Streamcraft Lessons

Streamcraft is the name used to describe the collective set of skills required to find, fool and catch trout in running water.

All of our instructors are mad about river fishing and have a lifetime of chasing trout in streams under their belts. This is perhaps the first thing we would recommend that you find out when choosing someone to instruct you in streamcraft. Do the instructors fish/guide on rivers on a daily basis?

We chose Thornton as our base back in 1994 because it has two of the best rivers in Victoria within a few minutes of each other. The Goulburn and Rubicon Rivers are very different and offer every situation you are likely to encounter while trout fishing, both here and around the world. From the small stream Rubicon River with it's classic pool, riffle, glide structure, to the majestic Goulburn River tailwater with its 100 metre wide gravel bars and terrific hatch based fishing. These two rivers are polar opposites and therefore complementary, when utilised to instruct our clients on the art of streamcraft.

Streamcraft lessons typically involve time on both rivers, allowing us to teach both small and large stream skillsets. This can be modified as per the clients individual needs. A day's instruction may include time on both rivers or sessions on several sections on one of them.

All of our guides are passionate river fishermen who have each taught thousands of fly fishers the art of streamcraft over the past twenty years. We leave no stone unturned in helping you to develop your skills. An example of the sort of things taught are:

• Choosing gear and appropriate clothing
• Setting up your gear
• How to read the water at a distance
• How to enter the water and approach a fish/likely spot
• Wading safely and stealthily
• How to match the hatch and choose flies
• Interpreting trout rise forms
• Casting techniques and appropriate presentation
• Drag free drifts and how to achieve them in any water
• Timing the strike and hooking fish
• Fighting fish quickly and effectively to minimise our impact on them
• Releasing fish and how to ensure your fish is unharmed in the process
• The ethics of interacting with fish, streams, landowners and other anglers
  

These are just some of the many things that our instructors will cover in any given session. All of our staff are full time fly fishing instructors who are talented at imparting information and skills that have taken many decades to attain.

A half or full day streamcraft session is perhaps the single most important thing that the beginner/intermediate fly fisher can do to make the next jump in level to consistently catching fish. In the space of a single session we will get you understanding the key concepts and capable of independent progress; cutting many years from the learning process and increasing your enjoyment of fly fishing in the process..

Streamcraft lessons are available by the hour, half day or full day. Please view our price list by clicking here.