Author Archives: bill

Fly Casting 24 Sep 2023

Remember that the final day is on the water – Lake Ginninderra at Nengi Bamir Beach on Diddams Close west. Enter off Ginninderra Drive (near Gundaroo Drive/previously William Slim Drive). At the T Junction turn right and go to the end. Alternatively put -35.225282522740095, 149.06970762152545 into your GPS.

The club is currently planning to provide suitable, barbless, flies (or you can continue to use the ‘fluff’).

Fly Tying 27 Sep 2023 – Olive Flash Perdigon Nymph and Blue Collar Worker

Lachy is in the lead. Zoom invite sent out via email.

Hook – Hanak 470 size 16 (can use Hanak 450 or 400 and sizes 12-18 as desired). It is a general nymphing jig hook.

Bead – Silver slotted tungsten bead 3.0mm. Also works well in copper and sizes 2.5 – 3.5mm to give you options to match water conditions. 

Thread – Black UTC 70 or Uni Thread 8/0.

Collar – Fluro Orange UTC 70 or Glo-Brite No 7 (fluro orange).

Tail – Coq de Leon in Flora de Escoba (Brown-mottled) colour. You can also use dark or medium pardo.

Body – Hareline Krystal Flash Peacock. Alternate is Hends 233 Krystal Flash Dark Brown (actually has a green shine). Or any green coloured Krystal Flash, Tinsel or even Flashabou (if nothing else).

UV Resin – Solarez Bone-dry or any thin, clear UV resin eg. Loon UV Clear Fly Finish – Flow.

Wing Case Resin – Solarez UV Cure Color Resin (Black) or Loon UV Fly Finish Black. Can be difficult to source locally so black nail polish will also do. Note that I have seen perdigons done with and without a wing case, so this is optional. 

Given the Perdigon Nymph is a very easy and quick pattern to tie, Lachy is happy to do the Blue Collar Worker on the same night

Hook – Dohiku 302 size 14 (can use Hanak 280 and sizes 10-18 as desired).

Bead – Silver countersunk tungsten bead 3.0mm. Plus some thin (0.2-0.3mm) lead wire to wrap behind the bead.

Thread – Brown (or Olive or Tan) 220 Denier 3/0 Uni-Thread to cover lead (optional), Camel (or Brown) Uni-Thread 8/0 for tying the fly, and Glo-Brite No. 14 (fluro blue) for the hot collar.

Tail – Pheasant tail fibres. Natural colour.

Body – Pheasant tail fibres. Natural colour.

Ribbing – Small Tinsel (UTC Pearl Tinsel is ideal) furled with 6X or 7X tippet

Collar – CDC in Dun or mid-dark grey colour. And Fluro blue thread for the hot collar as described above.

Keyword wetfly nymphfly

RFA of NSW Newsletter Sep 2023

Has arrived and can be read here

Top items:

  • Trout season opening
  • Prospect Dam for recreational fishing
  • Bass in Porter’s Creek Dam
  • Impact of offshore wind farms on fishing
  • Female participation in fishing
  • 10th World Recreational Fishing Conference presentations are all online
  • Annual trout fishing closure no longer applies within the Macquarie River or Lower Turon Rivers
  • 2023-24 Survey of Recreational Fishing
  • Open season has now officially begun for bass and EPs

NSW CFA August 2023 Newsletter – Freshwater Fisher

The Editor, Peter Gibson, does this to me so often 🙂 publishes the Freshwater Fisher immediately after I publish Burley Line.

A very full edition. Top items:

  • The annual trout fishing closure no longer applies in the Macquarie River or Lower Turon Rivers
  • Advanced size Murray cod stocking
  • Positive signs for native fish in the Murray-Darling Basin
  • Opposition to proposed Yetholme hydro project on Macquarie watershed. A comprehensive letter of concern. (NSWCFA have previously prepared an issues paper for Affiliated Clubs on pumped hydro for local engagement on the issue)
  • Carp functionally eradicated from Tasmania
  • Gone Fishing Day grant applications open. Put 8 October 2023 in your calendar, as Gone Fishing Day is on again.
  • 10th World Recreational Fishing Conference presentations
  • Have your say on freshwater fish stocking
  • River ecologist confident Murray cod ‘will bounce back’ amid fears of another fish kill
  • Draft amendment to the Kosciuszko National Park Wild Horse Heritage Management Plan – submissions close 11 Sep
  • 2023-24 Survey of Recreational Fishing – you might receive a phone call
  • Fisheries collaboration to crack code on Macquarie perch
  • Website for Australian bamboo (aka ‘cane’) rods looking at their history

available here

At Last, an Entomologist Who Includes a Fly Fishing Dimension

Our entomologist member Jaime brought this new book to our attention.

“An essential reference on Tasmania’s diverse mayflies, ideal for aquatic biologists and flyfishers.”

Jaime tells me:

A new book about Tasmanian Mayflies with biologist and fly-fishing orientation has been just published. I have been waiting for it for about 2 years. I was one of the reviewers when it was in the process of publication so I can testify that it’s a great book. It has very good biology/ecology/behavioural information. On top of that – because the scientist who wrote it has been a fly fisherman for more than 20 years – it includes a good chunk of fishing suggestions, eg. flies to mimic the natural patterns, when and where they occur, regional colour variations, etc. I haven’t seen a book that combines the 2 approaches (taxonomy/ biology and fly-fishing) together so well. Several of the species in the book occur also in VIC and NSW, so the information can be useful for us here.

$59.99. Order it here.

https://www.publish.csiro.au/book/8073/

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/

Fly Tying 23 Aug – Scintilla Caddis

Claude was called away at the last minute and Ryan stood in, admirably leading the team tying the scintilla caddis.  Some really good tips, especially for using the cigarette lighter!

The original link I found now seems to require signing up. Try this one instead. (Thanks Mike for spotting this error)

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

Keyword wetfly nymphfly

Important News for Those Who Fish NZ Back Country

The proposed changes have come about. Admittedly it only effects a small number of rivers and small sections at that, but the changes are significant. The latest Fish and Game Newsletter had a snippet:

A heap of Designated Waters Licences have also been sold.
The Designated Waters system has replaced the Backcountry system and is designed to see Kiwi anglers get a fairer share on some of the waterways that Fish & Game’s research has shown are subject to too much pressure – around two per cent of the country’s rivers.
The new licence category will help us manage angling pressure by spreading angling effort around so that it isn’t concentrated in certain areas, which detracts from the angling experience and also has the potential to negatively impact the fisheries.
Over the past ten years, Fish & Game has received increasing complaints from resident and non-resident anglers regarding overcrowding in a small number of fisheries that will now be managed through the Designated Waters Licence.
Our research and monitoring show that a small percentage of non-resident anglers will intensely fish in a local area, putting pressure on the fishery and displacing other anglers. We’ve implemented this new fisheries management tool to help address that imbalance.
In some fisheries, angler use has gone from a roughly 50:50 resident-to-non-resident split (in the early 2000s) to an 80:20 split favouring non-resident anglers. In most cases, pressure-sensitive fisheries, now managed through the Designated Waters Licence, share common features. The rivers have very clear water, offer excellent sight fishing, hold large average-size trout, have high scenic value, and are often located in a wilderness or backcountry setting.

These Designated Water Licences are only available for those with a Season Licence. I’ve not been able to see the authoritative cost/conditions but this article by South FlyFisher may be correct.

For those who frequent Southland the only Designated Water is the Upper Oreti. More information here.