A solid brown trout from Four Springs caught on an unweighted nymph.
Lake Techniques for a New Season By Casey Pfeiffer
T
asmania seems to have almost an unending list of spectacular lakes to explore, so with a whole new trout season ahead of us now is the time to get out on the water and enjoy the early season fishing. Although hatches and surface action can be slower during this colder part of the season, there is still some seriously good fishing to be had using a range of techniques if you are willing to look below the surface. In this article I will cover my favourite, and most effective early season lake tactics.
Where There are so many lakes to choose from that fish well in the early season. On the lowlands I love to visit Four Springs Lagoon, Lake Huntsman and Lake Leake.
In the Highlands both Penstock Lagoon and Arthurs Lake are consistent producers, however extreme weather conditions in the Central Highlands means you need to be very aware as the forecast changes very quickly. In fact it pays not to make plans until the day of, because forecasts even the evening before can be way off. But no matter the weather, there will always be somewhere exceptional to fish and the fish are usually very hungry.
Setting a drift While I have spent time fly fishing from the banks, fishing from a boat ‘loch style’ is my preferred way to target trout. Loch style is simply fishing from a boat, drifting with the wind, with the boat controlled by a drogue set from the port side of the boat. When
it comes to drifting the lakes, a drogue is the most important piece of equipment to have. It allows you to not only slow the speed of the boat, but also steer, meaning you don’t have to use your petrol motor as much and in turn disturbing the water far less. Using a drogue, you can silently fish into the banks focusing on the shallows, or you can drift away from the banks targeting the deeper water. Although there are several types of drogues, my personal preference is a PVC drogue, with a little chain on the bottom to help it sink to depth quickly, and pool noddle floats at the top. I also like my drogue to be connected to the boat using a rope in one continuous loop threaded through the side railings. This allows me to pull the drogue easily in either direction from my seat, with no need to stop fishing!
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Fishing News - Page 11
