Freddy von Reibnitz originally published this paper in the Journal of the NSW Rod Fishers’ Society – a very prestigious and exclusive fishing club. The article was subsequently published in the Newsletter of the ACT Fly Fishers where I was able to read and appreciate the significant analytical work therein. It appears here for Canberra Anglers Association through Freddy’s generosity. I hope that others will benefit from the knowledge that has been extracted and presented here.
The analysis provides a mathematical and robust consideration of long term rainfall and air temperature data. The findings are quite sobering to say the least.
The impact on the trout fishery is a major element of DPI and MAS research. It is also instructive to consider some of the research into mitigation that the Victorian fisheries authorities are undertaking.
There is much myth and misconception about the legalities of angler access to river banks.
I was recently sent this link to a very interesting discussion on the law. The photos and drawing examples are very informative. Will put it onto CAA website in due course for continued visibility.
I’ve been following The New Fly Fisher on YouTube for some time. They have a lot of short, sharp videos providing hints that assist not just novices. Here’s one on preparing a new flyline that I’ve not been aware of.
I’ve been providing some informal mentoring to our new member Stephen and have pointed him to Jensen Fly Fishing (on YouTube and their website). Their videography and commentary are excellent. You might consider subscribing to their YouTube channel plus their free email newsletters/videos.
I initially pointed him to two specific videos:
Nymphing Rainbow Trout in Ultra-Low & Gin-Clear Water (Fly Fishing) of Pre-Runoff at https://youtu.be/s1fx5nMUTP4
And Fly Fishing HUGE BROWN TROUT in tiny water. The art of hunting brown trout EPIC at
I offered some observations, especially for the latter:
Watch how you can often see the shadow better than the fish itself
Looking for their white mouth is often a key sighting technique
The refractive effects of water make them look much skinnier than they are … see how wide (but shallow and short) they look when they swim directly away or towards the camera
Some of these takes were of the nymph below rather than the indicator fly – watch both (maybe have to rewind)
Again the refractive index means the fish are further away than you think. When he says his fly is right above the fish the fly looks too far away.
When the fish takes the dry, see the pause till the fish closes his mouth … but then again maybe he misses one strike by being too slow
Watch them working the fish to and fro
Take care, some of this is slomo … sometimes hard to tell. I was taught to strike at the same speed that the trout takes the fly. Traditionally you sing the single line “God Save the Queen” then strike
The very last fish filming is particularly good.
Three flies are not permitted in our streams
I’m not sure if they do this in these two videos, but in their streamer angling, they like to give the fly a series of little jiggles as they lift back for next cast
Some really good streamcraft lessons to be seen here.
I should also put some of the stuff that Ian has been hammering into me over the years too. If you have a nice drift down (eg when you have cast somewhat across the stream) let the fly continue down (maybe a mend is needed) and take real care at the end of the drift when a nymph would rise to the surface as this can induce a strike (how many Mataura fish have I missed with this!). Don’t false cast any more than is necessary (the Jensens emphasise this too).
My NZ guide also has encouraged me to be prepared to cast directly across the current to rising fish – their attention is often on looking forward and they won’t be so attentive watching for me coming from the side – means that the fly has less chance of being dragged – aim for just a rod length at most ahead of the fish.
Interpreting rise forms, especially understanding that fish might be taking just below the surface (bulge), is a topic covered elsewhere here.
In preparation for those who might be loch style fishing (especially at our Jindy trip), Shaun has put this pointer up on our Facebook page. A talk by Tom Jarman.
Shaun has recently been to UK fishing in the Lake District. He extracted some tips that would be quite relevant here. One day I’ll assemble all the tips that people have offered to Burley Line and pop them in this category.
If you’re interested, this trip we fished Lough Corrib, Stocks Reservoir, and the Lake District, where I picked up my first grand slam (Trout, Pike, Redfin) near Lake Windermere. The following are a handful of observations that I picked up this time round.
When fishing at home it’s common to see a three fly setup with increasingly lighter tipper at each fly. Level leaders seem more common in Britain, and the locals were using some of the newer Japanese fluorocarbons in 0.25mm at around 18lb. These leaders are plenty stiff and even with my casting skills, unfurl nicely with the droppers rarely tangling. On the subject of droppers, one of our fellow fishers showed me a technique that I’m definitely trying at home. When you setup at the beginning of the day, you build your leader with the usual three section, two triple surgeon knot rigs. When during the course of a day’s fishing your droppers start getting short, or there’s a tangle that’s beyond help, you cut the dropper close to the knot, and then attach a new dropper with a blood knot, or even a perfection loop using the old knot as a stopper. I’ve even seen a knot tied above and below the old surgeons knot. When using a perfection loop the dropper will slide along the leader, and whilst I didn’t see it in practice, a missed strike with the setup can tell you which fly was hit, as the dropper will slide up snug against the stopper knot.
Flies as always are a contentious subject. Boobies in both floating and sinking forms are ever popular apart from with the purists, but unsurprisingly, the comp fishers are rarely that. Foam arsed blobs (FABs) are also in most fishers boxes, fished as an attractor in a standard sinking setup, commonly with a Damsel that’s similar to a Mel’s damsel on the point, and small dark fly like a cormorant. Alternatively, because the foam variants of the FAB float well, they are used as a point fly to suspend and indicate nymphs or buzzers just under the surface on a floating line. The main change I’ve seen is in the materials used. Regular fritz is being replaced with a jelly fritz, which is translucent when wet, showing through to the thread colour. It’s a trickier material to deal with, and it’s best tied in after a brief soak, but otherwise FABs are easy to tie, and an evening’s work will supply a seasons flies. The most popular of the jelly materials are made by frozen north fishing in dozens of colours. There’s even several greens that would make potential replacements for straggle fritz on a damsel.
The other fly I was introduced to, which has yet to be named as it was an experiment by one of our fishing mates, was a beetle pattern that was simply a tapered ball of spiky black dubbing on a size 14 hook, with a ‘flashback’ made from a strip of heavy duty garbage bin liner. The fish were quite happy to take this, and it sounds like a useful ‘guide fly’ for those of us with neither the skill nor inclination to tie complex flies.
Coloured hooks also seem to be a thing now, with a bare red hook and a small dubbed thorax making for very easy buzzers.
The DPI have an ongoing program of workshops to introduce kids to the sport of angling. They are not free but a modest cost given the goodies they come away with and the experience. You can read about how one of our Juniors had a great day at Gaden Trout Hatchery in the Nov 2018 issue of Burley Line. (Bookings are essential, details in the flyer)
There are saltwater and freshwater focused versions at various locations in our region. Flyers are below.
