Angling for success: Launceston fly fisher set for international competition

She is a member of Fly Fish Australia Incorporated (FFA), which was formed in 1989 and became the recognised body by the International Federation of Sport Fishing for selecting teams to represent Australia.

Mrs Stevens said the Australian Government was yet to formally recognise fly fishing as a sport, meaning her team needs help to get national funding.

"If breakdancing can be an Olympic sport, why can't fly fishing also be included?" Mrs Stevens said.

Mrs Stevens' first competition was the first Australian World Ladies' Championships in Norway in 2022, and the Australian team came fifth in that competition.

Mrs Stevens won a silver medal in the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championship in Islay, Scotland 2023.

Overall, the Australian Ladies Fly Fishing Team won gold in that competition.

Competitors are given a draw and then assigned a beat, or area, to fish.

It is usually between 150 and 300 metres, depending on what sections are fishable in their beat, and they have three hours to fish that beat.

The competitors have to take each fish to the controller to measure its size.

They must keep the fish in the water and release it alive; otherwise, it doesn't count.

The fishers get points for each fish they catch, depending on their length.

Each competition will set a minimum length; anything under that doesn't count.

Nine countries will compete over five days in the May competition and during that time, there will be three river fishing sessions and two boat fishing sessions.

Mrs Stevens said the hosts were sure to put up a good fight.

"The Czech ladies' team is amazing. They are absolute fishing machines and are world champions," she said.

Mrs Stevens co-owns the Essential Fly Fisher on York Street with her husband, Mike Stevens.

According to Mr and Mrs Stevens, Tasmania is the perfect training ground for competitive fishing, with plenty of spots near Launceston.

"Whether you're a lake fisherman or a river fisherman, the choice of places to fish is enormous," Mr Stevens said.

"The Inland Fishery Service has excellent free fishing access maps online for rivers and lakes all around Tasmania."

One of Mrs Stevens' best catches was in the Western Lakes in central Tasmania.

"I caught a five-or-six pound brown trout, which wasn't the biggest fish that you can get in those parts, but it was just so stunningly colourful," Mrs Stevens said.

Surprisingly, Mrs Stevens releases everything she catches and says she doesn't kill or eat fish.

She also primarily uses barb-less hooks to minimise injuries to the fish and herself.

Mrs Stevens says she likes that she doesn't have to use strong-smelling bait and fly hooks instead.

Fishing in scenic spots around Tasmania and encountering all the different wildlife is a big draw card for her.

"I've had platypus swim through my legs, and we see snakes swimming across the water, and that's beautiful to watch," Mrs Stevens said.

The Meander River is also a favourite fishing spot for Mrs Stevens.

"There are plenty of fish in the Meander, and their sizes have been larger than we've seen in the past," she said.

Anyone over 14 must have a current angling licence to fish with a rod, reel or line at any inland water in Tasmania.

A standard Licence costs $62.30 and can be purchased at a Service Tasmania Centre.

An entry-level fly fishing rod and reel combination can start at around $300.

The Tasmanian trout fishing season runs from the first weekend in August until the last weekend in April.

Fishing enthusiasts can book fly fishing tours through the Essential Fly Fisher store at 105 York Street Launceston.