Andrew ReedJoined February 2015
I met Malcolm Crosse in 1985 when he taught me to fly fish at Penstock Lagoon. We spent time at Arthurs and Sorell. He would often ask me to join the club and I attended club events including an opening weekend at Sorell and a spit roast and port bottling in Bothwell.
30 years later when my children had grown up, I decided to jump in. I still fish Penstock with Malcolm and spend time in the Central Highlands and southern rivers. I enjoy the club events, both fishing and non-fishing. I like fishing with different people on the field weekends, especially the Farm Dams, and more recently on the Bream Day.
I get inspiration from the Zoom and physical tying days. I love the free flow of information and fly-tying materials between members. I think this is a great activity to be involved in.
I like fishing to rising fish in either lake or river. I also enjoy wet fly when nothing is moving. My favourite flies are pretty much whatever is working. I do like rabbit fur Zonker flies and have tied one for the Zoom sessions. I fish sparce Spiders on ghost tip and sinking lines and will also chase the occasional bream.
I have also been involved with the WFFC 2019 on the Organising Committee as Controller Coordinator. The high point of my time in the Club so far is being involved in the successful nomination of Malcolm for the Tasmanian Anglers Hall of Fame. I am very happy the club is currently fully subscribed and we have people on our waiting list!
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Anna BelletteJoined the club 17/8/2015
My reason for joining is to learn to tie patterns and gain knowledge in all aspects of fly tying. Why we tie certain patterns, when to fish them and learn about appropriate materials to use. I think learning about the materials is important as well.
I have probably been tying for a year and a half. I was having a chat to someone who has been fishing for a long time and voicing my concerns about not really understanding the etymology side of things and what flies to use, he quickly suggested tying my own flies and then I will start to understand the etymology side and understand fly tying. And this is how I began to tie. I started tying from watching YouTube clips and got to a point where I thought I need help.
My favourite pattern would have to be a Cicada. Not sure how to make one yet, but love fishing in NZ rivers with them.
I also like Salmon flies, I would love to learn how to make them and love the artistic side to these patterns.
My favourite type of fly fishing would have to be sight fishing in NZ rivers. I have found this really exciting.
I am very excited and feel very honoured in being accepted into The Tas Fly Tyers Club. I am looking forward to learning about tying and heading out on fishing trips.
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B Barker mac river dec 2009 014
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Bruce BarkerJoined 1996
Reasons for joining: I joined the club to mix with a wider circle of like-minded types and to learn more about fly fishing and fly tying. I haven't been disappointed as I've learned plenty, made friends and improved the content of my fly box(es) in quantity and quality.
Favourite Fly Patterns: My favourites change from year to year but in-vogue for me (season just passed) is a lightly dressed Fiery Brown Beetle and a modified Bibio Hopper (has a possum wing to help with flotation and sighting).
Favourite type of fly fishing: I love it all. I enjoy fishing 'down and slow' with a team of nymphs when the going gets tough. But like most, sight fishing is my favourite so fishing the wind lanes on a bright and breezy day is up there and of course being in the midst of a good dun hatch with fish-up rates among the best. In recent years I have become enamoured with fishing rivers as well.
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Chris BerndtJoined January 2013
Reason for joining: I hope to meet people with similar interests. I have a passion for understanding the Tasmanian environment and find fishing an excellent pastime which leads to a deeper understanding of our surroundings. I have been bait and spin fishing for a number of years but after meeting Doug Miller and seeing the joy he gains from fly fishing I decided it was time to convert.
I have been fly tying for two years
Favourite fly patterns: At this early stage of my fly tying career I have gained great enjoyment from tying Woolly Buggers of various colours and have managed some good quality Red Tags.
Favourite type of fly fishing: Dry fly fishing late in the afternoon on the banks of the Macquarie River has been a highlight with fish rising and insects hatching.
My Goals in the near future are tying a wider variety of fly patterns and spending time fishing the Western Lakes Wilderness fishery.
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David HemmingsJoined September 2005
Reason for joining: Fellowship! I have always enjoyed sharing my fishing. The banter at a days end. The one that got away. The one that didn't get away. Different techniques and so on.
So when I started fly fishing over 25 years ago it seemed natural to join a fly fishing club to share ideas, to watch, listen and learn and to participate. I started to tie flies at the same time. Unfortunately, my tying expertise does not reflect this vast experience.
Favourite fly patterns: I like impressionistic fly patterns, that look like the real insect, super impressionistic nymphs, realistic hoppers, good dun copies. But if I was to pick one fly as my favourite it would be Hans van Klinkens Klinkhamer. A brilliant emerger style of fly.
