Rod Harrison - VIP Special Guest - Professional Fishing Instructor & Guide
It’s no exaggeration that Rod Harrison is regarded as the most enduring and respected identity in Australian fishing. The standout thing in a rod and reel career spanning four oceans, five continents and the rivers and lakes of Australia isn’t so much Rod’s body of work, impressive as it is, but an accumulation of third person credibility having fished with, and otherwise helped, so many. From the latter decades of the 20th century, and bent pins and linen thread purloined from his mother’s sewing basket to the first Australian to catch billfish on fly, Rod carbon-dates contemporaries while remaining near the top of his game.
In worldly writings Bernard ‘Lefty’ Kreh calls Rod “an Australian national treasure” and “one of my two favourite writers.” High praise indeed from flyfishing’s greatest, the man American presidents invite onto their boats,
A young Harrison fished and hunted to help out with a large and none well to do family scratching a living in the Australian outback. He continued those pursuits in a working life, firstly as a shearer travelling Australia’s vast sheep stations, then as a cop in tough city neighbourhoods, dusty inland towns and dream posting of Shellharbour then a sleepy fishing village on the outskirts of Wollongong.
Unsuited to the office following a high-speed crash, months strung up in an orthopaedic ward and discharged with shortened legs and more zippers than a travel bag, in their wisdom the police department removed Rod from operational duties. He left and moved to Bribie Island, Queensland to try his hand at full time fishing. Fortunes took a turn for the better after writing Lefty a letter; in essence, inviting him down to Australia. They fished through the tropical north of the island content and in ongo-bongo New Guinea rivers for fish Lefty calls the toughest he’s encountered.
Frank Prokop refers to him “the Banjo Patterson of Fishing writing and although not the only angler to be promoting Murray cod in years past, he was the one to make it legitimate. He added character and personality to a fish that was, up to that time, a somewhat tragic and mouldy head stuck up behind the bar in almost every western pub. Rod is, and always will be – one of the heroes that saved the Murray cod."
When Steve Starling gave Dean Butler the ultimate compliment in Modern Fishing Magazine – “if Harrison has an equal it is Dean Butler” – Rod appreciated Starling taking the time to express his admiration and was pleased to see his mate’s skills recognised acknowledging his one-time offsider as now one of the world’s great blue water flyrodders.
Widely and warmly known by his nickname, Harro is quintessential Australian - approachable and sharing of his time and treasure trove of how-to and shortcuts. His unique ability to engage as army of followers through thoroughly researched and entertaining writings, via electronic media and in the flesh, and unwavering desire to lift others exceed their current abilities sees him as fishing’s foremost teacher and coach.
The tackle industry and fishing tourism have been beneficiaries of writings and film activities. Exotic locations Harro has, in no small part, put on the map include The Northern Territory, Kimberley, Exmouth, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Costa Rica, South America, the Andros Bonefish Club, Florida Keys and Christmas Island where he was the first Australian to visit and catch bonefish.
The Rod Harrison Collection was a range of single and double-handed spin and baitcast rods, offshore and fly rods designed for Daiwa Australia.
A paid consultant for Bob Littler Agencies Rod had a hand in the acquisition and Australian launch of Humminbird and Minn Kota.
Halco hired Harro to become Australia’s foremost lure manufacturer and sent Harro to Europe and the US to represent their brand and Australian fishing.
As foundation editor of Queensland Fishing News, Rod put together the writing team launching that publication.
His is the rare distinction of being the first Australian invited to join American flyfishing companies and for the past decade has been on the advisory staff of Temple Fork Outfitters.
A 1990s collaboration with Don Macpherson led to the development of Bionic braid, an 8carrier, 8pik line hot pink world first initially gaining traction as a fly line backing in the IGFA billfish on fly chart rewritten by Tom Evans and Dean Butler. Acclaimed for durability by barra and cod anglers, it soldiers-on after decades on some spools. -
Rod has authored 8 books, those on Barramundi, Murray cod and tackle developments – forewords by Malcolm Douglas, Dr. Stuart Rowland and Lefty Kreh have established as authorities in their field. His historical fiction novel Saurian is in a second printing and A Million Casts, a bio juxtaposed over a never to be repeated era in fishing is due for release mid2021.
The rest is history, punctuated by Harro ‘firsts’ culminating in a 2021 live hands-on how-to tour where Rod seamlessly blends fishing fundamentals with futuristic 21st century strategies. Besides being regaled by a stunning by audio-visual of fish, people and places, for the first time Rod shares new thinking and the latest shortcuts sorting essential from peripheral - the human bio-mechanics of easier, further, faster and more accurate casting, and the blackbelt rodwork to land bigger fish faster.
