VOLUME 31, ISSUE 5. November 2024
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Tom Jarman instructs members during a recent 'Floating Line Techniques' clinic. |
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"The two best times to fish is when it's rainin' and when it ain't."
Patrick F. MacManus
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Dates for the Diary
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Casting Practice
10 November 2024: 9:00 AM: Timbrell Park, Henley Marine Drive, Five Dock
Monthly Meeting
11 November 2024: 7:00 PM Freeway Hotel, 115 Reserve Road, Artarmon Monthly Fly Tying
18 November 2024: Henley Community Centre, Crown Street, Henley |
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Denis Hill with a gorgeous fish from the February 2024 NZ Trip
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Dear {Contact_First_Name},
Fellow Flyrodders, its that time of year again, the end of the year in rapidly approaching, tickets to our Christmas party are selling out fast and, as in previous years, we will hold the Club’s AGM before we start the party (don’t worry the AGM only takes 15-20 minutes).
During the year Leigh Attallah our secretary had to step down from his role due to increased business demands and travel. Happily, Brian Horton took on Leigh’s role as Secretary and is prepared to continue in the role next year. Thus, we go into this year’s AGM one Committee member down and we also have one member of the current committee not standing for re-election, Alan Baldry our IT manager is retiring from the Committee and thus we are looking for a replacement IT manager. You don’t have to be an IT wizard to take on this role as Alan has done all the heavy lifting. We have a great website with the “Flyrodder” incorporated into the website, an online library of videos of the presentations at our monthly meeting and an automated booking system for our events and the ability to sell raffle tickets online as well as live, and subsequently have an automated raffle draw. Everything in the Committee’s brief for the website upgrade has been achieved and so we are now looking for someone to join the Committee to address the odd issue we may encounter and help maintain the website.
As well as this key need of filling the IT Manager’s role we would still like to have a member join the Committee to help with the organisation of a monthly, morning or afternoon, saltwater event, and two members join the Committee as general members to learn how the Committee works, provide their viewpoints and support the Committee. So, if you work in IT or are just handy with a computer, do a bit of saltwater fishing around Sydney or are just keen to help the Club, please take on one of these four roles and contribute to the ongoing success of your club.
With Alan’s retirement and Leigh Atallah’s reluctant resignation during the year we will be down to a Committee of 8, amongst the other 252 members (but excluding those members who have already served) surely there are 4 of you with the time to join the Committee and contribute to the running of your club.
Unfortunately, membership of the Committee doesn’t get you into the Qantas lounge or flight upgrades, nor free lunches or bottles of champagne, in fact, there are no perks other than you get to work with some great people and to help run a great club, but that really is worth it! If you are interested in joining the Committee and would like to volunteer or have questions please contact me on denisjhill47@gmail.com
Tight Lines
Denis |
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Jason with a bass from his canoe taken on a surface fly |
Fellow Flyrodders,
A bumper edition of the Flyrodder this month: we have stories about fishing clinics, ducks, broken reels and bent hooks, the mystery of leaders that won’t straighten, Bushy’s Horror and some sage advice on toughening up for a tough season.
I hope you enjoy the read.
Cheers,
Jason Hemens - Editor
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Event Report: Tom Jarman Clinic |
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By Steve Peach
The weekend of October 19th-20th was a special treat for our club members as we welcomed popular YouTuber and Australian Fly Fishing Team member Tom Jarman for two one-day clinics on "Floating Line Techniques." Held at the popular Flat Rock on the Fish River in O'Connell, these sessions drew 15 enthusiastic participants over the two days.
Tom's expertise shone through as he guided us through two distinct techniques: one for straight dry fly fishing and another for fishing nymph under dry. The clinic highlighted the crucial differences between these styles, emphasising the importance of proper leader design and casting technique in executing these techniques effectively.
Each day began with an informative theory and leader-building session, setting a solid foundation for the practical work to follow. Tom then provided on-water demonstrations, showcasing the techniques in action. Once equipped with this knowledge, participants had the opportunity to rig up and practice the casts and presentation techniques themselves. |
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Tom shares his hard earned knowledge with members |
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Throughout the practical sessions, Tom and I circulated among the anglers, offering personalised guidance and helping each participant refine their skills. This hands-on approach allowed for immediate feedback and adjustments, greatly enhancing the learning experience.
