October – November 2018
TASMANIAN FISHING
Print Post approved 100003074
and BOATING NEWS — ISSUE 134
Trevor Howard with possibly the biggest Estuary Perch ever caught in Tasmania. See page 3.
$5.95
Tasmanian Fly Fishing Expo 10th - 11th November Clarendon on the South Esk River
The Holy Grail x Two — Trevor Howard
3
Three Duns — Shane Broadby
6
Tackle Testing – Taste of Tasmania — Matt Sherriff
10
Tasmanian Fly Fishing Expo
14
IFS News — Little Pine Fisheries Performance and Anglers Survey
33
Big Streamers - Big Trout — Craig Rist
34
Recreational sea fishing news
41
THE trout TRIFECTA BULLDOG CRANK • 38mm • 10 Colours • UV Colours • Dives to 2m • Weighs 4g
COL
: PB
TANGO SHAD
• 50mm • 15 Floating colours • 15 Suspending colours • Dives to 1.6m • Weighs 4g
COL
: GS
D
LIVE FLASH MINNOW WRIGGLY
• 70mm, 90mm, 110mm, 130mm • 8 Colours • Fish deep or shallow • Rig weedless or on a jighhead
COL
: 03
For more information please visit
They may be a keener angler than young Trevor Howard somewhere in the World, but I am not sure where. Early starts, long drives, rough tracks and cold conditions are no deterent at all. In fact all those elements seem to make him more keen. The story opposite is a great example of persistence, and how good research came to a head over one weekend. I saw the photos posted on social media and my heart sank for a moment as I thought they were too good for the fleeting attention they can grab on social media. I sent a message to save the good shots, be a little quiet about the results and do a full story and explanation on how a magical weekend unfolded. So we got the scoop and the results from a mighty two day adventure - with perhaps the biggest Estuary Perch landed in Tasmania. I have know Trevor and his father Dale for many years. In fact Dale has also appeared on the cover many years ago with a rather large 19 Lagoons fish from memory. I don’t think a father and son have both been cover shots. And isn’t it great that the love of fishing has passed down. Well done Trevor and Dale.
Mike Stevens talks fishing with Chris Wisbey ABC Statewide Saturday mornings 6.40 a.m.
Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Published by Mike Stevens: PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250. Mike Stevens – P: 0418 129 949 or E: mike@tasfish.com Stevens Publishing, ABN 79 095 217 299 All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Print Post approved; 100003074
Fishing News - Page 2
Whilst the cover shot and main story are lure caught fish you will find fly fishing a bit over-done in this issue. But we have probably the biggest fly fishing Expo ever held in Australia in November. Some big names are coming and all the major tackle brands will be there. Simon Gawesworth from RIO flylines is, in my opinion, the best speaker I have heard in any fishing area and his enthusiasm is contagious. Steven Ooi’s photography will be worth the entry money on its own. I hope the venue can do justice to his incredible photography. Steven stands still for hours waiting for the perfect shot. Many think he has already achieved it, but not Steven. Trevor Hawkins has been around - in fishing and art for year and he gets better and better. Don’t buy prints. Put your money down and get Trevor to do an original for you and treasure it forever. Get a lesson from some of the World’s best teachers - Peter Hayes, Peter Morse and Simon Gawesworth. There are none better than these guys - and once you part with your $10, which all goes to charity, all their expertise is free. Organise your mates and spend two days in fly fishing heaven. Mike Stevens
For subscriptions go to www.tasfish.com, phone Mike 0418 129 949 or pay by Paypal to mike@tasfish.com - Two years $60
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
TASMANIA’S HOLY GRAIL x TWO ESTUARY PERCH and BROOK TROUT are two of Tasmania’s hardest fish to catch, but not always. Trevor Howard tell his story.
Trevor’s Saturday prize - A Clarence Lagoon brookie. There is a term used that runs along the lines of “the rewards are there for those that go in search of them.” Young angler Trevor Howard adds weight to that saying by spending most of his free time searching Tasmania’s many and var ied waterways. Recently he spent a weekend fishing both Clarence Lagoon and Arthur River, he didn’t return home disappointed. I have loved fishing ever since I can remember, any sort of fishing, salt or fresh water, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what type of fish I catch, what species, or even what size, what I am constantly in search of are new experiences and hopefully I will be rewarded with memorable fishing. During the latter part of September I visited two places over a weekend that I had never fished before. One was Clarence Lagoon in search of brook trout with my father, Dale Howard, and the other was the Arthur River with some mates; the target species here were large brown trout and the elusive estuary perch.
Day 1 - Clarence Lagoon
Leaving home from Perth Tasmania at around 6.30 am, dad and I set forth on the drive to Clarence Lagoon, it took us around two and a half hours before we found ourselves standing on its shoreline. From where we live it is approximately a 150 klm trip each way with the last few kilometres being very rough. The track from the main road deteriorates as it gets closer to the lake especially the last kilometre. If you have an expensive four wheel drive and value its paintwork, don’t drive it to Clarence Lagoon. Situated in the central highlands not far from Derwent Bridge, this lagoon is not well signposted and the only real indication that you are in its vicinity is the Clarence River that runs under the main road. Rumour has it that the locals like to keep Clarence Lagoon’s existence reasonably quiet and as soon as signage goes up, it mysteriously goes missing again. The best description on how to get there that I can offer, is once you cross the Clarence River, look for a nearby bush track veering off on the right hand side as you head towards Derwent Bridge,
THE BREAM TRIFECTA LIVE FLASH MINNOW WRIGGLY
• 70mm, 90mm, 110mm, 130mm • 8 Colours • Fish deep or shallow • Rig weedless or on a jighhead
COL
: 08
BULLDOG CRANK • 38mm • 10 Colours • UV Colours • Dives to 2m • Weighs 4g
COL
: PR
TANGO SHAD
• 50mm • 15 Floating colours • 15 Suspending colours • Dives to 1.6m • Weighs 4g
COL
: MH
W
For more information please visit
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 3
Old man Dale - not a cover shot for him this time, but a cracking brookie. Fishing News - Page 4
it’s just before some button grass plains that expand over a considerable area. If you reach these plains, you’ve past the turnoff and will need to turn around for another look. Once you find this track, you won’t forget it. It was around 9 am by the time we started fishing and we started by wading slowly along the lagoon shoreline, using hard bodied lures and placing long searching casts. I don’t think lure colour plays a major role, but that said, perhaps the yellow underbody of the lures we used, helped attract a response from the tannin stained darkness below, who knows? We hadn’t walked very far when I had my first hit. Once hooked, I expected the fish to splash around a bit and come to the net without much Fuss. This had been my previous experience with brook trout at Lake Plimsoll on Tassie’s West Coast. I was wrong! The fish exploded past me and out towards the middle of the lake, reminiscent of an angry rainbow trout. The drag on my reel sung loudly and I let out a few expletives fearing it was going to be a case of the big one that got away, by this time dad had heard the commotion and was positioned nearby with his phone on video record whilst at the same time laughing and providing a running commentary, thanks old man, no pressure! Slowly the bend in the rod started to subside as the fish began to exhaust its strength and we soon had our first Clarence Lagoon brook trout in the net, we estimated it would have weighed around 5 pounds. After a few photos and high fives, we released it, hopefully for someone else to enjoy at a later date. The regulations on this water have a bag limit of two fish per person with a minimum size limit of 300 mm, but for us a photo of these magnificent fish along with the knowledge we are doing our bit to keep the population at a sustainable level is enough of
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
a reward for us. What ensued over the next couple of hours amounted to possibly one of the best fishing experiences I have ever had with my dad, and we have had many. Seven fish were landed and released between us in a session lasting just over 3 hours with many touching the 5 pound mark, I thought to myself as we headed home, this is an experience that wouldn’t be topped or repeated for a very long time… How wrong I was.
Day 2 - Arthur River
Being a truck driver, dad had to work the next day, and unfortunately the long hours he puts in behind the wheel saw him having to sit out the next mission the following day. Sunday found me heading to the Arthur River on the State’s North West Coast. Approximately 300 klms from home this time, I set forth at 3.30 am on yet another long drive, the trip taking approximately three and a half hours from my home. I was to be joined by a mate, Jarvis Wall and I was dreaming that along with some big brown trout ‘perhaps’ I would land the elusive Tasmanian estuary perch. EPs are a protected species and must be returned to the water immediately. We knew there was a healthy population in the Arthur River and Jarvis had success here previously. I really wanted that estuary perch to tick off my bucket list! It was around 7.30 am when we arrived to very windy conditions, I had only ever been here once before and was rewarded with success back then with an eight pound brown. The plan was to find as much shelter as we could from the wind and I found myself heavily reliant on Jarvis as to the best spot to fish, the water read 10 degrees on the sounder. We decided to run 1/6th jig heads matched with curly tail soft plastics of varying colours and brands as advised by those in the know.
A brownie and the holy grail of Tasmanian sport fish the almighty estuary perch from Arthur River. After about an hour I felt a hit and to be honest I thought I had a perch on the other end of my line as it didn’t feel like a trout, after a short battle a small brown of around a pound came to the net and after a quick photo, we released it for another day. Not long after that Jarvis had a hook up on a little sea runner and despite no real inroads made as to fish quality or species, we continued fishing the ledges and drop offs. I was using a technique where I dropped the jig straight to the bottom, and whilst it was sinking, I was keeping an eye on the braid for any movement, suddenly I saw the line give a small flick so instinctively I struck and found myself hooked up to a Tasmanian estuary perch. The fight was nowhere near what I expected it would be, disappointingly it was just a dead weight, it came to the surface, had a splash around and Jarvis slid the net underneath it, a twenty to thirty second fight at most. What was impressive was its size - 54.5 cm to the fork and it weighed 2.75 kilograms. I was one very happy boy! After some very careful handling and a couple of photos we watched it swim back to the depths. We fished on until around 4pm before calling it a day for two more small trout, the long trip home was at the back of our minds. I look forward to going back and trying to catch another one of these awesome fish soon. To finish I would like to say this. No doubt there will be some people reading this article that are not happy about me highlighting these fisheries, but I feel they should be highlighted, after all they are public fisheries for all to enjoy. There has been talk of a breeding program and redistributing this awesome fish to waters where they are no longer found - such as the Ansons River on the East Coast. People have been very generous in relaying their knowledge to myself over the years and some have inspired me to search further and longer as a result of them sharing their experiences with us all through a magazine such as this. I hope in some small way, this article encourages others to do the same. Respect our fisheries, respect our fish and I am confident they will always be there for future generations to enjoy in the same manner mine does now. If you have caught these fish in other waters in Tasmania please contact the editor. Trevor Howard
AUSSIE FLW TOUR ANGLER CARL JOCUMSEN CHOOSES TO USE MOLIX LURES.
BIG GAME SHOCK LEADER
SIGLON PE offers a tightly woven braid with a very thin diameter for its breaking strain and minimal stretch. It is very easy to manage with a stiff yet ultrasmooth and round profile. PEx4 is made from 4 EX-PE fibers and is available in bright green.
FC SNIPER INVISIBLE
Available in 150m PE0.2 (3lb) to PE3 (50lb) 300m PE1 (16lb) to PE3 (50lb)
THE CONCEPT IS ZERO PRESENCE! Minimizes pressure on line-shy fish! Designed with colors that exist in the natural environment (e.g. weeds, rocks, trees).
High straight strength with good elongation (energy) at breaking point which gives the leader more shock resistance and less breakages.
100% Fluorocarbon line with double resin processing (DRP) it has outstanding performance in both straight and knot strength.
BIG GAME SHOCK LEADER is easy to manage and knot with triple resin processing (TRP) to improve slickness and abrasion resistance. Available in 50m spools from 40lb to 330lb
SIGLON PEx4
Available in 75m spools from 2lb to 20lb with a colour rotation every 15m of: Natural Clear, Moss Green, Gray, Green, & Brown.
For the full Molix Lures and Sunline ranges please visit www.ejtodd.com.au
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 5
THREE DUNS
Method
Commercial fly tyer, Shane Broadby shares his knowledge
M
id spring! which means the Mayfly hatches won’t be far away, in fact by the time you read this they would probably have started on the lowland rivers and impoundments, It’s always a great sight to see that first drab little sail boat shape of the Mayfly Dun floating in front of you, it really means the good dry fly action isn’t too far away and even the mention of a dun gets the expectations souring. A lot of Tasmania’s fly fishing lore has centred on fishing the various dun and spinner hatches and the fly patterns we use to target the feeding fish with. In the very early days of dry fly fishing in Tasmania, fly fishers used old English patterns like the old English March Brown to imitate the sub imago or dun stage of the Mayfly lifecycle. But pretty soon thinking anglers started to develop our own Tasmanian patterns which were more suited to representing our various Tasmanian Mayflies, below are three patterns, two that are well known to Tasmanian anglers, Noel Jetson’s Highland Dun and Brett Wolff ’s Emerger (BWE), refined popularised by Bruce Gibson and a pattern that I developed about a decade ago, these three patterns imitate the Dun stage of the Mayfly nicely. Fishing News - Page 6
The Highland Dun
Hook: Size 12 -14 Partridge Dry fly Supreme (L5A) or Kamasan B830 size 14-16 Thread: Dark Brown 6/0 or 8/0 Tail: Coachman brown Coq de leon fibres or Coachman brown hackle fibres Body Hackle: Small coachman brown Hackle: Coachman Brown with two turns of Grizzle or Badger hackle in front Wing: Speckled hen wing slips Rib: Fine copper wire. Thread: Dark brown 8/0
Take the thread from the eye down to the hook bend in touching turns creating and even thread base. Tie in 6-8 hackle fibres for the tail about the hook shank length or a touch longer, tie in the fine copper wire for the rib with the wire extending for about three quarters of the hook shank towards the hook eye, bind down with the thread in touching turns to the same point as the end of the wire, doing this will give a nice neat look as this will be the flies body. Now tie in the small body hackle, smaller than the hackle that will be used for the main hackle, palmer the hackle in open turns back down the hook shank ending directly above the hook barb, then carefully wrap the wire back through the hackle and wind in open turns up towards and ending where you tied the butt end of the hackle in, tie the wire in with your thread and break or cut the wire off and advance the tying thread forward two or three turns, you’ve now formed the body of your Highland Dun. Select two opposing speckled hen wing quills, cut an even slip from each feather, place conclave sides together and tie in sloping back over the palmered body hackle creating a single wing, lift the wing forward slightly and wrap 3 or 4 turns of thread hard up behind the wing, this will help to prop the wing up a bit, position the thread in front of the wing again. Tie in a properly sized hackle in front of the wing, wrap one turn at the front of the wing, two hard in behind the wing and another two or three in front of the wing again, then tie off and cut off the excess, select a slightly larger grizzle or Badger hackle and wind two turns up against the first hackle, form a small head and whip finish and apply head cement.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Zonker here. Here’s the straight talk: I’m a real scientist, because I have a lab coat and you don’t. Let’s nail one thing into your noggin’ right now: Amplitude Smooth lines with AST Plus are:
the most highfalutin, highestfloating, longest-lasting, premium smooth fly lines on the market. They last twice as long as the closest competitor, and have up to five times less friction.
