John Killip has been writing about fly fishing for trout in Australian fishing magazines for over thirty years. He and his wife Margaret gave up city life to own and operate the Nimmitabel Motel close by the Monaro trout streams. In conjunction with the motel, he set up one of the first trout fishing guiding services in Australia.

He is a founding member of the Professional Fishing Instructors and Guides Association PFIGA), and has been its president for several years.

After selling the motel in 2004, he and Margaret moved down the road to Cooma. He now guides and instructs fly fishing on rivers and streams throughout the Snowy Mountains and Monaro region.
John caught his first trout when he was growing up in the Isle of Man, but it was not until he and Margaret migrated to Australia that he began his obsession with trout and fly fishing. He has watched the rivers of Eastern Australia survive serious drought in the late 70's and again when the last drought began in the mid 90's. In between, he has enjoyed trout fly fishing that in many ways is the envy of anglers from other countries. There are not many places where trout can be caught in such unspoilt and beautiful country, with the unique flora and fauna that makes Australia so special.
His fishing preference is for walking and wading rivers and streams, especially when the aquatic environment is rich in insect life and rising trout are common.

He has fished such rivers in Britain, the United States, and New Zealand. He likes to study the natural history of the rivers, learning to understand the habits of the trout and their prey, and tying flies to imitate or at least suggest the food forms enjoyed by the trout.

The technical aspects of fly casting and fishing have always fascinated John, and he enjoys trying to pass on his knowledge through his writing and with clients on the river bank.
"I never lose my enthusiasm for fly fishing for trout, because there is always so much more to discover," says John, "and so little time to do it."