While the fishing itself was quiet due to low fish numbers in that section of the river, the focus remained squarely on skill development. The progress made by participants over the two days was remarkable, with noticeable improvements in technique across the board. |
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Putting theory into practice
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As the weekend drew to a close, it was clear that everyone had gained valuable insights and honed their skills. While we may not have caught any fish during the clinics, the real catch was the knowledge and techniques acquired. With some practice, I have no doubt that our members will soon be putting these newly learned skills to excellent use on the water! |
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Trip Report: With
a Duck, Duck Here and a Fish, Fish there
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Some of your Committee and a couple of hanger ons, spent the weekend of 18/20 October on a mission to find some possible accommodation that the club could rent on a regular basis, for members to indulge some Central slopes fishing within 3-4 hours of Sydney.
Members of longer standing will recall that the club previously had access to a property in the Oberon area, which was regularly used by members on weekends. But alas, a change of ownership resulted in that property becoming no longer available.
We chose a property with river frontage and a couple of amenable neighbours which substantially extended the private water available to fish. The property also had a seven bedroom rustic house which was originally built as a fishing lodge a couple of generations ago. In case you were wondering about my poor attempt at humour in the title, the property was located near the confluence of the Duckmaloi and Fish Rivers. I had holidayed there a couple of years back with my family and found that the river had fish and so it was worth another try. This was my third time at this property. |
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We went with some trepidation given all the talk about poor fishing in the area attributed to a dry winter, a plague of cormorants and the earth having stopped rotating. Fortunately, there was some rain overnight on Thursday, which continued into Friday morning, and this may have refreshed the rivers slightly. The group netted 13 fish of the brown variety over 1.5 days. But it was tough going. Some stretches, which looked ideal and very fishy yielded nothing and, a number of good fish were caught on dry fly in slow moving flat water by the very patient amongst us. I was able to put a small number in the net using dry/dropper in runs deep behind riffles and in pockets in shallow riffles. I only caught one on euro – which surprised me but made me realise that the fish were not holding in the aerated water but further back in the tail out.
David, Denis, James and Brian showed that, patiently casting dry flys to rising fishing in the slow flat water, could produce good results as the attached photos will attest to. I’ll have to learn how to do that. I’ve never been a fan of the slow flat pools but clearly there is a place for that style of fishing. |
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One of David's trophy browns |
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The second of David's trophy browns |
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Brian and his lovely brown from flat water |
The weather was kind to us under threat of rain, and only James got wet at dusk on Friday as he huddled under a tree during a downpour with a light show above. He came home excited having seen a hatch and rising fish around 7:30pm. We almost sent out the rescue party but the red wine was too good, and eventually he turned up so we felt justified in drinking his wine. The next night there was as exodus from the lodge at 7:15pm to be ready for James’ evening rise. Denis showed us his presidential skill by taking a nice brown that evening. Brian and James, earlier in the day had each stumbled across one red and black reptile, one of which had the dimensions of a python. No snake kit was harmed in the exchange. |
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Red Belly - happy to let this one go |
It was a great weekend with plenty of laughs around the dinner table and we caught fish despite the threat of the fish drought, and in a less-trodden idyllic environment. Idyllic if you ignore the blackberries on one of the properties. It is this kind of club trip that the Committee is seeking to provide to members within easy reach of Sydney.
At this stage the Committee is still working through the details with the property owner so please be patient. The water we fished is on a number of private properties, and it is vital that we maintain the good relationship with the owners. So please wait until the Committee has finalised matters before thinking about fishing this area. Stay tuned for more detail. In the meantime, enjoy the photos. |
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Tough season...Toughen up!
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By Phil Burton The Editor asked me to write a few pointers for people fishing the Central West region this season...
It’s a tough start to the season all over the state, lots of theories as to why but does anyone really understand fish behaviour? River flows are not as good as the last few years with a return to drier winters. While rain has been quite consistent, we haven’t had enough for real runoffs. It’s started with a very poor run of brown trout in the Snowies, which resulted in no fingerlings to stock the rivers. Then there was no false spawning of rainbows in TCD, with the fishing there generally poor over winter and now the season opening has turned out to be quite slow. One positive is there are browns about.
