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Noel Jetson A life well lived Mike Stevens
At the fly tying bench where Noel spent so much time. Noel ‘Jetfly’ Jetson passed away March 2016. here will be plenty of words written about Noel and all he did. You didn’t fly fish in Tasmania without having a Noel and Lois Jetson story. This is my experience with Noel. In 1970 I was 13 years old and although I don’t remember the fine details I did one of, if not his first, fly tying course at the Adult Education centre in York Street, Launceston. His mentor Dick Wigram had passed away 30 April 1970 and not only did Noel buy his fly tying gear but he also took over his course teaching at Adult Education. Jan Spencer later took over from Noel. Noel had big fat fingers and somehow tied the most beautiful flies. How he managed that no one seems sure. At that course he taught me, and others, to tie nymphs, Black Spinners, Red Spinners and Red Tags. Oh how he loved those Red Tags, and if a fish refused a size 12 he would just change to a 14 or 16. Noel knew there was no reason a fish should refuse one of his Red Tags.
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Hanging on the wall behind my desk is a framed Red Spinner. It was tied by me after Noel’s course and I caught my first trout, on a fly, on this fly. It says ‘3/12/1971 Mt Joy’. Mt Joy is on the Macquarie River and in those days had excellent red spinner mayfly hatches. Noel visited there often from his home base at his shop and Post Office at Cressy. So Noel was instrumental in me catching my first trout on a fly and whenever I tie flies his techniques continue through my fingers. If you did one of his courses you would have been taught to ‘whip finish’ using your fingers. To Noel it meant one less tool to pick up – economy of process was important if you were tying commercially as he was. I have several fancy whip finishing tools, but use none. Noel was Tasmania’s first professional trout guide and along with his great love, Lois, formed the Professional Trout Guides Association. They ran a little shop called
‘Jetfly’ at Cressy and I remember visiting it often. It was a funny little shop and you could not really even get into it. Maybe there was a space inside the door which was less than two metres square. From memory it had a display of flies on the left and an overflowing counter on the right. Lois was there more often than Noel as he would be guiding. They also ran the small adjoining Post Office. Ken Orr tells me they also had firearms, ammunition and a huge range of lures, spinners and celtas on the wall. I don’t remember them. It seems my eyes were firmly on the fly fishing gear. Lois had firm views on most things and if she thought you were a time waster or incompetent fly fisher she would advise you as such. To me she was wonderful, caring and interested – perhaps it was my youth or keenness to learn. She was very protective of Noel and likewise Noel was of her.
Left: Noel and Lois at the Jetfly shop, Cressy. Right: Noel and Clyde Spencer modified two BSA Bantams so they could explore Tasmania’s Western Lakes.
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