Amplitude Smooth TROUT
Amplitude Smooth Trout is designed specifically for precise presentations and those who love dry flies. Features the unparalleled AST Plus slickness additive. WF-2-F to WF-7-F
I should know. For the last 12 months, I’ve been holed up down in the basement running tests. These lines are, simply put, full of slickness that stay slick. And, we have features: Welded loops on both ends for easy riggin’. Three colors, to identify the front taper and end of the head so you’ll know when to pick up your line and cast. Every line has the SA•ID system that tells you exactly which line this is once it’s on your reel. As far as tapers, we’ve got the all-new Infinity, which casts like it’s covered in bacon grease. It will shoot a mile, throw your articulated junk, and still be soft enough not to spook those sneaky little evening riser devils. Then we’ve got the Trout for dry-fly stuff, the Anadro/Nymph for getting dirty with bobber rigs, the Titan Long for huge flies and big fish, along with the Grand Slam for those frustratin’ flats fish, and the Bonefish for, well, exactly what it says. You want the best smooth lines in the world? Don’t look anywhere else.
Amplitude Smooth INFINITY Has the power to bomb out streamers, yet retains delicacy for dry flies. It mends like an absolute dream, and delivers flies at all distances. Built a half-size heavy, with a long head and substantial front taper, it’s perfect for trout. There’s no end to what you’ll be able to do with it. WF-3-F to WF-9-F
Amplitude Smooth ANADRO Designed with line control in mind, its extended rear taper allows you to cast a mile, mend with authority, and turn over nearly any rig imaginable—from dredging double nymphs to larger dry-dropper concoctions. WF-4-F to WF-9-F
Cast these lines at the Tasmanian Flyfishing Expo 10-11 November. FOR YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST VISIT MAYFLYTACKLE.COM.AU
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 7
Brett Wolff Emerger (BWE)
Hook: Size 12 -14 Partridge Dry Fly Supreme (L5A) Thread: Dark brown 8/0 or 6/0 Rib: Dark brown Uni-flex Body: Rusty Brown Wapsi Awesome Possum or Dark brown Lost Fly translucent dubbing Thorax: Same as body Parachute Hackle: Coachman Brown or Grizzle dyed Coachman Brown Tail: Coachman Brown hackle fibres Wing: Three or four natural dun CDC feathers
Method
Form an even thread base by winding the thread from the eye to the end of the hook shank in touching turns, tie in 8 -10 hackle fibres for the tail, advance the tying thread back up the hook shank three quarters towards the eye of the hook. Select 3 or 4 CDC feather bunch them up with the feather tips even, measure a hook length from the feather tips to your fingers and tie in the bunched feathers on top of the hook shank with
the tips of the CDC feathers extending past the eye of the hook with five or six firm turns of thread, lift the feathers and wind another five or 6 turns of thread hard up in front of the CDC feathers, cut off the protruding SDC feather butts. Wind the thread up and around the CDC feathers for about a dozen turns and then wind the thread back down to the base of the feathers at the hook shank, you have formed an up right wing and your post for the parachute hackle, return the thread to the hook bend. Tie in a length of the Uni-Flex rib with firm turns, then dub onto the tying thread a thin even doodle of dubbing material and advance this forward forming a slightly tapering body, stopping short of the wing post, leaving enough room for the thorax. Wind the uni-flexx forward tightly with close, almost touching turns and tie off very firmly with at least five turns of thread so the Uni-flexx doesn’t slip out from underneath the thread and trim. Now select a hackle feather one or two sizes larger than the hook size , strip off some fibres from the base of the hackle so that there is 3 or 4mm of bare hackle stalk, tie the base of the hackle stalk in, in front of the wing post, grab the CDC wing and the hackle together, with the dull side of the hackle facing you, now wrap the thread around both the CDC post and the bare hackle stalk, binding them together, taking the thread up the post about ten turns and then winding the thread back down the post, return the thread to immediately in front of the wing post again. Dub more of the dubbing on the tying thread in an even dubbing noodle and form a thorax just a bit thicker than the body by figure of eighting the noodle around in front and behind the wing post, return the thread to in front of the thorax. Now with the help of hackle pliers, wind the hackle down the wing post, in a clock wise direction ensuring the dull side of the hackle is facing down and each turn of the hackle is underneath the former turn, wind five turns, ending with the hackle pliers positioned on the near side of the hook at the hook eye. Tie of the hackle trying not to trap any hackle fibres, form a small head whip finish and apply head cement.
Shane’s Emerger
Hook: Size 12 -14 Partridge Dry Fly Supreme (L5A) Thread: Dark Brown 6/0 or 8/0 Tail: Brush Possum tail fibres and one strand of gold Crystal Flash (optional) Rib: Dark Brown Uni-Flex Body: Possum Tail under fur or Chocolate The Lost Fly Translucent Dubbing Thorax: Same as body Wing post: Possum Tail fibres Parachute Hackle: Brassy Dun or Chocolate dun
Method
The tying method is the same as for the BWE. The tail and wing post are the butt ends of the Possum tail fibres, not the darker tips. The tail on the fly should be sparse, a few tail fibres and the gold crystal flash as an option, tie it in first before you tie in the tail. Noel Jetson was a big believer in a bit of gold flash in his dry flies, especially in low light conditions, so I thought is may add something to this pattern. Noel added a bit of gold Lurex to the bend of the hook on his Redtags and he used gold finish hooks for his Bogong Moth. The wing post of this pattern is also made from the possum tail fibre butts, use a more sizeable amount though to create the wing post. Using the tail under fur for the body and thorax will give a lighter coloured fly. Choose a rod and a line to suit and take it to our Don’t be afraid to use larger private casting park at the rear of the store. Some size hackles for parachute hackled dries than you would call it a council car park, but we think it is a pretty for conventional neck hackles good casting arena. flies, the larger hackles leave a better footprint on the water, aid in flotation and they help the fly land consistently the correct way up without tipping over on their side. Shane Broady
Cast the incredible Douglas fly rods at Australia's finest fly shop
Douglas SKY:
Douglas DXF:
“Best Overall 6-weight rod”
“Best Mid-Priced 6-weight rod”
Yellowstone Angler, 2016 6wt. Shootout
105 York St, Launceston, Tasmania. Ph: 03 6331 8944 www.essentialflyfisher.com.au email: mike@essentialflyfisher.com.au
Fishing News - Page 8
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
STILLWATER The new SONAR Stillwater range are specifically designed for cold weather trout fishing in lake environments — just like Tasmania. Stillwater angling presents its own unique challenges and demands. Fishing just beneath the surface film, camouflaging full sinking lines, and fishing the hang are all aspects of Stillwater fishing that we’ve addressed with our Stillwater series.
Stillwater Hover Stillwater Hover
For fishing flies just below the surface WF-4-H thru WF-8H
Stillwater Clear Camo
Camouflage Line for Sub-Surface Fishing WF-4-I thru WF-8-I
Stillwater Clear Camo Intermediate
Stillwater 5’ Clear Emerger Tip
For Fishing Flies in or near the Surface Film WF-6-F/I thru WF-8-F/I
Stillwater Seamless Density
Double Density sinking lines provides straight-line connection to fly Sink 1/ Sink 3 – WF-4-S thru WF-8-S Sink 3 / Sink 5 – WF-5-S thru WF-8-S Sink 5 / Sink 7 – WF-7-S thru WF-8-S
Stillwater Clear Emerger Tip
Stillwater Parabolic Sink
Sinks in U-Shaped Profile Sink 3 running line, Sink 5 head, Sink 3 tip section WF-6-S thru WF-8-S
Stillwater Seamless Density
Sink rate chart – IPS (inches per second) Hover – 1 IPS Intermediate – 1.25 IPS Sink 1 – 1.25 IPS Sink 3 – 3.0 IPS Sink 5 – 5.0 IPS Sink 7 – 7.0 IPS
Stillwater Parabolic Sink
FOR YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST VISIT MAYFLYTACKLE.COM.AU
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 9
TASTE of TASMANIA Marcus Popowski showing some form with a big King George whiting.
Matt Sherriff does a roundup of tackle testers. One of the favourite things about my job in the tackle industry is being able to work with some of our fishing suppliers to bring in tackle that is suited to our local market. Over the years we have continued to expand the colour range of our popular Hawk Lures (new deep divers to be released soon), worked with Hayabusa to help design high quality and affordable whiting rigs as well as other products such as the Hawk and Gaff-Mann Squid cleaning bags.All these products have been tweaked to suit our local conditions in Tassie. We have had plenty of help and ideas from local tackle stores along the way, but we would also like to thank the following anglers who have helped us by testing out our gear and giving us feedback along with new ideas: Marcus Popowski, Damien Virieux, Andrew Pender, Josh Hammersley (and team Black Magic), Brodie Munday, Harry Foster, Nathan Van Der Spek, Shane Ling, Jason Kerrison and Jack Gillespie. Here is some insight into some of the fishing that a few of these guys enjoy and it goes to show some of the diversity we are blessed with in our beautiful state!
Marcus Popowski - Smithton
Favourite Species
King George Whiting have become like an addiction for me over the past few seasons. Not only because of their eating qualities, but their fight capabilities on light gear and targeting them has so many unknowns. Including: Where are they turning up today? What size is going to come aboard? What tide will they bite? There are so many factors that can influence the catch rates! Many hours on the water over the past few years Fishing News - Page 10
collecting samples for the Australian Maritime College and working with Dr James Haddy, has made this species a favourite of mine. Learning the biology of this fish and getting some protection in regard to possession and size limits has been very fulfilling, as their numbers and the areas they are showing up in, seem to be increasing every year in Tasmania.
Favourite location
I enjoy fishing most of the coastal estuaries. Tide and conditions play such an important role in nutting out this species of fish. Sometimes hours pass before the bite happens and patience is key. Searching out new grounds is always on the cards as the fish will be in different places at different times of the tides.
Favourite Gear
Two things I would never leave home without are my Minn Kota electric motor and my Tonic sunglasses. Both are an absolute must in estuary fishing. For the past decade I have used Lox rods, with the 1-3kg being my absolute favourite. I have added the Murasame 7’ Tournament Spin 702ULS to the rod collection in the past year and it has been very hard to put down, matched with the new Pioneer 2000 Cyclone Prestige Reel.
Bucket List
A metre long Kingfish is still on the bucket list for me. Managed a 99cm two seasons ago, so getting so close has me eager for a metre long unit.
Tips
King George Whiting can certainly be an elusive species from day to day. I love using light gear such as 1-3 kg or 2-5kg rods. Even though I may be a bit under gunned on some of the big KG’s we get up here on the NW Coast, it’s all part of the fun. Rod sensitivity is so important in distinguishing bites from King George’s or by-catch species such as Leather Jackets, Wrasse & Toad fish which can all be absolute pests some days. King George have such a distinguished bite it is important to know when to lift or strike the hook or soft plastic home. I use Timber Wolf Braid in 4 or 6lb tied with a 10-20lb rod length shock leader and a Hayabusa Whiting Rig. These rigs have the best hooks I have ever used! One aspect to these hooks is if there is a pesky Leather Jacket to clear out of the area, these hooks have a very high hook up rate. When targeting King George on plastics any of your shrimp or worm imitations seem to work well in natural or red colours, slowly hopped or retrieved in sand gutters along reefs or weed edges.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Brodie’s favourite
Brodie Munday – Latrobe
Favourite Species
My favourite species to target would have to be the iconic trout, mainly due to the thrill of the chase of landing one of these incredible fish and the hard work and perseverance you need to successfully target them.
Favourite Location
Probably my favourite location would have to be Four Springs Lake, mainly due to the average size of the fish that come from this water being around 2.5lb which is outstanding, although you can often catch fish over 5lb. There are good numbers of fish in this lake and catching your bag limit is definitely on the cards, although don’t be fooled into thinking they always come easy! There’s both Brown and Rainbow Trout in Four Springs.
Tips
I find the best time of year to fish Four Springs would be early in the season while the water is cooler and before the weed starts growing making it too difficult to fish. The best days to fish this lake would be an overcast day with a light breeze. I’ve had the most success in this lake targeting fish in the shallow margins with hard bodied minnows.
Favourite Gear
The gear I use is a Murasame 2-8lb ultra-light finesse rod, paired with a Pioneer Cyclone Prestige 2000 reel spooled with 4lb Timberwolf braid and a 5lb leader. The lures I find most successful are the Hawk Sniper range, in particular the “killer wasp” and “black and gold” colours.
Nathan van der Spek - Launceston
Favourite Fish
The humble Silver Trevally is my favourite light line fish to target. These fish go extremely hard on light line and I believe they are the ultimate sport fish, pound for pound, and If you’re lucky enough to hook a fish over the 55cm mark, you’ll defiantly have your work cut out trying to stop it!
