A little bit about myself
A lovely lovely wild Brown trout caught in the River Derwent..
I grew up on a family farm in the northeast of Tasmania. The St Patricks River was my childhood stomping ground. I would walk its banks for miles, flicking green and gold celtas to feisty Browns and the odd Rainbow trout.
As a young boy, I was mesmerised watching my great Uncle Rex wield a fly rod, effortlessly catching fish after fish on our little farm creek. From then on, the spinning rig no longer cut it, and a new obsession began.
Forty-odd years later, my passion for fly fishing and the environment has never waned. I love sharing Tasmania’s wild places with people from around the world.
Here are five things I’d like you to know about me:
I caught my first fish on a shabby hand-me-down Red Tag, lobbing it into the fastwater on the upper St Pats. To my (immense) surprise, a fish took it.
My favourite fly is a spent Parachute Black Spinner, hence my Drift Boat’s name. I’ve caught more fish on this fly than any other. It’s a simple tie that sits beautifully in the surface film and looks buggy and vulnerable.
My favourite rod (at the moment) is a vintage Scott G 8ft 3wt Japan Special. The length gives you plenty of reach in tight streams, and its gentleness is irresistible.
I have 15 different Scott fly rods, and I regularly use every one of them – but there’s always room for more, right?
I’m also the graphic designer for FlyLife magazine. When I’m not guiding or fishing, I’m designing the world’s best fly-fishing magazine!
My McKenzie River Drift Boat – The Black Spinner
Heading downstream in The Black Spinner, another day in paradise!
My mate Paul and I built the drift boat in his backyard. For three months, we spent every weekend crafting the boat from Huon pine and marine plywood, meticulously following the plans in Roger Fletcher’s book Drift Boats and River Dories.
Boat building has a romantic charm that seemingly appeals to all, and drift boats are no exception. My boat, The Black Spinner, was the second boat we’d built together, and this time around, the process was more familiar. Friends and neighbours gathered in the yard as we showered ourselves in sawdust, slowly forming the puzzle pieces.
Legendary American boat-builder Woodie Hindman designed the McKenzie River Drift Boat around 1946, and they quickly became a favourite of American fly fishing guides. I love owning a drift boat; every boat ramp attracts a friendly chat from an eager angler keen to know where it’s from and how it was made — every one of them surprised by my answer, ‘I made it myself.’
Tight lines! 🎣
Marcus
