Goulburn Valley Gold
Trevor Hawkins drops in to the new fly fishing centre on the Goulburn.
How well I remember Geoff Hall getting into my ear many seasons ago and giving me the big sell on what he, Dave Pickering and Antony Boliancu had planned for a future fly fishing centre at Thornton, 1.5 hours drive from Melbourne and in the heart of Victoria’s trout territory. Their vision was to construct a magnificent mud-brick and pole building that would not only be a base for their float trip and guiding business, but a fly-shop and drop-in centre for fly fishers visiting the area. Standing in their old steel shed and looking over their modest trout ponds at that time, their vision seemed very far fetched indeed.
Skip forward to the present day and the smirk on Geoff’s face told it all as I stood on the deck of the newly finished building, mouth agape, looking into the water at the trout cruising along only a metre away from our vantage point. This building was definitely designed by fly fishers for fly fishers. Just spending some time there amongst all the fly fishing goodies and looking over the private lakes from the deck is ALMOST enough to give you a fly fishing fix.
The Goulburn Valley Fly Fishing Centre offers a total package of options for the fly fisher. The Centre is open 365 days a year. Dave and Antony both have their own apartments within the main building, and if Antony isn’t out guiding, or fishing, he will most certainly be working on the Centre’s exceptional website.
It’s fair to say that these three really do eat, breathe and sleep fly fishing, and on a recent float trip with them down the Goulburn River, their enthusiasm was contagious and added immensely to the enjoyment of the float.
The GVFFC is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm; somebody is always in attendance to help with advice on what the fish are feeding on and where. If the weather’s poor, veg out in front of the open fire and catch up on the latest edition of FlyLife, or sit down at the tying bench and tie up a few flies using the vices and materials supplied. The lads run various schools and workshops as well as tuition and guiding by the hour, half day, or to suit.
Perhaps the best option is to log onto www.goulburnvlyflyfishing.com.au to get a total picture of the products and services on offer. You won’t be disappointed, these blokes are seriously hooked.
SOS INFLATABLE PFD
When you regularly raft popular rivers such as the Goulburn, you begin to appreciate the risks taken by anglers using all manner of unsuitable float tubes, boats, rafts and canoes. With this in mind, the lads at GVFFC have secured an exclusive supply of SOS Marine Inflatable PFD’s.
Camouflage in colour, these are lightweight and worn around the neck like a yolk or collar which is secured to the body with an adjustable waist belt. This style of PFD can be worn all day whilst fly fishing, with minimal inconvenience, allowing unrestricted movement for casting and/or paddling. The SOS PFD is the ideal safety solution for small craft and for those warm days when it is just too hot to wear any conventional form of life-jacket.
Designed for the armed forces, these PFD’s are built and certified to conform with all relevant safety standards. The buoyancy vest housed within the collar can be inflated via a mouthpiece, or a pull cord which activates a C02 cylinder. Just don’t get your fly line wrapped around the inflation cord!
For more information and to order log on to www.goulburnvlyflyfishing.com.au or freecall the Goulburn Valley Fly Fishing Centre on 1800 458 111.