The Wangaratta Fly Fishing Club is one of the oldest fly fishing clubs in the State of Victoria, having been formed following a series of meetings convened during 1947 by keen fly fishermen Vic Culph and Bill Law, with Bill Law being the foundation president.

Among those attending these club information meetings were Bill Just, Jack Law, Jack Ritchens, Digger Lazarrotto, Ron McKenzie, Norm Gibb, Jack Swain, Vern Deprada, Vic Culph and Bill Law.

The aim of the club when formed and up until today is to provide local fly fishers of the area with an effective voice in the development and management of the trout fishery in the North Eastern streams. Adherence to this aim has seen a number of club members over the years become involved in many angler representative bodies such as the North Eastern Regional Association, the Victorian Piscatorial Council, the Australian Freshwater Fisherman's Assembly and the Council of Victorian Fly Fishing Clubs. Over the forty-nine years of the Club's existence some of the major matters of concern to the local fly fishers have been:

• the dangers and effects of using pesticides in the vicinity of streams and lakes
• the effects arising from the clearing and cultivating stream frontages,
• the development of river management practices which are compatible with retaining fish habitat
• establishing trout stocking policies which provide the maximum benefits to our trout fisheries
• the need for greater activity in the field of stream research,
• the need to incorporate in major dam outlets the ability to maintain water temperatures below the dams which are suitable for the well being of indigenous fish species
• the need for reciprocity of angling licences between Victoria and New South Wales
  
  Back