Jules Stevens

Andrew visited the Essential Flyfisher in Launceston to chat with Jules Stevens about her journey from non-fisher to representing Australia.  

Thank you for making time Jules, would you mind introducing yourself and giving us some background into your fly fishing journey.

It’s quite a long journey! My name’s is Julianne Stevens, I get called Jules.  It started for me when we (along with husband, Mike) bought the shop (Essential Flyfisher Launceston) about  8 years ago. When we started I didn't really fly fish, apart from some salt water stuff early on. Once we purchased the shop, I would take the women’s range out to sell.  Peter Hayes had a fly fishing school, Girls gone fly fishing, so I would also take the range out there to try and sell some gear.  After the second year Peter and the group said I should give it a go, and to be honest I wasn’t that interested.  They offered again a year later, and I couldn’t find a way to get out of it! So I went out there, participated in the course over the weekend, and was amazed to have thoroughly enjoyed it.  There was no actual fishing, but we were taught how to cast, how to tie knots, and all that sort of thing. Karen Brook (Driftwater) was there too and she insisted that we should go for a fish next time she had a vacancy. I agreed, thinking there was no chance at all - she is always fully booked.  As it happens, the next day she rang and said she had a cancellation.  I couldn’t get out of it, I had to go! 

The boys in the shop got me geared up (because I didn’t really have a clue), and we went down to the Mersey River. I managed to ‘quickly release’ 3 fish on my first day, but it was enough to make me want to have another go.  

Just enough to think ‘maybe i could do some more of this’?

So there were a couple more courses I did, and my now fishing buddy, Julie Butler, completed one of the courses too.  We became really good mates.  We started going to courses together, and then really quickly we decided we wanted to learn more about competition fly fishing.  

Karen Brooks had wanted to get more people into competition fishing, so I arranged through the shop here to talk about it.  After talking to her, Julie and I decided to try it out, thinking that competitions would be the fastest way to learn about the sport more generally. So we started our competitive fly fishing journey together! 

Ok, so the competition side of things came in really quite early for you?  That’s a bit different to how I’ve heard other people getting into the competition scene, where it is more looking for the next challenge. You used it as a way to learn?

Yeah it is different!  Most people do it after they've been fly fishing for quite a while, whereas we got into it just to learn how to fish.  We identified it as a fast way to learn, and thought we could meet more people that would help us out.  Everyone we’ve come across in the competition field here has been absolutely wonderful, and have passed on their knowledge willingly.  They’ve taken us out many times to learn from them, and we learnt so much so quickly.  

That’s really interesting, that competition was the avenue for you to learn more broadly.

Yes, and it also gave us a reason - we had to get out there and fish, because there’s always a competition to prepare for! 
So now I’m in the Australian team, the Commonwealth Team, and I’ve recently picked up a silver individual medal in the ladies competition. 

Congratulations! So this has happened really quite quickly for you -  from not being interested at all, to representing Australia.  Do you still choose to fish recreationally as well as the competitions and their preparation? 

Oh yes, absolutely.  From an experience point of view, they are a bit different.  For competition, I’ve really enjoyed the learning, the people, and the places that it has taken me, many of which I wouldn’t have otherwise fished. 

My choice for recreational fishing is small, twig water fishing, and working my way up a little stream surrounded by wildlife. Serenity is important for my recreational experience.  I like exploring obscure places and finding new streams. 

I came home once and told Mike (husband, shop co-owner)  where I’d been, and he just said ‘you couldn’t have been there!’ I insisted that I had been, and an argument obviously followed.  The next day I dragged him out there, and he was amazed at what we found.  He’d never fished there, and that was amazing for me, because he’s fished all over the state.  We saw a little Pink Breasted Robin out there too, which capped off the day for me.  

So does the competition stuff broaden what you think about doing?  Where to go, what to do etc? 

Yes it sort of does, because you have to prepare for the competition that’s coming up, you sometimes have to try things outside your comfort zone. Recently we had a championship in Victoria, and their mid-sized rivers are different to what we have here.  You have to learn quickly - either you learn, or you don’t succeed.  

In the nationals I had this lovely guy in the boat with me, and I wasn’t doing any good.  He threw a fly over to me and said ‘try that’.  I matched it to something similar in my fly box, and straight away started catching fish.  That’s the way most of the comp people are - everyone is there to help.

So the Australian Team, Ladies World Team, and the Commonwealth Team, I believe?  

That’s right, I’ve had a few different roles. 

I have been selected in the Australian World Ladies Team for the Czech Republic in May 2024. My highest personal  achievement is a Silver Medal in the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championship in Islay, Scotland 2023. The Australian Ladies Team won the Gold medal and I was honoured to be part of the team.

Then we went to Canada in September, I was manager for that team, and the girls got fourth there.  

