Floodwater Barramundi
John Haenke and Jason Wilhelm investigate the Boyne River after the devastating floods in Queensland. It became quite apparent that the fish faired much better than the human inhabitants of the region.
We catch up with a marine biologist who gives us the low down on what is happening, and a forecast for a bright fishing future

This infusion of barra into the Boyne River system (from the overflowing dam) will have a positive impact on the fishery. The fish that went over are genetically compatible with the wild population as the brood stock for the lake are taken from the Boyne. As a further note, an extended ban on commercial netting has been placed on the system giving the wild stocks a huge boost.

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Spring creeks are fed entirely from groundwater, which is cold, fertile and absolutely gin clear. When the conditions are right and the mayflies begin to hatch in their thousands, big fish lose their caution to focus on eating and the fishing is incredible.

Peter Morse encounters one such perfect afternoon on a NZ South Island spring creek.

BONUS: Fly Tying segment included. CDC Emerger - Simon Chu knows how to tie flies that appeal to fish. His method is both ingenious and simple, and has a track record of stunning results.

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Stocked impoundment barramundi are perhaps even less predictable than their wild cousins and this makes them a great challenge, especially for fly fishermen. Utilising a range of flies fished at different depths and using a variety of retrieves Peter Morse catches a string of feisty impoundment barra.

Barramundi on Fly - Turning a tough day into some 'bloody good fishing'.

BONUS: Fly Tying segment included. The Fat Boy - a big bulky fly that is a breeze to cast and sparing on materials

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Peter Morse reckons that any fish is a good fish, just that some are better than others. Sight casting to tailing fish in ankle deep water however, is the apple from the top of the tree. Little Pine Lagoon in Tasmania is famous for its 'Tailing Trout' and the degree of difficulty in consistently hooking and landing them. Peter then travels to the sparsely populated West Coast to fish for sea-runners, and encounters ravenously feeding trout that seem unable to see a fly. Once again - this is not a place to come to learn fly fishing - you need to have a fair degree of skill to deal with the challenges these fish present.

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The Tasmanian Trout fishery has existed since the English colonised this island state. With Tasmania's cool climate and clear water, the trout have thrived, providing a very challenging senario. Peter Morse explores the central highlands with its distinct scenery, home to the brown trout. This is not a place to come to learn fly fishing - you need to have a fair degree of skill to deal with the challenges these fish present.

circa 1995

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Nymphing Tactics for Rivers
Nymphing is one of the "dark arts" of the fly fishing world. It's little understood by most fly fishermen - but for those who master its subtleties - it's a deadly technique when the fish aren't rising.
Peter Morse joins Simon Chu on a New Zealand lowland pastoral river. This is a master class on reading the river - recognising good water and applying nymphing techniques - with deadly effect. Highly instructional with lots of good fishing!
BONUS Fly Tying - Simon's 'String Fly' - a very simple fly that produces the goods is included with this download.

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The Australian mainland, by and large, is arid and hot. Half of the land mass experiences wet and dry seasons rather than summer and winter. The climates preferred by trout are restricted to the southern island of Tasmania, and parts of the the cooler lower states and territories. After the second world war, the country embarked upon the Snowy Mountains Scheme with the aim of providing water and electricity to a rapidly growing population and economy. The flip side of this scheme was to provide some fantastic cold water habitat for brown and rainbow trout. Two massive lakes were formed in which trout thrived and spread to the rivers and streams. Peter Morse explores the lake fishery by polaroiding the shoreline for post spawn brown trout in the depths of winter, then looks at the challenging fishing on offer in the rivers of the Monaro district.

circa 1998

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Carp fishing in Australia is gaining new popularity, especially among fly fishermen. For years these fish have been declared a noxious pest, and fines were in place that prevented their release back into the waterways. Touted as a pest, their fighting qualities and willingness to take a fly were overlooked. However, upon returning from an expensive trip to Christmas Island, one fly angler was reported to have said: "Bonefish, bonefish are great... it's just like carp fishing but in saltwater, and they pull like carp too!" That is pretty high praise.

Peter Morse finds himself fishing the flooded lake margins in a carp 'infested' region of New South Wales, sight fishing for carp in the grass. He is joined by young Ben and his dad, eager to get some tips for hooking up to some hard fighting fish.

BONUS: Fly Tying included with this download. 'Wooly Worm'.

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