Northern Flyline December 2017

The edition of the NSFFC Newsletter has a little bit of everything: a report from the field; article with a festive NSFFC season flavour, so onwards and upwards. is a state that can deliver extremes, and in the last Committee few weeks we have seen it all. Hot and humid conditions Domenic Bono, interspersed with some serious rain that drenched the state at President and caretaker the start of the month. Treasurer 0438 110 862 The downpour, which commenced on a Friday and continued into Saturday and Sunday, led to the cancelling of Nick Pavlovski, sporting and social events at a number of locations. The rain Secretary 0413 500 211 eased and swollen rivers subsided sufficiently for club members to attack the on Sunday 10th John Smith, December. Trip Coordinator As a newer member of the club I have been able to gain 0400 883 022 insight and develop skills while participating in these club Pat Sheridan, trips, and begin to catch fish more regularly. No doubt this Webmaster result is shared by others, and is due in no small measure to 0419 515 950 the efforts of more seasoned members we have fished with Philip Matthews since season opening. Casting Coach I can give examples of the likes of Smudger, Phil and Dom Anne Hern, in recent weeks giving up prime stretches of water and then Social Secretary spending time instructing on how to target fish. When 0418 865 419 fishing under these conditions it really becomes a team sport Chris Bence and a reflection on the camaraderie that exists within the Editor club. 0404 813 788 Finally for those of you out and about over the Christmas- Committee Members: New Year period or travelling to holiday destinations take Chris Dabal care on the roads, enjoy the company of family and friends, 0447513025 and have a great break. The Editor

In this edition Trip Reports: Noogee & Steavenson R. 5-7 President’s page 2 Feature Article - Crafty Crawls: Notice Board - includes request for Far North Queensland 8-14 Assistance by the Australian General Meeting Minutes 15-16 Museum 3-4

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 1 Northern Flyline December 2017 President’s page The festive season is upon us and I What’s On would like to wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and great New Year. And keep safe in your December 2017 travels and above all have enjoy yourself. 7 Dec Gen Meeting / Cox- Connell Casting Christmas seems to arrive early every Trophy / Xmas year and we are all busy preparing party for the Christmas break and getting 9 Dec Stevenson river ready for the family gatherings and fishing trip the annual trip to your favourite 14 Dec Fly tying destination. 21 Dec Committee meeting

The 7th of December was our last January 2018 General meeting and Christmas barbecue as well as the CoxConnell 11 Jan Fly Tying Trophy casting competition. Although 18 Jan Committee Meeting the casting competition was washed 26,27,28 Jan Lakes trip out there was a very good turnout of members who enjoyed the bar-be-cue.

The club rooms are available to members on Thursday nights throughout December and January. And you are bound to meet others members so head up to the club have a cast or maybe tie a fly. Our last club trip for this year was to the Steavenson River Sunday 10th of December and the trip report is covered in this edition.

The new year as always looks promising several great trips planned including the 2018 Day trip Friday 26th of January to Dargo, but this may change to the Gippsland area for some saltwater fly chasing Bream and Australian Salmon in the estuary and lake systems. Keep an eye on the web site and facebook group site for updates.

1st Feb 2018 is the first General Meeting/Life Member's Cup casting comp/BBQ so get along.

On the 10th and 11th Feb 2018 The club heads to the west coast Otways Fishing Trip weekend.

All the best for the Festive season and New Year.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 2 Northern Flyline December 2017 Notice Board

NSFFC FLY DISPLAY For anyone that enjoys a good display or is just fascinated by flies, its time to update the fly display cabinet housed at the NSFFC club rooms.

The club is looking for assistance from fly tying supremos to supply up to 4-5 flies each to update the fly display cabinet. Please speak to a committee member if are

An early heads up….Some good work from past Secretary Patrick Parisienne has led to NSFFC being allocated the following fundraising sausage sizzle day at Mill Park Saturday 17th February 2018

The club will be looking for volunteers to work the bar-be. The day will require two x four person shifts as a minimum.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 3 Northern Flyline December 2017 Notice Board

