VOLUME 32, ISSUE 1. July 2025
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Dave Robinson plays a winter luderick to the net at Swansea Channel |
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"Fishing is not an escape from life, but often a deeper immersion into it." Harry Middleton |
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Casting Practice
13 July 2025: 9:00 AM: Timbrell Park, Henley Marine Drive, Five Dock
Monthly Meeting
14 July 2025: 7:00 PM: Freeway Hotel, 115 Reserve Road, Artarmon
Annual Tie-In
19 July 2025: 11:00 AM: Freeway Hotel, 115 Reserve Road, Artarmon |
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One of my favourite (and least judgemental) fishing companions |
Dear {Contact_First_Name},
It has been a bit quiet since the last edition of the Fly Rodder, so I haven’t got a huge amount to report to you.
By now you would have received a number of emails in the last month regarding membership renewal. So far 169 out of 299 have renewed. If you are having issues with the process please contact me – also if you are not renewing due to financial issues please also contact me.
There are still positions open for the Annual Tie-In which is being conducted at the Freeway Hotel on 19 July. The aim of this year’s Tie-In is to concentrate on the fundamental skills and techniques needed to tie any pattern, rather than just following patterns for the sake of it. There will also be time to troubleshoot and workshop any challenges you encounter.
The member’s survey is closed and I am thrilled that 163 members took the time to complete the survey. Just because the survey is closed it doesn’t mean that you can’t voice your opinion to members of the committee at any time – we are always keen to hear your views.
Finally, the mid-week Go for Bronze has upgraded to Go for Silver. This is an excellent opportunity to improve your casting in a relaxed but struictured program.
Tight lines,
David
President |
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Jason with a bass after dark on the Grose River |
Fellow Flyrodders,
Winter is always a challenging time to find trip reports for the Fly Rodder. So if any members are going on trips to distant lands where the rivers are open, or doing any lake or saltwater fishing locally over coming months, please let me know so we can keep the stories flowing until our season opens again. This year's annual fly-tying event is coming up on 19 July with a focus on skills improvement for all members, no matter where you are in your fly tying journey. There are still a few places available so please see the article in this issue of the Fly Rodder for more details, with a link to register. We're also looking for a couple of volunteers with fly tying experience to help on the day. If you're willing to lend a hand, please email Dave Wilson at wilsonsz@bigpond.net.au Thanks as always.
Jason Hemens - Editor |
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Go For Silver: Midweek Casting Lessons |
In March we commenced our Go for Bronze small-group session on a Tuesday morning every month, to assist members who wish to commence, or complete, their FFI Bronze Level Casting Confirmation. (If you don’t know what that is, read on to information and the link at the end). That program is now winding up due to members having completed, or about to complete, their Bronze certifications. The sessions were well received and all those who signed on achieved their Bronze Level Confirmation. They have all received a certificate and had their success mentioned at monthly meetings. So keen were these members (and George!) that they elected to do it every Tuesday, not just once a month. The Go for Bronze program may run again at a later date. If you missed it, come to the club’s monthly casting practice.
On 22 July 2025, the Tuesday program will become the Go for Silver program. Registration is now open to join that new group. Silver sessions start on that date. Gold Level club member, George Nolevski, will be the event organizer, instructor and assessor.
Groups will be limited to 4 members. Considering the midweek timing on a Tuesday, you should be sure you can commit to seeing it through regularly if you want to participate. Initially 2 places will be available for members who have already started their Silver and have at least 1 confirmed cast on record. The other two places will be held open for members who have not started Silver yet, but who have achieved their Bronze certification. Depending on the response we get, the four places will be filled according to the above criteria, which means not necessarily in order of registration, at least until all current Silver- in-progress registrants have been placed.
