Photo Album 2002 - 2003

We will try to update this page every month with photos from recent guiding and destination trips. All photos can be enlarged by clicking on them with your mouse, they will load in a new window. These photos are a selection from trips starting in the last week of February and continuing onto the end of March. We hope you enjoy them!

Photos from Goulburn/Rubicon Season 2002-2003
	Click for larger high resolution photo.
	Photo 1: Eddie with a lovely Rubicon River brown. This was a fish taken on a midge pattern in early March as the river reached perfect low water conditions.
	Photo 2: Martyn displays a fine Goulburn brownie taken on a tough day during a tough patch of fishing. This was on a day when not a lot was happening and careful searching of a current reverse that flowed against a heavily undercut bank brought success. Chalk another fish up to the backwater beetle.
	Photo 3: This spectacular brown was found rising during a heavy hatch of rusty duns. Anchoring the raft and waiting for the fish to come within range was the only way to get it and the patience paid off. It took a rusty tailrace dun and happily posed for this photo before being released.
	Photo 4: Wading the beautiful Rubicon River. Many of you will enjoy this photo as it tells a thousand words to those who know it. Late summer, clear, cool water, dry flies and feisty fish. The Rubicon really is a special little river.
	Photo 5: This fish is one of our pets. It is always there but not always rising and has been caught five times this season. Always on midge and always near evening or on overcast days. This day saw us drifting towards him in unfamiliar circumstances, bright blue sky-middle of the day. With polaroids we saw him and a great cast saw him take the hopper first drift. Rohan showing off his 3lb solid gold bar..
	Photo 6: What a memorable fish! We worked hard on this occasion polaroiding and searching every possible lie on a short morning drift (he had to get back to work!). After four hours of just not getting a good chance a fish was found within 100 metres of the car and take out point. Twenty minutes of patient casting and fly selection brought this fish undone. A great way to finish.
	Photo 7: This fish rose once in a backwater that we regularly have success in. The rusty tailrace dun was presented delicately to the working fish and was taken without hesitation. Hamish enjoying the moment!
	Photo 8: Grahame with a fish worth smiling about. This was the day just after the river dropped and the anticipation was high. Rushing from the launch place to beat the armada of kayaks out on the river on this occasion we found this riser tucked in hard to the bank. A hatch of tiny duns was on in the morning mist and a good cast was all that was needed. Another solid Goulburn fish.
	Photo 9: Eddie with a memorable fish taken in a slow bubble line and a steady hatch of duns. This was one of those rushed raft trips where someone calls up with a few hours to spare after work (daylight savings time of course). Eddie showing off this beautifully marked Goulburn river brown trout.
	Photo 10: A typical Goulburn backwater fish. This trout was found wandering around a backwater cut off from the main river. Initially only noticeable by the fact that the minnows were jumping out of his path the fish eventually took a backwater beetle. The tight water did not permit matching the food items it was feeding on and I don't think anyone was too upset about its willingness to rise to the dry.
	Photo 11: A shot that sums up what we do beautifully. Not a big fish but look at those surroundings. Clear water, a healthy brown and a happy angler. Despite the fact that we all go to Tassie and New Zealand chasing different styles of fishing this is about 'as good as it gets'! Grahame looks suitably pleased!
	Photo 12: The Rubicon again! This is one of Australia's best trout streams and it is easy to see why. A picture perfect trout stream with grasshopper fishing second to none and hatches that rival any stream we have. Thigh boots, four weights and dry flies only. And please don't forget to release those fish.
	Photo 13: David with yet another good conditioned Goulburn brownie. This photo gets a place in the album because it reminds us of the one day we got to all fish together this months. After working solid for weeks we decided to close the shop and fish the afternoon together. It took Geoff's rubber legged hopper which by the way is killing the bas of northern NSW and southern Queensland too!
	Photo 14: The evening caddis hatch was the event and the fish picture was picking off the emergers which on our waters is a sure sign that the fish is not tiny. While the smaller fry jumped around chasing adult caddis a green klinkhammer representing the emerging caddis pupa did the trick with Grahame topping off a fantastic day of drifting the best was possible. With one more good fish!
	Photo 15: This is a fish taken on the night the river dropped to 3,000 meg. After a good evening where he hooked seven good fish that were all returned to the water, this was the final and best fish. Found rising in a slow current reverse hard against the bank it took an emerger without reservation. Camera on a rock, Antony displays a pretty brown.
	Photo 16: What a brown this is! the Goulburn continues to produce very healthy browns like this making every trip interesting to say the least. On this occasion we found this brown rising to midge and a small Goulburn Griffith's was drifted by him to see what he thought. Obviously he liked it, so much so that we have caught him again twice since on the same pattern.
	Photo 17: K-Factor plus! This is a pig of a brown and at the time of writing (last week of March) we are seeing plenty of similarly sized and conditioned fish. While we do not know exactly what has accounted for this trend we say let it continue, please. Small head and big body is the sign of a very healthy fish. Lots of fish and good growth rates.
	Photo 18: One more Rubicon fish. While the rubi at this time of year has a lot of slow pools that require careful stalking and thoughtful fly selection it also has plenty of good fast water. Just slap an attractor pattern down hard and watch for a take. This fish nailed a stimulator in the heavy water just to the right of the rock in the middle of the river.
Return to 2004/05 photo album