I’ve been lucky to see some amazing places. 

Do you think you experience these places differently to how you would as a tourist? 

Absolutely.  We make connections and friendships with people across the world. A lot of the people I’ve met have been at subsequent competitions, and it’s a lovely way to see people. You end up being invited to fish crazy places all over the world. The friendships are amazing. It’s a great friendship base.

How does it change your appreciation and perspective of Tassie, having seen so many amazing places? 

After Canada in particular, I was just so thankful for Tassie.  After the competition we went and fished the Salmon run.  I had a mental picture of Salmon running up these glorious streams, dodging bears.  But the reality is that there are dead fish everywhere, and the stench is revolting.  The fishing is good, but it isn’t what I imagined.  

You come back here and everything is clean, beautiful (there are no bears hunting you which also helps).  I always knew that we had that, but being reminded is valuable. 

It’s something I’ve had even just moving to the mainland.  The amount of water here, the number of places available, it is pretty special.  It’s so pristine.  

Yeah exactly, and in 10 minutes from home we can be fishing here in a beautiful places! 

When you talk to people that aren’t familiar with fly fishing, how do you explain it? 

I have girlfriends that are interested in getting involved because they have seen my photos, and they love the outdoors. They understand and relate that it could be an amazing thing to experience.  

The skill as well - it isn’t an easy thing to learn, and is something to work hard at. Not everyone catches a fish in the first week.  One of our recent customers took 2 years before catching a fish, which demonstrates how helpful it is to have someone to teach you (whether it's a guide or a friend). 

But the challenge of it is rewarding. You won’t get a fish every cast, and you have to work at it!It’s most rewarding when you see a fish, maybe get a couple of rejections, and then eventually fool it, that is so fulfilling. 

Absolutely, and probably something I’ve only come to appreciate more recently.  Let’s talk highlights- places, stories, characters. What stands out?

Scotland, for me, most recently. Islay was amazing. Walking over to the Lochs, covering miles and miles for little bits of water. That was targeting trout, but one of the Lochs had sea run trout, right up there in the highlands!  They somehow find their way right up from the sea through the little creeks and streams. It was also just beautiful country. An amazing place. We also visited a couple of whisky distilleries and learnt about their processes, which was really interesting. 

After the initial novelty had worn off for you, what kept you coming back? 

A big part for me, again, is the challenge. Especially in competition. You’re faced with challenges all the time, and opportunities to learn. You always see ways you could have fished a situation better, and carry that with you for next time.  

As well as that, the friendships. It’s amazing to have a reason to see like-minded people from around the world.  It’s a really nice friendship group. There are  some people that stand out as being real characters, but they might not like me to repeat too much of it! 

My friendship with Julie Butler is also a stand out for me. She lives up at Penguin, and we both have fishing vans, so we can go away and stay on the water really easily, make sure we cash in on the evening rise.  

In your relatively short period in the sport, has the accessibility for women changed? What would be your message to women or girls wanting to get involved?

Certainly there are a lot more women now. We see a lot of girls and women coming in to the shop for supplies and advice. They’re not afraid of walking into a fly fishing shop any more. And of course, they are treated with respect coming into our shop, and certainly don’t feel intimidated at all. I’ve got some good friendships with women who I’ve met through the shop too. 

The best advice I can give is find your fishing buddy. Women are often really supportive of each other, so just get out there and get into it! 

Is that respect and welcoming attitude you display in the shop consistent across Australia and the world, in what you’ve seen? 

Yes mostly!  Most people have been really welcoming. Also, a lot of the time on the water, you don’t know if someone is a man or woman until you start talking to them anyway!  We’re generally pretty covered from head to toe, and wear the same kinds of things. That’s also a good thing in a way - makes it a very level playing field. I’ve personally never felt uncomfortable or threatened on the water. 

Finally Jules, are there any other stories that stand out to you? 

I could tell you so many funny things, most of them aren’t fit for print. But when Julie and I started, we just kept running into these naked people, all the time! It was hilarious, it felt like everywhere we went. One day on the Mersey, I was fishing with a young vet called Kelly and Julie.  We saw two spinning rods on the bank, but no people with them. We figured they couldn’t be far away, given you can’t leave your rod unattended.  So we kept wandering up, and then came across these two in the bush, just absolutely going for it. So we kept walking and laughing, and Julie, who had been trailing behind, was catching up. Just as she got to them, one of the couple stood up and turned around, meaning Julie got the worst of it! 

Perhaps the fishing wasn’t very engaging? 

Maybe not!  It seems to happen to us a lot! Does that happen to the mainlanders, or is it just a Tasmanian thing?

Can’t say it’s been a big issue for me, so perhaps you’re just unlucky! What a funny note to end on, thank you Jules, I really appreciate your time.  

Thank you!