Accordingly, to join up for this event you need to register on the club website in the usual way. The first four registered members will be selected according to the above criteria. There is no limit on numbers who might register, nor is there a time cut-off, but there will only be 4 in the group at any one time. Registration is really a form of wait list for this event, given the limited group size and the uncertain time period during which you, and others, might be involved. If you don’t get into the first group on 22 July, your registration remains valid and you just wait for a vacancy. Once you are selected, the following conditions apply:
1. Provided you give it a good shot by regular attendance and doing some practice yourself between sessions, your place in the group is fixed until you succeed in completing the Silver certification. Once you complete it, you leave the group.
2. If you can’t make it to a scheduled session, you need to let George know with as much notice as possible so someone else on the list can fill your spot for that day.
Goerge’s number is 0407 743 245. If you need to contact him before 10am on a weekday, just leave a text message. He’s also on email at gnolevski@gmail.com.
Location and timing
Sessions will run at Timbrell Park, either at the usual casting practice venue or just on the other side of Livvi’s café near the baseball diamond, depending on other users on the day.
Sessions will start at 10.30 am on every Tuesday of every month and will run until approximately 12 noon. The first session will be on 22 July, so register before then.
What is the FFI Casting Skills Development Program?
It is an initiative of the Fly Fishers International organisation to provide a graded series of fly-casting skills to help fly anglers improve their casting and fishing by progressing through one or more of the grades, each involving making fly fishing casts of various kinds and increasing in variety and difficulty. There is no casting for its own sake – every casting task in each level is a fishing cast with a specifically described application. Bronze is first and has 7 separate casts, designed for the angler who has some, but not necessarily a lot of fly-fishing experience. It’s a program which has had global acceptance and followed by thousands of fly casters already. Sydney Flyrodders has been involved since 2019. Bronze is followed by Silver and then Gold.
A feature of the Bronze and Silver levels is that achievement of any particular cast in the level is something which could be seen and confirmed by an observer who need not necessarily be able to do the cast themselves but who can use a tape measure to check the direction and accuracy of your cast. No, you don’t have to be spot-on perfect, and you get 3 tries at each when confirming. So, it’s very objective – you either made the required cast as described or you didn’t, pretty much. That doesn’t make it easy to do: it makes it easy to assess. It helps you, the caster, to assess your own casting results so, accordingly, the casts and the program are exactly what you could use if you never know what to practice when you are by yourself. It’s a clear syllabus to follow and you find out where you are in the casting stakes and what you could do about that. Each cast and each level builds on the skills developed previously – it’s a systematic way to progress. Also, you don’t have to do every cast in these two levels in one go – do them at the pace you set yourself.
What happens once you get all casts in a level (8 in the Silver) confirmed? You receive a nice FFI-designed certificate produced by us (on glossy, coloured paper!) at club level. Or, if you like, you can join the FFI (for a fee), submit your signed-off confirmation sheet (with another fee) and get an even nicer formal certificate and badge. Some of our club members have done that.
To read more about the FFI Fly Casting Skills Development program (FCSD), follow this link, or Google FFI FCSD Angler Guide. Also see the FFI Video Library in the Casting menu.
If you have questions contact George on the number above. |
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Last Month's Club Meeting |
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By Greg Wordsworth
Last month’s club meeting attracted a lower number of members. Perhaps it was the cooler weather or the fact that the meeting was a week later than usual due to theKings Birthday long weekend. One guest attended the meeting and an invitation to join the club was extended to him.
156 responses to the members survey have been received and will be discussed by the committee. One of the most frequent requests was that we have name tags to help identify members at events.
The recent Tumut event was mentioned as a good fishing trip even though the fishing was tough. Based on the feedback from those in attendance, this will become a regular event to be added to the annual calendar.
Steve Peach provided some feedback on the saltwater fishing day. There were a few fish were caught by the attendees. The committee plans to hold some more saltwater fishing events later in the year. Our new Saltwater coordinator Gavin has identified various possibilities.
Connie Merit was the guest presenter to discuss basic first aid that may be required when out fishing. David introduced that the most likely kinds of first aid members may encounter would be sprains and strains resulting from falls into the water or wombat holes. Of course, dealing with bites from various venomous creatures that may be encountered when in the Australian Wilderness was also discussed.
