Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 057 2005 August

Issue 57 August - September 2005

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• Top trout and salmon lures • Atlantic salmon • IFS news • IFS preview Tasmania’s top waters • Jan’s flies • New products • ABT bream tournament • Live Wells • Sarah’s kitchen

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Mail Order - Overnight service Fishing News - Page 2

CONTENTS

Atlantic salmon the hard way - Scott McDonald

4

The top nine trout and salmon lures - Damon Sherriff

8

Inland Fisheries news and season preview

Tasmania’s top water - Rob Freeman IFS

12 - 16 17

Sarah’s kitchen - Sarah Sherriff 22 Fishing and Boating Calendar 22 Fishing in the water - Barry Hickman

23

New products 26 Subscriptions and Back issues 27 Fishing and Boating Directory 28 Classifieds 29 Jan’s flies - Jan Spencer 30 Bream tournament - Leroy Tirant and others

31

New products and reviews 36 Add a live well to your boat

ALLGOODS

My Say As I finish this column, the trout season is just about to start. Many of the lakes are low, including Great Lake, which is historically low - getting a boat on it is difficult. Whilst some angler are complaining that the lake is so low, some anglers are excited. These anglers are expecting some of the best fishing for years from Great Lake as weed beds become exposed to light and the fish will take advantage of the exploding food life. In fact just as I was typing this a friend rang and told me of two tremendous rainbows they had caught from the shore using Squidgies. They had been walking the shore and fishing an area with a little drop off. The rainbows were in superb condition and the three browns they also caught were also in excellent condition.

Hydro Tasmania, in association with MAST will put in some temporary boat ramps in Swan Bay and Boundary Bay. This is welcome and we be a boon to those who do want to use a boat. Trolling will be a test, but may be well worthwhile. Look out for many exposed rocks, stumps and reefs.

So don’t be negative about low water levels. It will rain, but they will not necessarily improve the fishing.

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Other exciting news is that on the ABT Bream Tournament. There will be two qualifying events on 17 and 1 October with qualifiers competing in the final 8 October. I don’t think I have seen people so excited about a competition for years. It is a no-kill tournament run along the lines of mainland tournaments.

You need a boat - or a mate with a boat of at least 12’, plus a live bait well to enter. Cost is $130 per person and covers all three events.

Contact Leroy Tirant on 0428 347 736 for more info.

Mike Stevens

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Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News

All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

37

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Fishing News - Page 3

Atlantic salmon the hard way T

he first Atlantic salmon eggs used to begin Tasmania’s Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry were introduced into Tasmania in 1984. From these humble beginnings a valuable Tasmanian industry has evolved with a worldwide reputation for having a premium disease free product. This industry provides a spin off to all anglers in the form of regular escapes of salmon from the farms.

The D’Entrecasteaux channel region contains Atlantic salmon farms over most off its length. Locals soon hear of recent escapes on the grapevine and grab all nets appear off every headland or rocky outcrop. For an angler lucky enough to be on the water within a few days of a large escape, world class fishing can be experienced. At other times though, these can be an elusive fish that exists in small numbers throughout the channel region. Most escapee salmon are captured in the gill nets within a short period of escaping.

While specifically targeting these fish can result in many fishless trips, without specifically targeting the Atlantic salmon your catch rates will be non existent. Despite this drawback, they are a fish that I greatly enjoy catching with them being an excellent fighting fish when caught on light tackle and an exceptional table fish.

My last two trips were fairly typical in the way that I target these fish. On the first of the two trips I was tossing a two inch single tail soft plastic lure using a 5wt fly rod. On this occasion I reached the shoreline I wanted to fish after around twenty minutes paddling. I had correctly anticipated that the small amount of wind present would make me drift slowly parallel to the rocky shoreline.

Want to win this Prize? picture denotes model only

All Atlantic salmon that I have caught, and also that I have seen caught, have come from within close proximity to the shoreline. The only disclaimer here is those caught adjacent to fish farms.

This shoreline was exactly what look for when targeting Atlantic salmon in the channel region with a deep drop off, good kelp cover in close to the rocks and small schools of pretty fish present along its length. After around half an hour of casting the small soft plastic lure and retrieving using small intermittent strips I was woken from my daydreams by the little 5wt suddenly coming to life and buckling under load while the drag sung its sweet music as a energetic speedster panicked upon feeling the hook.

All I could do at this stage was to keep the pressure on and let the fish run as there was no way I could muscle this fish on the 5wt. With my kayak being slowly dragged in its wake the fish headed out into deeper water. This has been my saving grace when fighting these fish on light tackle as if a fish that powerful wanted to run straight into the kelp, I would never land one on the tackle I use.

After five or so minutes of progressively shorter runs the fish was revealed to be what I had thought it was and was a nice Atlantic salmon just over two kilos. While small compared to some of the escapee salmon caught at times it was still a welcome capture. All I had to do know was to land it. I don’t carry a landing net on my kayak making do with a small gaff but I thought that my best option would be to beach the now tiring fish.

With the Atlantic salmon now well under control and lying beaten on its side by the side of the kayak I changed angles on my rudder so I was now on full lock to push me

with the current’s assistance towards the shore. After several minutes I reached the shoreline where I beached both the kayak and the Atlantic salmon and snapped off a couple of photos of the fish.