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE I am contacting your club to request assistance in a citizen science project of the Australian Museum. I am working with the Museum’s Curator of Fish, Mark McGrouther, who is creating a database of photos of finned fish of Australia and New Zealand, to be used for research and education. Already the project has made several discoveries, all from individuals submitting photos of fish they have encountered. Several of the most significant discoveries were made by sport fishermen, who submitted their photos to the project. You may want to go to the Australian Museum’s Citizen Science website for more information and direction to the current project website. This month we have celebrated our first anniversary of the project, which thanks to citizen volunteers, has grown very rapidly. As I write, we have received over 19,000 images, submitted by over 630 people, covering 1,656 species. We even have five people who have submitted over a 1,000 photos each to the project. We are seeking many more photos and contributors, as the larger the data base becomes, the more valuable it is to scientists. For the past year the majority of photos have come from sport divers, but we have received many from fishermen.The contributions of the fishermen has been very impressive, as they are seeking fish outside the range of sport divers. The Museum would certainly like more photos of fish caught by sport fishermen, which is why I am contacting your club. Recently the Museum produced postcards about the project, which directs interested people to the Museum website and provides information about how to enrol and contribute. We will accept just about any photo of a fish with fins, and if you visit our website, you can see the variety we have collected. Contributors who sign up to the project, must upload their images, show the location of the photo on a map, and submit a suggested identification. We will check the identification, to ensure it’s correct. Could I ask that include the text of this email in your next newsletter or club mailing? I can also send information postcards to your club, if you’d like and provide the best postal address. We would welcome contributions from your members, and offer our database as a useful guide for fish identification. Your assistance would be appreciated and we look forward to seeing a growth in contributions from your club. Regards, Harry Rosenthal [email protected]

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 4 Northern Flyline 2017 Trip Reports

Noojee Day Trip The annual club trip to the Noojee area took place in November. Five members made their way to Noojee to be pleasantly surprised to find the General Store is under new management. Gone is the burnt bitter beverage that once past as coffee, replace by brew that is very palatable indeed! The rises below Cone Hill within the Mount Toorongo Range, part of the , in remote country east northeast of Powelltown. The river flows generally south, joined by one minor tributary and is fed by drainage spilling over the Toorongo Falls, before reaching its confluence with the , near the Mount Baw Baw Road. The river descends 490 metres (1,610ft) over its 12-kilometre course. The river is looking good at this early stage of the season. Water temperature was around 12 deg C, height was very wadeable and the clarity Ok on the day we fished it. There were plenty of small Rainbows in the riffle and close in to the bank side cover. The deeper pools held browns to 30cm, with the odd surprise thrown in…if you can stay connected to them!!!

The traditional lunch at the Noojee Pub had to be cut short this year due to a wedding reception having priority over our humble fishing club. Thunder storms cut the afternoon session short as well, but all up Sheldon Litschitz, Chris Commons, Phill Matthews, Chris Bence and I enjoyed the day immensely. It will be on the calendar again next year for sure.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 5 Northern Flyline 2017 Trip Reports Steavenson River The December day trip date was changed to a Sunday at request of members to schedule more Sunday day trips. Eight members were able to make the Sunday event and converged on the Steavenson River after enjoying a breakfast of pies, sausage rolls and coffee at Marysville bakery. On the Monday before the trip inflows to Lake Eildon were 20000 mega litres per day, the lake had risen over 19cm in 24hrs! The possibility of fishing any of the North East region’s small streams seemed pretty remote. By Saturday the levels had dropped significantly but we still expected to be fishing dirty water. With this in mind a tied up a few “Pink Ugly” wets/nymphs that should be easy for fish to pick in muddy water. Surprisingly the water was very clear and the Pink Ugly still did the trick!

Lunch time saw us catch up and compare notes at the Buxton pub and most of us had had some success on mostly smaller rainbows with the odd brown in the mix. Most were on the nymph which was to be expected considering the flow and water temperature around 12deg C. After burgers and beers, Chris & Sheldon, Dom & Chris and Nick & I hit the water again and were joined by Joel and Clint. The fish were a little shy in some sections which is to be expected on a Sunday afternoon on a popular river like the Stevenson. But there were good fish holding in the quieter deeper sections, with some browns coming up to the dry.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 6 Northern Flyline 2017 Trip Reports

With more trips coming up over the holiday period we hope to see more members on trips enjoying each other’s company and bagging a few fish.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 7 Northern Flyline 2017 Feature Article

CRAFTY CRAWLS: FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND

This article has kindly been reproduced with permission of James Smith from the craftypint. The article first appeared on the craftypint webpage on the 18 October 2017, and is authored by club identity Phil Goslin: https://craftypint.com/news/1655/Crafty_Crawls_Far_North_Queensland ______It was as recently as October 2013 that The Crafty Pint accompanied Mountain Goat to Cairns for the punny launch of their Summer Ale cans.