David gave a quick introduction to field safety and discussed some items and apps that we should all have on us and our mobile phones. Members also shared their experiences with mobile phone coverage and the use of devices like Garmin InReach.
The topics that Connie discussed were all relevant to those of us fishing. Embedded fishing hooks and tick removal proved to be of significant interest to the members.
Connie shared her secret recipe for tick prevention, a mixture of 1 part Dettol to 2 parts baby oil applied to exposed skin areas. Connie demonstrated the proper techniques for bandaging and immobilising snake bites and other wounds. |
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For those members unable to attend our meetings, we take videos of presentations and uploading them to our Club Members Private Video Library on YouTube. Below is a graphic showing where you can access them from the members section of our website:
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The next Monthly Meeting will be held on the 14 July at our regular venue, The Freeway Hotel, 115 Reserve Road, Artarmon, 2064 (Google maps) commencing at 7:00pm. Members will arrive from around 6pm so feel free to come early and enjoy a drink and some dinner with fellow members.
Club members Rupert Morten and David Blackwell will be providing an insight into their recent fishing expidition to Bosnia & Herzegovina. Trip reports to this kind of location are always interesting, because they include more than just fishing reports, sometimes including cultural and culinary perspectives.
So come along and enjoy another great night out with fellow members.
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.
Looking forward to catching up at the meeting.
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Last Month's Casting Practice Report |
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By David Caddies
I wasn’t in attendance at the practice day, but it seems I missed a nice stiff breeze according to some who were there. Others who also were there reported that there was no breeze to speak of. What does that tell you? It’s all in the mind, maybe. Casting ability plays a decisive role not only in being able to physically place the cast, but in being armed with the right mental resilience. These can be learned.
Windy conditions can really get into your head and if it does dominate your thinking on a fishing day, that can do more damage to your casting than the conditions warrant. But it’s not just a case of ‘get over it’ or ‘be positive’: you need skills and strategies to actually beat the wind so that negative thoughts won’t take away your confidence.
What are some of the skills?
Being able to make and hold a fairly tight loop.
Being able to change the speed of the line in your cast. Generally, increasing speed is required.
Being able to deliver the fly directly on target rather than cast above the target and hope it floats down onto the right spot before blowing off course.
Considering these together, line speed alone is not enough. The loop has to be good to start with. A fast, wide loop will not do the job. A fast, tight loop will beat a slow, tight loop in the wind. A slow, wide loop will result in a lot of wind resistance on the line in the air, impeding its progress. Well, that’s a mouthful, but to sum it up, if the casting genie grants you a wish, take the tight loop before the line speed idea because it’s more effective and absolutely fundamental. Focus on speed once you can do the tight loop.
Even in windless conditions air resistance on the front of the loop works against your desired distance and direction. On a windy, rainy day, notice how people have trouble holding an open umbrella going into the wind. Eventually they half close it just to reduce air resistance. If you equate that image to the front of the loop in your cast, the message is – reduce the width of the loop so that it’s ‘pointier’. Without the narrow loop, just casting faster doesn’t solve the problem.
What are some of the strategies?
Use more suitable gear in windy conditions.
Examples: (i) use a heavier rod and line. Ditch the fine, floaty leader. Use a polyleader. (ii) All things being equal a longer rod is more powerful than an equivalent weight shorter rod. (iii) Weight for weight, the thinner the line the more effective it is in the air. Air resistance acts on all the line’s surface, not just the loop front. (iv) A line with more weight at the front (weight forward or shooting head or sink tip) is usually capable of going fast but the latter two are not easy to make good loops with. Such lines can make average casters feel very good about themselves. Use them when conditions dictate.
Move into an easier place from which to cast.
Examples: (i) Get closer to your target, if possible. (ii) Get into a better angle to the wind if you can still have a good chance at the target. Avoid casting directly into the wind. (iii) Cast over the downwind shoulder.