Nathan van de Spek with a great estuary sport fish - silver trevally.
Favourite location
Georges Bay, located in St Helens on the East Coast would be my favourite location as it holds a healthy population of these great sports fish with some of the biggest specimens you are likely to encounter anywhere in the state up for grabs.
Tips
There are a variety of ways Silver Trevally can be targeted, either on bait lures, soft plastics or hard bodies. The method I use to target them is by either using soft plastics or hard body lures, which depends on the area and depth I am fishing. When fishing areas with current flow and drop offs deeper than two metres, I use soft plastics such as worms, paddle tails or green flick baits, matched with 1/6th jig heads. I have found the Seamaster plastics to be deadly on the fish in the bay. Despite targeting most of my fish on soft plastics, the Hawk Sniper hard bodies can also be an effective way of
No1 - Whiting Rigs Cyclone 2000 Reel When only the best will do!
Ideal reel for the Murasame tournament spin!
chasing them, especially when the fish are schooling up amongst the shallow weed beds and up on the sand flats. You do not need expensive boats or the most expensive gear to catch these fish. Some of my biggest fish and best fishing sessions have involved land base fishing. Tides have a big impact on the spots I choose to fish in. When fishing from the shore, I prefer low tide, because this enables me to get my soft plastics into the middle of the channel, but I can still fish the whole channel and drop offs. When fishing from a boat in George’s Bay I prefer to fish two hours before high tide and the first two hours of the runout tide. Fishing the channel can be done on either tide.
Favourite Gear
When tackling Silver Trevally, I use the Pioneer Cyclone Prestige reel in the 2000 size spooled with
Available from leading Tassie owned Tackle Stores
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 11
6lb braid and either 6 or 8lb leader, depending on how much structure there is below. This is matched with a Murasame 702 tournament 2-8lb rod. I have been fishing with this gear for a while now and I can’t fault it. This gear has plenty of strength and is also light enough to feel every single bite. To help enable me to find the fish on the flats, in shallow water and below where I am fishing, I wear blue mirror Tonic sunglasses which are typically used for salt water fishing.
Damien Virieux - Kingston
Favourite Species
This is a really difficult decision because I get so much enjoyment out of chasing any fish. If I had to pick one it would be Striped Trumpeter as nothing makes me lose more sleep the night before due to being so excited to be targeting these fish the next day. At times they can be very challenging to get them to play the game, but when you hookup and get the big nods, with the rod bent from butt to tip, it is a great workout and the end result is a delicious treat that the whole family really enjoys. Also, I have shared some epic times chasing these fish with some of my best mates - whales cruising past, beautiful scenery, massive sharks at the side of the boat, Makos jumping, mate’s boats not starting and the joys and rewards of working hard to find the fish sometimes.
Favourite location
The beauty of living in Tasmania is it that every fishing location is so picturesque and unique in its own way but my favourite place to find Stripeys is definitely around the Friars, south of Bruny. A good friend of mine, Dean Martin, has an excellent knowledge of the area and even when things are looking tough he can put us onto the fish as there are just so many places down there to try to find some that are biting.
Tips
The best bait is some octopus or good squid (that you have previously caught yourself), but we have also been successful using fish baits and soft plastics. When they are biting hard you can even use jigs successfully. The best times of the year for shallower water Stripeys are around the season closing time, just before or just after, however they can be targeted all year round especially in
Fishing News - Page 12
Damien Virieux with the most delicious fish in the sea - striped trumpeter deeper water. It is surprising at times just how shallow you can catch them though! My best tips are to keep your hooks well off the bottom, and having your baits move a touch faster with the tide helps minimise the unwanted by-catch but also seems to be when the Stripeys bite best.
Favourite Gear
My favourite gear to target Stripeys includes a Pioneer 6000 Altitude Reel and a Crucis Elite Empire SP601L spooled with 30lb Timberwolf braid. Yes, it is a small and light looking rod, but I have nailed some of my very best Stripeys on this outfit (see pic).
Bucket list
My bucket list species would have to be a bream from Oman, given the time and cost to get over there I can›t see it happening, but to catch and release a 40kg bream, with 60+kg GTs as by-catch would be a dream come true.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
IGNITER
NEW RELEASE FROM SAGE - AUGUST 2018
TECHNICAL CONDITIONS / ULTRA-FAST ACTION • Windy conditions • Long casts & line carry • Accuracy & loop control
The most demanding conditions require a different kind of tool. Strong head wind? Fish at distance? Bulky rigs? Heavy sink-tips? The INGITER is tuned to handle the most technical of conditions. Not a rod for the everyday angler, the IGNTER is equipped with a high line speed taper to carry large amounts of line at distance with wind cutting performance. Perfect for streamer fishing with heavy sink tips or covering big water when conditions turn south. If you bring the will, the IGNITER will supply the way.
• KonneticHD Technology • Chipotle blank color • Cayenne thread wraps with Gunmetal trim wraps • Fuji ceramic stripper guides • Hard chromed snake guides and tip-top • Freshwater 4-6 weights: • Cocobolo wood insert with gunmetal anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat • Flor grade snub nosed half-wells cork handle • Saltwater 6-10 weights: • Gunmetal anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat • Integrated hidden hook keeper in reel seat • Flor grade full-wells cork handle with EVA fighting butt • Laser etched line weight on slide band • Black rod bag with Titanium logo and chipotle color model tag • Black powder coated aluminum rod tube with Sage medallion
IGNITER SPECIFICATIONS Model
Line
Length
Weight (oz)
490-4
4
9' 0"
2 13⁄16
590-4
5
9' 0"
2 15⁄16
690-4
6
9' 0"
3
691-4
6
9' 0"
3 1⁄8
697-4
6
9' 6"
3 9⁄16
790-4
7
9' 0"
3 7⁄16
7100-4
7
10' 0"
3 15⁄16
890-4
8
9' 0"
3 13⁄16
990-4
9
9' 0"
4
1090-4
10
9' 0"
4 1⁄8
essential
FLYFISHER PH: 03 6331 8944 105 York Street, Launceston, Tasmania
essentialflyfisher.com.au
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 13
www.tasmanianflyfishingexpo.com.au or find us on facebook
T
he biggest fly fishing gathering ever - the Tasmanian Fly Fishing Expo is being held at Clarendon - a grand property owned by the National Trust (Tas) on the South Esk River. Several international guests will share their vast knowledge - as will some of the Worlds best casters, a former World Champion, National Champion and more. There will be many rods and lines to cast, casting games to play, gear to be won and demonstrations to see. Whilst there is a small entry fee ($10) - which will be donated to the Australian Fly Fishing Museum, most
activities are free*. Book and pay online and go in the draw to win a Sage Flyrod, reel and line combo. Tickets will be available at the gate. Fishing News - Page 14
Clarendon also houses the Australian Fly Fishing Museum, which will be open with new displays. http:// www.affm.net.au/ The Expo will utilize Clarendon and the grounds for a variety of activities, including forums, demonstrations, fly tying, casting and gear demonstrations. For coffee addicts – do not worry. We have engaged UP YORK – a local coffee shop to bring their skills, crema and machine to Clarendon. This is the best coffee in Launceston. Food: The Lions Club City of Launceston will keep you fed, and will have plenty of soft drink and water etc. *Drinks in the Garden: Flylife is hosting Enjoy Drinks in the Garden on Saturday evening with the presenters and many other renowned fly fishers. It is a
chance to talk, mingle and relax after a hard day. There is a small charge for drinks and this will go to the Fish Habitat Improvement Fund.
About Clarendon Built in the 1830s, Clarendon is situated on the eastern side of the South Esk River about 7 kilometres south of Evandale. Adjacent, on the Western side of the river is the former home of James Youl. James Youl was responsible for the introduction of brown trout to the Southern Hemisphere - https://www.nationaltrust.org. au/places/clarendon/ Proceeds from the Expo will be donated to Clarendon, National Trust (Tas) for the Australian Fly Fishing Museum and the Fish Habitat Trust Fund.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
How the Expo works There will be many presenters and presentations. Most activities are free, apart from the ‘Drinks in the Garden’, Saturday after most activities are finished for the day. All presenters are normal every day people and like nothing better than talking fly fishing. So this is your chance to ask those tricky questions Of course, many presenters will be showing you the best of the brands they represent and are promoting them in their best interests. What is best of all is, you will be able to try many of these products first hand and maybe find something that suits you. Mostly there will NOT BE PRODUCTS FOR SALE. There will be some book bargains, art from Trevor Hawkins, amazing photos from Steven Ooi and food and drinks. An updated program will be available on entry. To the right you can see the preliminary schedule.
For Everyone Many toys including rods, reels, lines, casting, games and lots more. Of course - the more stuff you have the better an angler you will be. Book in for a casting tuneup with Australia’s leading casting instructor - Peter Hayes. Saturday and Sunday session 10am - 10.45am. It is FREE, but BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL and numbers are limited - email info@ peterhayesflyfishing.com You must put ‘Expo Casting Tuneup’ in the subject line. Peter will confirm.
PRELIMINARY PROGRAM - UPDATED VERSION AT THE GATE Saturday 10am – 10.45am: 10.45am – 11am: 11am – 2.30pm: 11am – 2.30pm:
Casting tune-up with Peter Hayes* Booking essential. Distance casting tips with Peter Hayes. Fly tying techniques with Ray Brown and Shane Broadby. Fly tying demonstration with 12y.o. Kobi Lambert and Tino Pittiglio. 11am – 12 noon: Trout Spey - gear and techniques with Simon Gawesworth. 11am – 11.45am: Casting styles - What suits you - with Peter Morse. 12 Noon: Greg French – Why wilderness matters. And book signing until 2pm. 12 Noon – 1pm: Ladies – learn to cast a fly with Judith Oliver. Bookings are limited and essential.* 12.15pm – 12.45pm: The magic properties of Goretex with Rene Vaz. 1pm – 3pm: The RIO Olympics - a three event casting game. Do all three or just one. Prizes here. Good skills are not essential. 1.15pm – 2pm: Casting styles - What suits you - with Peter Morse. 1.30pm – 2pm: Polaroids - are they all the same? - Doug Phillips - Tonic 1.30pm – 2pm: Scientific Anglers fly lines. Cast further, less false casts and never clean your lines. Andrew Summers. 2.15pm – 3pm: Fishing Tasmanian rivers – Tips from Australian champions - Christopher Bassano and Martin Droz. 3.15pm – 4pm: The new Sage rods explained - Peter Morse. 4pm – 5pm: Drinks in the garden - sponsored by Flylife. Relax and chat with the industry experts. Proceeds to the Fish Habitat Improvement Fund. NO BOOKING required. 5.00pm Forum - Q and A with the gathered brain trust. Follows on from Drinks in the Garden
For Lady Learners Some of the above, but more refined. In many ways ladies are better anglers. They are better listeners, don’t try and muscle everything and are great observers. If you fish now you can also book in for the casting tuneup (above). If you are beginning learn about the correct gear for you and how to choose it. This will be covered by Judith Oliver and her team of lady helpers. They will run a Saturday session just for ladies. Start at 12 noon and run to 1pm. If you are either an absolute beginner or more advanced this is for you. It will be a lot of fun and you do not need any gear. It is FREE, but BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL and numbers are limited - email info@peterhayesflyfishing.com You must put ‘Expo Ladies Flyfishing’ in the subject line. Peter will send a confirmation.
For Kids The Peter Hayes team will help you get started on your fly fishing journey. Learn to cast, tie knots and more. It will be a lot of fun and you do not need any gear. This is a Sunday session from 10am until 11.30. Session is FREE, but BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL and numbers are limited - email info@peterhayesflyfishing.com You must put ‘Expo Kids Flyfishing’ in the subject line. Peter will send a confirmation.
Sunday 10am – 11.30am:
Kids – fly fishing for beginners. Bookings are limited and essential.* 10am – 10.45am: Casting tune-up with Peter Hayes* Booking essential. 10am – 10.45am: Club fly tying demonstrations. 10.45am-11am: Distance casting tips with Peter Hayes. 11am – 11.45am: Trout Spey and Switch casting with Simon Gawesworth. 11am – 11.45pm: Casting styles - What suits you - with Peter Morse. 12.15pm – 12.45pm: The magic properties of Goretex with Rene Vaz. 1pm – 3pm: The RIO Olympics - a three event casting game. Do all three or just one. Prizes here. Good skills are not essential. 1pm – 3pm: The Veniard Challenge. Clubs tying for glory. 1.15pm – 2pm: Casting styles - How different styles suit you and where you fish - with Peter Morse. 1.30 – 2pm: Scientific Anglers fly lines. Cast further, less false casts and never clean your lines. 1.30pm – 2pm: Polaroids - are they all the same? - Doug Phillips - Tonic 2pm – 3pm: Fishing Tasmanian rivers – Tips from Australian champions. 3pm: Close
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 15
...... and the presenters and products are:
PETER HAYES
SIMON GAWESWORTH Simon learnt to fish at the age of 6 and took up fly fishing when aged 8, being trained by his father - well known fly fishing instructor and author, John Gawesworth. By the time he left school at 16 to teach fly fishing Simon had become the British Junior casting champion, repeating the feat the next year. In the following years Simon broke seven British casting records and won the adult casting championships three times in succession, representing England in two European and one World Team Championships. With the collapse of the British Casting Association and the tournament casting scene in the UK, Simon turned his hand to competitive fly fishing. Over the following years Simon represented England in three home internationals (against Ireland, Scotland and Wales), two European championships and five World Championships, culminating in the prestige of becoming the England Team Captain and Manager for the 2003 World Championships in Spain. During his career Simon has written numerous articles for the fishing press, published two books on spey casting, presented five instructional videos and DVDs, appeared on numerous television and radio shows, demonstrated casting at fly fishing shows around the world and is recognized as one of the leading authorities on Spey casting and fly casting instruction. He is a FFF Master and THCI (Two Handed Casting Instructor) certified instructor and also holds the APGAI and STANIC diplomas for Fly Fishing Instruction in the UK. Simon lives in SW Washington and works for RIO Products, where he designs and tests fly lines, as well as being the Brand Manager for RIO. He conducts fly casting classes and seminars around the world. Simon is married with two children. Simon’s love of lightweight switch and two handed rods will be something to behold along with his huge knowledge on flylines. Meeting, listening and learning from Simon will be worth the visit on its own. Fishing News - Page 16
PETER MORSE Peter Morse grew up in Fiji where from an early age he fished from the family boat trolling handlines for mackerel, trevally, tuna and coral trout. His father and his grandfather were fly fishermen and Peter has fly fished since the early ‘70s in freshwater and in saltwater. He has written extensively on the sport for magazines and has written three books. He is well known by most fly fishers in Australia through the Wildfish series, but has also taught fly-casting for several decades. Peter is a Sage Ambassador and RIO Ambassador as well as a Certified Master Casting Instructor with the US body Fly Fishers Intermational. He conducts fly casting and fly fishing clinics all over the country from novice level through to training other potential instructors. Without prejudice, he chases with fly tackle whatever swims and has landed over 300 species on fly tackle. He has fished around the world from the jungles of Brazil to the flats of Mexico and Florida, throughout the South Pacific, to the chalk streams of southern England. His favourite 10 species are. In 2017 Peter was awarded the Fly Fishers International Mel Krieger Instructor of the Year Award. There is no fly fisher that hasn’t heard of Peter Morse. He is a terrific ambassador and his extensive knowledge is shared in an easy to understand way.
