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| Tasmania is truly the last great undiscovered wild trout fishery in the world. I have been flyfishing the Tasmanian Highlands since 1962 and having been a guide for the past 20 years have been lucky enough to see the halcyon days of Lagoon of Islands and Lake Pedder, where the average fish size was between 10 and 15 pounds. Trout are seldom easy to catch, but I know there is nothing that can take the place of experience when it comes to putting clients onto fish. I invite you to share in this fishy experience and see why the Central Highlands of Tasmania is getting a reputation world-wide as one of the great flyfishing destinations. YOUR GUIDE Hi. I'm Bill Beck. I was born in Scotland and immigrated to Tasmania in 1958 as a youth. I soon discovered that Tasmania abounds with trout. I started fishing with bait & spinners and quickly graduated to fly fishing in 1962. It became an obsession with me and my thirst for knowledge coupled with my fanatical drive towards perfecting my techniques, saw me emerge as a top catcher of the elusive trout. I am a founder member and past president of the Tasmanian Professional Trout Guides Association, (now Trout Guides and Lodges Tasmania Inc.) and widely regarded as one of the best fish catching guides in the state. I will pick you up at the airport or hotel and whisk you away to the Tasmanian high country using my toyota landcruiser 4wd vehicle. You will be accommodated in my cabin situated at Little Pine lagoon-( see Hiccup Hall). Hotel or lodge accommodation can also be arranged. Little Pine is one of the best mayfly waters in the world. From our base at The Pine we can fish most of the many productive waters within half an hour's travelling, ie Western Lakes, Great Lake, Arthurs Lake, Penstock Lagoon, Bronte Lagoon, Dee Lagoon and Lake Sorell to name but a few. I can introduce you to spotting tails and fins, polaroiding, fishing to mayfly feeders, midgers and wind lane feeders. I can teach you the art of loch style fishing with multiple flies. I will teach you the basics of fly casting if you are a beginner or show you how to double haul, mend, roll, side cast, etc, etc if you are proficient. But the most important skill when fishing dry fly on a lake is the ability to cast INTO the wind. You will be amazed how easy this is with a couple of lessons. WEATHER The Tasmanian weather can produce extremes of temperature especially in the highlands where snow can fall at any time. Clients are advised to bring warm clothing all through the season. In summer both warm and light clothing is advised. Check list: thermal underwear, balaclava, warm mittens, woollen pullover, good quality waterproof parka with hood, 15+sunscreen, good quality polarised sunglasses with tan or amber lenses, wide brimmed hat. QUALIFICATIONS & LICENCES I am the holder of a current senior first aid certificate. My boat is under current survey, I hold a coxswain limited & an outboard engine driver's licence. I have current public indemnity insurance. My vehicle is licensed as a hire car and has a current inspection certificate. MY WET AND DRY FLIES ARE LICENCED TO KILL FISH. Oh well, they should be ? ITINERARIES I have no set itinerary. Each trip is tailored to suit the client's requirements. The important decision about where we fish and what we fish with, has got to be made on the morning of the particular day. Only fools decide tomorrow's fishing today. Put yourself in the care of one of Tasmania's most experienced guides for the fly fishing experience of a lifetime.... fishing for our famous wild trout. MY CABIN , At Little Pine Lagoon, "the preferred accommodation of ALL my regular clients", is comfortable and functional with wood heating, gas cooking & refrigeration, hot water shower, bunk room, inside flushing toilet. The advantage of the cabin accommodation over hotel or lodge, apart from the obvious cost savings, Being able to make important fishing decisions with your guide over a cup of coffee in the morning rather than having to prearrange pick up times on the previous evening. Being situated less than 100 metres from the shore of Little Pine lagoon - one of the best waters in the highlands. Not having to conform to hotel meal times. This allows you to take full advantage of a particularly good fishing situation on any given day. Good home cooked meals, especially the "not to be missed"--Beer Battered trout and Tasmanian home grown pinkeye potatoes--these are real gems. VEHICLE is an 80 series diesel Landcruiser with dinghy loading roof rack. BOAT is a 5 metre De haviland Viking centre console aluminium. Set up for fly fishing with two pedestal swivel chairs. Powered by a Mercury 50 hp engine. It also has a 46 lb thrust electric. DINGHYS Three dinghys stationed at Little Pine lagoon. They are left permanently in the water with outboards attached for the duration of the season. Another aluminium dinghy is available for carrying on the roof rack when we visit the more remote Western lakes. TACKLE Modern graphite fly rods, Sage, Pro Angler, Daiwa, Fenwick. Top brand fly reels and fly lines. WADERS We supply both Fly&Dry full length neoprene chest waders and Horne P.V.C chest waders in a full range of sizes. FLIES Clients are supplied with two fly boxes one wet one dry. Both full of local successful patterns. SUNDRIES We have a range of wet weather coats, hats, gloves etc. FLYTYING I have been fly tying for almost as long as I have been fly fishing and that's a long time. It started out as a hobby and when I took up guiding I of course, had to tie many more flies for use by my clients. I now tie commercially for a few tackle stores as well as my normal tying chores. So coupled with my guiding and trying to learn how to operate this damned computer I have just bought I am kept pretty busy. Enough of this rambling...... CAT FLIES BASIC CAT Hook no 8 kamasan B 830 Thread uni 6/0 black Tail none Body yellow seals fur Rib uni medium oval tinsel Wing strip of natural brown or black feral cat Run a bed of tying thread from eye to bend of hook, tie in oval tinsel, dub on seals fur, form a medium sized body back to the eye of hook. Tie in cat fur strip then come forward with the oval tinsel winding it through the fur to hold the strip firm to the shank of the hook. Try not to make gaps in the fur when you rib it LUREX CAT As above but add a tail of golden pheasant tippet and a body rib of no 12 uni mylar in red. KRYSTAL CAT As basic cat but add tail of fluoro fire orange egg yarn and up front add a topping & beard of rootbeer krystal flash. BROWN WOLF Hook no 12 kamasan b 830 Thread uni 8/0 black Tail dark deer hair tips Body squirrel blend dark hare's ear a spirit river product Rib none Wing dark deer hair tips Hackle hoffman brown Tie in wing first. Cut off a bunch of deer hair and tie in with the tips slopping forward, then bind the butt of the deer hair down the shank of the hook. This gives the fly tremendous buoyancy.Tie in tail then dub forward to the wing . Stand wing up, tie in hackle, wind hackle with a couple of turns behind the wing and five or six in front. Tie off and cut off bottom half of hackle. |
Trout Fishing Safaris of Tasmania
654 Back River Road, Magra, Tasmania 7140
✆ 61 3 6261-3074
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