Category Archives: Newsletter

The Burley Line, the monthly CAA newsletter

October 2023 Burley Line (Issue 195)

Activities dominated by our annual Fly Casting Days instruction to the public.  In addition, our special meeting at Boss Outdoors on 13 Sep went off a treat – many thanks Nathan.

Membership renewals are slowly progressing.  We’ve got maybe 10 ‘regulars’ still outstanding.  Member fees are now due, unchanged from last year – $40 for adult, $50 for family, $15 for individual juniors and $15 for concession (age pension or similar).  Payment of subs via EFT is available BSB 032727, A/C Number 233821. Please ensure your name is included in the transfer comment information.  Alternatively come to a Wednesday meeting and pay with cash or card.  Any contact detail changes can be provided by the webform on our ‘join us’ page or speak to me at a meeting.  Reminder that you need to be financial to be covered by the club’s Public Liability Insurance – particularly important with our outings commencing for the season.

Outing dates for our Feb trip to Jindabyne has been locked in for 23-25 Feb.  Pop it into your diary, I’ll seek registrations later this year.

Lots of interesting stuff hit my in-box this month (in addition to casting photos – many thanks Paul, John and Ryan), check it out towards the end of the newsletter.

Hope everyone goes well with Stream Trout Season opening this weekend.

September 2023 Burley Line (Issue 194)

The Bondi Forest event was a success, though the constraints on bank fishing limit the maximum that can realistically attend.  The three gaps in the reeds have become reduced to one. Much appreciate BJ’s assistance in organisation and preparing the report.

The AGM was a splendiferous affair with a good rollup of members.  All the trophy winners are pictured here along with other key news.

Always looking for articles folks.  Email via the Burley Line address available on our web home page https://canberra-anglers.asn.au/

With my Membership Officer hat on, remember, we are in a new season/new club financial year.  Member fees are now due, unchanged from last year – $40 for adult, $50 for family, $15 for individual juniors and $15 for concession (age pension or similar).  Payment of subs via EFT is available BSB 032727, A/C Number 233821. Please ensure your name is included in the transfer comment information.  Alternatively come to the casting days, or a Wednesday meeting and pay with cash or card.  Any contact detail changes can be provided by the webform on our ‘join us’ page or speak to me at a meeting.

Reminder that you need to be financial to be covered by the club’s Public Liability Insurance – particularly important with the casting days coming up.

Hmm, the original link I found for the scintilla stick caddis now seems to require signing up. Try this one instead (thanks Mike for spotting this problem)

https://tacklevillage.com/tying-the-scintilla-stick-caddis/

August 2023 Burley Line (Issue 193)

Here we are in the depths of winter and fishing reports looked to be pretty quiet, then a bunch arrived.  So, I’ve got many thanks to Roger for assisting by providing us with his next report from his round the world fishing adventures, this time from Nova Scotia.  Jason with his latest post card from the USA.  Much appreciate Lyall’s assistance in seeking permission from ACTFF member Des Cannon and ACTFF Newsletter Editor Brett Leyshon to reprint an article from ACT Fly Fishers Flylines.

A short snippet from Peter is here too, plus the prolific Internet observations from Greg S – don’t forget guys you can email articles for Burley Line anytime.  Peter’s brown trout (photo sent by Mark S) is a beauty.

The Committee has been busy.  I’ve been given a sneak preview into the forthcoming outings program – they still had not locked in organisers for two events, Saltwater 17-19 Nov at Tuross and a Tumut trip 17-19 May (may be finalised before this edition is published but I’m sure they’d welcome offers).  They have also almost completed a full fly tying program for the 2023-24 period.  Much will be revealed at the AGM.

July 2023 Burley Line (Issue 192)

Apologies for being a little late – have been travelling (a 9,700km road trip!).

Read on for an excellent story from Stefan – who knew that we had trout cod in the Cotter.  Many thanks also for Greg S.  He’s been assiduous in trawling the Internet for interesting stuff – has helped to provide some excellent content – click on his links and be blown away.  Finally, Claude has reported on a final session on the streams before the closure – much appreciate the yarn and photos from Travis.

Ryan has been hard at work experimenting with new ideas (see our cover photo).  One will be the subject of our next flytying session – material list below, more detail soon … many thanks Ryan.

At the risk of being a bit ‘political’, the New Zealand Fish and Game Council (they manage freshwater fishing on behalf of the government) has been caught up in some tricky legislation.  Seems the government is being swayed to formally recognise the value of salmonids, alongside natives.

Just remember, the July meeting is the last time you can register your catch for consideration for trophies.  If you haven’t already done so, make sure you bring in your trophies so that they can go to the engravers.  I don’t think I’m up for any trophies this year, but I have advised Lyall that I don’t want a mini-trophy for retention (they aren’t a small cost to the club) but I have asked for the little shield – I can put any I’m awarded on the mini-trophies on my shelf.

June 2023 Burley Line (Issue 191)

Many thanks to Claude for completing this edition in my absence, cheers, Bill

Great photo of the month from life member Stuart. Rivals the photos provided by one of our new members, Paul, in his talk last month – in our ‘Tips’ blog. Many thanks to contributors, but especially to Claude for his efforts finishing off this edition in my absence. BJ has responded to suggestions of a Bondi Forest Lodge event very soon after our August Annual General Meeting. Indeed the tentative date is immediately after the 9 Aug AGM … Bondi dates 11-13 Aug. BJ is contemplating bringing down the drift boat to take folk in turns. Also looking about another 120 minute fly tying/fishing competition. Hold on for more info. Lyall has been to New Zealand recently, but more significantly helping out a mutual mate, Barry Perkins, with a fly casting event in Gore – Lyall provides some more complete with photos. Greg S has spotted another Landline article of interest. Mark S has also popped some stuff into my in-box. A bit been happening on our News Blog – eg you heard it first there about the Tantangara trip rescheduling. We have added some member profiles so you can learn a little more about our new and existing club members. We’ll be in contact soon to get your profile….start thinking about your ‘desired fishing superpower.’