Peter is one of the most credentialed fly fishing guides and instructors in the world. Peter has been the Australian Casting Champion a total of ten times and he has twice represented Australia at World Championships. A twice silver medal winner at these events, on one occasion Peter cast a single handed fly rod an incredible 74 metres or 2.7 normal flylines. In 1998 Peter also won the Australian Fly Fishing Championships held in the Snowy Mountains. This win earned him a place as the ‘number one’ qualifier on the Australian team to compete in the World Fly Fishing Championships, to be held in Australia in early December 1999. In May 2000 Peter was again selected to represent Australia at the World Fly Fishing Championships held in Bristol – England. For Peter, a career highlight was winning a bronze medal at this competition, the peak event of the sport of fly-fishing. Peter was also able to catch the largest fish of the competition, a brown trout of 61.5 cm on a dry fly from the River Test. It is a rare skill to combine the two disciplines of competitive casting and competitive fishing and to date there are only two people on the planet that have won medals at both World Fly Fishing and World Fly Casting Championships. In October 2007 Peter became the first Australian to be recognized by the International Federation of Fly Fishers (IFFF) as a Master Casting Instructor. This is the highest level of casting instruction certification possible. In 2012 Peter was awarded a prestigious position on the Casting Board of Governors (CBOG) of the IFFF. Over the past decade Peter has conducted his international casting program in China, South Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the USA as well as at home in Australia. Peter started guiding in 1994 after more than a decade working as a mechanical design engineer. He quickly developed a growing repeat clientele that have fished with him now for over 20 consecutive years. Extensive trout fishing experiences in North America, New Zealand, the UK and mainland Australia have stood him in good stead in his homeland Tasmania. Also no stranger to salt water fly- fishing Peter has competed successfully in the Broome Fly Rod Sailfish Tournament on two occasions. He has fished throughout Northern Australia and International destinations for all manner of species from Bonefish and Barramundi to Tuna.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Bartschi has been designing Scott fly rods for over 20 years, so if you’ve fished a Scott rod, there’s a good chance you can blame him. How rare it is to get a premium rod designer to hang out with and learn from. Take advantage of this.
SCOTT FLY RODS
JUDITH OLIVER Judith is late comer to the world of Fly Fishing and became the first female FFI Certified Casting Instructor in the Sothern Hemisphere with the help of Peter Hayes at Cressy. She is still very much the perpetual student with an inquisitive mind and has a gentle natural style and approach as a Fly-Fishing Instructor. Her idol is Joan Wulff and she has been very fortunate to have spent time with Joan in New York State. After returning from meeting Joan I was rapt to help Peter Hayes begin the Girls Gone Fly Fishing Weekend Workshop. This annual weekend event has grown to become a wonderful avenue for women to not only meet and exchange ideas but aimed at increasing skill levels while having fun at the same time. The natural world has always captivated her interest and the introduction to fly fishing just seemed to feel right. From the challenges of saltwater to the technical skills of freshwater fly fishing keeps her busy planning new adventures to incorporate both passions, while still working full time job as an Orthopaedic Nurse in Sydney. Judith has travelled to many destinations around the World fly fishing, both fresh and saltwater. Judith will be running the Ladies - Lessons in Fly Fishing at the Expo. You will need to book.
Scott Fly Rod Company have spent 45 years working to perfect the design, craftsmanship, and performance of fly rods. Along this journey, they’ve developed a way of doing things that they call The Scott Difference. It’s focused on handcrafting every rod they sell. It’s driven by their love of the sport, the places it takes us, and the people we all meet along the way. It’s about striving to make the ultimate fishing tools. Tools perfectly suited to their fishing applications.
G Ser'es
It’s about an unwavering commitment to all the steps that go into handcrafting our rods. They live it every day in the shop, cutting precise patterns from custom made graphite materials, lovingly wrapping each guide by hand, right down to boxing them up for their journey to a specialty fly shop. It’s also about designing fishing tools that have a clear purpose. Rods that have not only been thought out on the drawing board but have been vetted in the hands of top industry pros long before they make it into your own. But most of all, it’s about the people. The people who handcraft exceptional fly rods, the people who fish them, and the people who believe there’s a better way to do things. There will be a huge range of Scott Fly Rods rigged up for you to cast at the Expo.
The all new classic from Scott
Not just a reintroduction - a reinvention, Model Table
JIM BARTSCHI - Scott fly rods Jim Bartschi is the President and Rod Designer for the Scott Fly Rod Company. He’s a lifelong angler with a passion for any species that will eat a fly. Asked about his favorite fishing, Bartschi replied, “I enjoy making new friends on new water just as much as fishing local water with old friends.”
We've elevated medium-action fly rods to new heights by creating rods that load deeply into their lower sections yet recover quickly and are directionally stable in all casting planes. We solved this design conun drum, in part, with two innovations. First, we reinvented the hollow internal ferrule to make it more flexible, stronger, and more than 20% lighter. And second, we engineered the most dynamic multi-modulus lay-ups we've ever created using our advanced resin and fiber composites. The results are rods that have great stability and tracking, and generate faster line speeds. This improves accuracy and turnover even in windy conditions. And even with those big performance improvements, G Series rods retain that smooth, full-flex ing action. We fit G Series rods with the most innovative and functional components like titanium stripping guides, Universal snake guides, and new micarta reel seat spacers. Along with that leading edge technology, we celebrate some of the classic visual cues from their heritage in features like the thread wraps and epoxy finished cork at the top of the grips. Like every Scott rod, G Series rods are handcrafted one at a time, in our shop by anglers who take pride in each and every rod they build. With over 40 years experience designing and crafting high performance medium- action fly rods, we've set yet another standard - the first rods to deliver full flex and flat loops. The all new G Series is like no other, and it's better than ever.
•
Tech Features ReAct
X-CORE
FIBERFUSE RESIN
UNIVERSAL GUIDES
� � ARC
MULTl·MOOULUS
TITANIUM
4 PIECE RODS GS 772/4
#2
7' 7"
a
GS 773/4
#3
7' 7"
a
GS 843/4
#3
8' 4"
b
GS 883/4
#3
8' 8"
b
GS 844/4
#4
8' 4"
b
GS 884/4
#4
8' 8"
b
GS 904/4
#4
9' O"
b b
GS 775/4
#5
7' 7"
GS 885/4
#5
8' 8"
b
GS 905/4
#5
9' O"
b
GS 886/4
#6
8' 8"
b
GS 906/4
#6
9' O"
b
NATURAL FINISH
MADE IN USA
Essential Flyfisher 105 York St, Launceston. Ph: 03 6331 8944 www.essentialflyfisher.com.au
sales@essentialflyfisher.com.au
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 17
MARTIN DROZ - World Champion Martin Droz is one of the world’s best ever fly fishing competitors and is the first ever multiple world champion (4 world championship gold medals) to guide in Australia! Martin has been passing on his river fishing skills to Australian anglers during his brief visits to Australia over the past few years. He has been employed by Fly Fish Australia as the skills coach and technical advisor for the Australian national fly fishing team. In 2017, his immeasurable contribution helped Australia to our best ever world championship result on mainland Europe. From European nymphing to dry fly and wet fly fishing, Martin understands it all. He is seen as one of the world’s best river anglers, and is also at home on Tasmanian lakes. Martin won a staggering thirteen international medals between 2004 and 2014! He has individually won: 1st place World Championships 2008 2nd place World Championships 2013 3rd place World Championships 2006 1st place European Championships 2012 3rd place European Championships 2014 Martin has also won four team World Championship gold medals, two silvers and one bronze along with three other European team gold medals! Martin’s first world championships was in Australia in 1999 and he has won multiple Czech titles and medals in his home country. His teaching and guiding experience extends throughout many European countries and across the globe. Amongst his peers there is no argument that he is the best in his field. His sense of humour, patience and humble, caring nature, endears him to all. With a resume never seen before on Australian soil, his popularity is obvious. Martin has come to Australia from the Czech Republic to guide for Rainbow Lodge Guided Fly Fishing Tasmania. Martin will be at the Expo both days, so drop by and talk to him about rods, lines, flies, techniques and more. You will find him hanging out at the Mayfly Tackle stand. Fishing News - Page 18
STEVEN OOI Steven will be presenting perhaps the most amazing collection of trout action photos ever seen in Australia. There will be photos for sale and these will be limited to a very small number. The gloss and lustre of these prints has to be seen to be appreciated. Stevens explains his passion below. ‘It all started as a child when I use to sit with a piece of string dangling from the end of a stick into a stormwater drain. Such was my obsession for fishing that even though my string had no hook tied to the end of it I would sit there holding that makeshift rod until I would fall off to sleep. This set the path for my obsession with fishing throughout my life. Some 40 years later and that passion is still as strong as ever, although these days I’m usually holding a flyrod or camera instead of that stick. Through the years I found myself more and more drawn to the visual aspects of fishing, there is something about being able to visually spot a fish, sight cast to it and then watch it as it slowly rises under your fly. That anticipation as you watch the events unroll is pure addictive, such is the buzz of visual presentations it just leaves you wanting more. Luckily with Tasmania being my home, I’m surrounded by an abundance of visual opportunities when it comes to chasing trout. Those early morning tailers in the shallow margins, the hopper feeders of the meadow creeks, those clear waters cruisers of the western lakes,
the leaping spinner feeders in the river or those caenid sippers are just part of that visual smorgasbord on offer for the fly fisher. Captivated by the behaviour of trout and mesmerised by many of the beautiful moments on the water, I found myself wanting to be able to capture a piece of that magic. Quite often things happen so fast on the water that it’s a blur, photography though gave me the ability to capture a tangible visual snapshot of that amazing moment. Thus my passion for photography grew, step by step and inspired by the great photography presented in magazines such as flylife I worked on crafting my photography skill base. My goal has always been to take photos that inspired me, that take me back to that moment on the water, it’s a privilege to inspire others along the way. These days I will be waiting out there for that elusive fish, perhaps to the point where I nod off to sleep again, but there is no place I would rather be. The exhibition photos you will see are printed using a unique Metal Print process: Metal Prints represent a new art medium for preserving photos by infusing dyes directly into specially coated aluminum sheets. Because the image is infused into the surface and not on it, images will take on an almost magical luminescence. The ultra-hard scratch-resistant surface is waterproof/ weatherproof and can be cleaned easily.’
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
CHRISTOPHER BASSANO Australian Champion Christopher has fished extensively throughout the world in both fresh and salt water in such places as New Zealand, South Africa, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, The United States, The Seychelles, Bahamas, Japan and many more. During the winter 2009 he guided in the north of Australia chasing Sailfish, Black Marlin, Giant Trevally, Tuna, Queenfish and Barramundi and others. He has fished practically every piece of water Tasmania has to offer and has a greater knowledge and understanding of the fishing opportunities. With over 20 years of experience, Christopher is renowned for his knack of finding fish – even on days when everyone else has packed up and gone home. Whether it’s fishing from boats, polaroiding fish from the shore, walking into the beautiful wilderness of the Western Lakes or fishing the delightful rivers and streams of the lowlands on foot or from our raft, Christopher loves it all. Christopher has a home on the banks of the St. Patrick’s River in Tasmania’s North East with his wife Krystal, and two daughters Sage and Sidney. The pristine freestone stream that runs through his garden offers wonderful fly fishing opportunities. In 2006, Christopher was the ‘Coach’ of the Australian Fly Fishing Team at the World Fly Fishing Championships in Portugal. Christopher has represented Australia at the World Fly Fishing Championships on four occasions – in Norway 2013, Bosnia 2015, Colorado 2016, and Slovakia 2017. He won both the individual and team gold medals at the Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships held in Tasmania in 2012. He is the current Australian Fly Fishing champion. In 2017 Christopher once again represented Australia at the World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia, where he finished an impressive 6th place overall individually. Christopher writes and has written extensively for many fly fishing publications in Australia and internationally and has been featured on the front cover of the Japanese “FlyFisher” magazine amongst others. Christopher has his own range of flies tied by the world renowned Fulling Mill company that are available for commercial same throughout the country. Appearing on many fishing shows on both television and DVD’s, Christopher also presented and produced the highly acclaimed “Tasmanian Fly Fishing Techniques Volume 1 and 2” - Tasmania’s best-selling fly fishing DVD.
