Of Rivers and Rises

The is book is written in appreciation of the many joys and quiet contentment that I have found in my wanderings by river and lake. These words were penned by the legendary Australian author David Scholes. It would be hard to find a better way to introduce a collection of fi shing adventures, because fi fty years of waving the slender rod have given me abundant pleasure, copious exercise both physically and mentally, wonderful & lasting friendships and the enjoyment of being at one with nature. On refl ection, it seems that centuries ago a good friend and skilled fl y fi sherman introduced me to what became a pastime, perhaps an art, certainly a physical exercise, a method of spending the family fortune and a lifelong pleasure. We were privileged in those days to enjoy accommodation in the heart of some of the fi nest trout streams in Australia, as the Red Shack stood alongside Pollocks Creek at Kiandra. Oddly, it was also known as the Poachers hut, odd because the keenly enthusiastic users were exactly the opposite, with the tongue-in-cheek motto there are no rules and dont you dare break them. Since those early days I have fi shed in many countries and all the states of Australia and although the body ages the enthusiasm does not. I hope you enjoy the ramblings in the following chapters and perhaps disagree or otherwise with some of the theories within.