Fishing Australia Magazine

Fishing September 2012

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FAM C on te nts Fresh Water

Rod Building

Cold Water Cod

The Rod Builder Perspective

Long winter nights, frosty mornings and cold water. Fishing Murray Cod in these conditions may not be easy can be big.

Young Gun cod angler Joe Press shares his knowledge about how to catch cold water cod

By Joe Press

How to How to tie The Mrs Simpson Fly

Have you ever considered tying one of our most popular and effective trout flies? Sean O’Rourke takes you by the hand with a step by step tutorial how to tie the perfect Mrs Simpson Fly.

By Sean O’Rourke Cover Image Joe Press With a Beautiful Cold Water Murray Cod. Image Courtesy Joe Press

Saltwater Estuary Catching Fish Can Do Your Head In

With a little research, forward planning and local knowledge can be the difference between catching a cold or a feed. Darren Beesey takes you through his thoughts and tips on making the most of your time on the water.

By Darren Beesey

Fly Fishing Freshwater Fly Fishing The Dams Of The Central Tablelands NSW

John Coles is a fulltime Professional guide, armed with the knowledge of this area.

John takes you on a tour of the central tablelands NSW dams.

Practical advice to Fly Fishing these waterways.

By John Coles

Saltwater Sportsfishing

Fly Fishing Saltwater

Mackerel On High Speed Metal

Just Add Salt

Heart Stopping Adrenaline Pumping action packed sure fire technique for nailing mackerel.

Malcolm Brown explains the how-to tips and tricks of targeting these speedster on sliced metal.

By Malcolm Brown

September 2012

From Mako’s to Barra saltwater fly fishing is as challenging as it is addictive. Chris Beech a commercial fly fisher of 26 years shares his thoughts on many consider the ultimate form of sportsfishing.

By Chris Beech

Master Rod Builder Steve Duff shares his thoughts and knowledge about the evolution of the not so humble bream rod and what it takes to create that perfect bream rod.

By Steve Duff

Sections

Editorial Grant Johnson DPI News How to’s Knots and Rigs Grant Johnson Barometric Pressure Grant Johnson Fishing Web Grant Johnson Fishing Kids Darren Beesey

Product Reviews Jason Harrip Product Spotlight Screeming Reels Fishing Reports NSW Captain Roscoe VIC Chris Pitman Will Thompson Simon Rinaldi Kayak Fishing Australian Kayak Specialists Boating Boatnames.com.au

Fishing Australia Magazine Issue 1

September 2012 Edition

Editorial

Our First Cast W

elcome to the first issue of Fishing Australia Magazine. In 1974 I started a journey that has led me to where we are today the first issue of Fishing Australia Magazine. 1974 my dad Noel took me to Woody Point Jetty which is the southern end of the Redcliffe Peninsula 30 minutes north of beautiful Brisbane. That afternoon he introduced a 5 year old to a life long love affair with all things fishing I clearly remember catching two small Dusky Flathead that afternoon and I was hooked. From that point on I fished every chance I had. Throughout my teenage years I fished mostly around Redcliffe but had some memorable trips north to 1770 and as far south as Ulladulla NSW. 2004 I had my greatest catch when comes to fishing I purchased fishingaustralia.com.au and a new journey into fishing opened up to me. Over the past 8 years that I have owned Fishing Australia it has cemented its place among the 10 fishing websites on google.com.au and seen more than few great websites come and go in that time.

2007 I had an idea I wanted to take fishing Australia and create an online digital Magazine which was practically impossible even with broadband speeding our internet browsing creating the Magazine was not impossible just not realistic at the time.

2012 the game changer MagCast is unleashed a publishing platform to create high quality online digital magazines that are media rich and specifically developed to publish to Apples Newsstand for iPad. The Concept. Fishing Australia Magazine is like no other Fishing Magazine in Australia. The primary goal of the magazine is to help not just myself but to help all Australian recreational fishing business or services find an audience.

Its simple our goal is to create high quality content for fisho’s that is relevant and timely. Our goal for business is to create a platform where you can showcase your products and service for free in exchange for creating content to promote yourself or business/service that has value to the reader and subscribers of Fishing Australia Magazine.

With that being said I would just like to thank all the contributors to Fishing Australia Magazine for their efforts bringing this great content and Magazine to you. Without their support FAM would not have been possible. And also a huge thankyou to MagCast for making dreams Possible.

“AWESOME”.

