New history by local casting champion a real catch

It is doubtful that there is anyone more knowledgeable on the history of competitive fly casting in Australia than Orange’s Kevin Laughton.

Fly-fishing alongside his father from the age of five, Kevin, 86, has competed locally, nationally and internationally over more than seven decades.

He was just twelve when he won his first competition, the J.N. Brazier Fly Casting Cup out at Lake Canobolas. The following year Kevin won his first of many Australian Championships.

“From then on, I just kept on going and going,” says Kevin, brushing over his long list of achievements.

“It's all around glory, no money, unfortunately. I should have taken up tennis or cricket or something,” he laughs.

The sport of fly casting involves both accuracy and distance events. In the accuracy events, competitors must land their fly inside five 30-inch aluminium hoops.

“In 1958, I cast 176 feet, that was the best,” recalls Kevin. “A lot of people have trouble casting a lure that far!” 

With more than 70 years of personal experience on the competition circuit, Kevin and long-time friend and fellow competitor Geoffrey Newman have compiled a new history of the sport, A Century of Tournament Fly Casting in Australia 1907–2007, beginning with the Rod Fishing Society’s first casting competition held in 1907 in Sydney’s Centennial Park.

“There are photos in there taken of the old boys in their tweed jackets and what-have-you, casting in Centennial Park,” says Kevin.

“And it tells of the old casters, some of the fellas that I cast against, actually: Bill Southam in Sydney, a very, very well-known split-cane rod maker. Malcolm Gillies from Victoria; he was another cane rod maker. 

“I cast against all these old fellas. When I was 14, 15 or 16 these blokes had all just come back from the war and were over 40 or 45 years of age. Of course, I'm now the oldest one who's still alive who knew anything about all these old blokes… There’s quite a few photos of me in there just because of the fact I’ve been casting that long!

The book was originally a labour of love for Geoffrey Newman, who asked Kevin to help him finish it due to his failing health.

“Geoff, he's a mate of mine, I met him through casting. He was a secretary of the Red Tag Club in Melbourne and he prepared most of the book. He, unfortunately, two years ago had a heart attack and he rang me and said, ‘I don't know that I'm going to be able to complete this book’,” explained Kevin.

“So I drove to Melbourne and picked up all the information that he had, and it's taken me nearly two years to complete the book, but Geoff did all the initial work on it.”

Geoffrey Newman and Kevin Laughton’s book, A Century of Tournament Fly Casting in Australia 1907–2007, can be purchased locally at Collins Booksellers Orange, and Bullets and Bits.