There's a lot of talk about Cormorant activity, which is something we went through a few years ago. While there are fish around, the birds will remain and they will take surprising large fish. Cormorants will work their way up and down the river and I feel the fish become super cautious in these conditions and just hide in close to cover, possibly changing their feeding into the night. Regardless of the cause, the rivers are lower and clearer and that makes the fishing hard. What can we do to get a fish? Embrace the challenge
Firstly, lower your expectations. I don’t mean wander the river despondent that the fishing is crap. Embrace the challenge and change the way you fish. You’re not going to get the numbers or maybe not a single fish. Every fish you catch is going to be rewarding, something you really had to work for. What can you do to increase your chances of getting a few? Here are some of my tips for low flows and clear water. Fish longer leaders
Push your leader length to the limit of your casting ability. Don’t just add long tippet to your usual leader, this will never straighten out in a cast. Go out and get a 12 ft leader. If you want to go longer, buy an X size up from your normal tippet and add to that. I hope I didn’t lose you there. I would suggest you will want at least 5x leader in low flow, clear conditions….then buy a 12ft 4x leader and add a couple of feet of 5x. Consider different techniques
Change the way you fish too. Unless the fish are obviously feeding, ditch the dry dropper rig. Fishing this season is about stealth, fish a single nymph or dry as you can cast more accurately and land the fly softer. A little casting practice at home might help too, get used to that longer leader. One great thing to practice is fishing a nymph without an indicator. This is going to increase your stealth, lower the time spent on your rig and give you more time fishing. Cast your nymph into the current and look at where the leader disappears under water. You will see a waited nymph dragging the leader under slowly. In faster water this is hard, and I sometimes lose track of that point in the leader. Then I resort to looking at the leader anywhere near where I think that point is. This is difficult fishing. Any time you think there is unnatural drift in that leader…remove the slack. Don’t strike, lift the rod as it could be weed, the bottom or a fish, and a slowly rising nymph is often taken, just lift and drift, if you come up tight!!!! Be stealthy
Stealth is the key so move slowly and travel away from the stream edge. Watch from a distance and approach the edge slowly and carefully. If fishing in pairs, this is the season to not leapfrog each other along the river, stick together and you know what water is undisturbed. Use cover when you can and work out what water you will fish first. Maybe not the prime spot on the river but that edge you are about to stand on…dangle your dry over while you are still a rod length away. Try not to just walk up to the edge. Observe, watch the currents that might cause drag, places that might hold fish…read the river, fish it in your head even. Observe and map out the section of where you can cast and where you need to be to fish the best spots and learn from mistakes. Keep it simple
I like parachute and emerger style flies when the fish aren’t aggressive, they present a different profile than a traditional dry. This means that I will fish a dry through a section before switching to a nymph for the same section of river. Maybe even cover that water again with a bigger weighted nymph. When it’s tough I like to keep it simple with one fly that I can cast easily and accurately. One tippet to change if I bust off or tangle, simple, easy and quick. If I spook a fish, I don’t need to guess how if there is only a one fly rig. That’s going to involve a few fly changes, and I mount a small magnet on my pack that I can stick a fly to and avoid digging into my gear for every change. Early in the season, use smaller size 16 and 18 flies, and small beads on small nymphs. Brassies or copper johns fished on long drifts covering lots of depths. Think natural when the fish get spooky - little pheasant tails are my go-to.
Get some good drifts and even let the fly drift past you and downstream. The Central West streams lend themselves to this technique. You can often use the current to take your fly into a very tight spot downstream, that you have no chance of covering with an upstream cast. One deadly technique for the tail out of faster water is to fish your dry through the fast stuff and down below you. You will go from stripping line as the fly comes downstream to feeding out line as it drifts into the deeper water. After a few drifts and before you start to nymph, try dragging your dry under. The area where the water comes off a rapid to deeper water is a great spot where hatching insects begin to rise to the surface. A dry sunk through this area can be taken as an emerging insect, but it’s at the end of your drift and as you drag the dry towards the surface that you can get takes. This is a good section to nymph too and if you’re fishing together, your partner should have a nymph ready to go.