I dedicate this first issue to my Dad, brother, best mate and drinking buddy “Noely”

www.fishingaustralia.com.au Editor

Grant Johnson Ph: 0468 454 870 fam@fishingaustralia.com.au

Contributers Darren Beesey Malcolm Brown

www.fishingtownsville.net Joe Press http://codonthecast.com joe.press@hotmail.com Sean O’Rourke

www.rorkflyfishing.com.au

John Coles

www.jcflyfishing.com.au Chris Beech

Steve Duff www.duffrods.com.au steve@duffrods.com.au

Jason Harrip www.yakkintackle.com Captain Roscoe www.mvsigna.com.au info@mvsigna.com.au Chris Pitman www.qtackle.com.au Will Thompson allwaysangling@bigpond.com Simon Rinaldi

redhotfishingcharters.com.au Advertising Marketing Design

Grant Johnson Ph: 0468 454 870 fam@fishingaustralia.com.au

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All content in this magazine is copyright by Fishing Australia Magazine or the respective owers of third party digital content. No part of Fishing Australia Magazine maybe reproduced without the express permision of Fishing Australia Magazine or owners of third party digital content. The opinions offered by the contributors to Fishing Australia Magazine are considered as a guide and the opinion of the contributor. Pricing of products within Fishing Australia Magazine is considered correct at the time of publication however prices may change before or after publication Fishing Australia Magazine take no responsibilty for price changes.

Fishing Australia Magazine Ph: 0468 454 870 ABN: 33 316 291 360

Saltwater Fishing | Estuary

CATCHING FISH CAN DO YOUR HEAD IN

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ou have all the gear, a beautiful boat, enough bait to feed a small African nation and a super positive frame of mind. At this stage you can’t wait to get your line wet and simply can’t imagine why the fish won’t be queuing up to jump on your lines. I have watched this scenario play out in my local fisheries time and time again. My fishing buddy and I watch these people and generally have a friendly chat as they are putting their beautiful boats in the water. “Don’t need any advice champ”, is a common retort. I don’t blame them really.

My buddy and I fish in a beaten up, plenty old, 12ft blue tinny that sports a 9.9hp little buzz box on the back. We have it set up with the stuff we need, not ALL the stuff you might need in a year’s fishing. We have comfy seats, a couple of rods usually one set up for bait and one rigged for lures, we have enough bait for the session, a few drinks and maybe a bite to eat. These guys usually fly out, plonk their boats anywhere, anchor up and toss their lines in. A few get lucky and land a few. Most get unlucky with a couple of toadies and sun burnt faces. Even the best fisho’s don’t catch fish every time they venture out. But there are a couple of things they do BEFORE they go out that greatly increase the chances of hooking the fish they are targeting.

By Darren Beesey

We have embarrassed a few of these ‘big boat, big ego’ fellas over the years with big bags of our target fish, often only 50 to 100 metres away. A little research goes a long way. What do I want to catch, what do they eat and how do they find it when we aren’t presenting it on a hook? There is plenty of great info on the internet these days, you just have to look.

FishingAustralia.com.au is a great place to start!! My recommendation, though, is

to chat with the bloke at the local fishing store. And I don’t mean the cheap fishing section at a supermarket! Go into the local tackle shop, spend what amounts to a few extra dollars on the stuff you need and listen to what he has to say. You are about to fish in this bloke’s back yard. It’s in his interest to help you catch fish. >>

Saltwater Fishing | Sportsfishing

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ackerel would have to be one of the most targeted offshore species in North Queensland. Relatively common, hard fighting, easy to locate and fantastic on the plate, Mackerel could almost be considered a bread and butter species of the North. There are several species of Mackerel that frequent Northern waters, including Spanish, Spotted, Shark, Grey and School or ‘Doggie’ Mackerel.

But by far the most commonly targeted are the offshore Spanish Mackerel, and the more inshore Doggie Mackerel. While Mackerel can be found all throughout the year, the fish favour cooler water, making winter time prime time for chasing these speedsters off Townsville. The technique discussed here will work equally well on all Mackerel species, but I will concentrate on these two extremes in size.

One of the biggest draw cards to chasing Mackerel is the varied number of techniques that can be used to target the

species. Mackerel can be caught using dead bait, live bait, trolling lures, plastics, hard bodies or metal slices. In fact, just about anything will catch a Mackerel, even a dirty old sinker! But for my money, the most exciting way of catching these ferocious predators is with high-speed metal slices.

It's a very simple technique, but is the most adrenaline pumping, heart stopping, and action packed technique you will ever use! It is also a technique that will often continue to produce fish throughout the day when all other techniques fail. >>

“It’s a very simple technique, but is the most adrenaline pumping, heart stopping, and action packed technique you will ever use”

Tania Brown with a nice Spanish Mackerel spun up on Maggie Shoals.

