GUIDES

Snowy Monaro Fly Fishing (Mainland Australia - New South Wales)
Paul Bourne is the premier guide in the Snowy Monaro region, with 28 years experience flyfishing the area, and 15 of that as a dedicated guide (since managing Sautelle Lodge on Green Lake back in the 1990s). He has also fished extensively throughout mainland Australia, Tasmania, and both Islands of New Zealand.

Paul is also an excellent tutor for those wanting to try fly fishing for the first time. I still learn from Paul every time I fish with him. The more time I spend with the best trout anglers in the country, the more I appreciate Paul's dedication to and knowledge of stream fishing. If you want to advance your skills, or hone your techniques in the Snowy Monaro region streams, contact him.

Paul is a licensed Kosciuszko National Park Tour Operator (http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/contact/snowymonaroflyfishing.htm ), so he can guide you within the National Park as well as having an excellent network of contacts and access to pastoral waters.

Let him guide you onto fish by all means, but spend some time as well looking under rocks for different species of mayfly nymphs and what they mean to the trout. Pick his brains about trout behaviour, stalking fish, drag, presentation, imitiation and other streamcraft.

Peter Hayes Flyfishing (Australia - Tasmania)
Peter Hayes has been the leading guide in Tasmania for many years, and is Australia's leading casting instructor. He is Australia's first FFF Accredited MCI (Master Casting Instructor). I have personally benefitted greatly from his tuition as well as his infectious personality and inspirational casting talent.

Peter's Fly Fishing Conclaves (weekend long intensive seminars with the best tutors in the country) have been a big success since starting in Tasmania a few years back. This year Peter expanded them to the mainland. There are now three a year - at "Hayes on Brumbies" in Cressy, and also in Sydney and Melbourne. Keep an eye on his website (above) for more details as well as Casting Classes and Guiding info.

Stu's Fly Shop and Bionic Flies (New Zealand - South Island)
Stu Tripney is a revolutionary fly designer, based on the Mataura River on the South Island of New Zealand. He and wife Mel run the world famous fly shop in Athol. As well as tying radical foam flies (that WORK), Stu is also a leading guide in the region. Stu's video, "A Foam Odyssey", is featuring at the 2nd annual Fly Fishing Film Festival in NZ and Oz in 2007. Check out:
Stu and Mel's Fly Shop (Shop info)
Bionic Flies (Fly info)
Born to Fish (Guiding info)

Sydney Flyfishing Tours (Saltwater - Sydney Region)
Justing Duggan has been a leading fly fishing guide in Sydney Harbour for 7 years and can show you fantastic flyfishing in the heart of Sydney.

RODMAKING RESOURCES

J D Wagner Rodmaker
I learnt the rodmaking craft from Jeff. Jeff is a master craftsman, a great guy - an honorary Australian! He and his wife Casimira are leading rodmakers and have a wonderful website.

Classic Sporting Enterprises (CSE)
Yes, this isn't really a link at all... Bailey Woods, and his stepson, Steve, make the finest bamboo rod ferrules and other rodmaking components - the industry standard. They seem too busy making quality hardware to mess with this internet thing, so the only way to get them is via phone or fax - just check the time in Vermont, USA before you call them... Aside from others who offer CSE hardware (such as Jeff Wagner, or me!), you can get them on:
Phone: +1 802 525 3623, or
Fax: +1 802 525 3982

Snake Brand Guides
Mike McCoy from Snake Brand guides makes the beautiful agate strippers which are featured on some of my rods, as well as uniform, lightweight, pre ground snake guides and tip tops as well. STOP PRESS - July 2009 - Snake Brand are still selling their wonderful Snake Guides, but have sold their Agate division to Glenn Struble Manufacturing.

The Bamboo Broker
Andy Royer (of Trout Grass fame), based in Seattle, sells high quality bamboo for rodmaking.

Charles H. Demarest, Inc.
Long time supplier of Tonkin Cane, Demarest has provided bamboo to famous rodmakers for over 100 years!

MAGAZINES

The Drake Magazine
An alternative fly magazine from the USA. I bring a few extra copies of each issue so contact me if you'd like to get hold of it here in Oz.

Flylife Magazine
Australia's longest published magazine dedicated solely to fly fishing. Coming out quarterly, and beyond issue 50 now, Flylife is still going strong as a leading voice in Australian fly fishing.

The Flyfisher Magazine
Published by AFN, this high quality quality flyfishing magazine comes out twice a year. I've just started a regular column on bamboo in there (starting with issue #6).

Tasmanian Fishing ang Boating News
Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News is published six times a year by Mike Stevens at Stevens Publishing. It contains a wealth of information on salt and freshwater fishing in Tasmania. Mike also publishes many high quality fishing books, including fine reprints of hard to source Australian classics. Tasfish is another Tasmanian fishing site under development.

The New Zealand Troutfisher
New Zealand's only 100% trout fishing magazine.

Fly Rod and Reel Magazine
Leading US magazine, full of fishing and conservation info. FR&R has been hard to track down in Australia for a while. I carry it here, and have some back issues as well, so drop me a line to get hold of it...

Flyfisher (Japan)
Yes, it's all in Japanese but the photography alone makes it worth tracking down! The best place to purchase this wonderful publication is from Amazon Japan.

TroutBeat
Who is TroutBeat?

OTHER FLYFISHING RESOURCES

More fly fishing sites, including those of presenters from Peter Hayes Flyfishing Conclaves...

Philip Weigall
Long time fly fishing author and guide, Philip needs no introduction to Australian fly anglers.

KOSSIEDUN - A Fly Tyer's Journey
World reknowned fly tyer Mick Hall's fantastic site, with a wealth of information and references.

