I started fishing at a very young age, I'd say around the age of 5 or 6. That’s my first memory of it.  

My Pop, Martin was a keen fisherman and would take me bait fishing, but this was short lived as I would get bored and throw rocks and having young kids myself, I understand at times how tolerant of me that he was. He is the reason fishing is part of my soul. 

One day, Pop bought his fly rod trout fishing. I remember sitting with my rod and worm watching in amazement as his line glided through the air. Next thing I knew, he was on! This whole experience would shape my fishing future and it was at this point that I wanted to do what I had just watched him do...I was 8. 

He started teaching me to cast, I remember casting in the lounge with the top half of a rod with a piece of wool tied to the tip as Pop would be instructing. This went on for about 12 months, only casting, no fishing.  

Finally, Pop said we were going fly fishing; we were already in Jamieson at our permanent site on the river and the excitement was palpable. We grabbed our gear and off we went, I didn’t catch a fish and soon learnt that casting on a river was much different to the back yard. I got stuck in trees, ferns and basically everything around me. I had so much to learn.  

This is when I started watching casting videos on VHS by the likes of Joe Humphries etc. This helped a lot. That September I caught my first trout on a fly rod, on a dry fly called the tups indispensable, this fish didn’t stand a chance, I was so excited that a fish just ate my fly, I set the hook so hard the fish flew out of the river and landed on the bank, but I’d finally got one! 

This was the fish I needed and set in motion more hours and trips to the river then I could possibly count. 

At around 12 I started tying flies and still do from time to time but I would much rather spend time on the water.  

 

Jamieson and surrounds  

 

My Uncle and Aunty owned the general store in Jamieson, Nan and Pop had a site at the caravan park so every chance I could, weekends school holidays etc I would be up there and always on an adventure. I was fishing the surrounding rivers and creeks targeting rainbow and brown trout, catching bycatch such as roach and black fish from time to time.  

As I got older my passion for fishing expanded, not only trout but to our native fish Murray Cod and Yellow Belly but also the old Red Fin trip.  

As much as I enjoy chasing these species, I have always had a calling for the high country because truly, this is where the magic happens. 

 

Over the years I have fished rivers such as the Goulburn River, Jamieson River, Howqua River, Delatite River, Big River and the Rubicon just to name a few and also creeks such as Gaffneys Creek, Jerusalem Creek, Rasbery Creek and Snobbs creek.  

Over the years a lot has changed around the Jamieson area, with Lake Eildon dropping during the drought, opening up kilometers of river to fish which then also seen carp adapt to the rivers they are still seen in today. 

With the breaking of the drought came Lake Eildon rising back to capacity with this has bought a lot of changes, more fish all around and the bigger rivers feeding the lake now also hold Murray Cod in many of the deeper pools and small red fin. 

But through low waters, the heat and fish kills, the rivers have managed to maintain a great number of trout throughout the area and in my opinion is only getting stronger with time and the help of the Victorian Fishing Authorities. 

For me fishing isn't a hobby it’s a passion and way of life. I learn something new each time I go with the streams and the bush as my classroom. Fly fishing is something that will forever be apart of who I am and what I do.