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Freshwater Fishing

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ith the Murray Cod season coming to a close I must now sit back and reminisce upon the season past, but most of all those ‘hot’ sessions experienced during the colder end of the season which seen many unforgettable memories being made. Many choose to stay home and keep warm as the water cools down and the frosts move on in, however those that do stick it out, prove their patience and battle the often trying conditions will mostly find themselves rewarded with some great fish and

must still feed and average size of fish will often be improved greatly. To find fish through the tough conditions, having the right lure in the right place is almost crucial with many of those one off or hits in the most unlikely place becoming very rare.

Casting into structures of all varieties and attempting to think as a fish would, will find you running into many more fish. What structures to fish and how to target them will depend mostly on what style of lure you’re using and the time of the day.

A common trend which I follow

memories. These rewards can be viewed by some as more-or-less flukes but more often than not they’re the results of time, effort and carefully placing your well chosen offerings where they’re needed.

The cold months are far from easy and they do involve many long, quiet and often unsuccessful sessions in very cold and even windy conditions. This does leave the fishing up to those who are often very dedicated and considered mad. There’s endless proof that the cold water does greatly slow the activity of fish, but they

throughout the year but certainly in colder conditions is earlier in the morning, fish the shallower water and snags which are held up closer to the waters edge. As the day moves on and the sun rises higher, focus more strongly on the deeper sections of water, scouting around for likely fish holding structures such as drop offs, rocky outcrops and large timber snags often found by ‘reading’ the banks lining the water for old broken river gums. >>

There are some flies you tie with more vigour than others because they have caught you trout in the past and will most likely do so in the future, this fly is definitely one of Them.

How to Tie the Mrs Simpson Fly

The Mrs Simpson Fly by Sean O’Rourke

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ne of the most popular lake flies used in Australia and New Zealand. It originated in New Zealand to imitate baitfish found in New Zealand lakes.

There are quite a few feathers used in this particular style of tying, but the resulting silhouette created when retrieved through the water makes it worth the effort.

The feathers are off a ring neck pheasant and they have a very buggy looking pattern on them. As you can see in the photo (Bottom right) the patterns and colour

on the feathers can vary slightly. So you can vary your flies as well such as a dark brown, light brown and tan and a mutant green version. This fly could represent many things, I think it is an excellent mudeye (dragonfly nymph) representation foremost, as well as crustacean and of course small baitfish.

Use an intermediate or sinking line on no less than a 6wt rod with a 9ft leader and some 4 to 6 pound Tippett and vary the speed of your retrieve. If you are searching the water or “blind casting” as they say and you want to cast good distances with less false casting and less effort and still have a shoulder left at the end of the day, then I suggest a 9wt rod. >> Tying instructions Next Page.

Fly Fishing | Freshwater

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he Central Tablelands has been a Mecca for fly fishers since the late 1940's. Many fly fishers make a beeline for the streams of the area and often ignore the impoundments. The still water fishing of this area should not be over looked there's some very good fishing to be had, about a three hour drive west of Sydney. The area has several large dams, Lake Oberon, Ben Chifley, Lake Wallace, Thompson’s Creek Dam and Lake Lyell and numerous smaller private dams stocked by

conditions hopefully warm a little. Much of the insect life is not available in winter so foods such as snails, small bait fish and yabbies are main food items for the trout. Many dams hold large amounts of snails and the fish feed eagerly on them, particularly on windy days when the snails are dislodged and float sub-surface, it’s almost like dry fly fishing. You can Polaroid trout often less than a rod length of the shoreline. The secret of polaroiding in winter is to wear clothing that blends you in with your surroundings and move very slowwwly.

When the trout go deep an intermediate line with a Woolly Bugger or a bead head Mrs. Simpson have brought good trout unstuck. In winter the mature trout that are ready to mate will make their way up the feeder streams looking for cool, fresh water and suitable gravel's to lay their eggs in the redd (nest). Some dams do not have suitable spawning streams. The trout in these dams can be seen close in around the edges trying to mate farmers and anglers. Each dam has its own on windy days in the waves. This is usually rules, some do not allow boats so check not very successful for the fish, but anglers before you set off, there's plenty of public can target them with egg imitations such access points on most dams. In general the as Glow Bugs or Red Setters. >> dams have been low for many years but after the last two years of rain the dams Photograph: Peter Smith With a are spilling, Oberon Dam last spilled in Nice Rainbow August 2000! The new water levels cover new knee high grass, it will make for great fishing.

In winter when the streams are closed the dams can produce good fishing as long as you are prepared for possible Siberian conditions. The fishing in winter is usually mid morning to mid afternoon as water

Fly Fishing | Saltwater

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he mention of fly fishing often conjures up images of fresh water trout sought by the privileged few.