So, back to the casting practice day I started with. George and Gavin focussed on accuracy casting strategies. These include proper stance, grip and body movement in addition to knowing how to alter trajectory as well as techniques for judging the flyline’s path in relation to the target. Such as – being able to hover the fly over the target and training your eyes to know what to look at to judge where the fly will land. Those who are training on the Bronze, Silver and Gold levels will be learning those skills specifically as well as casting skills generally. Here’s a thing though: if you rote learn how to hit the specific-distance targets, you have improved your loops if nothing else. If you can also hit a target at any random distance within 45 feet with reasonable consistency, you have learned to implement these techniques. It’s not random; it’s learnable. That’s good, because few fish are cooperative enough to wait at the specific distances we might have trained on.
Here's an observation you might want to think about: there is a high correlation between casting accuracy and the control you have over your loop – not just the loop shape, but your ability to speed it up and change its angle (trajectory). The more accurately you can cast, the better your loop will actually be. One goes with the other. The accuracy exercises we did on Sunday 8 June are also loop control exercises: they go hand in hand. If your accuracy is poor, either your loop needs fixing or there is something wrong with your accuracy technique. Maybe both could do with a tweak? Be the boss of wind as an added extra. 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 13 July 2025
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. 2025 dates for fly casting practice
13 July /10 August / 14 September / 12 October / 9 November / 14 December |
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Last Month's Fly Tying Meeting |
The theme of last month's fly tying meeting was Midges.
Midges are very small. It takes a lot of them to make up the same food value of a Mudeye or Yabby. Yet when trout focus on midges their stomach contents resemble pate from eating hundreds of them.
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Annual Tie-In: Skills Improvement Workshop |
This year’s Tie-In is being held on Saturday 19 July at the Freeway Hotel from 11am to 4.30pm (the same venue as the monthly meeting).
This one-day event is perfect for anyone wanting to try fly tying for the first time, as well as for experienced tiers looking to review and sharpen their skills. Whether you’re simply curious about fly tying or eager to improve your technique, this is the day for you!
We will concentrate on the fundamental skills and techniques needed to tie any pattern, rather than just following patterns for the sake of it. There will also be time to troubleshoot and workshop any challenges you encounter.
You might know that the Federation of Fly Fishers International Fly-Tying Group recently identified 53 key skills that endorsed Fly Tying Instructors must demonstrate. Some are pattern specific. We willl focus on the essential skills that apply broadly across most common patterns.
No tools? No worries—we’ll provide everything you need, including materials and equipment. We are restricted to 25 attendees so first in best dressed.
Cost: $25
Click Tie-In and you'll be taken to the website, and after you log in, you can register to attend the event. |
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We extend a warm welcome to new member James Kinniburgh. 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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Piste Haus Ski Lodge - Jindabyne |
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The Fly Rodders have access to the Piste Haus Ski lodge in Jindabyne during the off season at an affordable rate:
- Positioned in Jindabyne village walking distance to Banjo Patterson Pub and short drive to shops/restaurants/etc.
- 8 bedrooms, mix of doubles, twins, triples and bunks
- Sleeps 14 all up and 10 comfortably
- $75/room/night
- SFRC get access from October to end May (off-season for skiing)
- Large open plan and well-appointed shared kitchen, dining and relaxation area with log stove
- Bring your own linen, towels, pillow, sleeping bag, blanket
- Parking for up to 4 or 5 cars on site and others on the street
The syndicate that owns Piste Haus has been very generous in allowing the Sydney Flyrodders access to this excellent facility at such a low price. Therefore, we encourage members to feel free to make use of this offer (either in groups or as individuals – it does not have to be an official club trip), as long as we always remember to follow the house rules and leave the place clean and tidy.
If you are interested in booking please reach out to James Webber (treasurer@sydneyflyrodders.com.au
https://pistehaus.com.au
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