The Flyfisher's Podcast

In this episode of The Flyfisher's Podcast, we catch up with legendary flyfisher and author Philip Weigall to wrap up what was, for many, a seriously tough season. Despite the low water and all the usual challenges (yep, including those bloody cormorants), Phil found ways to not just cope—but thrive. He shares how thinking a bit differently about where and how to fish in dry years can lead to surprisingly good results… in fact, some of his days were all-time bests. It's an insightful chat packed with practical takeaways. Enjoy the listen!

In this episode of The Flyfisher's Podcast, we dive deep into the adventure, challenges, and conservation efforts behind fly fishing in the Amazon with Rodrigo Salles of Untamed Angling. Rodrigo has pioneered access to some of the most remote fisheries on Earth, working alongside indigenous communities to create sustainable, world-class fly fishing lodges. He shares his journey, insights on Amazonian species, and what makes these waters so special. Plus, longtime client Ray Malone joins us to reveal why these trips are truly life-changing. If you've ever dreamed of casting a fly in the heart of the jungle, this episode is for you!Fly fish the Amazon with Untamed Angling https://www.uangling.com/

We all dream of that near-untouched water, the place where solitude meets success, and the fish are bigger and more plentiful. But is a secret spot really the key to better fishing? And how hard is it to find your own?In this episode, we reveal what it takes to discover your own secret spot—and it's easier than you might think. While we'll focus on trout fishing, the insights from our guest apply no matter where or what you fish for.Andrew is joined by Mick Hurren, a seasoned guide and cinematographer from Yea, North-East Victoria. Mick has the most extensive playbook of secret spots we've ever come across—so we've bribed him with beer to spill his secrets.Whether you're after trophy trout or just looking for a little more water to yourself, this episode will give you the tools to find your own secret spot.

There are few things better than a fly fishing trip that blows all expectations out of the water—and that's exactly what we got with Aotearoa Anglers in Southland, New Zealand. In this episode, we dive into an unforgettable three-day adventure, from drifting pristine Southland rivers and hiking into backcountry trout paradise to sight-fishing monster browns on the lakes.With expert local guides, top-tier rafts, and some of the most breathtaking fishing locations on the planet, this trip had it all. We'll share the highlights, the lessons learned, and why Aotearoa Anglers should be on every fly fisher's radar.

In this episode of The Flyfisher's Podcast, Peter Blackmore and Andrew explore how to plan and execute a successful DIY fly fishing holiday to New Zealand's South Island. New Zealand's South Island is a mecca for fly fishing addicts, offering some of the most diverse and pristine waters in the world. From crystal-clear rivers and challenging backcountry streams to lush lakes and tarns, the South Island has it all. Whether you're an experienced flyfisher or a beginner, this podcast episode will help you navigate the best spots, essential gear, and travel tips for an unforgettable, cost effective, DIY fly fishing adventure.

In this episode of The Flyfisher's Podcast, Peter and Andrew explore how to plan and execute a successful DIY fly fishing holiday to New Zealand's North Island. After the boom of La Nina trout fishing in southeastern Australia, the season has returned to a more typical state, leaving many anglers finding their local fishing experiences less than exciting. If that's you, it might be time to look across the ditch to New Zealand's North Island, where trout fishing remains as abundant and world-class as ever. What's more, the 2024/5 season promises some of the best conditions in years.While the idea of international travel might cause some anglers' wallets to tighten, a DIY fly-fishing trip to New Zealand can be surprisingly affordable—starting at just $2,500 for a week of chasing wild, trophy-sized brown and rainbow trout in some of the most pristine waters on the planet.For more handy tips and tricks for the DIY North Island check out this article

In Far North Queensland, a saltwater fly fishing competition attracts passionate flyfishers from across Australia. This legendary event, presented by Australian Fly Fishing Outfitters, provided us with an incredible opportunity to experience it firsthand. What began as an intriguing adventure quickly became an unmissable annual highlight. For newcomers, the competition can be a bit intimidating, but the warm atmosphere fostered by organisers and participants ensures that everyone feels welcome and easily gets involved. In this informative episode, Peter & Andrew delve into the details of the scoring system and the challenge proceedings, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in participating, or who wants to learn about The Hinchinbrook Fly Fishing Challenge and what it means to the flyfishing community of Australia.