It's fair to say the cases they took to the bowling alley for the launch party were pretty much the only crafty offerings to be found in the wider region; the crew ended up at the Bavarian Beerhouse drinking imported Schneider Weisse later that evening as a result.

Thankfully, it's a situation that's changing rapidly with four new breweries opening their doors for the first time in 2016 and 2017 and a number of venues in Cairns adding craft beers to their offerings.

There's more to come too, with Port Douglas based Hemingway’s set to open a massive brewpub in a 1400 square metre heritage listed space at the Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal in 2018.

So, what better time to join us on a tour through Far North Queensland, or FNQ, on a Crafty Crawl that winds its way past cane fields, tropical rainforests and kilometre after kilometre of stunning beaches.

It’s a crawl that starts in central Cairns, ventures out through the northern suburbs and then embarks on one of the most scenic coastal drives in Australia en route to Port Douglas.

With some of the breweries having limited opening times, parts of this crawl can only be done on a Thursday or Friday – and, if you’re not keen on bus travel, then a designated driver will prove very handy.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 8 Northern Flyline 2017 Feature Article

STOP ONE: CORAL SEA BREWING CO Thanks to its "Welcome to the Tropics" slogan, the first stop on this crawl has to be Coral Sea Brewing. The brewery, which launched in mid 2017, is found in the heart of Cairns at the back of Palm Court in Lake Street. You'll know you've found it when you see the image of a large coral trout on the window in front of two bright copper kettles.

The site is the former home of Blue Sky Brewing, which closed its doors in 2014. Head brewer Morgan Hind, who spent a couple of years at both Gage Roads and Stone & Wood, welcomes craft beer fans on Thursday and Friday between 3pm and 7pm.

There are no pretences here, just handcrafted beer poured by the brewer amongst the fermenters. The focus is very much on tropical flavours with the core offerings the Coral Sea Tropic Ale, Tropic Lager (their biggest seller) and Tropic Session (a mid-strength beer at 3.5 per cent ABV). Morgan has also been doing a few specialty brews including a wheat beer that has proved popular with the locals and a rye IPA.

If you can’t get to the brewery during tasting times don’t worry, you will find Coral Sea beers on tap at quite a few venues in town.

You'll find Coral Sea Brewing in Palm Court, 40 Lake Street, Cairns City.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 9 Northern Flyline 2017 Feature Article

STOP TWO: THREE WOLVES

Less than five minutes walk from Coral Sea Brewing, tucked down a red brick laneway off Abbott Street, is Three Wolves.

Co-owned by Darren Barber, Sam Kennis and Grant Buckham, Three Wolves opened its doors in September 2016 and has been offering locals and tourists the sort of small bar experience you'd more typically associate with a night out in Melbourne or Sydney, complete with a stunning mural by local artist Caroline Mudge depicting three very dapper looking wolves and a big (rather than little) Red Riding Hood.

It has a fine selection of spirits, cocktails, wine and beer plus a tapas menu based on American street food. The two taps at Three Wolves both pour craft beer and there's a good selection of packaged brews too. When The Crafty Pint called in, Young Henrys Newtowner was on tap alongside Coral Sea's Tropic Lager. The packaged offerings included beers from Barrier Reef, Feral, Gage Roads, Stone & Wood, Newstead and Pirate Life.

You'll find Three Wolves in Red Brick Laneway, 32 Abbott Street, Cairns City (from 4pm daily).

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 10 Northern Flyline 2017 Feature Article

STOP THREE: BARRIER REEF BREWING CO A 15 minute drive from central Cairns up the Captain Cook Highway will bring you to Barrier Reef Brewing – look out for the large turtle sign on the front of the building. Brewer and co-owner Cameron McPherson opens his brewery for tasting and cellar door sales on Thursdays (5pm to 7pm) and Fridays (4pm to 6pm).

There are four core beers in the range – the flagship Two Turtles Pale Ale, Arlington Amber Ale, the colourfully named Prawn Star Pilsner and, for something different, the Double Shot Coffee Amber, infused with cold brewed coffee sourced from neighbours Sipping Duck Coffee Roasters. All Barrier Reef beers are packaged in bottles and they can be found in many of the local restaurants and bars if you can’t make it to the brewery during tasting times.

