Paul Garrett

WooHoo! Just booked my second ever trip to New Zealand! Will try to get three guided days out of Christchurch before heading south on my own. #flyfishing

"Guide Wanted" ad for Tom's Outdoors in Tumut Australia. https://www.tomsoutdoors.com.au/pages/careers-at-toms-outdoors? for details

Australia's river trout season starts on 4 October this year. I thought one of the Bluesky fly fishers might be interested in spending a season or two guiding downunder with my favourite outfitters. One of the few float fishing specialists here #flyfishing
www.tomsoutdoors.com.au/pages/career...?

Not a problem. I have been researching and pricing Hardy Marksman 10ft #4 rods for a couple months and I definitely do not intend buying one. Seriously.

Keep your friend away from the dry fly purists.

A river flows towards the viewe. A boulders covers the foreground and rocks protrude from the water. Trees line the banks.

I am on a reconnaissance mission to the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. This is the Fish River near the town of Bathurst. A fingerling trout was jumping at hovering midges in the shallows. I will return. #flyfishing #rivers #Australia

gorgeous snake!

Back home until next time and had a chance to compare notes with the local #flyfishing crowd. All have been blanking in low, clear #rivers except for those who have gone higher and found running water. Not easy when south east #Australia is so dry.

A long straight run of a river surrounded by Australian trees. Looking downstream.

Looking upstream on a shallow river with a stony bottom. Trees line the banks and the morning sunshine highlights foliage.

My final morning on the Goobarragandra River (for this trip, anyway). Having exhausted my dry and dry/dropper skills for no reward, I fished this run with tight-line nymphing gear for exactly the same result. Clear and low, but a lovely morning. #flyfishing #rivers #Australia

YouTube video by Peachy Fly Fishing Fly Fishing: The Intermediate Trap…

I have decided that I must be in a deep "intermediate trap" with my fishing. (see youtu.be/I9DhZGfr8iA?...) #flyfishing #excuses

A river pool with a large island-like boulder and a sheer rock wall on the far bank. There is a rock-strewn sandy beach in the foreground.

This is the pool I fished this morning. Long harvey-style leader with a small dry/dropper rig. Long, delicate casts into bubble lines and deeper holes near the far bank and behind boulders. Nada. Nothing. Nil. I am cursed. #flyfishing #rivers #Australia I hate Mondays.

A freestone river run looking upstream. Willows and native vegetation line both banks.

The local outfitters and fly shop assures me that fish are being caught not far upstream from where I am fishing. I am still blanking out. Luckily, the scenery is so inviting. ##flyfishing #rivers #Australia

Back on the river tomorrow after a few days at home. I'm determined to fish better - longer leaders and greater stealth to cope with the low, clear water. May even get a guide to audit my presentations - or just do a day on a drift boat from Tumut to break my bad run. #Flyfishing #Australia #rivers

Three black cubes of wombats feces on a rock.

The fishing (possibly the fisher) has been total shyte. Which lead me to ponder the phenomenon of wombat poo. Yes, it is cube-ish, but just as strange is that, for an animal whose arse is so close to the ground, they go to a lot of effort to poo on top of protruding rocks. #flyfishing #Australia

Great article. Thanks. I, too, love an old click and pawl reel, especially Hardy's. For all the charm of the early models, I find myself reaching for a Lightweight series reel more often. A Princess, or a Prince, especially the Golden ones, have become my reels of choice, especially for older rods.

The bottom of a short run in the river flowing over stones. There is a riffle and gum trees in the distance.

You would think this tailout would hold a few trout. But not this morning. I have been staring so intently into the water that I am now hallucinating fish. But that's #flyfishing, I guess. #rivers #Australia

#flyfishing, obviously

Looking upstream on a shallow stream flowing through the Australian bush. The water is clear and the bottom composed of rounded stones.

Nymphed this run for two hours this morning for no result. It's usually productive for me, and I reckon my casting and drifts were not too bad. I'm getting a bit disheartened to be honest. #flyfishhing #rivers #Australia

Scientific Anglers Absolute Trout Tippet 30m Keep your tippet fresh; like your fishing style  Good tippet is crucial to fishing with confidence; when you can really rely on that final connection between the fish and your fly, you can catch more ...

Tom's Outdoors in Tumut, Australia (www.tomsoutdoors.com.au/products/sci...) Got a couple of leaders and tippet in person today.

Looking up a quiet river pool at dawn. There is a bank of smooth rocks in the foreground and (exotic) willows overhanging the water in the midground.

A crisp autumn morning on the river. Saw a platypus feeding in the shaĺlows. An echidna nearly walked into me while I was fishing last evening and a (rare) Murray crayfish walked onto my boot while I was wading. #flyfishing #rivers #Australia

That should be "Skunked", of course.

A short movie of a view upstream of a small river flowing through Australian trees. Riffles are visible in the middle distance.

Skulked, but a pleasant time was had. #flyfishing #Australia #river

Looking upstream on a stretch of the Goobarragandra River near Tumut NSW Australia. A pool and shallow run surrounded by mature eucalyptus trees.

Back on "my" river for a week. First time fishing since Christmas. Water is low and it has been a hot, dry, and long summer, but a bit of rain in the past week has freshened things up and dropped the temperature. #Flyfishing #rivers #trout #Australia

Please don't mention the war.

Looking out over a calm lake at sunrise with more than a dozen hot air balloons against the cloud. Canberra, Australia

Went to the lake at dawn for some casting practice. #flyfishing #Canberra

Sadly, US fishing gear brands may also suffer from the growing "buy local" - or "don't buy USA" - movements now trending in countries targeted by US trade barriers. And, like Tesla, they are simultaneously seeing the rapid rise of quality Chinese gear manufacturing. Huge realignments are coming.

Hardy (now US owned) was having rods made in S. Korea. I'm not sure if that was the entire range or not. Korea had a very good reputation for blanks a few years ago.

It is doubly confusing when so many fly gear manufacturers fully outsource to Asia anyway.

Happy Festivus to all who celebrate. I have dusted of our aluminium (prone. aluminum) pole for the holiday. Aluminum has a very high strength to weight ratio.

As a dad, I approve of this joke.

I'm guessing you'll turn sixteen before this gets implemented anyway.