GUS LAPIN - Manic Tackle Project Australian Sales and Marketing Consultant, Manic Tackle Project Gus Lapin is young in the world of fly fishing. Having spent two years abroad in the United States and Canada, Gus caught the fly fishing bug in some of the most beautiful places including Colorado, Alberta and British Columbia. Upon his return to Australia, he only had one thing on his mind, fly fishing. Having no experience or contacts in the industry he struggled to find a place in fly fishing in Australia. Gus decided to make the move to New Zealand where he landed a job with Manic Tackle Project. Fast-forward three years and Gus is now Manics Australian Sales and Marketing Consultant. He is an FFF casting instructor and continues to learn every day on the job. He has only scratched the surface of this wonderful sport, but it’s the thought of adventure, travel and meeting like-minded people that sustain his drive. He is a firm believer in the importance of sustainability within fly-fishing and equally, the positive effects it can have on us both mentally and physically. Gus will be on hand swapping lines, sorting rods and rigging all manner of stuff up for you to cast and demo from the Manic Tackle Project lineup.
SIMON TAYLOR - Manic Tackle Project Simon started fly fishing at the age of 8, most of his early years were spent fishing the Meander and other northern rivers. His favourite form of fly fishing is polaroiding, especially in the Western Lakes and he particularly loves to explore the more remote (‘back lakes’). He has fished for trout throughout Tasmania and other parts of Southern Australia (Vic, NSW and ACT),
both the North and South Islands of New Zealand and in parts of Europe. He also enjoys saltwater fly fishing and as well as fishing locally. He has fished for saltwater species in Queensland, Cook Islands (Aitutaki), Hawaii, Fiji’s outer Yasawa Islands, New Caledonia and had three trips to Christmas Island. Simon had a stint participating in competitive fly fishing; after coming second in the Tasmanian Fly Fishing Championships three years in a row (1999, 2000, 2001), he was lucky enough to win the Tasmanian Championships in 2002. He has represented Australia 4 times in international competitions, with his personal highlights being competing in the 1996 World Fly Fishing Championships in the Czech Republic, being a member of Australia’s gold medal winning team in the 1999 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships, in which he took home the individual silver medal. Simon has written articles for FlyLife Magazine and was recently asked to contribute to the book ‘Australia’s Best Trout Flies – Revisited’.
CRAIG RIST - Manic Tackle Project Craig Rist started fly fishing and fly tying for trout and many salt water species in Tasmania in 1986, when he was 14 years old. His passion for fly fishing has never wavered and he is constantly seeking out new personal fly fishing goals and experiences that are both mentally and physically rewarding. He is a regular contributor to Tasmania Fishing and Boating News magazine and FlyLife Magazine where he always endeavours to inspire its readers with his stories. Craig loves the fact that fly fishing makes him want to explore what’s around the next bend in a river, that remote Western Lakes tarn just over the next hill or that saltwater flat somewhere in Australia or on the other side of the world. This need to explore and experience new fly fishing destinations and species has taken Craig to many parts of Australia and countries around the world. Craig believes there is always something you can learn from other anglers experiences if you are prepared to listen. Instead of talking about himself he would much prefer to hear how well someone else has gone with a fly or even a lure or soft plastic to be happy for their success and to broaden his own understanding of his latest fly fishing target species in the process.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 19
SIMMS Simms Fishing Products is a high-end fishing equipment, accessories and apparel manufacturer in Bozeman, Montana. Simms is committed to lowering the barriers that stand between the world’s rivers, lakes and open waters and those who hear their call. Because we’ve seen with our own eyes the power our sport has to unite people, relieve stress, develop character, restore watersheds and ease personal suffering. Which is why we believe the more people who pick up a rod and take a cast, the better off we’ll all be. Simms was founded in 1980 by visionary angler and long-time river guide John Simms. Having spent decades
providing clients with life-changing experiences on the world’s most majestic rivers, John realized the waders available at that time weren’t up to the job of keeping the folks he was guiding dry, comfortable and safe on the river. Never mind the guides who, as he did, lived and breathed the sport 150+ days a year. So, he set about creating products worthy of a new generation of anglers who, like him, wanted to get out on the water earlier and stay out longer in any weather. By the late 80’s, John had put his namesake products on the map as the most rugged and dependable waders in the sport. Having set the company on the right path, he was ready to spend more time on the rivers he loved. After all, it was the reason he built those waders in the first place. At the same time, he wanted to ensure Simms would continue to craft the type of high-quality products the brand had become known for and anglers had come to depend on. In 1993 K.C. Walsh, a lifelong angler raised in a multi-generational fishing family, combined two of his passions, fishing and guiding companies to realize their full potential. K.C. had spent his career helping companies grow and flourish as a management consultant. With K.C.’s rare combination of devotion to the sport and deep management experience, those close to the deal knew Simms would thrive. And thrive it has. In the almost 25 years under K.C.’s leadership, the quality of Simms products has continued to improve, the workforce has continued to grow and the product line has continued to expand.
K.C.’s first order of business back in 1993 was to move Simms’ Headquarters to Bozeman, Montana. Relocating to Bozeman put Simms a stone’s throw from some of the most legendary fishing rivers in the world. And where there’s great fishing, there are great fishermen. Simms taps into the experience of these expert anglers, employing them at every level and in every role, from designers, developers and product managers, to wear testers, consultants and craftspeople. That first year also saw the release of Simms’ first-ever waterproof, breathable wader featuring GORETEX® construction. The wader was a ground-breaking success and would prove to be the beginning of a long and productive partnership between Simms and W.L. Gore & Associates. Since then, Simms has become known as a place the fishing industry looks for the latest advances in GORE-TEX technology. In 2012, Simms expanded its presence in Bozeman with a new 60,000 square-foot facility housing its corporate headquarters and wader production facility. The expansion has provided elbow room to drive product development, solidified Simms as the sole fishing wader manufacturer in the USA and showcases our unwavering commitment to high quality, U.S.-based manufacturing. Today, Simms is recognized as a global leader in the fishing industry and employs more than 180+ at its Bozeman headquarters. DON’T MISS the magic of Goretex demonstration. The qualities of Goretex will truly amaze you.
Pro XS FourStroke Performance Redefined Built on the legendary Pro XS reputation for superior hole shot, top end speed and durability. Mercury’s new 115HP Pro XS FourStroke redefines outboard performance. Visit mercurymarine.com.au to find out more.
Channel Marine Services Lot 10 Gemalla Rd, Margate Ph: 03 6267 1456 Tasmanian Marine Centre 21 Wellington Street, Longford Ph: 03 6391 1543
Fishing News - Page 20
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
TREVOR HAWKINS - Artist The ping of gravel, under tyres, sings through the air, as the driver door opens and a right leg appears. The door closes and the sound of water, spiced with the calls of birds and a telling breeze begins filtering down to attentive ears. The rear door opens and an exodus of gear begins. A special door into the world of a fly-fisherman has just opened. Come on in! But, this isn’t just any fly-fisherman. This is an artist/ fly-fisherman. A person who spends many days on and in the water, in pursuit of the intended focus: Fish. Being an artist, this fly-fisherman is keen to observe the ambient environment; the life all around as the pursuit-of-fish ensues. Elements of nature are not mere background, relegated to innocuous moments. No, they are - each one - valued elements of the full orchestra, just beginning to tune. This... is the world of Trevor Hawkins. Trevor hails from Victoria, Australia, and has been a fly-fisherman for more than five decades. As an artist since his teens, he’s always in pursuit of ‘the visual’. His search naturally culminates in a series of sketches and paintings, composed in his unique style. Fish and their environment are Trevor’s primary interest. His fly-fishing adventures provide many such encounters. Being an artist, and one who embodies his environment, he is constant, in-pursuit of image information of all types. Not neglecting the many birds, animals and other elements, natural to regular encounters. Trevor produces images, primarily in the watercolour medium, he can and will work in acrylic and does sublime pencil renderings as well. His interpretations come by way of an ingrained knowledge of anatomy, structure, environmental association and a primal sense of awareness. The ‘Hawkins Touch’, gives each work of art, an imbued embodiment of - his connection - to the subject’s inner marrow.
A Hawkins creation is not merely a thing of beauty, it is a rendering of the real thing. Whether it’s fly-fishing, birding, hunting, travel, or just daily living, a Hawkins work-of-art, is a story you’ll continue to relive for decades and beyond. Explore the engaging art world of Trevor Hawkins through his Facebook page, Trevor Hawkins. Contact him, via Facebook PM/Messenger or by email, at thawkins@lizzy.com.au. Trevor uses his artworks to support several non-profits in Australia and overseas, he often also gives his art to help individuals and clubs with special requests for help. He places a strong emphasis on supporting non-profits helping people suffering from depression and breast cancer research and rehabilitation. He also advocates for, and supports groups helping underprivileged children experience the outdoors and those working to encourage more young girls and women into fishing and hunting.
ANDREW SUMMERS - Mayfly Tackle Andrew Summers started fishing at the tender age of 3 drifting unweighted mudeyes with his dad and siblings in the Eildon area of Victoria. It was not until he found his father’s old fiberglass fly rod in the shed at 16 years of age that he discovered fly fishing, since that discovery some 32 years ago he has been fortunate to make his passion his career. Andrew has been in the tackle industry since 1997 starting his career in the Compleat Fly Fisher as a salesman, then moving into wholesale working for Mayfly Tackle as it general manager for 18 years. This roll allowed Andrew to travel the world searching for the latest and greatest fly fishing products with some of the world’s largest fly fishing brands being in his portfolio. Late in 2015 Andrew purchased the business from the previous owner. Mayfly Tackle is the only specialist fly fishing distributor based in Australia providing unsurpassed service to the industry. He is a wealth of knowledge on all things fly and in particular fly lines. Andrew will be in attendance at the Tasmanian
Fly Fishing Festival and will have a range of the latest fly lines and rods on the planet for attendees to test. Andrew also has a BYOR (bring your own rod) kit consisting of some 40 odd fly lines on reels for attendees to put through their own rod should they be in the market for a new line. Andrew loves talking fly so ensure you drop past and say g’day. The following is a list on what Mayfly Tackle Pty Ltd will have both on display and for attendees to try.
Scientific Anglers Lines MODEL / TAPER Line Weights AMPLITUDE Bonefish 7, 8, AMPLITUDE Grand Slam 7, 8, 9, 10 AMPLITUDE MPX 5, 6, AMPLITUDE Tarpon 10, AMPLITUDE Trout 5, 6, AMPLITUDE BWT 12 AMP Smooth Infinity 3, 5, 6, 7 AMP Smooth Trout 3, 4, 5, AMP Smooth Anadro 6, AMP Smooth Titan Long 8, AMP Smooth Bonefish 8, MASTERY ART 5, 6 MASTERY Expert Distance 120 5, 7 MASTERY MPX 3, 4, 6, MASTERY Titan 8, MASTERY Bass Bug 8, MASTERY SBT 4, 5, MASTERY VPT 3, 5, SONAR Stillwater Camo 6, SONAR Stillwater SD 1/3 6, SONAR Titan I/3/5 6, FREQUENCY Boost 5, FREQUENCY Magnum 6, MASTERY Saltwater Taper 9,
Orvis Rods MODEL Length/Wt Helios 3 F 8’4” 3 wt Helios 3 F 9’0” 4 wt Helios 3 D 9’0” 5 wt Helios 3 F 9’0” 5 wt Helios 3 F 9’0” 6 wtF Helios 3 D 9’0” 6 wt Helios 3 F 10’0” 6wt Helios 3 D 9’0” 7 wt Helios 3 F 9’0” 8 wt Helios 3 D 9’0” 8wt Helios 3 D 9’0” 9 wt Helios 3 D 9’0” 10 wt
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 21
WE CAN SER
Stormy Seas Jacket
$429 Bathiscope $69.95
Kinetic SA3 C/W GPS Epirb
Lowrance Hook 2 4XG C/W GPS
$279
Tackle Boxes
Huge Range Instore
$149.00 MT600G Epirb C/W GPS
$299
Plano Rod Tube
Small Bait Board $39.90 Rod or Rail Mount Available
59.95
Yeti
Rambler Tumbler 30oz
Yeti
Rambler Bottle
18oz $49.95 36oz $69.95 64oz $99.95
$44.95 Yeti
Full Outboard Cover
Up to 6hp $29.90 / 8 - 15hp $34.90 15 - 20hp $39.90 / 20 - 30hp $44.90 30 - 60hp $49.90 / 60 - 100hp $59.90 115 - 150hp $64.90 / 175 - 250hp $69.90
Rambler Tumbler 20oz
$39.95 Cush-It Gimbal Tubes Medium
59.95
Yeti
Rambler Jug
1/2 Gal $129.95 1 Gal $199.95
HUGE RAN
1300 MARINE Fishing NewsTrading - Page 22
Hours - Monday - Friday 8am-5.30pm & Saturday 8am-12.30pm - 6-8 West www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get theMornings fish.
RVICE YOUR INFLATABLE LIFE JACKET* Inshore Flare Kit $64.90
Tamar Marine are Trained and Authorised to service
*Axis, Crewsaver, Stormrider, Ultra, Burke and Marlin Inflatable Life Jackets.
Mustard Flasher Rig
$6.90
Pacific Budget Inflatable Yoke
$69.95
Amateur Craypot
$229 Hayabusa Whiting Rig
$9.90 Hawk Squid Scaler Bag
$55.00
Berkley Fireline $24.90
S E R U L T U O R T NGE OF
t Tamar Road, Launceston - tamarmarine.com.au - 1300627463 www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 23
Fishing News - Page 24
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Orvis Rods ... continued MODEL Length/Wt Recon 10’0” 3 wt Recon 9’0” 4 wt Recon 9’0” 5 wt Recon 9’0” 6 wt Recon 9’0” 8 wt Recon 9’0” 9 wt MODEL Length/Wt Clearwater 10’0” 3 wt Clearwater 9’0” 4 wt Clearwater 9’0” 5 wt Clearwater 9’0” 8 wt Clearwater 9’0” 9 wt MODEL Length/Wt Superlight SLT 9’6” 3wt Superlight SLT 10’ 3wt Superlight SLT 9’6” 4wt Superlight SLT 9’6” 5wt Superlight SLT 9’6” 6wt
Innovator Rods MODEL Length/Wt Innovator HLS2 7’6” 3wt Innovator HLS2 8’0” 4wt Innovator HLS2 9’0” 5wt Innovator HLS2 9’0” 6wt Innovator HLS2 10’0” 6wt Innovator HLS2 9’0” 7wt Innovator HLS2 9’0” 8wt Innovator HLS2 9’0” 9wt
RENE VAZ - MD Manic Tacle Project Since the age of 19. Rene Vaz has been highly involved (obsessed!?) in the NZ fly fishing and tackle industry. Rene is a past New Zealand Fly Fishing Champion and NZ team member, he is an FFF and STANIC Fly Casting Instructor, holds an Masters Degree with Honours in Fisheries Biology and Management and has worked for and advised a number of tackle companies throughout the globe. Basically, Rene lives and breathes fly fishing. Rene started Manic Tackle Project in 2008 from his garage at home and after a few years of hard work, late nights, large glasses of wine and some great customers they have successfully grown the company into Australasia’s largest and most respected fly fishing distributor. On working in this industry “ Who would have thought a misspent youth of playing with fishing gear in your room as a kid could turn into a career....”
