NEIL GROSE is a Tasmanian. There are only about 500,000 people on this planet of billions who are also lucky enough to be Tasmanian. He grew up in the north-east of Tasmania, went to art school, makes sculpture, was a trout guide, has had lots of different jobs and loves to write.

He writes about many things—Tasmanian politics, agricultural advocacy and regional economic development, mostly in observational editorials in Tasmanian newspapers and in content for other people. He also talks on ABC Radio, especially when they need someone to call a spade a shovel ...

Mostly he prefers to write about Tasmania and trout.

He describes himself as tall, fat and ugly, a lover of pure air, clean water, fertile soils and a free and fair society. He thinks trout are the king of all fishes.

Which is of course true.

He prefers dry flies to wets, nymphs to Wooly Buggers and headwaters to hydro dams.

He’d rather drift in a boat than disturb sensitive lake bottoms by wading and wander up streams without waders. He talks to trees, pats rocks and whistles to birds.

Sometimes all three answer back ...

Neil lives with his wife Nicole and daughter Stephanie on the West Tamar in northern Tasmania.