May 2023 Burley Line (Newsletter Issue 190)

Folks, I’ve been away so this issue is a little smaller than normal, but our membership has made up for it in quality with an excellent report on the club trip to the Goodradigbee.  Many thanks to Greg for organising the trip and for assembling this interesting report.

I’ll add some images from my recent trip to NZ – just some ‘grip and grin’ to whet your appetite for visiting in the future.  In respect to NZ, NSWCFA has taken action in respect to some proposed changes to non-resident angling – see the section below on our “News” blog.

We had some very sad news with the death of long term member Shaun.  Last month’s fly tying was in some respects a commemoration of his contribution to the club’s activities.  We’ll miss him also as an active Administrator for our Facebook page.  Our thoughts go out to his family.

As always, any and all submissions from members for future newsletters will be appreciated anytime.

April 2023 Burley Line (Newsletter Issue 189)

Quite a diversity this month:

  • Claude and BJ have snuck across the ditch and provided some nice images.
  • The next report from our US contributor, Jason M.  His first outing with his new fishing friends – chasing brook trout in suburban water.
  • Stefan provides a report, along with official results, of the NSWCFA Interclub Comp.  Perhaps we’ll entice more people to go to the next one.
  • An update to an older entry in our fly tying blog.
  • Advice on further CAA merchandise.
  • Recent local capture by Peter.
  • Someone we know has also been in New Zealand.
  • Finally, some reels for sale.

As always, any and all submissions from members for future newsletters will be appreciated anytime.

March 2023 Burley Line (Newsletter Issue 188)

Our annual Tumut trip was a big success with everyone onto fish and looking good.  The river was well up again.  We need to recruit someone into CAA who has the decision making on the timing of flows .  I had some success on the Thredbo after I couldn’t get to Tumut.

A report from a local river by Ryan is here.  He’s been exploring locally, though a little bird tells me that Greg W and Lachlan have also been scampering around checking out trout waters on most Mondays.  I look forward to a private briefing.

We have an update from our North American correspondent Jason M.  He’s settling into the DC area trying to find good shops and good fishing.  No doubts we’ll here more.

Some news snippets – eg that Monaro Acclimatisation Society has joined the 21st Century and established a Facebook page.  You might want to monitor it for news about the Snowies.

While talking Facebook – many thanks to Ryan for signing up to join Shaun and Bill as our Facebook page administrator.  No doubt he will bring a ‘younger’ perspective to what might be uploaded.  We have over 600 followers of our page – almost exclusively local and it seems few CAA members.  Recently our stats are showing a large number of visits to our website/news blog/newsletter etc have come via Facebook – well done Shaun.  I have asked the Committee whether we should establish an Instagram presence (to appeal to an even younger audience).  Any thoughts to Claude please.

Our club logo embroiderer has moved away from Canberra.  We have identified a replacement so those who would like to have the CAA logo on their own shirts have the opportunity to do so, in advance of any bulk purchases of shirts by the club.

As always, any and all submissions from members for future newsletters will be appreciated anytime.  I’m aware two members are off to fish the Mataura and hope we might get some photos/stories.

February 2023 Burley Line (Newsletter Issue 187)

Hmm, I may have been presumptuous advising you of the appointment to RFNSW before the Minister made a public announcement. My first mistake?

A very big issue this month with reports on our Carp day out, the next part of Roger’s motorbike tour in the Northern Hemisphere, some fun on Lake Ginninderra with casting practice that turned out to be more, the deferred Lyle Knowles and finally our successful trip to Jindabyne.

A discussion is here on angler access and related matters, specifically the impact of Biosecurity.  In relation to the latter, I’ve been told there has been further developments in interpreting the laws related to angler access and biosecurity.  Haven’t got the details yet so will have to await next issue of Burley Line.

Some big news for me, I’ve just received notification that I’ve been appointed to the Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council to represent this region. The appointment is for three years and the council provides advice to the NSW Minister for Primary Industry on recreational fishing issues.  Steve Samuels held the position for six years and did a sterling job – I’ll do my best to keep up his efforts.  My intent is that I’ll publish here forthcoming agenda items with the hope that feedback can be received from you (and the other clubs in this region).  Also that you will assist me in understanding new issues so that they can be carried to the forum.

Any and all submissions from members for future newsletters will be appreciated anytime.

January 2023 Burley Line (Newsletter Issue 186)

Welcome to 2023 – we all hope you had a safe and enjoyable festive season.

John’s report on our December Saltwater Event here – thanks mate.  Much appreciate a report from Lyall about control (volunteer) activity with the recent National Fly Fishing comp.  Al McH has sent me a colourful report on northern Victoria fishing – almost entices me to emigrate.

I believe report from a recent trip to NZ by our President is in preparation as is a report by BJ and Al McH on back country KNP fishing – a sneak preview is photo of the month.

Some photos here of the end of year BBQ and big raffle.  Some folk won multiple times but were kind enough to permit ‘redraw’.

Some update to our website.  I just noticed that our web address has ‘gone secure’ … it now has that little ‘s’ in the https prefix.  The old http address seems to be continuing to work, but you might want to change any bookmarks to our webpage.  The automatic notification of blog posts still seems to be using the http address.

This edition will come out just before our January Carp event Sun 15 Jan – tips on our news blog.

Any and all submissions from members for future newsletters will be appreciated anytime.