The thing to remember is they were there in the beginning—pushing the envelope, refining ideas, changing how people thought about reels—and they’ve never stopped. They set out to engineer the best drag system possible: Zero start-up torque with adequate range. Smooth operation. Sealed from the environment. Reliable and maintenance free. Plus, compact, light and technically simple. No sweat, right? They imagined a mechanical solution for a reel that probably seems obvious today: storing line on a large-circumference spool supported by a lightweight frame. But typical drag systems of the time were based on flat counter-rotating discs. Counterproductive. It occurred to them that the same surface area of discs could be configured into a pair of matched cones machined with angular precision. This resulted in a significant reduction in the diameter of the assembly, making it small, light and easy to seal. They also found proprietary friction materials that produced zero start-up torque and could run without lubrication. Due to their proprietary conical drag, they set out to develop a distinct and efficient frame. The Power Arm frame design is a way of aligning the structural support for the spool along the primary load path. The primary load path for any fly reel runs from the center of the drag core to the reel foot. It’s logical to put most of the material along that load path. Any distribution of material not aligned with the primary load path will result in either a structure that’s too flexible—or heavier than it needs to be. The Power Arm design uses the least amount of material to achieve the maximum stiffness.
PRIMAL ROD CO.
YETI In 2006, YETI founders, brothers Roy and Ryan Seiders, set out to build a cooler without compromise. They were tired of handles breaking apart, latches snapping off, and lids caving in year after year. Ordinary ice chests were cutting outdoor adventures short and regularly costing money to replace. So, they decided to create a solution — to engineer a cooler that could keep ice for days, one that was durable enough for anglers to stand on and cast from, one that was completely different than any cooler that had come before it. That’s how YETI Coolers was founded, and when the legendary Tundra® Cooler hit the market. It was a cooler made especially for the serious outdoor enthusiast rather than the occasional camper. One that can get dropped out of a truck, dragged through the backcountry, withstand any weather, and still be game for more. One that is virtually indestructible and designed to be irreplaceable. YETI NOW Since 2006, we’ve built even more products taht stand up to the hazards of the wild so you can stay out longer, travel farther, and live harder. No matter where the wild takes you there’s a YETI ready to tackle your next adventure head on.
LAMSON WATERWORKS The Waterworks-Lamson is not a typical fly-fishing company. Their core expertise is in product design. Through innovation, invention, design and engineering art with the highest standards, the Ketchum based company has brought to market some of the most exciting fly reels the market has ever seen. The current product line, with reels like the Litespeed and new Cobalt, have established the company as the market leader in high end fly reels. All Waterworks and Lamson reels feature the patented Conical Drag Design. For 20 years, Waterworks-Lamson has set a bold benchmark for innovative fly reel architecture. Large arbour, lightweight, sealed systems, zero maintenance, advanced materials, state of the art machining, innovative and enviable styling—the list is long.
INSTINCTIVE PERFORMANCE, DEFINITIVE STYLE Primal Fly Rods is the latest brand to come from Manic Tackle’s house of brands. They deliver a high premium performance and finish quality in a customised range designed for NZ and Australian anglers at an affordable price. This rod range is intended to make a fantastic upgrade option for anglers who are looking to make the next step up having got into fly fishing with an entry level package. For those who enjoy the technology aspect of fly rods – At the heart of all Primal rods is a helical core of Nano matrix prepreg. In simple terms the first layer at the core of the fly rods are off-axis fibres that give the rods incredible hoop strength as well as torsional stability. This makes the rods not only strong but means they cast a very smooth tight loop with very little tip bounce and exceptional tracking. Less sideways movement of the rod blank while casting means more accurate, smoother casting. Another structural theme built into their reels: integrated counterbalance. Why hang a piece of hardware on a spool if there’s a simpler way? But simple isn’t always easier. Their earliest spools required a fair amount of trial and error to build the precise bias into the spool to counter the weight of the spin knob. For these guys, the elegance of eliminating a component and
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 25
AFTER DECADES BUILDING STAND-OUT WADERS , WE’VE DONE A ONE-EIGHTY.
Check these out at the Tasmanian Flyfishing Expo 10-11 November. 105 York St, Launceston. Ph: 03 6331 8944 w: www.essentialflyfisher.com.au email: sales@essentialflyfisher.com.au Fishing News - Page 26
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
then using the resultant asymmetry as part of the design made all the effort worth it. This simple, logical, but often difficult feature became essential to the personality of their reels.
C & F DESIGN Established in 1993, C&F Design have led the way in the design and innovation of fly boxes, fly tying tools and vices and fly-fishing accessories. Many companies have tried to copy C&F products, but no one does it better than C&F. Their unique products are the result of years of development in the lab and on the water, and it’s taken refinement by Japanese designers to create fly boxes, fly fishing accessories, and fly-tying tools with such exceptional functionality.
HATCH OUTDOORS The Hatch Outdoors mission is to make your angling endeavours better by providing you with quality tools that instil confidence and enhance your overall experience. We work hard to provide premium quality products that push the boundaries of design and innovation, and ultimately prove worthy of your investment and their name.
P¬NG¬
AIRFLO FLY LINES
Not happy with the PVC fly line technology of the day, Paul Burgess, a mad keen fly fisher, who also happened to be a qualified engineer, set about changing the process by which modern fly lines are manufactured. Moving away from the traditional tower system, Paul began extruding fly lines with computer-controlled systems that allowed for control over production accuracy previously thought impossible. That was the late 80’s, now over 20 years later, Airflo are the world’s leading manufacturer of solvent free fly lines and responsible for developing a series of innovations unparalleled by any other line manufacturer during that period. Whilst they may not have invented the fly line, innovation has been a keystone at every stage in our development, being the originators of JHDU EDJV LQ H[LVWHQFH Polyurethane coatings, creating the first welded loops, developing low stretch cores and even the world’s first density compensated fly lines. More recently, they’ve developed an advanced range of fly lines with Ridged coatings that reduce surface friction and improve shootability - each breakthrough offering a truly tangible improvement, not some invisible technology developed in the minds of the marketers. ‘Green’ or ‘Environmentally Friendly’ is something all fishing companies like to claim, and whilst we are more than happy to make you aware that our coatings are kinder to the environment, it was originally the search for a polymer that didn’t leach solvents, was unaffected by UV and ultimately just lasted longer that lead us to pursue Polyurethane as an alternative to solvent based PVC. The final result is what we believe to be the worlds most advanced range of fly lines and judging by the bandwagon we’ve created with our continuous stream of innovation, most of our competitors would seem to agree.
AVAILABLE FROM
ALLGOODS — TAMAR MARINE — ESSENTIAL FLYFISHER Panga Duffels leave ordinary duffels in the dust. These YETI bags are 100% waterproof, nearly impenetrable, and game for float trips, rodeos, and everything in between. So go ahead and drag it on the dock, haul it on the boat, or chuck it overboard — we did, and the Panga lived to tell the tale.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 27
He has guided anglers from all walks of life including Heads of State, Vice Presidents, Astronauts, Plumbers and Labourers, and is a Life Member Of Trout Guides and Lodges Tasmania. Fly fishing has taken him all over the World, for pleasure and competition fishing, in both salt and freshwater. Ken is an International Ambassador For Temple Fork Outfitters, and Pro Staffer for E J Todd, and Tonic Eyewear, helping to develop the best polaroids in the world. Fly Fishing is Ken’s life...
weight while creating an aggressive blend of power and strength. The result is amazing performance and an incredible price. BVK rods are fast action rods designed to excel in Presentation and Distance. The rich translucent olive blanks are topped with matching braided carbon fiber reel seats, our exclusive Tactical Series Stripping Guides, ultra lightweight chromium-impregnated stainless snake guides and flor grade grips that are comfortably contoured and uniquely contrasted. Available in 3 to 8 weight. (SW 6wt and above have full wells grips.)
KEN ORR - Guide and TFO tackle ambassador Ken Orr is a Professional Fly Fishing Guide and Certified Casting Instructor, who was mentored into a guiding career by Noel Jetson way back in 1979. Kens life has revolved around Fly fishing, as a third generation flyfisher, who landed his first fish on the fly at the age of ten.
GREAT GEAR
EXCEPTIONAL VALUE
TFO BVK Fast Action | Freshwater | Saltwater Engineered to the highest performance standards, the BVK utilises new materials that dramatically reduce
LIFETIME WARRANTY
TFO BVK Reels The BVK series of reels are machined aluminum and anodized for extreme use in fresh or saltwater. The super large arbor design gives these reels a huge line capacity and enables the angler to pick up line with incredible speed. The BVK reels feature a synthetic Rulon drag material that is maintenance free and encased to protect it from sand and debris. A one way clutch bearing eliminates start-up inertia and the reel is strategically ported to minimize weight without compromising rigidity of the frame or spool. Finally, it is anodized with a moss green colour to match the BVK fly rod family. Available in 5 sizes to cater for lines ranging from 1wt to 10wt.
Designed for hardcore anglers from all walks of life, at prices everyone can afford.
TFO Finesse Trout
Tim Rajeff - owner, founder and chief designer at Echo Fly Fishing. Tim recently visited Essential Flyfisher.
The best value kit on the market
TFO Finesse Glass
Top quality Echo rod - #4, #5 or #6 weight Quality Airflo weight forward flyline Quality Echo alloy reel with drag Protective rod and reel case Leader included Ready to fish $399
Offers all of the benefits of the Finesse Trout series, with the feel of a traditional fiberglass fly rod. Using a unidirectional S Glass foundation, the rods deliver smooth, accurate casts, plus super easy rod loading without the additional weight of traditional fiberglass rods. This series is a delight to fish on small technical water and epitomise their name – finesse. Available in 7’0” 3/4wt and 7’6” 4/5wt.
105 York St, Launceston. Ph: 03 6331 8944 email: mike@essentialflyfisher.com.au
Fishing News - Page 28
TRAVERSE
Designed by Lefty, Ed and Wanda for fly anglers focused on the flawless presentation of small flies and fine tippets. Using a more traditional, moderate taper and action makes this series perfect for delicate casts and offers excellent loop control at short to medium distances; as well, their surprisingly powerful butt section nicely accommodates longer casts whenever necessary and the ability to land a selectively feeding trophy without breaking off 6x tippet. The shorter rods in the series are ideal for spring creeks, small streams and tailwaters. Their soft tips allow an angler to feel the rod load with as little as 5’ of fly line outside the tiptop; at the same time, they turn over long leaders easily. Available from 5’0” 1/2wt to 8’9” 5wt
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
TROUT HUNTER
TFO AXIOM II Medium Fast | Freshwater | Saltwater Engineered to fit the angler (not the other way around), the Axiom II fly rods satisfy the broadest range of casting styles and strokes. Whether short and powerful or long and smooth, the rod will accept the caster without the need to adapt stroke to rod action. The A2 design is the most efficient energy delivery tool that Advisory Staff designers have tested to date. Easy to load, (bend) and quick in unloading, which also ensures accurate and true tracking. No bounce, shock and no wobble on the stop – A2 rods are smooth and efficient casting tools. Available in 9’0” 4pc from 5wt to 12wt.
Tino and Kobi Tino Pittiglio is 13 and has been a die hard fly fisherman since we first moved to Tasmania when he was 8. Even then he was known to spend 4 hours sitting on the bank of a dam trying to catch trout or salmon using dead flies he would collect from around the farmhouse. When Tino was 10 he started to tie his own flies and he attended his first Bronte Fly Fishing School when he was 11. He was hooked! He loves the ‘hunt’ that is fly fishing and especially enjoys reading the water and understanding the entomology required to catch fish. He also loves his fishing ‘mates’ - and will sit for hours chatting to them about their latest catch, what flies are working for them etc. He is very pleased to be returning to Bronte Fly Fishing School this year as a casting coach for juniors and participating this event.
Based on Henry’s Fork, of the Snake River, Idaho, USA - the Trout Hunter crew of guides possess an uncommon understanding of trout and what stands between reward and disappointment on the water. The tools of their trade are specialized to accommodate the demands of advanced trout hunting where any weakness in tackle or technique becomes fuel for failure. These guys are the highest level of their profession and stake their reputation on the quality and reliability of products uniquely suited for sophisticated trout on pressured waters. Award winning Trout Hunter products are designed and tested on the Henry’s Fork, proven worldwide and absolutely perfect for New Zealand and Australian trout fishing.
