Mr Fish died on Wednesday night at the Royal Hobart Hospital after he was bitten the day before by a tiger snake as he worked on his sheep farm.

His death was the first snake-bite fatality in 40 years.

His brother Brian said the alarm was raised when Mr Fish failed to return home at the normal time.

A family friend found him in the field with a snake wrapped around his arm, having already been bitten twice in the leg.

A local general practitioner attended the scene and administered anti-venom before he was airlifted to Hobart where he later died.

Brian said his brother was well-liked and well-respected by the community though a quiet and humble man.

"He always saw the bright side of life," Brian said.

He said Bill had grown up in Oatlands with six brothers and one sister - five of whom still lived in the area.

Brian said Bill had a love of vintage cars and machinery and was regularly called upon by locals to sort out any mechanical issues.

He said the drought situation in the area had made snakes more visible lately and more likely to come into contact with people as they searched for water.

There have been eight deaths by snake bite in Tasmania in the past 120 years.

The last snake bite death, also from a tiger snake, was recorded in Brighton in 1977.

Brian said this involved his good friend Gordon Kennedy who was exhibiting snakes at the Brighton Show that year. He said Mr Kennedy had been showing the crowd a tiger snake when the snake reared and attacked, causing him to die from an asthma attack.

Tasmania is home to three types of venomous snakes: the white-lipped, the tiger and the copperhead.

A report on Mr Fish's death will be prepared by the Heath Department for the coroner.