“I have known Christopher Stopp since he was selected as the Team Guide for the French Fly Fishing Team competing in the VIIIth World Fly Fishing Championships held in Tasmania in 1988. Christopher played an important role in French Team’s second placing. He has provided me with thirty years of great humour and laughter. His support of London Lakes both as a guide and marketing consultant are much appreciated. He is a passionate fellow, full of zest for the sport he loves so much. His passion is to ensure high safety standards and an engaging day for his clients. He is the Australian leader in this field. If “Stopper” rates the security of his clients as important, then he must be a good bloke. You’ll greatly enjoy a day or two fishing with him as I have.”
“Thank you so much for taking Sam under your wing in those dreadful conditions. Whatever you did, it was successful as he caught a nice brown and a rainbow up near Echo on Wednesday when conditions were good. Many thanks again, Chris, for looking after Sam, and it was really nice to meet you at last.
”
“I have fished with Chris for 35 years in most parts of Tasmania, and in NZ as a companion and when working together as trout fish guides at “London Lakes” for over 15 years. He is tireless and irrepressible, with an intimate knowledge of fly life and fly fishing techniques. Chris has my unqualified recommendation for beginners through to highly accomplished fly fishers.”
“I am not your normal client because I have been fishing for years and I reckon I know it all. Stopper talks about his beloved Tasmanian High Country with a passion and truth … like he has a Banjo Patterson love affair with fly fishing. I loved my days full of laughter and stories and being shown a few tricks on the “what and how” and the fun of being guided by a true gentleman whose main goal was to see his client being well-catered for … first time last January and again in December this year (2018). The experience is something that you just can’t buy! Thanks again, Stopper. Book me in for March!”
“I started fly fishing in 1959. On Tuesday the 18th December Ian Taylor and I fished with trout guide, Christopher Stopp, guiding in his boat. Christopher gave us all boat safety, “man overboard” advice and where everything was in the boat on shore first. The boat was extremely well set up for two to fish. The day was mainly cloudy with light East wind. (“When the wind is in the East – the fish bite least”.) Our Guide worked very hard to help us enjoy the day when fish were not entirely cooperating, but we both got fish - one strong brown close to 5lbs. It was a great day’s fishing - thanks to our Guide.”
“What an amazing experience in December 2018 - superb fishing in a magnificent location, with great leadership from Stopper as our host and guide who made it all possible. I’m looking forward to coming back for the next adventure!!”
“Brent (“Sticky”) Finn and I would like to thank you so much for your fabulous guiding through Tassie’s wilderness Western Lakes. Your enthusiasm, knowledge for the sport and patience throughout the trip has left us both with the desire to further improve our skills, and has been a true inspiration to us as novice fly anglers. The trip far surpassed our expectations and you can be guaranteed we will be back sooner than later. On a side note, we also appreciated your diligence with regards to safety – keep up the great work and look forward to spending another adventure together soon!”
“My fiance and I booked a week trip with Tas High Country Fly Fish Tours guided by the outgoing, ever enthusiastic and highly experienced, Chris ‘Stopper’ Stopp.
Stopper was a great communicator being in touch regularly leading up to the trip. We decided to stay in the highlands in the wonderful “Woodlands Lodge”, a quirky, but very cosy respite from the coldest that the Central Highlands can offer.
Chris is very organised with a vast knowledge of the area and knows how and where to fish depending on the conditions. We had some days where the weather was terrible, but Chris still put us onto good fish.
His boat is spacious and well equipped for sight fishing which was a real blast. He also has a big emphasis on safety, which we found very reassuring. We also spent some time walking and “polaroiding” (new word for visual fishing for us) around the edges of the iconic Western Lakes - which was an experience of a lifetime!
Depending on what you want to do, Chris can tailor to your requests. Our trip also had a few bonuses, one of which was a lesson on fly tying which was a real treat, and also meeting some baby wombats through one of Chris’s connections.
I highly recommend Tas High Country Fly Fish Tours and we know we will be back down the track.”
Gregoire Juglaret, Jason Garrett AM and Howard Crosten (Dec 2019 - After World Championships 2019)
“It’s like fishing in a zoo. There is so much wildlife at each venue … It’s extraordinary. … I rate Tasmania in the top three locations that I have fished in the world”
“One of the most memorable days of fly fishing that I have enjoyed in my life.”
Gregoire Juglaret, was one of the members of the French Fly Fishing Team who become Team Winners in December 2019
Howard Crosten, Captain of the English Fly Fish Team, became Individual World Champion in the 39th World Fly Fishing Championships from 150 competitors from 23 countries
“Chris – You are an excellent guide with distinct passion and knowledge of fly fishing. After our time with you, we were confident to fish on our own having learnt not only the basics, but also to “hunt” trout. We will definitely be led by you next time to learn even more.”
Alec Margolin, Bernhard Chu, Paris Hellgott, (Jan 2021)
Hugh Cohen (left) and Hugh Brodie (right): (Nineteen Lagoons, Feb 21)
“Many thanks Stopper for your outstanding guidance during the all too brief time we spent with you in the High Country.
It was a great thrill “polaroiding” the edges of the tarns and breaking my “fly-fishing virginity” with a nice brown trout.