Whether nylon or fluorocarbon, Trout Hunter tippet material offers unsurpassed strength and reliability. These leaders afford the angler unprecedented levels of turnover and control. Trout. Hunter Fluorocarbon won the fly fishing industries “Dealers Choice Award” & recently won 1st Place at the “George Anderson’s 2012 Tippet Shoot Out”. Many features in the tippet and packaging system are unique and specific to the innovation of Trout Hunter. U.V Protective packaging, Waterproof packaging, 50-meter spools, Designed by fishermen
Kobi Lambert is twelve years old and has been tying flies since he was eight. A family friend started him off and it quickly became an obsession. He is mostly self-taught using books, DVDs and youtube. He has also been given plenty of advice and encouragement from other tyers. In order to fund his hobby Kobi began selling flies at local markets a few years ago. He has a regular stall at the Deloraine and Mole Creek markets each month where people love to watch him tie. Mike and Jules at the Essential Fly Fisher have also been very supportive of Kobi. Kobi has participated in the Great Lake Tie In and The Liaweenee Trout Open Weekend. Tino and Kobi met at the Bronte Fly Fishing Camp in the summer of 2016 and enjoy getting to catch up at fly tying/fishing events.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 29
LOON OUTDOORS Every angler puts a lot of thought into what he or she brings to the water. The team at Loon believe it is equally important to think about what is left there. That is what fishing with a conscience is all about; ascribing value to the health of the water we fish. They develop our products with these values in mind and make sure they are safe for fish, fisheries, and fishermen, without ever compromising quality or performance.
By offering reusable and biodegradable weights and indicators they make sure lost tackle doesn’t harm wildlife. Their floatants, sinkets and cleaners are solventfree and consist of water-soluble components that perform without polluting the water. And their tying paints, cements and wax are non-toxic and odourless, to keep tying benches free from harmful fumes. Loon will continue to develop products that help anglers protect the water they love while they are doing what they love. Their products will always allow anglers to fish with a (clear) conscience. Whether your goal is to catch the biggest fish or have the most fun, it’s easier to do both with the best products. They believe that if they make a product, it needs to be
the best. They rely on great people, great materials and great processes to make sure that every product they send out the door meets their high standards. Woven into the fabric of Loon Outdoors is the health of our fisheries and our environment as a whole. Passing these along to our kids and the next generation of anglers is as important as us enjoying them ourselves. Through our support of many environmental outlets, they do their best make sure that these fisheries are healthy for decades to come. They are proud to be a part of a great community of anglers and stewards of our environment. From their suppliers, their customers, their Ambassadors and everyone they interact with on a daily basis, they strive for respectful and meaningful community interactions and growth.
ECHO, LOOP and OPST Grant Febery, owner of Safari Supply Co (distributors or Echo Fly Fishing, Loop Tackle and OPST) and keen fly fisher, will be attending the Expo with plenty of new and exciting gear for you to try. ECHO Echo Fly Fishing will have demos of their exciting new rods - the River Glass series, new euro nymphing rods and Trout Spey PLUS popular current rods such as the Bad Ass Glass, EPR and One Hand Spey rods amongst others available for you to cast. ECHO is a small, personable company of fly-fishers residing in Vancouver, Washington. We are the vision of Tim Rajeff – the culmination of his huge personality and an outlet of both creativity and service to the industry. Currently, Rajeff Sports distributes Echo Fly Rods to the world and Airflo Fly Lines to North America. We strive to provide quality products and customer service to our fellow fly-fishers. As the founding father of Rajeff Sports, Tim tends to be busier than your average bald guy. When in the office, he spends all his time designing new lines and rods, addressing managerial-type-stuff or helping with customer service. When he’s out and about, he’s usually finding a reason to wet a line somewhere nearby or in far off lands. Tim’s extensive knowledge of fly rod design and performance stems from his early childhood patronage to the Golden Gate Angling and Casting Club in San Francisco, where he became a young and successful competition caster. Tim won a gold medal in the World Casting Games in single hand distance as well as winning the national overall fly accuracy and distance championship. Tim first began designing rods in 1980, and was one of the first people to use and adapt graphite fly rods in competition casting. After spending his youth fishing and casting in California and Oregon, Tim’s fishing career took a turn when he took a job working for the Fenwick Fly Fishing School in Montana during 1973. In 1985 he made the trek north and began guiding in Alaska, eventually moving on to develop and build the first fishing camps on Russia’s Kola Peninsula, 60 miles above the Arctic Circle. He spent six years managing Fishing News - Page 30
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
LOOP FLY RODS AND REELS LOOP will have their Cross SX and S1 series, plus Evotec Cast and Q rods, plus their famous reels available to cast and view. LOOP fly rods have had a niche following for decades. The adaptive Scandinavian casting styles for the multitude of conditions, fly lines, fly sizes and species targets became the genesis of the very distinct LOOP rod actions. LOOP’s distinctive rod actions allow for higher tolerances of casting stoke timing hence less biomechanical output for energy transfer to the casting line. LOOP’s ranges of actions are designed for every condition imaginable while acutely focused on angler endurance with the least amount of fatigue when spending long days on the water. LOOP’s range of rod actions covers all angling requirements from the bent knee on a small clear stream with a long leader on a 2 or 3 weight with a 16-18 dry fly to having the reserve power for punching large flies into a stiff breeze with the target closing distance quickly. No matter how challenging the circumstance – there is a LOOP fly rod for the occasion.
Semi Hardz
Y
CY
Hardz
MY
K
for
Seekerz
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
www.frogle
MY
Expl osive
CM
om.au
Plazos
ysoffshore .c
resu
lts
Metalz
tors:
M
OLYMPIC PENINSULA SKAGIT TACTICS Olympic Peninsula Skagit Tactics is a group of steelheaders who focus on Skagit-style swing fishing for everything from king salmon to trout. The Skagit River and the Olympic Peninsula have defined the products, the way they are fished, and the OPST philosophy. It is a company dedicated to maximizing fly fishing enjoyment and opportunities. The whole program revolves around Skagit casting, the most recently innovated “Spey” or anchor-based type of casting. It is their preferred methodology because of its wide latitude of angling versatility. It is distinguished Attomic PRINT.pdf 1 31/08/2017 3:03:53 PM from other Spey-type styles of casting by its use of a casting mechanism known as the Sustained Anchor. The
Sustained Anchor is key to Skagit casting versatility and at OPST they strive to optimize that effect by utilizing SAS (Sustained Anchor Systemology). By concentrating on SAS, the utmost potential of Skagit casting is achieved. We call the entire concept “Pure Skagit”. From casting delicate soft hackles out 60 feet with a 3 weight, to blasting four inch, weighted steelhead flies through sideways wind and rain, to bouncing heavily-weighted crayfish patterns into wood-lined bank pockets for smallmouth- it can all be accomplished through the use of Pure Skagit. In other words, this is one casting concept that can effectively meet the demands of many different angling situations. This singular focus also equates to a quicker route of learning and achieving effective casting consistency and proficiency. Such a versatile casting system is dependent on particular casting knowledge and skills. At OPST, a vast wealth of Skagit casting knowledge and skill, along with steelhead fly fishing and fly tying experience, is represented by a fly fisher who has been in on the development of Skagit casting since the beginnings: Ed Ward. Ed’s is a name long associated with Skagit casting and its related innovations- Skagit lines, “radically” short sinktips, sinktip tactics for steelhead, and “radical” steelhead flies such as the Intruder. His expertise on “all things Skagit” is of the highest caliber. The famous OPST Commando Heads PLUS the new Commando Smooth Integrated lines in a range of weights with a focus on single-hand and micro-skagit will be available
Distribibu
C
these camps before returning to the states in 1994. Upon his return he began working for a premium domestic rod manufacturer, where he worked as head of the engineering department and the Fly Brand Manager. Until 2001, he worked learning the ins and outs of fly rod design and manufacturing. Try ECHO at the Fly Expo.
Fishing News - Page 31
Where the wild ones are. In the heart of the Western Lakes region on Tasmania’s Central Plateau, Thousand Lakes Lodge is the ultimate base for your next wild trout fishing adventure. Known as the land of a thousand lakes, the area has many alpine tarns formed by ancient glaciers. The Lodge, only 1.5hrs drive from Launceston or 2hrs from Hobart, has undergone a remarkable transformation — from former Antarctic training facility to premium alpine accommodation. Experience world-class fishing in this remote yet stunning World Heritage Area, then retreat to the warmth and comfort of the Lodge. Enjoy premium guided experiences or create your own adventure. Explore the Lakes and discover the real Tasmania. Book now at thousandlakeslodge.com.au
thousandlakeslodge.com.au facebook.com/ThousandLakesLodgeTasmania Central Plateau Tasmania, Australia
Fishing News - Page 32
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
LITTLE PINE LAGOON - Fishery Performance assessment (April 2018)
During 17-19 April 2018, IFS conducted an in-lake survey at Little Pine Lagoon to assess: • the CPUE (Catch Per Unit Effort) for brown trout, • the population structure, and • the condition of fish. Over two nights, IFS set 104 box traps and captured 482 brown trout, with all areas of the lagoon surveyed. Fish weighed and measured consisted of 362 brown trout for fork length, with the remaining 120 brown trout counted only. The CPUE for brown trout was 4.64 fish per trap, indicative of a high abundance of fish. Of the 482 brown trout captured, 50 per cent were female, 36 per cent male, and the remainder immature fish. The average weight for all fish, including immature fish, was 917 grams. The average weight for fish over 300 mm was 1 044 grams, with 85 per cent of the fish measured being greater than 300 mm length. The growth of fish was good, with all fish displaying a healthy weight for a given length. Just over ten per cent of fish grew to over 500 mm with no signs of larger fish being in poor condition. There was good evidence the recruitment of brown trout has been consistent across several years with all length classes present.
However, recruitment resulting from 2016 spawning was not well represented, despite favourable conditions during winter/spring. There were still reasonable numbers of fish surveyed in the 220-320 mm size range. The overall condition of brown trout was good, with 92 per cent in the fair to excellent range. There was no evidence of excessive harvest, with significant latent fishing effort apparent over the last six years. In summary, Little Pine Lagoon has a high abundance of brown trout across a wide range of sizes. The vast majority of fish are in good condition and the growth of fish, relative to most other waters, is good. The annual harvest relative to fish abundance is sustainable and present fishery management actions are supporting the fishery.
ANGLER SURVEYS
IFS conduct an annual Angler Postal Survey (APS) to get measurable information on recreational fishery e ach y e ar. We m ai l a w r i t t e n questionnaire at the end of the season to a sample of licence holders. Shown right is a summary of the top ten rivers and top ten lakes and lagoons below. A full report of the Angler Postal Survey (APS) results for the 2017-18 is published on the IFS website.
Ranking of fisheries based on results of the 2017-18 APS Ranking Water Catch Rate (fish per angler per day) yingina/Great Lake 1 1.34 Woods Lake 2 2.77 Arthurs Lake 3 0.84 Penstock Lagoon 4 2.35 Bronte Lagoon 5 1.39 Little Pine Lagoon 6 1.52 Four Springs Lake 7 1.29 Bradys Lake 8 0.96 Craigbourne Dam 9 0.89 Tooms Lake 10 1.63 Lake Echo 11 2.73 Lake Leake 12 1.11 Lake Burbury 13 2.32 Brushy Lagoon 14 1.00 Meadowbank Lake 15 1.51 Ranking River Catch Rate (fish per angler per day) 1 River Derwent 0.5 2 South Esk River 1.23 3 Mersey River 2.38 4 Meander River 1.49 5 Tyenna River 2.09 6 River Leven 0.77 7 Brumbys Creek 0.72 8 Macquarie River 0.96 9 North Esk River 1.75 10 Huon River 0.48 * Catch rate = all fish species combined as fish per angler per day
STRAIGHT TO THE
P
Angler No’s 7 112 5 485 5 039 3 149 2 860 2 414 2 283 1 653 1 496 1 469 1 364 1 259 1 181 1 128 1 076 Angler No’s 2 467 2 257 2 257 1 915 1 679 1 338 1 207 1 023 1 023 971
int
PRECISION - POISE - POWER
Featuring tailor made ranges for both bait and lure fishing as well as for estuary, offshore, barra and bream specialities. Arrowz is equal parts precision, poise, and power.
Designed for Australian species and anglers with the most advanced materials, including Fuji components and performance focused full-graphite blanks.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 33
BIG STREAMERS BIG TROUT Craig Rist ties them and tries them
T
rout the world over will eat big baitfish given the chance. The trout that swim in Tasmania’s waters are defiantly no exception. If they can get hold of a big protein hit by eating a smaller trout or bait fish, they will. Like all predatory fish trout will seize an opportunity to eat another fish that is struggling to swim, triggering an instinctive opportunistic response to capitalise on an easy meal. Fishing News - Page 34
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Lake Crescent
Lake Crescent is the home of monsters.
The golden galaxias of Lake Crescent can grow up to around 8 inches long. After they have spawned over winter these golden galaxias can be seen dying, floating and kicking near the surface during the first few months of the season. The big fish of Lake Crescent
take this easy meal whenever they get the chance and will also hunt down the smaller juvenile galaxias that live in the open water. This is the perfect time to tie on a big streamer fly that is 2 or even 4 inches long to represent a large baitfish. Another good reason to use
a big bulky streamer in this lake is to make it stand out and push some water to get noticed in this dirty water which is heavily laden with silt from the wave action on this shallow lake. I like to fish the edge of the marshes where they meet the open water in this lake. This is mostly blind fishing, so casting to structure like the edge of the reeds and exposed weed beds makes it a little more interesting than blind flogging open water. The depth of the water along these marshes are from 2 to 4 foot deep so a floating fly line with a 10 or 12 foot leader is all I use. When the big streamer hits the water with a splash, I like to give it some time to sink and a chance for any fish nearby to move towards it. Then it’s just a slow wounded baitfish type of retrieve back. Like most big trout lakes in Tasmania, they don’t come easy. Persistence and the acceptance of going home without a single touch is needed to keep coming back until this lake finally gives one up to the fly.
Western Lakes
For me the real appeal of these lakes is the sight fishing opportunities they provide, in pristine environments. Many of these lakes contain the native galaxias and the ones that do usually hold good size fish. These are nowhere near the size of the golden galaxias of Lake Crescent but they still make a valuable meal for the trout that share the same water.
