Welcome to another massive edition of the Flycast
It is with a heavy heart that I have prepared this edition of the newsletter following the passing of Don Dixon.
Don was a true gentleman and a good man. Don’s influence runs throughout these pages, reflecting the enormous contribution he made to our club.
As Don remained an active participant throughout September and into October, out of respect, I have left his name listed on our Executive Committee for this edition.
Ben and I will deeply miss Don’s wisdom, experience and, occasionally, a well-timed story.
As many of you will know, Don had a remarkable knack for winning the raffle at our outings. This which inevitably meant he drew the short straw and had to write the outing report! I think he contributed at least one report to almost every newsletter since last year.
There’s something particularly amusing about this when you consider that Don wasn’t one for small talk. He was a man of few words, generally speaking only when he had something worthwhile to say or a story to share.
But when he put pen to paper, he had a wonderful way with words. His stories and reports had a certain gravitas and cadence that made you feel exactly what he was describing – whether it was empathy for a difficult day on the water, frustration at losing a fish, or simply rolling with laughter at some random, silly circumstance.
Those stories gave us more than just a record of our club outings; they gave us a glimpse of the man behind them. We will all miss him greatly. Our deepest sympathies go to Margaret and her family during this difficult time.
This edition also looks back on another busy couple of months for the club, with our September and October morning teas, the Dunmore trip, September Casting Day and October Outing.
We also pay tribute to Ken Little, well known locally as the owner of Ken Little’s Fruit & Veg and a generous supporter of many community organisations, including Hastings Fly Fishers. Ken’s dedication to the community earned him the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). We are proud to recognise his generosity and long-standing support of Hastings Fly Fishers.
Of course, Don’s memory and contribution to Hastings Fly Fishers feature prominently in this edition, with a special 15-page tribute celebrating his life and the enormous impact he had on our club.
We hope you enjoy this edition.
Tight lines,
Ben & Fleur
Volume 18, No. 8, September/October 2026
| President’s Report | 2 |
| Editors’ Message | 3 |
| Executive & Committee | 4 |
| Vale Don Dixon | 5 |
| September Morning Tea | 20 |
| Dunmore Trip Report | 21 |
| September Casting Day | 34 |
| October Morning Tea | 35 |
| October Outing – Ellenborough | 36 |
| Ken Little Tribute | 45 |
| Izzy’s Corner | 46 |
| Upcoming Events | 47 |
| In The Fly Box | 48 |
| Socials & Merch | 49 |
| Club Supporters | 50 |
| Membership Form | 51 |