However, in recent decades itinerant anglers have traveled the globe in search of new and exciting fish species and experiences – much of it involving a salt water environment.

Salt water fly fishing has grown in popularity since the 1950’s and has spread world wide, as anglers seek the challenges and rewards offered by a coastal environment. The combination of stunning scenery that is readily accessible and close to amenities means that destinations such as those found around Australia are popular with holidaymakers who, whether out of good will or guilt, include their family in a fishing holiday or cunningly include fishing in their family holiday.

where shallow sand flats and reef edges are explored in the quest for fish. Boat hire is often unnecessary – simply gain permission from the local authorities, maybe hire a local guide who knows the area and head off on foot. It’s a matter of carrying a rod, a few simple supplies, and you are off along the shore in search of your quarry.

Inshore fly fishing encompasses that Sight fishing, referred to as ‘polaroiding’ which exists between the shallow flats and (a name derived from the use of polarized off shore waters. Many pursue this fishery sunglasses to spot the fish) is perhaps the for the sheer variety of fish species that is most rewarding aspect that salt water fly on offer, not to mention the thrills of the fishing has to offer. The fish is located by environment that often includes bommies, sight before an accurate cast is made to crystal clear waters and all manner delicately place a hand tied fly in front of of creatures that pass by. A common it. The combined concentration and skill adversary found Australia wide will be necessary to pull off such a stunt offers the one of several species of trevally, many of punter rewards that aren’t always a fish in which carry spectacular colour schemes hand… that appear in varying sizes and states of Flats’ fishing is the most readily mind. >> accessible form of saltwater fly fishing,

Rod Building | The Rod Builders Perspective

Evolution of Bream Rods I

’d like to welcome all the readers to the first edition of “THE ROD BUILDERS PERSPECTIVE”. Each edition I am going to share my perspective of what I do for a living, designing and building fishing rods. We’ll run through the thought behind certain designs and uses and I’ll through up some rod recipes for everyone to try from time to time.

This edition I thought I’d run through the rods that I have built the most of and that have bought me personal success over the years from tournaments to work.

From the time I was 13 years of age I have been throwing small hardbodied lures for bream. Back then some 33 years ago as kids we used to wade the flats at Speers point on lake Macquarie throwing small

40mm lures, some we bought but a lot that we made ourselves for bream. Now I fish the weed beds, edges and drop offs of the Gippsland lakes to get my fix.

From that day to present the drop shot blank has been the most popular in our sport. Back then the material was mainly fibreglass were as today its ultra-sensitive carbon with attention to guides and handle set ups to match the sensitivity. These days the array of different blanks and tapers is immense however a large part of the rods I build are still based on the drop shot, but now with the ever increasing use of fluoro straight through we find ourselves developing blanks to suit this style of fishing. >>

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Victorian

Fishing Geelong and further aboard

Reports

success is clean water. With some of the windy conditions of late big swells have rolled through dirtying up the water but if Report by Chris Pitman of Q-Tackle / you find this just head round to the mouth Queenscliff Bait & Tackle. of Swan Bay as the water clarity is fine With the arrival of August squid is on the most of the time.

Each year the biggest squid taken mind of most anglers around the Geelong usually fall to a well presented bait jig of region. Reports of the annual run of large squid off the Queenscliff bight have started either silver whiting or tommy ruff. As well as squid, large numbers of whiting have to come in. Most successful method has continued to stay on the chew with St been to fish large jigs size 3.5 & 4 in Leonards a firm favourite, here pippies or natural looking colours down deep over mussels have been the stand out baits with the kelp beds, another common factor to anglers finding bag limit captures realistic.

Most of the whiting at St Leonards have averaged around the 33-35cm mark.

Around to Portarlington and Australian Salmon have showed up making the pier their home. These fish respond well to small metal lures and soft plastics and make the perfect target for someone looking to get into lure fishing. On the lead up to high tide the salmon schools will move in and around the shallows.

Most fish average 600-700grams but for what they lack in size they make up for in numbers.

The Geelong waterfront has seen the large winter snapper continue to bite with customers reporting the rocks at St Helens boat ramp still producing fish to 8kg for those prepared to put in the hours.

This time of the year most of the standout reports we hear in the shops come from the Victorian western district lakes. Lake Tooliorook just outside of Lismore has to be the standout so far this year. Fishing from the bank with power bait has been a fantastic approach. Just recently I gave this method a try and managed two very nice rainbow trout of 1.5kg and a smaller fish of 1kg. >>

Above: Queenscliff Caught Squid

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