With the 2024/25 trout season kicking off, Andrew and Peter have tapped into expert insights to help you pinpoint the best flyfishing locations and techniques for the early season.Each season presents unique conditions, and this year's low water levels and some fisheries impacted by cormorants could pose new challenges. To get you prepared, we reached out to our guide network for the latest updates on how their catchments are shaping up.We start with Finn McDowell, who's been on the water in Tasmania for a month already. Finn shares his experiences and what's exciting him this early in the season, including targeting tailing trout and aggressive streamer takes.Next, we chat with Scott Xanthoulakis from Wilderness Fly Fishing about the North-East region—Melbourne's most accessible river fishing area and a favourite among Melbourne based anglers.Moving to Bright, we talk with Cam McGregor about the Ovens, Kiewa, and the exceptional small stream options he guides through River Escapes.Finally, we head north to catch up with Jimmy Barwick of Snowy Valleys Flyfishing. Although the NSW trout season is still a month away, the warm weather is already having an effect. Jimmy gives us insights into drift boating the Tumut and exploring the Snowy Mountains' best trout fisheries.

During a recent trip to Cocos Keeling Islands, Andrew chats with saltwater flyfishing guru and guide, Rodney Collings.Rodney splits his time between guiding far north Queensland and the crystal clear flats of Cocos. We find out more about Rodney's flyfishing origins and the world-class areas he guides. For more information on Rodney and AFO, head to www.australianflyfishingoutfitters.com

Simply observing the consistently high-ranked competitive flyfishers reveals there are subtleties to streamer fishing that significantly enhance one's catch rate.As well as deciphering the gear and the flies, Craig explains the 5 basic things we can do during the retrieve, that will transform anyoneinto a lethal streamer angler.

As the river season draws to a close, we shift our focus to the lakes. To fill us in on which lakes are in good shape, we chat with Philip Weigall and get the good oil.

Trout anglers in the southeastern region of Australia may have recently observed a downturn in fishing quality, coupled with white bird droppings coating the rocks near their beloved streams. The return of cormorants has undoubtedly left its mark on the fishing scene in recent months. In order to dissect this situation and provide valuable insights, we sat with Philip Weigall. While these avian visitors may not be our favourite companions, their presence seems to be a lasting one. Fortunately, there are strategies you can employ to catch fish amidst the influx of these persistent birds.

Autumn presents anglers with some of the most rewarding opportunities in flyfishing, but also presents unique challenges. Whether you're targeting delicate sippers, or trying to deal with low flows, Philip shares invaluable tips to ensure you make the most of the river season's closing moments.

When we caught wind that Scott Fly Rod president Jim Bartschi was in New Zealand for the launch of their new Session series, we got excited and gave him a call to find out more.Jim is a global flyfishing identity and is well respected in the trade as a great guy and gifted rod designer. We reveal that the Session is a rod designed for everyone fishing freshwater. Bucking the trend of eyewateringly high prices, the Session is built to the highest standard, at a palatable price.There's real passion behind the Scott fly rod family and this new model. Enjoy!

After a hiatus from the podcast due to a busy shop and lots of fishing, Andrew and Peter sit down to discuss the latest in fly fishing news.From the groundbreaking new Orvis Helios rods to cutting-edge wader technology, there's plenty of new gear on the scene to elevate your fly fishing to the next level. Andrew and Peter also share some bargains that are not to be missed.Tune in to hear all this and more in the latest episode of The Flyfisher's Podcast!

Peter's trip to the north island of New Zealand has come and gone. and with this, a wealth of knowledge has been developed and is thus ready to be passed on. In the latest episode of The Flyfishers podcast, Peter provides the quintessential information for your trip across the ditch. Talking through accommodation, locations, gear and transport, Peter tells all on the north island. listen in for stories of big fish and key details, as this is our NZ 101.

