Page 12 - History Presentation Tony Dell 2016

In 1956, Athol Burke took over from Bob Peacock until he was transferred to Ulverstone as a
bank manager with the ES&A Bank in 1957.
From 1957 Graeme House took the courses for 3-4 years and in 1961 Ray Longden took over
until about 1975.
At around the same time, Tony Sloane was also taking Adult Education trout fishing courses
until 1975, when David Tadd offered both fly tying and fly fishing courses. David continued
both courses until 2005, when a full cost recovery push by Adult Education killed the demand
for the course.
In 1982 David O'Brien was approached by David Tadd to take on an Adult Education class as
the demand was too great for David Tadd to handle on his own. David received formal
confirmation from Adult Education of his appointment on 22 September 1982 and he
undertook fly tying courses from 1982 to 2002 at Weld Street, South Hobart; Claremont
House, Claremont and New Norfolk; as well as fly fishing courses based at Penstock Lagoon
from 1982 to 1996.
Thus, Members of the Tasmanian Fly Tyers Club conducted fly tying and/or fly fishing
classes for Adult Education non-stop from 1954 to 2005, over 50 years; that is some record!
In May-June 1976 the Club organised, at the request of members, a fly tying seminar series at
night over 4 weeks in the Bellerive Arts Centre. However, the June 1976 "Vice" declared it a
dismal flop as far as attendance by members was concerned.
In June-August 1978 another weekly series of six fly tying seminars/workshops was arranged
at the Domain Teachers Centre on Wednesday nights, open to both members and visitors.
The August 1978 "Vice" declared the sessions very successful with Bevan Stewart and
Laurie Matcham demonstrating, and attendance being about 10 per session with over 20
members attending over the course of the series.

Bevan Stewart c1976
At the same time, the Club conducted a fly tying exhibition where each member had to bring
to the July 1978 meeting three flies (Wet, Dry and Nymph) they had tied, displayed on a
piece of 4"x4" white board which would be numbered to give anonymity. Bevan Stewart and
Ray Longden appraised the flies to determine the best fly in each category. All the flies were
displayed to members at the end of the process and they were then raffled off as a collection

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