For media enquiries contact my publicist Carlie Harris: carlie(at)exislepublishing(dot)com or phone Exisle Publishing (02) 4998 3327.
To contact me (Philip), please leave a comment below. Please note that due to the volume of correspondence I receive, I am unable to reply to each one, however I will do my best to get back to you. Thanks for understanding.
Hi Phil, when is the next FlyFisher due out, is it September or October? Cheers Chris.
Hi Chris,
Sorry about the delay in getting back to you, still working out this comments thing. I hope you enjoyed the most recent issue of Flyfisher.
Cheers,
Philip.
Philip
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your interview with Kathryn Ryan on Radio NZ. Fine effort, given Kathryn isn’t an expert.
I am based in southern NZ where I have been a passionate angler for decades–also have loved fishing the weipa area for the last 7 or so years.
I’m also very pleased to own your most recent book. Couldn’t resist it after reading the Permit story, just a month before I had a camping trip to the Skardon river with “Fish” to chase that wonderful species.
Dougal
Dougal, thanks for that – I never quite know how radio interviews have gone, so it’s really good to hear you enjoyed that one (and the book of course!)
Regards,
Philip
Hi Phillip
Do you know of any good fly casting coaches.
Thanks
Hi Michael,
That depends on where you are, but I’d recommend Dash Laver dash@millbrooklakes.com.au in Victoria, Peter Morse petermorsie@optusnet.com.au in NSW, or Peter Hayes hayes@flyfishtasmania.com.au elsewhere.
Regards,
Philip.
Where can I get the new guide book that is talked about in Freshwater Mag 101 please ?
Josef, my new guidebook Fly Waters – Victoria & Snowy Mountains should be available by the end of this month. You will be able to order direct from the publisher AFN on (03) 9729 8788 or http://www.afn.com.au. Alternatively, it should be available through most tackle shops and some bookstores during May, regards Philip
Hi Philip,
This is just an enquiry!!
Have you in the past produced a Fly Fishing DVD and from memory in and around the Northern part of N.S.W.
The DVD that I had but somebody else found it easier to keep than purchasing was of great benefit for all new anglers wishing to take up fly with a multitude of great advice on all aspects of fly fishing.
The DVD from memory at the start was catching a beautiful and massive Trout from a river/creek in Northern N.S.W. and from then featured all the basic aspects of fly fishing.
If you can advise me, that would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
Graeme
Borumba Fishing ‘n’ Outdoors
Borumba Dam “Home of the Toga”
Sorry for the slow reply Graeme. I did an instructional DVD ‘Your Guide to Freshwater Fly Fishing’ but set in Victoria and Tasmania. Australian Fishing Network (03 9729 8788) sell it. Runs for about 50 mins.
Hi Phillip,
Just finished reading Fishing Sense, another good read thanks very much. One question, is there anywhere in your books where you give the details of the fly patterns you use in the books? Wee Creek Hopper, Emu Wooly Bugger and your version of the Kosi dun.
Cheers
Phil
Phil I don’t have the patterns in my books, but you can find the Wee Creek Hopper on the DVD Muz Wilson Fly Tying (Prowess Publishing) and the Kossie Dun in issue 9 of Flyfisher magazine (Australian Fishing Network. The Emu Bugger is the fly on page 59 of Fishing Sense – it’s another Muz Wilson pattern, basically a conventional Woolly Bugger hackled with emu instead of regular hackle.
Hi Phil,
I’m so pleased to read so many wonderfully complimentary reviews of your books…keep up the good work.
regards,
Anne D.
Thanks Anne! Good to catch up on Saturday.
Hi Phil – Just stumbled accross your site and knew not of its existence! I’m going to add a link on my blog (http://iheartthefly.wordpress.com/) if that’s cool?
Cheers,
Beevor @ iheartthefly
Thanks Beevor, no worries.
Hi Philip. Just bought your latest book, most helpful. Will be in Ballarat for a week Nov 1 on. then want to fish the High country. have 4wd. boat and tent. can I get to rivers flowing into Eildon by boat. would like to spend 7/9 days in the area. used to fishing lakes (NZ>) but love walking up rivers and creeks most. Regards Roger.
Roger you can get to all the Eildon feeder rivers by boat, though you may have to walk a bit to reach flowing water (the lake is full so bridges etc. may block the last few hundred metres in a couple of cases.) All these rivers are reachable by good roads very near to the lake.
Regards
Philip
Philip,
Just bought, read and reviewed your book “Fishing Season”. Great book! The review will go online later this month.
I’d love to lay my hands on “Fishing Sense” too.
Can you contact me at martin@globalflyfisher.com? I can send you a sneak preview of the review if I get your mail address.
Martin
Thanks Martin, email sent. Regards Philip
Hi Philip.
