past season and contemplate the new one. In recent articles I mentioned what a hard season it was - especially for fishers of the dry fly. We had some good fishing to hatching stoneflies in November, but after that the best results were usually on wet flies with sinking lines.

I reckon this sort of fishing is hard work, but it certainly gave us some good results. Of course it makes sense, because as we all know eighty percent of a trout’s food is in the water, not on it. So with little surface activity it has been most important to find the depth the fish are at.

109 phantomPresented from Issue 109, April 2014
This year’s fishing has certainly sorted the men from the boys - so to speak. The fly fishing sector has seen a tough year, but if the hard work is put in the rewards have come. Dry fly fishing has been tough in most areas - apart from small creeks, shark fishing on Great Lake and Western Lakes. I, like so many others, love to take fish on a dry fly, but if you want to catch trout you need to look at the whole water column. If fishing from a boat a fish finder will give you a pretty good idea of the different lines and weights of flies you need to be effective.

109 phantomPresented from Issue 109, April 2014
This year’s fishing has certainly sorted the men from the boys - so to speak. The fly fishing sector has seen a tough year, but if the hard work is put in the rewards have come. Dry fly fishing has been tough in most areas - apart from small creeks, shark fishing on Great Lake and Western Lakes. I, like so many others, love to take fish on a dry fly, but if you want to catch trout you need to look at the whole water column. If fishing from a boat a fish finder will give you a pretty good idea of the different lines and weights of flies you need to be effective.

108 buggerPresented from Issue 108, February 2014
As I write this we are experiencing some very hot weather in the Central Highlands. Prior to this though over Christmas it was cold and extremely windy. On most lakes as it gets hot the fish retreat to cooler waters. I don’t like to go boating on the very rough days, but am happy to give the shore fishing a go.

Just recently Bill and I were fishing the Bronte system and we started with a team of English dries - no fish, then small English wets - no fish. It was hot, so the thinking cap went on and I put a #3 sinking line on and some weighted flies. Bingo, we were into the fish and took a number of nice specimens – mostly on the bead head ‘Streamline Bugger’ point fly.

108 buggerPresented from Issue 108, February 2014
As I write this we are experiencing some very hot weather in the Central Highlands. Prior to this though over Christmas it was cold and extremely windy. On most lakes as it gets hot the fish retreat to cooler waters. I don’t like to go boating on the very rough days, but am happy to give the shore fishing a go.

Just recently Bill and I were fishing the Bronte system and we started with a team of English dries - no fish, then small English wets - no fish. It was hot, so the thinking cap went on and I put a #3 sinking line on and some weighted flies. Bingo, we were into the fish and took a number of nice specimens – mostly on the bead head ‘Streamline Bugger’ point fly.

107 stone flyPresented from Issue 107, December 2013
I would like to tell you my thoughts on Arthurs Lake. Many are critical of the numerous small fish, the results of good spawning over the last few years. It does show it is a very healthy system.

If there were few fish there would be complaints as well. And it seems not so long ago anglers were complaining of low levels and no water. As I write this Arthurs is 40mm from full. It has never been that high, and has never spilled.

106 janPresented from Issue 106, October 2013
It is time to think nymphs. Numerous trout foods have a nymphal stage as part of their life cycle and these include damselflies, dragonflies, mayflies, stoneflies, caddis and midges. All have different body shapes and colours.
There is no pattern to cover the lot, but I think it is important to get the size and colour correct. The weight depends on what depth the fish are at and as the season progresses the nymphs become larger and more active. Earlier in the season the fish are deeper and as the water warms fish and insects rise in the water column.

Green leachPresented from Issue 105, August 2013

Fishing early season is cold, but it can be very productive.

If you are fly fishing you will almost certainly be wet fly fishing - unless the fish are in very shallow water then a dry fly may work.

Presented from Issue 104, June 2013

Never before has there been so many fly tying products to choose from. A recent book I read had a number of very early flies and mentioned many different animal hairs and down from a variety of birds.

Today there are so many different artificial materials produced the fly tier has never had it so good, nor so confusing.

Those early materials were often simple and we still use a lot today. There weren’t many really bright natural colours, but one was peacock herl, and that is one of my most used materials even today.

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