Even in the bigger pools, try the slow approach first, drift a nymph first before the streamer. I like big nymphs in this water or small #10 woolly buggers. Fish the seams of the inflow, the edges of the current where the faster water comes into the slower water and use the slower flow in the main pool to swing a smaller woolly bugger. Fish differently and consider other species
It feels like we might be in for a tougher season than last but it’s not at all gloomy. Take the chance to fish a little differently and don’t forget to share your successes with others. Maybe give another species a go….Fish River carp are noted to be some very tough fly targets and plenty of the locals become legends when they hook one. The bass in Lylle this year are looking good, and the water is super clear right now. A kayak is a big advantage there and the water skiers are still a bit shy of the cool water. Cod in the Turon and Macquarie are increasing in numbers every year. Sight fishing carp is great fun in the Turon and there are plenty of American videos out there on flies and techniques. |
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Trip Report: A Tale of Two Anglers |
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Andrew with his first carp on fly |
By Andrew Worotniuk
It seems targeting carp on the fly is growing in popularity and I’ve heard epic stories of battling these beasts on our lightning conductors. Certainly I remember catching the evasive species on worms as a kid.
While some I know have called carp the bone fish of freshwater, my experiences with them have been less romantic. Often involving a whack over the head and a carcass on the bank, perhaps this is why I’ve never chased them on the fly. Or maybe like my old man, I’ve become one of those elite trout snobs. In any case, I can now say I’ve landed a carp on the fly, although my story is one of mishap and comedy rather than skill and precision. Today I share my shameful carp catching skills and compare them to my angling partner Dave Robinson, who may well be a better bloke to consult for carp catching advice. I think you’ll soon see why.
After the usual online scouting and callout requests for local hot spots, Dave swings by my place and we hit the river. After many more swings, this time with streamers for our target species bass, we shrug our shoulders, jump in the car and head up river to see what we can find. Each of us still chasing our first Australian bass, Dave soon spotted a carp feeding on a muddy bottom. Armed with his 6 weight and a woolly burger, he crept close, executed a perfect cast, landed the bugger in front of the pig’s snout and watched the orange lips suck it in for the perfect hook set. In what I’ve been told is classic carp, drag screeched and line pulled. Dave played the fish in textbook fashion, giving it line when needed and pressure when not. Running towards a tree he steered the fish away from timber before wearing it down enough to raise its head so I could wade in and net the first catch of the day. |
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Dave was first on the board |
Congratulating Mr Robinson in an appropriately collegial manner, I moved upstream and continued swinging for my bass. Not at all resentful that Dave had hit a fish and I was donuting, I swung through some faster water that looked like it could hold an overflow trout from the winter floods. Hitting nothing but the odd snag I swung on and finally felt that tight-line tug. No trout, I was into my first ever Australian bass and what a bass it was. Calling out to Dave, “it’s a bass”, I stripped some line in and asked for a net man. Thinking I was about to wrench in my trophy sized bass, the fish turned and took a long run while my reel screamed. Now on the reel I pulled back while the fish came at me before again turning and ripping drag. Next thing I know half my reel’s on the ground and I’m hand stripping again, while my net guy has turned reel repair man. Fish still on I’m again retrieving line, forgetting to tighten the nut on the reel. Reel suddenly back on the ground and line again in hand, Dave is working hard on my set up while I continue to fight this fish. With the mess finally cleaned up I think I’m going to land my first, what I now know is a carp. The carp has different ideas though, taking off again every time I bring it close to the net. Not wanting to bust off, this game of cat and mouse continues for a good 10 minutes or so, including me backing up the bank for extra purchase and nearly tripping over a log. With light fading and Dave tiring of the process, my net man makes the call and grabs my leader, winches in the gallant fish and scoops it up drama free.
Exhausted and shaky, me not the fish, I get ready for the obligatory grip and grin. Reel now seemingly ruined, it again falls apart just in time for my prized photo. As I look down at my busted reel, slimy net and mangled fly, complete with bent hook, I wonder if I might have been a tad luck to have landed my first carp on the fly. |
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The fish is in good condition - the reel, not so much |
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Last Monthly Meeting and Guest Speaker Report |
By Greg Wordsworth Rusted on regulars and a few fresh faces attended the October Club meeting, to share stories and hear from the guest speaker Niel Nelson – President of the Illawarra Fly Fishing Club.
Denis opened the meeting and spent some time discussing the upcoming events that are on offer to the club members. He pointed out that the committee has noticed a bit of a decline in event booking and the committee is monitoring this to try and determine if it is possibly due to current economic conditions or perhaps the events are not what the members are looking for. He reminded those present that the club will be doing a survey to gather feedback, but that if members had feedback to please pass that on so that it can be considered.
The date of the Christmas Dinner was announced as 9 December, and the event notification would be going out soon. April Vokey was confirmed as the guest speaker for the Christmas Dinner. The event will have a cap of 60 tickets.