In this episode, we've compiled the ultimate gifts for flyfishers. Whether for yourself, a friend, a colleague or partner, these items are designed to enhance your time on the water or at the tying desk making it more enjoyable and effective.For a more personalized touch, The Flyfisher team is ready to assist with bespoke flyfishing gift options. Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year from all of us at The Flyfisher!

In this new series, we chat with friends of The Flyfisher whose passion for flyfishing matches our own. We couldn't think of a better bloke to kick it off than Harrison Perrin.Harrison has been a regular visitor at The Flyfisher, and we've keenly watched his passion develop and his experience grow. He's well-travelled and knows his way around a big two-handed fly rod as much as he does a 7'6" 3 weight.Having recently returned from the ultimate nomadic flyfishing trip, Harrison has some sensational stories to tell. We hope you enjoy this latest episode!

In todays episode of meet the team, Andrew sits with Flyfisher team member Peter. Every new member of our team brings something to the table and in Peter's case, it's The Flyfisher's Podcast.Peter first came to our attention on the other side of the counter, regularly popping in to top up his fly box and absorb every bit of intel we could provide.He finished school in 2021 and realised that to fuel the car and afford beer in a cost-of-living crises, he would have to hustle; so he got himself a job at JB Hifi. That customer service training had him hit the ground running when he started at The Flyfisher.Of course, being so young, Peter looks at flyfishing through a fresh lens. His passion and ideas are pushing The Flyfisher to help flyfishers everywhere. We hope you enjoy learning more about Peter and what makes him tick in flyfishing.

Craig is an accomplished competition flyfishing coach and angler, representing Australia on the global stage an impressive 19 times.As well as his involvement in Competitive flyfishing, Craig guides lucky anglers on the private waters of Millbrook Lakes.Craig first fished loch style in 1994 while preparing for the Commonwealth championships. He found it to be deadly on our home waters and it rapidly became a preferred technique.Craig is an authority on the technique, recently coaching the Australian team to success in the 2023 Commonwealth flyfishing champs in Islay.In this episode we tap into Craig's extensive knowledge on this deadly technique.

This is our part two chat with fishing identity Jim Allen.Before this episode you should listen to Episode 2, and then Episode 34.I fish with Jim in Tasmania and when you're at his place, there's one very strict rule, you have to write up the diary before you leave.He is big on preserving the memories from days fishing and socialising at his shack in Miena and has kept a detailed diary since 1979.Apart from the obvious fishing recollections that reveal great fishing from years gone by, Jim has had some incredible people visit and write up the diary during their stay.We picked out some of the better entries in his diary to discuss them in more detail.

Jim Allen has lived a life consumed by flyfishing. His stories are legendary and after his first episode with us, we couldn't wait to get him back in for more.Before listening to this episode, have a listen to episode 2. We chat more broadly about Jim's life in flyfishing and it's the perfect prelude to this episode.Jim has been fishing Tasmania since 1960 and few people could claim to have had as many days on the water in Tassie as Jim has.While building a small empire in mainland Australian fishing, Jim saw potential in fishing tourism being attracted to the central highlands of Tasmania. What eventuated was Jim owning the Central Highlands Lodge, the Great Lake Hotel, and Bridges Brother's in Hobart.In this part one chat with Jim, we talk about his love affair with Tasmania, and extract some hilarious stories. Jim's vivid memories reveal how the fishing used to be in Tasmania; and as we got going, we realised this had to be a two-part interview.In part two we'll be dusting off Jim's detailed fishing diaries to discuss some of the more memorable entries. So stay tuned after giving this one a listen.

You can't help but be curious about competition flyfishing. It is shaping the way we fish today and the gear we use, and so to talk us through it, we sat down with competition flyfisher Erhan Cinar.Erhan recently achieved two bronze medals at the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships and guides with Wilderness Flyfishing.As well as learning more about the competition scene, we tap into Erhans elite technique knowledge to reveal what you can do differently to catch more fish.Competitive or not, this is one episode you don't want to miss.