Both Cameron and his partner, Caroline Passingham, have a background in veterinary medicine and their passion for wildlife comes through in many aspects of the brewery. For starters, there is the omnipresent turtle logo and, with every bottle of pale ale sold, a donation is made to the Cairns Turtle Rehabilitation Centre. If, by chance, you're in need of an excuse to knock back a Barrier Reef pale ale helping save marine wildlife might just be it.

Find Barrier Reef Brewing Co at 2/17 Johnston Street, Stratford, Cairns.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 11 Northern Flyline 2017 Feature Article

STOP FOUR: MACALISTER BREWING COMPANY Is it possible to create the homely vibe of a traditional English pub in a shed in suburban Cairns? Rob and Rachel (Hoppy) Callin believe so, hence opening their microbrewery at Smithfield, about 15 kilometres north of the CBD.

Hailing from Yorkshire, the pair has taken a simple industrial warehouse and turned it into something special with a small bar, a great outlook over cane fields to the Macalister Range and an “It’s our local” atmosphere.

Since Macalister Brewing opened in May 2017, there has been a steady stream of regulars coming through the door to enjoy a freshly poured beer, chat with Rob and Hoppy, fill their growlers and grab something to eat from the food vendor parked out the front. An industrial chemist by trade, Rob is busy brewing on Monday and Tuesday before throwing the large roller doors open from midday Wednesday to Sunday. The brewery offers an ever-changing selection of handcrafted beers, including the interestingly named and popular School Day IPA – a tropical mid-strength ale referencing Rob’s time as a high school chemistry teacher. With a large hardware store just around the corner, “I’m just popping down to Bunnings” has taken on a whole new meaning for the beer-loving folk of Smithfield and surrounding areas.

Call in on Rob and Hoppy at 6 Danbulan Street, Smithfield, Cairns.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 12 Northern Flyline 2017 Feature Article

STOP FIVE: HEMINGWAY’S BREWERY

The last stop (and not one to miss) is Hemingway's Brewery, located at the stunning Reef Marina (pictured at top of the article) in Port Douglas, just over an hour drive up the Captain Cook Highway from Cairns (yes, we realise this is stretching the concept of a "crawl" somewhat, but bear with us!). A large gastro brewpub, Hemingway’s is the first of its kind in FNQ – and is open from 8am daily for those who like to get an early start.

As you might imagine, a pub called Hemingway’s has a few stories to tell. In fact, every ale has its own tale. The stories describe an element of the region’s colourful past or the trailblazers who were part of it. There is Pitchfork Betty’s Pale Ale, inspired by a publican known to wield a pitchfork at rowdy patrons.

Prospector Pilsner tells the yarn of James Venture Mulligan, who first found gold in FNQ’s Palmer River, and Doug’s Courage IPA celebrates the spirited nature and fortitude of the Port Douglas pioneers.

There are six core beers in Hemingway’s lineup and a wide variety of Australian and international craft beers on rotation. Bar staff will happily fill a two-litre growler for you or can provide one-litre cans filled and sealed right before your eyes.

Hemingway’s offers a menu of gourmet pizzas, burgers, tapas and BBQ-style food. It also has a strong events calendar with live music, innovative cuisine and guest beers a regular feature.

The setting couldn’t be more idyllic – a large boardwalk overlooking the marina is the perfect place to sit with a cold beer and ponder your own short story.

Hemingway's is located in The Reef Marina, 44 Wharf Street, Port Douglas.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 13 Northern Flyline 2017 Feature Article

OTHER OPTIONS

Strolling along the Esplanade appears to be a ritual for tourists in Cairns. And there's a couple of places where you can quench your thirst with a tasty beer while watching the parade of backpackers, international visitors, Aussie “southerners” and perhaps even one or two locals stream by.

•The Bavarian Beerhouse – As you would expect, imported German brews dominate here, with more than 20 on offer. There's also a selection of Australian craft beer to wash down the hearty German cuisine. Find it at 77 Esplanade, Cairns City. • The Courtyard – Another relatively new venue at time of writing, The Courtyard has one of the city’s more expansive craft beer ranges on tap, including their special "gnome brew" of the month. It's a short stroll away at 91 Esplanade, Cairns City.