There were not that many fishing reports shared, but those that did all mentioned that fishing had been tough for various reasons.
Steve Peach shared some feedback from a recent Fly-Fishing Australia fishing competition held at Buckenderra. He highlighted that between 24 of the nation’s best fly fishers managed to catch 112 fish over 4 sessions. This contrasts with previous years where the numbers of fish caught ranged from more than triple that to a maximum of 716 fish. Same venue, same waters, similar elite competitors – what could be impacting the numbers so much? The results from the Tasmania and Victoria competitions have shown a similar reduction in capture numbers. All states are noticing an increase in the number of cormorants actively feeding in the waters and it is suspected that this may be reducing the numbers as well as forcing the trout into deeper waters or at least hiding in deep cover during daylight hours.
At least those of us less accomplished anglers can take some solace in knowing that the competition anglers are also having a tougher time on the water.
Denis Hill was presented with his FFI Bronze casting certificate at the meeting.
At the start of his presentation Neil, President of the Illawarra Fly Club also mentioned that their club has numerous events listed and that some are also not being fully utilised by their membership. He has been in the club for 22 years; he says there are times of ebb and flow in the club membership and event participation.
Niel’s presentation was not purely focussed on the marvellous marble trout fishing (although he says they don’t fight too hard) in Slovenia but also the architectural, cultural and culinary journey that he and his mates have embarked on more than once now.
He shared some perspectives of his stopover in of Doha (Qatar) highlighting the architecture, culture and opulence of some of the venues.
Their journey landed them in Zagreb (Croatia) where the hired a vehicle and continued via road to Tolmin where they based themselves. He spent around 2 weeks fishing the waters (Soca, Tolminka rivers) in the surrounding areas. They utilised a guide that they have used on previous trips to take them out on the local waters. Guides were around $400 a day which is notably cheaper than those in Australia and New Zealand. This fee does not include paying for the guide’s lunch though. Fishing is very gentlemanly in Slovenia. A mid-morning start at around 09:00 fishing through to lunch, which is always at a local eatery near the waters. This is followed by an afternoon session on the water, fishing until the early evening.
The local fishing clubs manage the waters in their areas. The clubs stock the waters and issues the daily fishing licenses that are required to fish the waters. Each club also appoints fishing inspectors that ensure the rules are adhered to. These may include only one fly per line or no take areas.
The waters in the rivers are absolutely gin clear and Neil shared a video where if it were not for the movement of the water you would not have known it was there at all. Some waters like the Nadiza river have been heavily impacted by recent floods and have had the riverbeds stripped or banks collapse and it has impacted the aquatic life and will take some time to recover.
A lot of the fishing is done in the waters that flow through the local towns, and you will find yourself in some stunning locations with interesting backdrops like historic buildings and churches.
The fishing party also headed across the border to Italy for some sightseeing.
Slovenia looks like an amazing fishing opportunity, with so many options for taking in cultural and culinary experiences should you wish to (or be forced to by weather). Some photos from the meeting: |
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You can view this meeting video and indeed all the previous presentations on our Members Private Video Library on YouTube. To view them please Login to our Sydney Fly Rodders Website; click on Members and select YOUTUBE CHANNEL, as per the picture below.
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Next Monthly Meeting and Guest Speaker |
Our November Members Meeting is at our usual venue, The Freeway Hotel in Artarmon, on Monday the 11th November 2024.
The meeting will kick off at 7:00pm, but come along earlier and enjoy a pre meeting drink with fellow attendees. The doors will be open from 6:00pm.
Our guest speaker will be Paul Cooper. Paul is a keen sports fisher, with a passion for chasing large fish and looking to secure records. He will be sharing his experience of chasing trophy trout in Victorian Waters.
So come along and enjoy another great night out with fellow members.
For those unable to attend the meeting we will be recording the presentation and then uploading it to our Club Members Private Video Library on YouTube.
You will also be able to view all the previous meeting presentations that we have recorded, and view at your leisure.
Many of our attendees arrive a bit earlier and have dinner either before, else the bar staff will deliver your meal order to our meeting room and you can enjoy your meal, and or drink, whilst the meeting is underway. The food is good value for money and the company is priceless!! So come along and have a relaxing and entertaining meeting where you can meet other members and pick up on useful snippets information that is shared amongst the group.
