The Flyfisher’s Club of Tasmania own two warm, comfortable shacks centrally located on the Central Highlands Plateau within easy reach of many lakes containing wild browns, rainbow and brook trout.
“Koongara”
Penstock Lagoon is one of the more favoured and busy trout fly fishing waters in Tasmania. Penstock has a long and illustrious fishing history. The fishery has changed significantly since the diversion of water north via Poatina and the decommissioning of the Waddamana power station in the late 1960’s. Today, it is a carefully managed still water trout fishery and is annually stocked by the IFS. Although different to the past, the quality of the trout fishery is maintained to this present day.
“Koongara” is the FFCT club shack and is on located the shores of Penstock Lagoon. The original Koongara (Indigenous for “Sleeping Place in the Bush”) was built in the 1930’s by Doug Hollis. It was demolished in the early 1980’s with much disappointment of some of the clubs founding members. It was rebuilt in 1982. The Club has maintained the historic attributes of the original shack the best it could. These attributes can be appreciated today.
Koongara is a well patronized, well appointed, and much loved club facility. It has been recently has upgraded (2012) by the dedicated help from members who willingly donated their time, labour and materials to make Koongara more comfortable place to stay. Club members do frequent quite regularly and often overnight, or spend a numerous weekends there, at “the shack”, over a fishing season. We do sometimes wonder whether particular club members have taken up a permanent residence. Penstock Lagoon has its devotees and fly fishers become preoccupied with the trout that feed well on aquatics and terrestrials. These fly fishers live and breathe the ways of the Penstock Trout. Sometimes forget they do have homes, wives and jobs to go to. It is a grand place to meet up with club members and guests, and chat about the day’s fishing in front of the fire; share a beer in good company and conversation.
Penstock hosts the annual December Club Event the “FFCT One Fly Fishing Competition”. A worthy social event attended by many where every one’s a winner. No hard and fast rules apply, other than you use the one fly, and the aim is to enjoy.
Hollis Banks: Looking north along eastern shoreline. Koongara is apart of a secure shack community on private property. There is public access around the lake shore.
Noonamena
The club has replaced the original Noonamena with a brand new building.
The Club makes good use of the new Noonamena and all its modern amenities. The dedicated club members stay regularly and fish to tailing trout in the morning and evening that feed on scud, snails and stick caddis. Mayfly dun hatches and spinners falls can be expected regularly from late November and into early March. Caddis hatches and beetle falls also feature in the fishing at Little Pine Lagoon.
Little Pine Lagoon is well situated for a day walk to Lake Fergus. There is a well marked walking track from Little Pine River in flow following the Little Pine River valley.