Young Guns Fishing Adventures, are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Rod and see Harro’s Live Tour 2021, as the ultimate way to offer our students, in addition to Harro’s existing and new fans, the pinnacle of fishing lessons to YGFA’s programs. The launch of the Harro at Large Facebook page on Saturday, 19 December 2020 at 1pm is the highly anticipated vehicle that is set to reinvigorate the love affair between Harro and his fans, new and old.
In worldly writings Bernard ‘Lefty’ Kreh calls Rod “an Australian national treasure” and “one of my two favourite writers.” High praise indeed from flyfishing’s greatest, the man American presidents invite onto their boats,
A young Harrison fished and hunted to help out with a large and none well to do family scratching a living in the Australian outback. He continued those pursuits in a working life, firstly as a shearer travelling Australia’s vast sheep stations, then as a cop in tough city neighbourhoods, dusty inland towns and dream posting of Shellharbour then a sleepy fishing village on the outskirts of Wollongong.
Unsuited to the office following a high-speed crash, months strung up in an orthopaedic ward and discharged with shortened legs and more zippers than a travel bag, in their wisdom the police department removed Rod from operational duties. He left and moved to Bribie Island, Queensland to try his hand at full time fishing. Fortunes took a turn for the better after writing Lefty a letter; in essence, inviting him down to Australia. They fished through the tropical north of the island content and in ongo-bongo New Guinea rivers for fish Lefty calls the toughest he’s encountered.
Frank Prokop refers to him “the Banjo Patterson of Fishing writing and although not the only angler to be promoting Murray cod in years past, he was the one to make it legitimate. He added character and personality to a fish that was, up to that time, a somewhat tragic and mouldy head stuck up behind the bar in almost every western pub. Rod is, and always will be – one of the heroes that saved the Murray cod."
When Steve Starling gave Dean Butler the ultimate compliment in Modern Fishing Magazine – “if Harrison has an equal it is Dean Butler” – Rod appreciated Starling taking the time to express his admiration and was pleased to see his mate’s skills recognised acknowledging his one-time offsider as now one of the world’s great blue water flyrodders.
Widely and warmly known by his nickname, Harro is quintessential Australian - approachable and sharing of his time and treasure trove of how-to and shortcuts. His unique ability to engage as army of followers through thoroughly researched and entertaining writings, via electronic media and in the flesh, and unwavering desire to lift others exceed their current abilities sees him as fishing’s foremost teacher and coach.
The tackle industry and fishing tourism have been beneficiaries of writings and film activities. Exotic locations Harro has, in no small part, put on the map include The Northern Territory, Kimberley, Exmouth, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Costa Rica, South America, the Andros Bonefish Club, Florida Keys and Christmas Island where he was the first Australian to visit and catch bonefish.
The Rod Harrison Collection was a range of single and double-handed spin and baitcast rods, offshore and fly rods designed for Daiwa Australia.
A paid consultant for Bob Littler Agencies Rod had a hand in the acquisition and Australian launch of Humminbird and Minn Kota.
Halco hired Harro to become Australia’s foremost lure manufacturer and sent Harro to Europe and the US to represent their brand and Australian fishing.
As foundation editor of Queensland Fishing News, Rod put together the writing team launching that publication.
His is the rare distinction of being the first Australian invited to join American flyfishing companies and for the past decade has been on the advisory staff of Temple Fork Outfitters.
A 1990s collaboration with Don Macpherson led to the development of Bionic braid, an 8carrier, 8pik line hot pink world first initially gaining traction as a fly line backing in the IGFA billfish on fly chart rewritten by Tom Evans and Dean Butler. Acclaimed for durability by barra and cod anglers, it soldiers-on after decades on some spools. -
Rod has authored 8 books, those on Barramundi, Murray cod and tackle developments – forewords by Malcolm Douglas, Dr. Stuart Rowland and Lefty Kreh have established as authorities in their field. His historical fiction novel Saurian is in a second printing and A Million Casts, a bio juxtaposed over a never to be repeated era in fishing is due for release mid2021.
The rest is history, punctuated by Harro ‘firsts’ culminating in a 2021 live hands-on how-to tour where Rod seamlessly blends fishing fundamentals with futuristic 21st century strategies. Besides being regaled by a stunning by audio-visual of fish, people and places, for the first time Rod shares new thinking and the latest shortcuts sorting essential from peripheral - the human bio-mechanics of easier, further, faster and more accurate casting, and the blackbelt rodwork to land bigger fish faster.
Young Guns Fishing Adventures, are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Rod and see Harro’s Live Tour 2021, as the ultimate way to offer our students, in addition to Harro’s existing and new fans, the pinnacle of fishing lessons to YGFA’s programs. The launch of the Harro at Large Facebook page on Saturday, 19 December 2020 at 1pm is the highly anticipated vehicle that is set to reinvigorate the love affair between Harro and his fans, new and old.