You can find other Crafty Crawls in the series here. About the author: Philip Goslin is a Melbourne-based writer who likes watching football, playing guitar and fly-fishing — the common thread in these passions is always beer.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 14 Northern Flyline 2017 General Meeting Minutes

General Meeting Agenda 07 Dec 2017

1. Meeting open at: 8.10pm.

2. Welcome to all, especially to newcomer Anthony.

3. Apologies, Visitors & Nominations - Anthony as a visitor.

4. Minutes from previous 02 Nov 2017 General Meeting as presented a. Business Arising Tonight’s Cox-Connell Trophy competition, due to obvious heavy rain, will be rescheduled to early next year. b. Correspondence. i. Latest FLYLIFE is in. See the Library and Librarian. ii. Peter Coles from Red Tag has confirmed the Royal Coachman competition for 19-20 May, 2018. iii. Notification of grant opportunities, which your committee will pursue. iv. Trying to arrange Andrew from FlyFisher to visit in Feb 2018. v. Bunnings BBQ day is SATURDAY 17 Feb, 2018 at Mill Park – one week after Otways trip - volunteers needed, please.

5. Treasurer’s Report a. Accounts payable $7218.35 in bank. b. Business Arising payments out: Pat for Freeburgh spit; Anne for tonight’s Christmas BBQ.

6. Syllabus 10-Dec-17 Steavenson River Fishing Trip – meet at Marysville Bakery 7.30am 14-Dec-17 Fly Tying – the John Smith Stimulator – special focus 21-Dec-17 Committee Meeting 25-Dec-17 Christmas Day 21-Dec-17 Committee Meeting 25-Dec-17 Christmas Day 26-Dec-17 Boxing Day 27-Dec-16 Christmas Day in-lieu 1-Jan-18 New Years Day 2-Jan-17 New Years Day In Lieu 11-Jan-18 Fly Tying 18-Jan-18 Committee Meeting 26-Jan-18 Australia Day/Dargo - go to instead, for saltwater fly? Nick to email and caravan park is being arranged. 27-Jan-18 Dargo Trip - go to Gippsland Lakes instead 28-Jan-18 Dargo Trip - go to Gippsland Lakes instead 1-Feb-18 General Meeting/Life Member's Cup – using new club rules/BBQ 8-Feb-18 Fly Tying 10-Feb-18 Otways Fishing Trip 11-Feb-18 Otways Fishing Trip 15-Feb-18 Committee Meeting 17-Feb-18 Northern Lights 3rd Sat in Feb. ALSO BUNNINGS MILL PARK BBQ!!!

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 15 Northern Flyline 2017 General Meeting Minutes

22-Feb-18 Fly Tying 24-Feb-18 Marysville Small Rivers/Southern Lights 25-Feb-18 Marysville Small Rivers

7. Fishing Reports a. Club Trip to report. Noojee: 5 attended. Lots of small fish, all taken on nymphs. 24 fish taken in total. b. Member reports Pat Sheridan in South Island NZ: Good but hard fishing. 6lb pound fish taken. 20-30lb pound fish dropped. Hard because the code wasn’t cracked for the trip – everyone caught fish on completely different flies, and the same fly wouldn’t work along the same 2 kilometres of river. Back country is excellent.

Eric to talk about Costa Rica trip in the near future - jungle tarpon fishing, then saltwater tarpon fishing.

8. General Business a. CVFFC News None. b. General Discussion Clint from Mayfly Apparel is here tonight - $40 for his t-shirts. https://www.facebook.com/ mayflyapparel/

9. Any other business i. Daniel and Sarah Bowman are engaged! The NSFFC wishes them all the best and we hope to see them both out fishing soon. ii. Ted celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary. Congratulations to both him and his wife from the NSFFC. iii. Bill Hartley’s widow donated a set of his books to us. Now in the Library. iv. Best wishes to all for Christmas. v. The Syllabus is to be changed – there will now be no meetings held in January. vi. AJ asked – can we run a boat licence course? Nick to email the membership and enquire about interest from members about a course being run at the club in 2018.

10. Meeting closed at: 8.30pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To do:

Change syllabus: no January meetings; Dargo trip now a Gippsland Lakes trip. Reschedule Cox- Connell competition. Nick to email and advise about Dargo trip change. Advertise Mayfly Apparel – Chris Bunce to put into newsletter. Ask members about having a boat licence course run here. Dom to chase up Pat P about AGM notes for banking signatories change.

Northern Suburbs Fly Fishing Club, PO Box 54, Yarrambat 3091, www.flyfishing.org.au 16