Our Meeting is normally held on the 2nd Monday of each month, unless it is a public holiday; in which case it will be delayed a week.
There is ample parking in the parking garage under the Freeway Hotel, which is accessed from Dickson Avenue (at the back), just off Reserve Road, in Artarmon.
The address is 115 Reserve Road, Artarmon 2064 (for GPS).
Looking forward to catching up at the meeting.
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Last Month's Casting Practice Report |
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John Vernon receiving his Bronze Level FFI Program Certificate
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By David Caddies
Yes, another month rolls by and the freshwater season begins. I’m beginning to suspect that some of the regulars at casting practice have not wet a line in freshwater yet. Get good at casting before you go fishing is what the experts tell us. Given that most of us will be on the casting learning curve for life, you’d have to take that with a grain of salt. Just go fishing, and practice when you can.
At practice sessions, I make a point of urging members to assess their own casting outcomes as part of learning the ‘mechanics’ of their own casting. Ie the road to self-diagnosis. It starts simply, but takes a while to get in the swing of it. How simple? I might just say for instance: “What do you see your line doing in the air as you make that forward cast to the target”? The answer might just be:” It’s going left and right, all over the place, might have been the wind.” I say: ”Maybe. Try again when the breeze stops.”
Next try -“Ah, same thing. I’ll do it again.”
Two more of these and the fly has landed consistently well off to the right of a target each time, for example. If the caster then tells me it’s going out to the right every time, that is quite a big step forward in learning to observe. It’s called giving yourself accurate feedback and even this much is far more difficult to do than you might think. Maybe that’s only one of the problems with your cast, but you only saw the most obvious problem outcome: the real casting fault may not be obvious. So, one obvious problem might be due to a range of faults. Which one?
Which brings me to mention Peter Morse’s recent YouTube video called “Why won’t my leader straighten?” In the context I’ve laid out above, the caster who can even ask themselves this question has passed the first stage. Ie recognising that there could be a problem because of what the result looks like. Well, is it a problem to have the leader landing without being straight? It is, if you want it straight and you can’t make it happen. On the other hand, some leaders are not appropriate for the conditions and will never straighten – in that case the leader is the problem, not the cast. However, some leaders are designed to never fall straight [ie George Harvey’s slack line leader] and are used in fishing situations requiring a slack line/leader presentation. Clearly, control over whatever is the desired outcome is the aim. The video contains explanation and demonstration of a number of ways a non-straight leader can be traced back to a faulty casting action. The corrective action is also demonstrated. Are you able to cast with a fully straightened leader every time you try to do so?
See you in the park David |
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Club Monthly Casting Practice - Details and Event Schedule. |
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SFRC MONTHLY CASTING PRACTICE 9am Sunday 10 November 2024
Reminder: Leave your 9 – 10’ trout leader with the 5X tippet at home. Bring one which is 8’ – 8’6” and terminating in 8 or 10 lb tippet. This session will suit DT or WF floating lines, for the single-handers. Two-handers, bring what you got.
Start time is 9am:
HOWEVER: If you wish to have a go at being evaluated for any one or more of the casts in the Bronze Skills Development Program and you would like to come earlier than 9, send me a text message to that effect on 0434 671 085 and I’ll be there to set it up, from 8am. Coaching and demonstrations will be going on after 9, but with not much opportunity for individual evaluations. Early notice would be appreciated, but don’t let that stop you from a late practice on Saturday to see if you’re ready!
All members are welcome to join in the club’s usual monthly practice session. If you want to know everything about the club’s casting practice sessions, read the whole blurb in the Flyrodder magazine.
WHERE: Timbrell Park, Henley Marine Drive, Five Dock. Go to the western end of Henley Marine Drive, past the cricket pitches, baseball nets and just past LIvvi’s coffee kiosk and kids’ playground area. There is an open area opposite where Ingham Avenue intersects with Henley Marine Drive which we usually use. It is not part of the sports fields. If conditions there are not suitable on the day, we will be just opposite, across the canal, or anywhere within sight that I can find.
So come and give it a try, as there is so much to be gained by attending these sessions. And they are Free!!!
If you can’t make it this time and want some good practical instruction to guide you, check out this site: https://www.flyfishersinternational.org/Learn/Learning-Center-Resources/Fly-Casting/Casting-Instruction
I don’t know if that link works for you. Google FFI flyfishing and delve around. Most stuff is open to non-members. For 2024, we have moved to the second Sunday of the month, except for May as it's Mother's Day.