Welcome back to another episode of Behind the Counter! Tune in to hear Forbes, Andrew and Peter as they sit down after a few drinks and discuss everything from the hottest local fishing opportunities, exciting new products, and a highly anticipated announcement about the Fly Fishing Film Tour.

Here's the thing, trout like the cold! Winter is one of the best times to chase trout on lakes and so for many of us, when temperatures drop, the lake season begins.We welcome back friend of The Flyfisher Philip Weigall to break it all down. You'll learn there can be dry fly fishing in Winter, where to go, what to do, and the must-carry flies that help ensure success.

Welcome to another episode of behind the counter! Join Peter and Forbes for the usual banter as well as covering everything from exciting new additions to the fly-tying range, giving a few cracking trip reports and revealing some bargain end of season sale items!

In this episode, we talk bonefish basics. Bonefish are regarded as one of the holy grail species by fly anglers. Growing well in excess of 10 pounds, bonefish do everything a trophy species should, from providing thrilling polaroiding in ankle-deep water to ripping hundreds of yards of backing off fly reels, bonefish will test even the most experienced of anglers. Join shop captain Andrew Fuller, and Scott Xanthoulakis of Wilderness Fly Fishing. Andrew and Scott have abundant bonefishing experience, including fishing in gold-class destinations such as Cocos Keeling Islands, The Seychelles, Aitutaki, Cuba, Venezuela and of course, Christmas Island. Andrew and Scott will reveal all there is to love about bonefish, and what you need to know to to succeed in chasing these elusive creatures.

In this week's episode of Behind the Counter, we cover everything exciting currently happening in flyfishing! We discuss everything from the latest and greatest in gear to exciting news about one of the world's best saltwater destinations reopening.

From south coast bream to North Queensland permit, we're lucky enough to have some of the world's best flats fishing.In this feature-length episode we're joined by expert guide and fishing film legend John Haenke. We tap into John's deep knowledge gained over many decades to reveal the fundamentals of flats fishing, so you can get out there with confidence on your own, or with a guide.For trouties this episode will open your mind to our wonderful flats opportunities, and to the more initiated there's some gems that might challenge your own theories, and make you a better rounded saltwater flyfisher.

Welcome to our new series: Meet the Team. Join us as we sit down for a quick chat with the friendly individuals that make up the team here at The Flyfisher.Today Peter sat Max Caruso down for a chat. Max is well known in fly fishing circles having written several articles on all things flyfishing and food. Max is devoted to our much-loved local Victorian rivers, lakes, estuaries and beaches. He has travelled to far-flung places such as the Gulf of Mexico and the trophy waters of New Zealand. Max is chafing at the bit to share his knowledge and travel tales with visitors (and maybe even his famous recipes!).

The Goulburn River is Victoria's most popular trout fishery, and for good reason. This season has been an absolute cracker and Wilderness Fly Fishing have fished it hard with unbelievable success. Without a doubt there is a lot to learn about this spectacular trout fishery and there's no better bloke to chat with than our mate at Wilderness Fly Fishing, Scott Xanthoulakis. This tailrace fishery has its flow constantly adjusted for the requirements downstream, and these fluctuations are what make this fishery so good, but also so challenging. Listen in and you'll learn exactly what makes this fishery so good, and how you can improve your own success on this river.

Join us on this week's episode of behind the counter to hear all that's been happening in the world of flyfishing. From Victorian game fishing to small stream antics.

Join us on this week's episode of Behind the Counter. We reveal all that's been happening in local flyfishing, plus report on Andrew's trip to Cocos, and Josh cracks the cod code on the King.

There's been some time between drinks so we have lots to report on. Andrew finds a challenge in chasing carp, Forbes deserts us, and gear gets tested including the Orvis Helios Blackout, Simms GTS roller and the Lamson Litespeed Marine. Plus we reveal (but don't reveal) some news regarding a new saltwater fly rod from a brand we can't mention...!This episode was a lot of fun to put together and we hope you enjoy the listen!