Match the hatch.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 35
Remote lakes can have a good population of galaxias, so fool them with a big streamer. Early and late season are the best times to try large streamers because these are the times when they are looking to put on condition outside of the summer hatches and the influx of terrestrial activity on the highlands. Classic rabbit fur style streamers and Woolly Buggers fished inert ahead of a cruising fish is a great way to start. The fly sinking or drifting down with the wind is usually all the movement that is needed to get their attention. When that mouth closes on the fly I set the hook. When it all comes tight there is no better feeling. If they are not responding to an inert presentation a constant retrieve away from them as they approach the fly will often do the trick. Un-weighted flies that sink very slowly are the best for both situations because a lot of the time these fish are barely moving close in along the shore or they are holding stationary in an ambush position waiting for the bait fish to swim onto them. When sight fishing is no longer viable due to the weather, I still wear my polarised sunglasses to pick out any submerged rocks, deeper channels or weed beds that are always worth a cast. With the shaded areas being my first choice to fish a streamer. Strangely enough when it rains this will improve visibility into the water with polarised sunglasses, therefore I rarely take them off in any weather when I’m fishing the Western Lakes. Fishing News - Page 36
Jig Head Streamers
For deep water work in lakes or rivers where bait fish are on the menu I really like the jigging action from streamers that are tied on soft plastic jig head hooks. Like any weighted fly the casting stroke needs to be adjusted to keep the fly well away from the rod tip to prevent an unwanted breakage. I like to swing the back cast out to one side and then adopt the usual forward casting stroke until the final cast is made. In the rivers these heavy jig head flies work really well to cut though those deep fast runs to get down to the fish near the bottom which are almost always missed with the more traditional streamers fished on a floating line. Like all streamer fishing finding the right retrieve on the day is usually found by mixing it up. Even no retrieve at all will sometimes work. Fish will take it on the sink or when it is stopped anywhere through the retrieve on the “hang” can be deadly.
Foam Head Streamers
It’s very natural for a trout to take a wounded or dying bait-fish clinging to life at the surface. Big streamers can be made to do exactly that, simply by tying in some foam at the head of the fly when it is being created. This is
Tied on a jig head designed for soft plastics.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Going back to grow some more. as close to dry fly fishing with a streamer as you can get, and it can work really well in the Western Lakes and during the white bait runs in our rivers in spring. If I am tying a foam head streamer I always like to tie in some heavy wire in at the bend of the hook to make the tail of the streamer hang down. This will leave the foam head of the streamer just bulging at the surface. In the Western Lakes a streamer like this will work best if the lake has a population of galaxias and the trout are used to eating dying baitfish. When trout are charging into the lakeshore to take galaxias there is very little warning when it’s going to happen. One minute they are there and the next they are several meters away. A streamer that sinks has to be fished back so that it doesn’t get snagged on the bottom. Repeated casts with a streamer can often line these fish and blow your
chance. This is where the foam head streamer shines, because it can be cast out and left floating above the rocks and weeds until the trout finds it. A very small twitch to the fly every now and then will ring the dinner bell to any trout swimming nearby. This same fly can be used to blind search the water, just like a big foam dry fly. During the white bait runs in spring , trout will charge into the shallows to attack the bait then return to deeper water. A foam head streamer that looks
like a white bait or small galaxias can work well if the cast is made immediately after an attack to intercept the trout returning to deeper water looking for wounded baitfish. The take is unmistakable as the trout’s head emerges from the river to suck down the streamer. Like I said, it is as close as you can get to dry fly fishing with a streamer and is loads of fun to use. Craig Rist
A creation coming off the vice.
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 37
Fishing News - Page 38
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
6-8 WEST TAMAR ROAD. LAUNCESTON. TASMANIA 7250 PHONE (03) 6331 6188 FAX (03) 63342681
www.tamarmarine.com.au www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Fishing News - Page 39
Sunline’s newest braid SIGLON PE offers incredible performance at an amazing price! Made from EX-PE fibres, SIGLON PE offers a tightly woven braid that provides superior abrasion resistance, a very thin diameter for its breaking strain and minimal stretch. It is very easy to manage with a stiff yet ultra-smooth and round profile and is available in striking colour options. Available in 8 carrier PE (PEx8) and 4 carrier PE (PEx4).
PEx8 150m: Light Green, Orange, Multi Colour PE0.3 (5lb) to PE3 (50lb) 300m: Light Green, Orange, Multi Colour PE0.6 (10lb) to PE10 (130lb)
PEx4 150m: Light Green PE0.2 (3lb) to PE3 (50lb) 300m: Light Green PE1 (16lb) to PE3 (50lb)
Outboard Technology
LAUNCESTON’S ONLY AUTHORISED MERCURY MARINE SERVICE CENTRE
• MERCURY MARINE SALES AND SERVICING • SERVICING ALL BRANDS OF OUTBOARDS • TRAILER MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS 8 L EGAN A PARK DRIVE, LEG ANA PH : 6330 277 ZAN E@ CJMARINE.COM.AU
Quality service and repairs to all Outboard Motors
Southern Region David Gillespie 6248 9080 or 0417 562 859
96 Clifton Beach Rd Sandford Tas 7020 Fishing News - Page 40
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
The Miracle Worker RECREATIONAL SEA FISHERIES NEWS October 2018
ROCK LOBSTER NEWS SEASON OPEN DATES
All Waters outside the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone: Open from 3 November 2018.
Dr Mark
East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone: Open from 8 December 2018.
SEASON CLOSED
Can repair, renovate, rebuild, replace, redesign or renew just about anything to do with boats, trailers, propellers and other general engineering stuff. If it is busted, bent, broken or dinged.
Dr Mark Tapsell can fix it
Eastern Region (including ECSRZ): Closes 30 April 2019. Western Region (Females): Closes 30 April 2019. Western Region (Males): Closes 31 August 2019.
Why have the season dates changed?
The open date for the recreational rock lobster season has been delayed by three weeks in part of the Eastern Region, termed the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone (ECSRZ) to constrain the recreational catch.
Transiting Seasonally Closed Areas
You cannot possess pots, rings or rock lobster in the ECSRZ including the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and waters between St Helens and Eddystone Point during the closed season for that area.
Biotoxin Closures
Fishers should check the status of biotoxin zones before going fishing.
EAST COAST STOCK REBUILDING STRATEGY
Rock lobster stocks on the East Coast reached historically low levels during 2011-12. In response, a strategy to rebuild stocks was developed which aims to rebuild rock lobster stocks to greater than 20% of the unfished stock (or virgin biomass) by 2023. To achieve this goal we need to leave more rock lobster in the water by limiting the total catch each year between Eddystone Point and Tasman Head. This area is called the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Zone (ECSRZ). The East Coast Translocation Program, moving lobsters from the south west to the east coast, will also assist rebuilding.
For new boats, new trailers, general fabrication, design or rewires.
Dr Mark Tapsell can do it Miracles - No problem
Aluman Engineering 424 Hobart Rd, Youngtown TAS 7249 6343 3341
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Benefits for recreational fishers
Higher stock levels will mean better catch rates for fishers. More rock lobster will help limit numbers of long-spined sea urchins in healthy kelp beds and reduce the risk of barrens forming.
How is the recreational catch limited?
To reduce the recreational catch, bag limits and seasons have been decreased. Surveys of licensed fishers in the Eastern Region monitor the total recreational catch each year.
How is the commercial catch limited?
A catch cap or maximum commercial catch trigger is set for the East Coast each year. When the catch approaches the trigger, the commercial fishery in the ECSRZ closes until the following March. Fishing News - Page 41
How do we know if the Strategy is working?
IMAS report the biomass for each stock assessment area in annual stock assessments so the progress towards achieving the 20% goal can be monitored. To keep the strategy on track, further management changes may be introduced.
Hobart: - November/December 2018. Time and venue to be advised. Burnie: - March/April 2019. Time and venue to be advised. More information at: www.fishing.tas.gov.au/seafishing-aquaculture/community-resources/fisheriesforums
Read the Strategy
Need more information?
You can read the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Strategy at: www.fishing.tas.gov.au/sea-fishing-aquaculture/ sustainable-fisheries-management/fisheriesmanagement-strategies/east-coast-rock-lobster-stockrebuilding-strategy
The areas below are closed to the taking and possession of squid and calamari during the dates listed to protect spawning calamari.
The Leven
The Leven
North Coast
1 - 31 October 2018 inclusive: All waters from Cape Grim east to Cape Naturaliste.
East Coast
15 October to 14 November inclusive: All waters south from Lemon Rock (south of Wineglass Bay) to the northern end of Marion Beach (south of Maria Island) and includes Coles Bay, Great Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage. See maps at: www.fishing.tas.gov.au
The Recreational Fisheries Section partners with IMAS researchers to undertake Recreational Fisheries Forums in different areas around the state. The dates for regional forums align with Recreational Fishery Advisory Committee meetings (every 3 - 4 months) to make the most of travelling fishery researchers and managers attending RecFAC. Please email us at fishing.enquiries@dpipwe.tas.gov. au to suggest topics about fishing in your local area. Public recreational fisheries forums are planned for the following areas: Fishing News - Page 42
• Get a copy of the Recreational Sea Fishing Guide from Service Tasmania • Download the Tasmanian Sea Fishing Guide app
Tasmania n i e d a M your - to suit g spirit. n i r u t n e v ad
SQUID CLOSURES REMINDER
FISHING FORUMS
• Go to www.fishing.tas.gov.au; or www.facebook. com/FisheriesTasmania • Phone: 1300 720 647 or 03 6165 3233 • Email: fishing.enquiries@dpipwe.tas.gov.au
Little Henty camper - this is a great camper The Leven slide on camper is constructed from light weight for couples who want a very light weight fully slide on with extensive customization Litt fibreglass panel and hasinsulated outstanding insulation properties. options. So make it suit how you want to live while on the road. With seven models in the range for c The aerodynamic shapeand of Leven only looks great, but is threethe of them set for those whonot travel alone we have it covered. insul functional saving you fuel on those long road trips. The electric optio powered roof gives the Leven it’s stylish exterior and the camper whil able to be used evenmodels with the roof down. Security features in interior is designed to allow the maximum TheisLeven - One of seven Aussie Traveller and double use ofsecurity space. Thedoor, features include a pull out and The the LevenLeven slide oninclude camper isthe constructed table which be stored when windows with lock down pointscanthat ensure a not needed we h fromglazed light weight fibreglass paneltriple and has andfitted comfort-able faceistodesigned face seatingtoin a strong durable seal. The quality interior outstanding properties. Phone : 03 6437 2791 emailinsulation : and drafting@penguincomposites.com.au of durableinclude fashion fabrics. The allow aerodynamic shape of the Leven the maximum use ofnotspace. choice The features a pullThe sleek kitchen features storage, only out lookstable great, but is functional youwhen which can besaving stored not design needed andoverhead comfortplenty of draws, and a choice of gas fuel on those longtoroad trips. The electric able face face seating in a choice of durable fashion fabrics.or electric hotplate. A fridge is also included in powered gives the Leven it’s stylish The roof sleek kitchen design features overhead storage, of the camper so you will plenty have everything you exterior and the camper is able to be used draws, and a choice of gas or electric hotplate. A fridge is also need including the kitchen sink. even with the roof down. Security features included in the camper so you will have everything you need Customise to suit your needs. in the Leven include the Aussie Traveller including kitchen security door, andthe double glazedsink. windows The Leven slide on camper is constructed from light weight fibreglass panel and has outstanding insulation properties. The aerodynamic shape of the Leven not only looks great, but is functional saving you fuel on those long road trips. The electric powered roof gives the Leven it’s stylish exterior and the camper is able to be used even with the roof down. Security features in the Leven include the Aussie Traveller security door, and double glazed windows with triple lock down points that ensure a strong and durable seal. The quality fitted interior is designed to allow the maximum use of space. The features include a pull out table which can be stored when not needed and comfortable face to face seating in a choice of durable fashion fabrics. The sleek kitchen design features overhead storage, plenty of draws, and a choice of gas or electric hotplate. A fridge is also included in the camper so you will have everything you need including the kitchen sink.
with triple lock down points that ensure a strong and durable seal. The quality fitted
Phone : 03 6437 2791 email : drafting@penguincomposites.com.au
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
Boat trailer wheel and tyre
St Helens
Your every need catered for • Eight en-suite cabins • Convenience store • Hot takeaways • Groceries • Newspapers • Boat parking • Fuel • Bait and tackle • Boat and car wash
Dunbier and early Holden pattern
around $90ea 62 Hopkins St, Moonah 6228 0274
Hillcrest Tourist Park and Mini Market
100 Chimney Heights Rd. St Helens 6376 3298
Gone Fishing Charters
• East coast estuary and bay • Whiting, Bream, Salmon, Garfish, Flathead, Squid and more • Soft plastics, lures, fly and bait • 5.8 metre sportfishing boat.
Gone Fishing Charters St Helens Michael Haley 0419 353 041 mhaleycharters@bigpond.com www.breamfishing.com.au
Fish
World class fishing in the heart of the central highlands
Stay in a luxury art deco 3 bedroom cottage Atmospheric Highlander Arms tavern on the doorstep 3 course meal provided each night Catch your own salmon in Tarraleah lake and learn how to prepare it with expert chef 18 lakes within 30 minutes drive
(03) 6289 0111 info @tarraleah.com www.tarraleah.com
cosy wood fires
wine & whisky tasting
www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.
guided fishing trips
great pub
Fishing News - Page 43
Know your lifejacket
Better safety and facilities for Tasmanian boaters
Incorrectly worn or fitted lifejackets may not work effectively Make sure yours; • Fits • Is serviced regularly • You know how to use it • If it is inflatable - is it auto or manual inflate? Explain that to the crew
Scan the QR code above or go to www. mast.tas.gov.au to see MAST’s lifejacket awareness video. Incorrectly worn or fitted lifejackets may not work effectively
MAST spend $1,000,000 every year improving your recreational boating facilities around Tasmania. THE BOATWISE COULD
Apply any time for better boating facilities. Go to www.mast.tas.gov.au
SAVE YOUR LIFE. DOWNLOAD IT NOW.