Favourite type of fly fishing: I like river fishing, the cross currents, clear water, challenging fishing. However, I find myself on the Tasmanian lakes in summer more and more these days.
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Guy NicholsonJoined 16 Aug 2010
Reason for joining: I have been a keen fly fisher from the age of 12 years and have dabbled in fly tying on and off over the past 40 years. I'm now starting to redevelop my fly tying skills and have joined in some sessions at Doug Miller's place. I'm recently retired and should have more time for fishing and fly tying. I moved to Hobart from the NW Coast a few months ago and am interested in meeting some southerners who share my passion for fly fishing. I know some people in the Club, including an old friend Pete Murphy and fished with him and John Smith in New Zealand in February 2010.
Favourite Fly Patterns: Woolly bugger as a general purpose wet, also bead headed nymphs and nymph emergers. Dry flies include the royal wulff, parachute royal coachman, olive humpy, black spinner, Adams and iron blue dun.
Favourite type of fly fishing: Dry fly fishing with light gear in clear, rocky bottomed rivers. Polaroiding and dry fly fishing in the highlands and western lakes. I have also become interested in drift fishing from boats over recent years.
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James JonesJoined February 2010
Reason for joining
The Club is well organised, has a great set of diverse events and the knowledge, skill and generosity of the Club's members, across all facets of fly fishing, is extraordinary.
Favourite fly pattern
I will always be learning the relation between the most appropriate fly pattern, different waters, weather conditions, trout behaviour and where and how to fish - in the moment. Noel Jetson convinced me to take up fly fishing at Cressy 30 years ago. He introduced me to some of the traditional fly patterns and gave me a little box of his flies to get me going - some are included below.
Royal Wulff, Highland Dun, Parachute Dunn, Possum Emerger, Matcham's Rosella on lakes
Black Spinner, Orange Spinner, Royal Coachman, Red Tag, Grasshopper, Small Brown or Black Nymph on streams.
Favourite type of fly fishing:
More recently I have come to appreciate the subtlety and delight of fishing with bamboo, including repairing and recycling vintage split cane rods and building new bamboo fly rods from blanks.
Dry fly fishing on mountain streams, flat rivers and small lakes is the classic, however having boat fished with some of our members, I have great respect for intelligent wet fly fishing on lakes.
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John SpencerJoined January 2005
Reason for joining: I wanted to improve my fly tying skills by learning from other members and to go fly tying and fishing with other people with similar interests. The club having two shacks was also a consideration for joining.
I started fly tying around 1983/84, only about 12 months after I took up fly fishing. I was initially self taught (reading books) but very quickly realised I needed to improved my skills so I undertook one of Dave Tadd's Adult Ed courses.
Favourite patterns: Possum & CDC Emerger, Iron Blue Dun, Hickory Fly (top secret), & any fly that allows me to out fish Westy.
Favourite type of fly fishing: River fishing to sighted fish and dun fishing from the boat.
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Norm CribbinJoined the club in 2020
I have interacted with the Fly Tyer's Club over many years' at such events as Liawenee Open Weekend, Great Lake Tie-In and the predecessor event The Bronte Tie-In, Fly Tying sessions at the Lenah Valley RSL and the 2019 WFFC etc. I found the club members to be cordial, helpful and likeminded about fly fishing and fly tying. These were my reasons for joining the club.
I tied first fly when I was aged 15 years. So that makes it 45 years in May 2020.
PS. I still have that first fly and it remains a treasured item.
Favourite fly patterns?
Obviously this has changed over time as the tastes of my quarry (trout) have varied. The list commencing back in Canberra on rivers through to the Lakes of Tasmania's Central highlands is as follows:
• Brown or Black Pot Scrubber Nymph
• Black Yeti (wet)
• Hardy's Favourite (dry)
• March Brown (dry)
• Pine Squirrel (wet)
• Haystack (dry)
• Dun Know (dry)
• Possum Emerger in Natural and Claret (surface film)
• Possum Shaving Brush (surface film)
• Amber Parachute Spinner (dry)
• Stick Caddis (wet).
Favourite type of fly fishing?
• Dry fly fishing to rising fish.
• Wind lane fishing to smutting Rainbows at Lake Burbury.
I have a collection of Step-by-Step instructions for various fly patterns at
http://www.issuu.com/tasflyfisher
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Pete MurphyJoined October 2005
Reason for joining: After moving to Hobart from the north-west, I wanted to improve my fly fishing and tying skills and knowledge, and also find people with similar interests. The club shacks were also a factor. In 2003 I enrolled in Brian McCullagh's tying course and he introduced me to the club. I am very grateful to the members of the club for what they have taught me, and their comradeship.