Fly Fishing Diaries - Simon Zarifeh
Simon is only the third FFF MCI (Master Casting Instructor), along with Peter Hayes and Matthew Howell. Fly Fishing Diaries is Simon's blog. Included are ramblings and great photos of a range of fishing trips, including his two trips to the USA with Hayesie for the FFF Fly Fishing Conclave.

Peter Morse
Probably Australia's most recognised saltwater fly fishing identity, Peter has fished widely around Australia and the rest of the world.

VIDEO/MEDIA

Trufflepig Films
Andy Heathcote and Heike Bachelier from Trufflepig Films have made the supurb DVD "The Lost World of Mr Hardy". This film is one of the most interesting and moving flyfishing films I have seen. Beautifully shot, with many interviews with long time Hardy employees and devotees, it wonderfully depicts the commitment to quality by the Hardy company through a bygone era, and how this passion is now being taken up by handcraftsmen in the modern age. Everyone with an interest in flyfishing and the pursuit of quality and perfection should see this film. Future projects from Trufflepig include "The River" (interviews with Chalkstream Riverkeepers) and"The Lost World of Angling". Stop Press - we now have the DVD "The Lost World of Mr Hardy" available for sale! Check out our "Other Products" page for more information!

Rollcast Productions
Steve Apple and Dave Wilson at Rollcast put together Fishizzle! - destined to be one of the most inspirational sporting movies since "Caddyshack". Fishizzle! was a real hit at the Film Festival this year, combining fishing action, humour, and a story about a guide (Steve) who has returned to the "real world" from guiding for the time being... Rollcast have a great new movie currently in production. Check out the trailer on Youtube (search for fishizzle).

Burl Productions
Burl Productions is Proferssional snowboarder, fishing guide and film maker, Mikey Weir's fast paced fly fishing production company. Mikey featured on the first "Troutbum Diaries - Patagonia" film. Mikey's film, "Soulfish" was a real hit at the Film Festival this year too. Burl production also has produced several editions of "Fisheye" DVD/Video magazine, featuring tips and fishing action from the Lake Tahoe and elsewhere.

Gin-clear media
Nick Reygeart's Production company, which includes work on "The Troutbum Diaries", awesome flyfishing films. Volume 1 is based in Patagonia, and Volume 2 in New Zealand. The new film for 2008 is "The Search", seeking out monster bonefish in Tahiti. His latest film "The Source" is an adventure through the diverse Tasmanian brown trout fishery.

Spinning Reel Audio Visaul
Based in Queanbeyan, Richard Snashall has a audio/visual production company. His "Alpine Stories" series, produced for ABC radio and digital TV, consists of a Winter and Summer series, covering a diverse range of characters and topics from the mountains. Check out his website for audio, video, and still pictures of the series (including some flyfishing with yours truly), and his other work.

OTHER

Greg Brown - Music
A customer (who's become a good friend - thanks Garry!), put me onto Greg Brown, a folk singer from the American midwest. Greg sings about flyfishing, love, food, family, life, and death, as well as other, less important things like politics. Greg's music has been an inspiration to me. Check out his website and his record label Red House Records to get hold of some of his music. Start out with "The Live One", a live recording where he sings and talks about fly fishing a in a few songs.

Crooked Fiddle Band - Music
The Crooked Fidle Band is a Sydney based high-octane four piece instramental band, feturing violin, guitar, mandolin, double bass and percussion. I could try and describe their music but just go to their website and listen! They have a new EP out called "Rise" to follow up their debut self titled EP. If you get a chance to see them live, do it...

Alan Meyburgh Sculptures
Alan Meyburgh is a talented sculptor and fly fisherman (and writer for South Africa's Complete Fly Fisherman magazine). Originally from South Africa, he has recently moved to Perth (via Dubai)! He works in a range of media and styles.

The Artists Shed
The Artists Shed is a unique creative environment, located in Queanbeyan. The Artists Shed is a working studio (with artists in residence Margaret Hadfield and Dennis Mortimer), teaching facility and exhibition space.

Eucalypt Banjos
Roger and Anne Simpson, based in Southern Queensland, make beautiful banjos, including use of Australian Timbers. I'm the proud owner of one of their wonderful pieces of work.

Pocketwater
Local mad keen fly fisher, Blake Swadling's site. Blake wrote the search tool for the Flylife website.

Genetic Prints
Local artist, Marina Larcombe, has produces a series of beautiful prints of her "7 Trout" series. Prints of the series are available in a number of formats, from postcard size to full sized framed prints.

ABC Radio Canberra (666 AM)
While working in the shed, when I'm not listening to Greg Brown or other music, I'm tuned into local Canberra ABC radio (666 AM). They're a great part of our community, with a really entertaining and informative team.

"Last Stop" Ambledown Brook B&B, Hall (Canberra)
On the subject of ABC Radio, one of my favourite presenters, David Kilby, has recently retired from 666 ABC. In his "retirement", David and his wife, Jenny are running a wonderful B&B in Hall, on the Northern edge of Canberra. If you're planning a trip to the Nation's capital, check it out. Accommodation includes a choice of two 1928 restored railway carriages!

Hayden Fly Reels
Terry Hayden makes wonderful fly reels in Australia. His main focus is saltwater/game fly reels, but has recently entered the freshwater fly reel market.

Trout Books New Zealand
THE source of fishing books for those destined for New Zealand!

The Australian Trout Foundation (ATF)
We have a wonderful but delicate fishery in Australia. It is under threat. Join the Australian Trout Foundation and help preserve trout in Australia.

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