Scott Mitchell | Fly fishing and life’s journeys

I started fly-fishing around 1988 when I was working for The Compleat Angler at Jim Allen's Villawood tackle store in Sydney. A lot of our customers were keen trout fly fishers and I felt I needed to learn to flyfish to better assist them. I learned to fly cast with good mate Andrew Homann who also worked with me at The Compleat Angler and had been brought up flyfishing in Tasmania. I caught my first trout on a Mr Simpson at Hatchery Bay on Lake Jindabyne.

In 1991 my wife Katrina and I founded "The Alpine Angler" a specialist freshwater & fly-fishing tackle store in Cooma, NSW Australia which we operated until 2006. After selling The Alpine Angler we moved to Hervey Bay Qld due to the diverse range of fishing options and temperate weather. I have written articles for most of the major fishing magazines unfortunately many are no longer in print and have been active on the internet for over three decades.

 

As all fly fishers know – fly casting and fly fishing can quickly become an obsession and it didn’t take long before I wanted to catch all sorts of different species on a fly. I was fortunate to meet and even fish with some of our sport's most respected fly anglers early on which fuelled my passion for flyfishing, and while I still enjoy using conventional tackle today – I will choose to flyfish whenever I feel it is going to be more rewarding or fun.

 

I have always loved travelling to experience new cultures and fishing for different species. This passion has led me to some fantastic locations that I would not have ever imagined visiting if not for the pursuit of a specific species. The bonus is the best fishing is often found in remote places where the habitat and local people have had minimal impact on the environment.

 

The toughest fight and fish I have landed to date was an 86.5kgs Striped Marlin on IGFA legal 10kg tippet after a 3 ¾ hour battle, which is still the current ANSA national record and was the 1st marlin caught on fly fishing tackle on the South Coast of NSW.

 

Some “trips of a lifetime” and memorable captures I have been fortunate to have experienced include – PNG for black and spot tail bass, where I landed possibly the largest spot tail bass on a fly at 36lbs, Belize where I ticked off a Grand Slam with a permit, bonefish and tarpon in a day, Florida for giant tarpon, Costa Rica again for giant tarpon, Anaa atoll in the Tahiti / French Polynesia for trophy bonefish, Argentina for Golden Dorado, Columbia for Payara and peacock bass, Pirarucu in The Amazon for giant Arapaima – where I landed one over two metres in length, Kenn Reef in the Coral Sea with Nomad Sportfishing where I landed Dogtooth tuna to 35kgs on IGFA legal tippet and Wahoo to 30kgs on fly, a 126cm barramundi on the fly in The Boyne river after Lake Awoonga spilled, a metre Murry cod from the Gwydir River at Copeton, sailfish in Broome, Rowley Shoals and Groote Eylandt, Mothership trips along the Western side of cape York and the Wessell Islands, my recent trip to Cocos Keeling Islands was also fantastic and the list goes on….

 

I still have some species and locations to tick off – including Africa for Tiger fish and redfish In Louisiana and Texas, roosterfish in Mexico, permit and milkfish in Oman, and salmon in Alaska –  So many fish – so little time …

Written by Scott Mitchell