So put these dates in your diary for 2024:
10th November 2024
8th December 2024. |
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Last Month's Fly Tying Meeting |
13 Skills in a Flash! By Dave Wilson At the October Club fly tying night, we covered 13 core skills by tying just one fly.
Think about how many patterns these skills apply to! There are only about 20 Core Skills and methods that will tie thousands of common patterns. Attempting to pick up essential skills by haphazardly watching others tie random patterns takes an eternity!
Systematically learning 13 core skills from one fly in one night was a learning express for members. |
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Next Month's Fly Tying Meeting |
Our next Monthly Fly Tying Meeting will be held on Monday, 18 November 2024, from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. The doors will open at 6:30 pm to give you time to set up for a 7:00 pm start.
A message from Dave Wilson about the focus of the fly tying session:
Matuka and Bushy’s Horror
The Matuka is of NZ origin and the Bushy’s Horror is an Australian variation with the addition of a palmered body. Both are grossly underused, yet they are excellent imitations of Gudgeon, Galaxia and Smelt. The original Matuka was tied from bitten feathers or “Matuka” feathers as the Māori called them.
See Australian Native Gudgeon - Know Your Fish - Hastings Fly Fishers
In the words of Kaj Busch at a Club presentation: “This fly is designed to imitate smelt especially for Lakes Eucumbene and Jindabyne”. “Look for a cruiser. Count the fly down into the cruisers’ path and let it sit on the bottom (on its hackles). When the cruiser is within eyeshot give the fly a twitch. The cruiser will either pounce on the fly like a cat on a ball of wool or take off in horror! |
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Beginners are very welcome with experienced tiers giving help.
We provide all materials. If you don’t have your own tools, we have loan kits.
We normally also have some experienced fly tyers to assist and we look forward to seeing you at the meeting.
We particularly welcome first timers and all levels of fly tiers as you will all learn something from these wonderful sessions. These sessions are for all levels of fly tying abilities.
We have all the necessary fly-tying materials for the flies being tied in the session. For those who don't have a vice, don't worry, we have many spare vices you can use.If you would like to just come and observe, then please do so to see if this is for you. You'll be surprised at how "easily" you can get into tying your own flies.
The venue is the Henley Community Centre in Hunters Hill, and we meet in the Green Room on the right as you enter.
The venue address is: Crown Street, Henley, NSW 2111. As you turn into Crown Street, from Victoria Road, take the first left and drive down a bit of a bumpy road, and it's the last building about a 100 yards down the drag. There's ample parking off the track, but it's a short walk to the front door. |
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Prestigious FFI Award to Brian Henderson
in 2024
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By David Caddies Fly Fishers International recently announced their awards for 2024 to those in the global flyfishing education and conservation community. Brian, well known to Aussie, NZ and Asia-Pacific anglers and great friend of the Sydney Flyrodders, has been a very active member of FFI for some years, at the highest level casting and education groups. His contribution to those efforts is not as well known to Aussies as it should be. His leadership and instructor mentoring contributions have been recognized by FFI awards previously, on several occasions, but now he’s been awarded with the ‘big one’. The FFI Board of Directors has awarded him the Lifetime Achievement in Fly Casting Education Award.
It's not granted every year but to give you an idea of how this award sits in the flycasting world, this award has previously been given to such luminaries as Mel Kreiger, Lefty Kreh, Joan Wulff, Gary Borger, Steve and Tim Rajeff, Simon Gawesworth and others, but I mention only these names assuming you might have some familiarity with them and their achievements.
If you’ve had the pleasure of having fished with, cast with or been taught, examined or guided by Brian, you would be aware of his very special skills and knowledge in all casting and fishing matters. You would also come away feeling you’ve been in the presence of a gifted teacher. But that’s only at the one on one level. The current award reflects the fact that Brian has, over a long time and very intensively, given highly influential expertise and guidance to the furtherance of global flyfishing education. Brian’s stamp is all over FFI casting skills program, instructor candidate, mentor and examiner curricula, exams and guidebooks, in single and two-hand casting. Not that you would have heard any of that from the man himself – he’s just the quiet achiever.
What is the Award given for?