Favourite fly patterns: Royal Wulff, Black Spinner, Adams, yeti patterns tied with rabbit and mink fur, stick caddis, and nymphs.
Favourite type of fly fishing: Dry fly and nymph fishing, both in rivers and lakes, early and late season lake wet fly fishing.
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Stewart EdwardsJoined August 2009
Reason for joining: I joined with a view to interacting with members at monthly meetings, going to the shack and spending some time fishing. Sadly, I work 6 days a week and simply can't find the time to achieve my objectives. I started fly fishing at the age of 30 and spent many a day fishing in the Snowy area of NSW, Oberon and in NZ.
Favourite patterns: I don't really have a favourite fly pattern however of the 100 odd fly's I have tied I have received most favourable comments about my dry fly Red Spinner.
Favourite type of fly fishing: I love wading up a stream with a gravel bottom. Not all that happy in a fast flowing stream or river with unexpected deep holes and boulders. The concept of salt water fishing with a fly and rod appeals. I enjoy lake fishing when polaroiding.
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Tony DellJoined July 1980
Reason for joining: fellowship and to learn about Tassie fly fishing after 15 years away. Have had great fun through the Club, made many lifelong friends and improved my fly tying and fishing no end as a result.
Favourite fly patterns: Green Beadyarn Yeti, Possum Parachute Emerger and Bloody Mary are old favourites. Current favourites are black marabou 'Fluffy' with tungsten bead, Tom Jones with yellow head, Charles peck's floating possum nymph with shuck and a modification of Bob Wyatt's DHE tied out of possum.
Favourite type of fly fishing: Whatever is suited to the days I can go fishing but I love to fish dry to rising fish, Lake or River.
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David TravaliaJoined December 2014
Reason for joining, the club? A shared interest with others who are just as crazy as me.
How long have you been a fly tyer? I started tying flies when I was about 18 - nearly 50 years ago.
My interest is mainly in dry flies. Over time I have become more interested in size 14 - 18 emerger type dries. The buggier the better.......
I grew up in Canada so I have always preferred smaller rivers with lightweight gear.
I try to combine fishing with bush walking. We have done a number of trips to various parts of the Central Plateau fishing in the small tarns and river links as well as some of the slightly larger highland lakes. As an architect I have done quite a lot of conservation work on the various high country huts. The field work usually required carrying a small rod just in case......
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Wayne Bellette1. Joined the Club in September 2016
2. I joined the club to keep improving my fly tying and fishing skills. Love learning new techniques, ideas and anything thing to do with fly fishing. With so many experienced tiers and anglers in the club it is a great opportunity to learn from them.
3. I started fly tying almost same time as I started Fly fishing around 1998. I did an adult education class, and was lucky enough to catch my first fish on an olive matuku I tied in the course some weeks later. I hope my tying skills have improved somewhat as the fly fell apart after that fish.
4. My favourite wet flies are Woolly Buggers. I like all sizes, shapes and colour variations and believe they can represent so many food sources. I particularly like a dark olive/black MK version especially in 12 or 14 for tailing fish. For river fishing I like using both weighted and unweight PTs and HE with the addition of hot spots or flash backs. Another favourite is a bead head olive flash back caddis imitation which I have found very effective both here and in NZ. On top my favourites are Pecks Dun, Black Spinner, DHE, Zulu, X caddis, Bibio Hopper and large foam patterns like a Fat Albert, hopper patterns and simular also are fun to fish. In NZ who could go past a good Cicada pattern from Jan to March. Trevor Berne’s Duck fly is also a very successful buggy pattern that has become one of my favourite flies for both surface and below.
5. I enjoy all forms of fly fishing. My favourite fishing in Tasmania is the western lakes where I love to combine walking trips and fishing. I especially enjoy all forms of sight fishing and this is what I target mostly. If I am not seeing fish or movement I tend to move on and search till I do. I may put a few casts down likely looking water, especially when river fishing, but even then I am still trying to sight something to cast to. I love fishing clear rivers and lakes. I don’t mind long walks in finding fish. I love tailing fish, rising fish, smelt/frog feeders, and wind lane fishing.
6. I also enjoy casting and learning new fly casts. Not only does it make you a better fisherperson it also is an enjoyment in itself. There is a beauty in seeing someone cast effortlessly over distance and with control that inspires me to want to do the same.
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