Coco's Keeling Islands is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the world's premier saltwater flyfishing destinations. Ross has recently returned from this island paradise and while we were expecting he would have a good trip, the obscene fish count was not expected. Teeming with huge GT's, permit, and of course trophy bonefish, Cocos should be on your radar if you fly fish and have a pulse. Listen on as we uncover everything there is to know about this emerging destination.

In this episode, we get fly fishing weapon Kiel Jones on the phone to chat all things victorian bream fishing. Kiel is an established salt and freshwater flyfishing guide based in victoria and has spent countless hours targeting yellowfin and black bream across the state.Kiel covers all things bream fishing from what gear to use, and what sort of water to look for, to what flies to use in certain conditions. Join us as Kiel provides a fountain of information to get you on the water to target the ever-elusive bream successfully.

Join us on this week's episode of Behind the Counter to see what's been going on behind the scenes at the shop!

In this episode, we're joined by good friend at Scientific Anglers, Jeff Pierce. Jeff is a well travelled angler thanks to his role as the international sales manager of Scientific Anglers. He visited us recently to run a demo day in-store and not surprisingly, he attracted a big crowd.Scientific Anglers have been market leaders in fly lines for about as long as The Flyfisher has been in existence. We talk about this history and the direction of the company, including some recent developments and the exciting technology that's incorporated into their lines. We cover tapers, coatings, line cleaning, and discuss what it takes to bring a fly line to market. Jeff is an expert on all facets of flyfishing and his insights into the brand, and the industry, are both entertaining and enlightening!. We hope you enjoy this episode!

There is no more anticipated moment in the Victorian flyfishers calendar, than spring mayflies. We caught up with the oracle of mayfly fishing, Philip Weigall, to learn how we can maximise our success during this exciting time.We thought we knew a lot about mayflies before chatting, but once Philip started, we realised just how much more there is to know.Philip had our panel speechless as he reveals the best techniques and flies for the different stages of the hatch, and goes into detail on Victoria's best mayfly waters.This one is a must listen. Enjoy!

In this episode, we sit down with the main man behind The Flyfisher - Andrew Fuller.Andrew has been a flyfisher since he was a young kid growing up in country New South Wales, and his love of flyfishing has since seen him travel all over the world.He has worked in the flyfishing industry since 2004, and is the owner of The Flyfisher as you know and love it today.Join us for this enjoyable and enlightening conversation as Andrew discusses where it all began, why he's passionate about what he does, and the mentors who have shaped him into the flyfisherman he is today. Keep your ears open for some great travel stories and flyfishing tips thrown in along the way.

Join us on this week's episode of behind the counter to hear about what's been happening in the shop!

Welcome to another exciting instalment of Behind the Counter. In this episode we introduce new team member Josh, and report in on some of the great fishing we've been enjoying locally. We reveal some gear that's been helping us on the water, and cover everything that's making news in flyfishing right now. With the in-store RISE flyfishing film festival, water levels high, and the super long weekend - there's lots to discuss!

In this episode of behind the counter, we're joined by special guest, Dan Mamrot. Dan is our in-house rod builder and repairer. He's an avid flyfisher and provides a unique perspective on all things flyfishing.We run through some exciting new gear such as the innovative C&F Design universal system fly boxes. We discuss our limited run of early season fly collections which aim to optimise your time on the water when flows are high. These boxes provide a range of carefully curated flies all the way from heavy Copper John nymphs to high-vis dries for when the fish start to look up.Hear about our recent fishing adventures including Forbes's day fishing the rising waters of Tullaroop, and Andrew and Peter's Day on Lake Purrumbete.

Ever wanted to know the secrets to success when Fly Fishing for Murray Cod? Join us as we sit down with Cam McGregor of River Escapes, Cam is a well-established Murray Cod and Trout flyfishing guide operating throughout victoria. In this episode, we cover all things Murray Cod: what flies to use, prime bite times, where to fish, and most importantly, how to maximize your time on the water and become a more efficent Murray Cod fly fisherman.Tune in for all you need to know about Murray Cod fishing!

