Our Tutors

Peter  is one of the most credentialed fly fishing guides and instructors in the world.There is no one in Australia more qualified than Peter to teach you fly fishing and fly casting.

Peter has been the Australian Casting Champion a total of ten times and he has twice represented Australia at World Championships. A twice silver medal winner at these events on one occasion Peter cast a single handed fly rod an incredible 74 meters.

In 1998 Peter also won the Australian Fly Fishing Championships held in the Snowy Mountains. This win earned him a place as the 'number one' qualifier on the Australian team to compete in the World Fly Fishing Championships, to be held in Australia in early December 1999.

In May 2000 Peter was again selected to represent Australia at the World Fly Fishing Championships held in Bristol - England. For Peter a career highlight was winning a bronze medal at this competition, the peak of the sport. Peter was also able to catch the largest fish of the competition, a brown trout of 61.5 cm on a dry fly from the River Test.

It is a rare skill to combine the two disciplines of competitive casting and competitive fishing and to date there are only two people on the planet that have won medals at both World Fly Fishing and World Fly Casting Championships.

In October 2007 Peter became the first Australian to be recognized by the Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) as a Master Casting Instructor. This is the highest level of casting instruction certification possible. Peter conducts his international casting program in New Zealand, Malaysia and the USA as well as at home in Australia.

Peter started guiding in 1994 and quickly developed a growing repeat clientele. Extensive trout fishing experiences in North America, New Zealand and mainland Australia have stood him in good stead in his homeland Tasmania.

Also no stranger to salt water fly fishing Peter has competed successfully in the Broome Fly Rod Sailfish Tournament on two occasions. He has fished throughout Northern Australia and International destinations for all manner of species from Bonefish and Barramundi to Tuna.

Simon began fly fishing in 1996, after many years of competitive archery. In July 2008 Simon became a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Master Casting Instructor.

Simon was the 3rd person in Australia to be certified to the Master level, after Peter Hayes and Matt Howell. Simon predominantly chases trout and regularly goes to New Zealand to fish. He has also spent time fly fishing in the rivers of North America where has a love for Montana. 

While Simon loves fishing and the challenge of making difficult casts to difficult trout its not uncommon to find Simon on a oval somewhere, or standing outside at night under the spell of a light, casting. 

Wherever he is Simon is relentless in his pursuit of the perfect loop. Simon enjoys passing on his knowledge and passion for the sport to anyone that is interested. Simon is a commercial Lawyer when he is not fly fishing.

Matthew Howell hails from the small Victorian country town of Myrtelford. As a boy in the High Country of the Victorian Alps Matt naturally cut his teeth catching gaily spotted small trout in little creeks and rivers. 

From humble beginnings Matt has now fished all over the world including North America, England and New Zealand. He has intimate knowledge of the Snowy Mountains and the Victorian Alps. 

Matt completed his Casting Instructor Certification with the Federation of Fly Fishers back in October 2002 and in more recent times has become Australia’s second Master Casting Instructor. 

Matt, as he would rather be know, has what he calls ‘The Disease’. He is passionate about fly casting. It possesses his every waking moment and he will go any lengths to meet up with another ‘Diseased Person’ for a cast.

Matt has been a lead Tutor with Peter Hayes for several years. He is an integral part of the Tasmanian, NSW and Victorian Fly Fishing Conclave events.

Dave 'Bamboo' Hemmings

 I First met dave more than a decade ago when he came along to one of my regular casting classes. Dave was a previous disciple of Mike Spry and had many years fishing in the Snowy Mountains under his belt. Dave also owned his own raft which was previously one of Mikes Swampy rafts.

David has guided with us for the past 4 seasons and all the clients enjoy his educational talents and his light entertaining demeanor. 

David has a sport-fishing boat at Miena and whilst he loves to guide anglers in the iconic central highlands David's heart really lies in the midland rivers.

Last season David became the proud owner of a Boulder Drift boat that he imported from Colorado. On a day off David loves to float gently down the Macquarie River in Northern Tasmania flicking dry flies to sight fished trout.

David has been a tutor at the 'Hayes on Brumbys' weekend workshops since their inception.