FFI presents this award to individuals who have made significant, long-term contributions to fly casting education. Contributions may include teaching, innovation in fly casting techniques, writing, motivation and sharing their knowledge of teaching to advance the goals of the Fly Casting Education Program.
Why did Brian get the Award?
Here’s FFI’s explanation:
“Brian Henderson MCI THMCI: Brian’s ability to encourage and pass on to other casters at all levels continues to grow and enhance the sport of fly fishing and casting throughout Southeast Asia.” Mention Australia to anyone that has been in the Casting Instructor Certification Program for a while and the name Brian Henderson always comes up. He was inspired to fly fish and instruct by Mel Krieger and Joan Wulff and received more local tutelage from Carl McNiel MCI and Peter Hayes MCI. Over his decades of travel, guiding and teaching, he has demonstrated selfless dedication to FFI and its casting programs. The present Fly Casting Skills Development program bears strong and beneficial influence from his teaching wisdom. He was recently instrumental in developing the Fly Casting Education Program and prior to that served on many committees to help steer the program. Our presence in Australia and Southeast Asia has everything to do with the efforts of Brian and his supportive wife, Anne.”
Sydney Flyrodders extends its congratulations to Brian and Anne for FFI’s recognition and our continuing thanks for their interest in fostering the club’s activities and progress. |
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Trevor Sweeney has two identical 9 ft 6wt rods for sale. These magnificent rods were made by John Barick and have only been used once.
Trevor is happy to discuss the price with any prospective buyer and explain why he is selling the rods. If you’re interested, please contact Trevor on email: trevorntv1945@gmail.com |
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One of two 9ft 6wt rods for sale |
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We extend a warm welcome to new members Tim Auty, Travis Becroft, Rodney Bright, Anthony Clark, Richard Els, Jari Jokela, Anthony Lagan, Sam Stevenson, Angus Wickham and Hans Willink. We encourage new members to join in on the many activities that we run as this is a good way to meet other club members and also to improve your fly fishing skills and most importantly to have a great time.
Looking forward to meeting you at our Monthly Members Meetings and at events throughout the coming year.
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Sydney Fly Rodders Facebook Pages |
We run two SFRC pages, one is our public page and it posts events and activities of the club. It also shares posts from other pages like CAS, DPI on things relevant to the places and areas that we fish.
I post some fly tying every now and then and share links to events I find that might be of interest to followers. This page is a little like our Web page, it showcases the club to attract members and provides details of club events. At last count it has more than one thousand followers.
We added another page. This is reserved for members only and cannot be seen by anyone outside of the group. You will need to send a request to join. Any member can post on this page and it is a great opportunity for members to put up a post or two about anything fly fishing. I would like to encourage members to use this page to post fishing reports or photos of flies that you tied. Being connected to other members you can ask for some casting or gear advice, or organise a short trip when you suddenly have some spare time.
There are also hundreds of other groups; bream on fly, carp on fly, bass, trout....areas like alpine trout, Sydney Kayak Fishing....fly tying groups, buy sell swap fly gear pages and individuals like Aussie Flyfisher, Sydney Flyfishing to check out.
Phil Burton
philipburton@bigpond.com |
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Sydney Flyrodders Instagram Page |
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The Sydney Fly Rodders are now on Instagram. Many thanks to our Member Maddie Chew Lee, who offered to set us up and apply her significant experience with marketing and communications in particular within the social media space.
Please follow the site and add your comments, and lets grow this platform for the club. It will also attract new members to the club.
Below is a snapshot of the site. We aim to sync (in particular look and feel) the Instagram account with our Facebook account and also our new Website, which I talk more about in the preceding section. |
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Sydney Fly Rodders WhatsApp Group |
We have an Exclusive Group on WhatsApp for our Members, which is a great way to communicate informally and to share ideas, seek advice and also to plan and seek interest for impromptu/planned fishing trips.
I can highly recommend this to members. We have arranged a number of trips now from a weekends bass fishing through to a casual and social Sunday morning or afternoons fishing at Narrabeen Lake or Hen & Chickens Bay etc. And there could even be a BBQ thrown in for a social get together afterwards. This will happen on most if not all occasions.
Should you wish to be included in this group, then please email me to request your inclusion, quoting your mobile number which is required to link you into the Group. You will need to download the WhatsApp first if you haven't already done so.
Please contact me for inclusion.
Jason Hemens Editor, Flyrodder jasondh1972@gmail.com |
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