Welcome back to Behind the Counter. Join us as we discuss what's news in flyfishing, and what's been happening behind the scenes at The Flyfisher.In this week's episode of behind the counter, we celebrate the return of Forbes Lindeman, a much-loved member of The Flyfisher team who has been away fishing for a month and has much to report on. In fact we've all been fishing and so theres heaps to discuss. We reveal what's new and exciting including our fly tying mystery boxes that are loaded with insane value. We hope you enjoy this week's Behind The Counter!

Welcome back to Behind the Counter. Join us as we discuss what's news in flyfishing, and what's been happening behind the scenes at The Flyfisher.In this episode we talk reports, and reveal the best fishing opportunities right now. We talk favourite flies, and there's some exciting news about a celebrity in the flyfishing industry coming to visit. We also introduce a new segment about gear the we use ourselves and explain how it can make you a better flyfisher

Rene is a talented rod designer with a deep knowledge gained from working with major fly rod brands including Scott fly rods, and Composite Developments. His rod brand, Primal, has grown rapidly thanks to their rods incredible casting performance and value.We sat down with him during his Melbourne visit to discuss the intricacies of fly rod building, and what goes into creating one. We learn it takes more than just good materials to cook up a great rod, and the rod designer, like a good chef, plays a vital role. We also discuss some industry trends and technology you can expect to see in years to come.We all buy into the glossy, cinematic fly rod marketing, but Rene puts all that to the side to provide rare insight into exactly what it takes to make a rod that flyfishers love to fish.

Welcome to our new series, Behind the Counter. Join us as we discuss what's news in flyfishing, and what's been happening behind the scenes at The Flyfisher.In this episode we talk reports, and reveal the best fishing opportunities right now. We talk favourite flies, and there's some exciting news about a celebrity in the flyfishing industry coming to visit. We also discuss the new Smith Optics Low Light Yellow polarised sunglasses, a game-changing piece of equipment that have revolutionised our fishing.

Ever wondered what fly line is right for you? Join us as we debunk some common myths around finding the 'perfect' fly line.In this episode, we are joined by industry experts Rene Vaz from Manic Tackle Project, and Andy Summers from Mayfly Tackle, to discuss tapers, materials, and technologies from the biggest brands in fly lines.We are also joined by spey fanatic Harrison Perrin to discuss grain weights, spey types and spey type applications.It's a bit of a long one, but sit tight and you'll walk away a more informed flyfisher!

Freshly 40 years of age, flyfishing mates Sam and Gus face the familiar challenge in navigating busy lives whilst attempting to feed a flyfishing addiction.Gus and Sam have known each other since school but their shared interest in flyfishing is what's kept them close.Early days Gus travelled South America and his flyfishing took a turn to obsession after being exposed to Argentina's hard-fighting trout. For Sam it was breaking in horses at Helen Packers farm on the Bundarra, meeting the likes of Muz Wilson and other flyfishing tragics that walked through her doors. Later Sam and Gus developed as flyfishers with the challenging fishing on the Goulburn (and surrounds).Both with young families, Sam shares a hilarious story of taking his son to the emergency with a lure hanging from his lip. We contemplate how to best spread the flyfishing bug to offspring, and in Sam's case, he's succeeded and offers some useful tips.This episode was an absolute joy to put together and if you lead a busy flyfishing life like Gus and Sam, we're sure you'll get some laughs!

This introductory lake fishing podcast explores the nuances of trout fishing on Victoria's local lakes. Whether you're targeting aggressive smelt-smashing rainbows, or elusive mayfly sipping browns, this episode provides the knowledge and confidence you need for lake fishing success.Andrew and Peter chat with local guides and expert Victorian lake anglers, Kiel Jones and Scott Xanthoulakis. They reveal the techniques, best time of year, reading the water, flies, and so much more.With the lakes being your only option through Winter, and your best bet when targeting trophy trout, this is the podcast episode you've been looking for!