I Just wanted to tell you i’m really enjoying ‘Call of the River’. I live near Buninyong (Garibaldi) and rehab injured birds of prey so the local references and the swamp harrier story are obviously of interest to me, as well as the fly fishing content. I made a brief trip to tassie a couple of weeks ago to improve my fly fishing but spent much of my time getting distracted by the sea eagles at Bronte lagoon! Result just one tiny brown trout caught more by accident than design! I’m also a wildlife artist and hope to start doing some trout pics in future. Can you suggest some good local fly fishing spots? I note Hepburn Lagoon is mentioned in your book, although to be honest I’ve been avoiding it as I’ve heard its getting a bit of a ‘hammering’ on weekends. I tried Bostock dam the other day. Beautiful spot with clearish water and great wildlife watching. Caught a baby rainbow on a wooly bugger but the bigger ones were more elusive. Anyway, I’ll stop before i yabber on too much. Thanks for the book and inspiration. Hope to get to Millbrook lakes one day, maybe when I sell another artwork! Best Regards. Martin Scuffins
Glad you like ‘Call of the River’ Martin. I had the raptor experience of my life a couple of summers ago walking around Cabin Lake at Millbrook. I startled a sea eagle in a low branch and it almost brushed my head as it tried to get ‘lift’ to take off.
On the local fishing front, Hepburn is well worth a look and the crowds have died down. Pick a cloudy day if you can. Newlyn is worth a trip too.
Regards
Philip
Thanks Philip.
I’ll have a look at Hepburn for sure. I’ll pick a cloudy weekday if I can. Wow, a Sea Eagle at Millbrook is certainly a surprise. I did see a Juvenile bird at Moorabool resevoir years ago but that is my only local sighting of this species.
Thanks for the fishing tips!
Martin
Hi Philip,
I’d like to get autographed copies of your two books “Fishing Season” and “Fishing Sense” – can I get them direct from you? And what would the postage be to South Africa?
If you would be so kind as to drop me an email, that would be great!
KInd regards,
Jan Korrubel
gday phillip my name is mick allardyce and i live in anglesea i have know you folks for a few years as i used to slash the land around there property and the common land and a few years ago i sat next to mark on a flight i fly fish bit mainly salt water but i have designed and built fly reels i would be cean to catch up some time if your down at anglesea and show yourself my reels i bumped into your mum today and that reminded me to catch up regards mick allardyce
Will try to have a look at those reels next time I’m down Mick,
Regards
Philip
Hi Philip,
Can you please advise if there is a website that provides current fishing reports for the “Golden triangle” lakes?
Regards
Stephen
Stephen, none that I know of. Newlyn, Hepburn, Dean, Tullaroop and Bostock have all been pretty good lately. I expect many of the others are good too but I haven’t visited recently so can’t be sure.
Regards
Philip
Hi Phil,
We are 4 guys from Sydney Flyrodders who plan to spend a week fishing the North east of Victoria next october .Having never been this way before we were wondering if you could help us to plan a productive trip.
Do you have any web links for where to access streams and where to base ourselves.
We have your books but are unsure where to get started,
cheers
Gordon
Gordon if at all possible postpone your trip for another month at least. Unless we have an unusually dry spring, most of the north-east streams will be too high and cold in October to enjoy the best they have to offer. If you must come in October, try the tailwaters like the King River in the Whitfield area and the Mitta between Callagahans Ck and Tallandoon. Both tend to be lower in flow and somewhat ‘warmer’ than the natural streams early season. Of the natural streams, the best early are those flowing from the slightly drier, less snow-fed catchments; perhaps the Buckland, Rose, Victoria and Livingstone as examples.
Good luck
Philip
G’day Philip,
I stumbled in to you in the Wallace pub two Sundays ago (you weren’t drinking……… I was) and you kindly directed me to Newlyn to attempt to get my new hobby off to a start. You also kindly gave me a fly to try (stick caddis) with a bit of advice on how to use it.
There were fish cruising after bugs and can I tell you that I actually briefly hooked up with what appeared to be a lovely brown. Unfortunately I think I need to hone my tying skills as the bugger took the fly and left me with some curly bits on the end of the tippet. Tried some other flies that I had but no good.
Thanks again and I’ll save up to book some lessons.
Cheers, Peter.
Peter I wondered how you might have got on so it’s good to hear you at least hooked one. I’m obsessive about knots and tippet (see my book Fishing Sense) because of exactly the scenario you describe. Can I make two suggestions:
- never fish anywhere with less than 8 lb fluorocarbon or 6 lb Maxima mono as your tippet unless you’re truly forced to because of tiny flies. Btw, that stick caddis works perfectly on 8 lb fluorocarbon or 6 lb Maxima.
- practice a half blood knot (8 to 10 turns) during the ad. breaks or some other lazy time off the water until you can tie it perfectly in your sleep – and don’t lock it. Do the same with a 3 turn Surgeon’s Knot for joining tippet.
I like those two knots not because they’re the best ever devised, but because they’re simple and relatively easy to tie well under adverse conditions. Master those knots and fish tippet as heavy as you can get away with, and you’ll avoid a lot of disappointment.
Best
Philip