When I started this blog, some five years ago, I had no idea of my objective. I had no defined goals or targets. The basic idea was to share a journey and ultimately, share the passion. Looking back, it has given me an online record of stories, laughs and wonderful memories, but also a timeline of trending skills.

Across all aspects (somewhat unconsciously), I have been striving to improve; better casting, greater success, becoming mildly informative, less bloody swearing, descriptive story-telling to a wider audience and creating better images, photographically, while still keeping an element of entertainment and shenanigans. I still have a long way to go toward my goal-less outcome but one thing is becoming more prominent – and that is my level of satisfaction. I’m content that this journey-of-a -lifetime is now deeply engrained in my soul and will coexist with my ‘normal’ life indefinitely. Part-time guiding with Riverfly Tasmania has been in existence for over a year and I’ve been writing articles for several years. Both have given me a wider appreciation, enabling me to step outside my own perspective. As a huge highlight, I finally encountered that elusive trophy fish deep in the Western Lakes and yearn for its infinite possibilities.

Along with this, I have welcomed great mates and fellow anglers; Andrew Howell, Mitchell Crowden, Paul Anderson and Chris Reygaert along for the ride. Their contributions to this website has enhanced what we offer – a diverse range of yarns and images from Australia and across the globe, plus a deep-seeded passion for what we do.

While I personally have a great desire to delve into the world of indy-film, expose myself to wider print and digital media formats and keep discovering new water, I have an itch that needs to be scratched more than any other – This morning, when I asked my three-year-old son Mason if he ‘had sweet dreams’ his response was this; “I dreamed that I caught my very first brown trout and I was very excited”… I’m looking forward to helping him turn those dreams into reality.

As another calendar year draws closer, I would like to thank you, the reader, for your continued support over the past five years. Your input, feedback and contribution through Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and directly has been rewarding to say the least. May your own journey be gosh-darn awesome.

Another perspective of the most awesome trout I’ve ever encountered, in so many ways. Image credit: Joshua Hutchins.