Thanks for your calm and measured (sic) delivery of advice dispensed when my adrenalin was “overflowing”
“I am hooked, Stopper.
What great fun – I enjoyed it enormously. …
Your control in herding the other “feral cats” in our group is to be admired. … The boys at Home will never believe it!
I’m looking forward to an extended trip next year. (I think that I’ll enjoy another Gin and Tonic on the strength of that idea.) ”
“Stopper – you deliver a Champagne experience on a beer budget!
Wade polaroiding the Nineteen Lagoons is challenging, but if you are good-enough this can be the best that fly fishing for trout can offer. …
You have got to be alert, attentive, calculating, camouflaged, determined, flexible, patient, smart, stealthy, a highly-skilled caster, resilient, responsive, and … and even then that might not be good enough!
This is my 5th trip with you Stopper – What other tricks have you got up your sleeve, you bastard? ”
“Thanks Stopper – I had a great time stalking fish on the edges of the lakes and tarns. I was a bit anxious that I missed and lost more than my fair share before I finally landed a fish! …
About O’Dells Lake – Yes I did fall over trying to “strike” my first offer on your DHE and lost the fish … but I did land the 2nd fish all by myself. …
I fell over and got completely submerged striking on the 3rd fish before he “broke-me-off” around a huge bank of isoetes weed – which was just bad luck – and I sadly I missed the 4th rise to my fly because I was talking to Archie …
On balance - I was happy to carry the empty Lunch Pack back to the car. Yep – I deserved (needed) to do that! ”
“Hi Chris
Thank you for a lot of fun. We both really enjoyed the couple of days we spent with you. The level of service and professionalism you extended was faultless … We WILL be back.
Tight Lines from us both …”
“Paddianne was absolutely wrapped to catch the fish we polaroided at Tungatinah.
That was a first for her, and she is hooked.
She wanted to know why we haven’t done that type of fishing before, and she was not happy when I answered that the opportunities on the mainland are not so numerous!”
Peter “Glasses” Malloy with a nice Rainbow Trout.
…. A Highland Dun is excellent trout tucker on Penstock Lagoon.
“I was lucky enough to travel to the Tassie Great Lakes with some friends to learn the gentle art of fly fishing. It’s not easy, but Stopper was pretty patient, and I was a challenge (being a left hander). … Initial practice was frustrating with the wind, but once on the water our enthusiasm grew. The duns were popping and the trout were up and about rising everywhere… I just couldn’t see the bastards, but everyone else could. … I eventually hooked a fish, but wound the line “out” instead of “in” (to the amusement of all, except my guide … who wasn’t that impressed.) Thinking it was lost, I started to reel the line back in and guess what … the trout was still there … and we landed him! I thought it was at least 6 pounds, but others disagreed. (Stopper ‘s quote, “That would have to be the unluckiest fish ever landed in this boat”.)
Our team landed some nice fish and Stopper was always there to re-tie and untangle lines. … We tried “polaroiding” the fish one day. …. We saw plenty, but they weren’t up for close-up photos. … The stories and fun we had over those days was fantastic, with some great meals (cooked by me!) and very comfortable accommodation in one of the most remote and isolated parts of Tasmania. I’m now hooked and I have the bug to what I call “Yoga on Water” and I continue to practice my new skills and hammer the Fly fishing videos on You Tube®. I’m looking forward to returning in 2021 to show the great man how much I’ve improved in appreciation of his Zen introduction to this fantastic past time. ”
“What an introduction to fly fishing! … I was fortunate enough to spend some time with two close mates (Archie and “Glasses” Malloy) and with our Guide Chris Stopp (“Stopper”) to learn some of the basics of fly fishing in the Central Highland Lakes of Tasmania.
Stopper’s knowledge and enthusiasm was only matched by his patience which was second to none. …
Unbelievably – l caught three (3) very respectable fish in the space of a couple of hours on my 2nd day of fly fishing at Penstock Lagoon – thanks to some guidance from our mentor. … It was first rate experience – being educated in the art of fly fishing in an almost pristine environment. Thanks fellas for a most memorable three days of fishing, food and frivolity. Cheers! ”
So how did I earn the name, “Radio”?? …
Well on the 3rd day (which was a freebie), Glasses and I wanted to wade by ourselves and fish from the shore for a while … so Stopper let us out of the boat on a protected shore … and as he did so, he gave me his GME GX 800 (hand-held) VHF radio so we could “stay in touch with the boat” for lunch time, or if we got into trouble.
Everything was good for about 40 minutes, except I didn’t know that the Radio had slipped out of my waders and had floated over to where “Glasses” was bashing the water to foam … (casting) … Secretly, he recovered the Radio out of the water and put it in his own pocket, without telling me. …
All of a sudden I thought that I had better contact the boat – “It was Lunch time and we were going to have a barbeque”. … No radio!!! …
I spent the next 20 minutes anxiously searching the area where I had been wading, scouring the bottom, looking for the bloody radio. (Glasses was killing himself with laughter! He even radioed the boat … telling Stopper what had happened, without telling me he had found it floating by.
Now they also call me “Radio”!! )
“Stopper is such an awesome Guide that I bought the company (Haa! Haa!) … I just can’t say anything more about you!”