On the second of these two trips I was out paddling in my kayak and decided that since I had thrown a rod into one of the rod holders I it wouldn’t hurt to have a troll for a while. I often do this although mostly all I am rewarded with for my efforts are the dubious prizes of barracouta and small Australian salmon.

On this occasion though, I thought that it may had been worth my trouble as I had taken the Atlantic salmon mentioned above only three days earlier.

I had been trolling alongside rocky shorelines for around an hour before my small overhead outfit buckled to a solid strike.

Again the fish ran towards deeper water away from the weed and rocks. A see-sawing battle evolved with the fish neither taking much line but taking instantly back any line that it yielded.

By this stage, the fish was directly below the kayak but still fifteen or so feet below the surface of the water. Due to the water being discoloured from all of the recent rains, the fish still wasn’t visible. Suddenly the fish took a fast but short run and then jerked a couple of times. It then took a fast and fairly long run before just becoming a light but dead weight.

Thinking what the hell is going on here, I quickly retrieve whatever was now on the end of my line. As it surfaced besides the kayak I noticed that I had just caught the front half of an Atlantic salmon which would have been around the 2 kilo mark had it been a whole fish.

I immediately lowered the still bleeding salmon back in to the water in the hope that Approximately 50 minutes from Launceston Airport. whatever had taken a piece Half way between Campbell Town and Swansea. of it would come back for the rest and allow me to see what it was. When nothing happened I threw the fish into the kayak and paddled into a nearby beach to take a photo of what was left of my salmon.

While the ending of my last trip was certainly unusual in the way it ended, how I had originally hooked the fish was using one of my most productive methods of targeting these fish.

This method involves slowly trolling small bibbed minnows, metal spoons or soft plastics alongside lightly weeded rocky drop offs. If schools of pretty fish are present and there has Phone 03 6381 1329 been a recent escape of salmon Email:lakeleake@bigpond.com Website:www.lakeleakechalet.com.au continued on page 6........

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Fishing News - Page 5

A two kilogram Atlantic salmon turned lightweight after it was attacked by something, unknown, under my kayak. you can feel reasonable confident that you may see some action.

When trolling small soft plastic lures I favor 1/16oz jig heads as this lightly weighted head ensures that the lure tracks a couple of inches below the surface. When fishing this rig I use two or three inch single tail plastics.

I use single tails because these have a good action when retrieved at a constant speed. While fishing this shallow running rig I will also troll a bibbed diving minnow.

On sunny and calm days I troll a black deep diving bibbed minnow. This has proven to be a reliable colour and lure pattern for me over the years. Early or late in the day or alternatively if there is a bit of chop on the water I troll shallow running bibbed minnows in natural baitfish colorations. Small metal spoons have also produced the goods for me in the past and many successful anglers that I know swear by and use this style of lure almost exclusively.

All Atlantic salmon that I have caught and also that I have seen caught have come from within close proximity to the shoreline. When I say this I mean Atlantic salmon which have been caught in a salt water environment.

Salmon in freshwater dams do not seem to do this. I

have found that unless you are fishing adjacent to a fish farm, if you are more than twenty metres off shore you will not get a Atlantic salmon. Most salmon I have seen caught have been hooked within ten metres of the shore. I have found that the best way to target these fish is to use your trout lures and your trout gear.

Atlantic salmon are very similar to trout in many of their habits and trout fisherman can use these shortcuts to taste success much quicker. Small spinning rods and reels spooled with 2-4kg line are ideal. Unless casting very light lures I tend to use small overhead outfits.

Again when using this style of outfit 2-4kg line is perfect and allows these sports fish to give a demonstration of their fighting prowess.

For those anglers that wish to tackle these fish on fly, a 5-6wt outfit will be more than adequate. While I have seen Atlantic salmon over 6.5kilos caught in the D’Entrecasteaux channel, the clean fighting habits of these fish allow specimens of this size to be successfully handled on trout gear. Get out there, have a go you can’t catch them sitting watching T.V. in your loungeroom.

Scott McDonald

Some lures the author finds work well for him.

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Damon’s top nine trout and salmon lures for 2005-2006

The author’s son helping test some lures.

T

here are many lures on the market at the present. The soft plastics have taken the fishing world by storm. I must admit that I am no fan of them myself. I still enjoy using more traditional lures such as balsa minnows, deep divers, spinners and cobras. I find the smart hard body lure fisher can still keep up with or even out fish the plastics with the right formula.

Trolling Tips

There are a few key elements to make a successful lure troller. The first and the most important is boat speed. I find the most productive speed is dead slow, even trolling with cobras. This gives the fish more time to decide if he will strike or night. I find the best trolling speed about 2 km/h. If you can’t slow down your boat maybe the use of a troll-a-matic device that attaches to the cavitation plate of your outboard that slows your trolling speed down immensely.

Another very important aspect of trolling is to cover the water column efficiently with a spread of lures. The use of a shallow running lure and a deep diver or the use of a lead core line or down rigger will give you a great chance of finding where fish are feeding. 

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  

 

Fishing News - Page 8

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     

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Top 10 Trout/Salmon Lures No.1 Mcgrath deep diver

This would have to be my favourite trout/salmon lure.

It is made of balsa and come with two sets of chemically sharpened treble hooks. The thing that I like about Mcgrath’s is that they have a great shimmy action at low speed that is irrisistable to most trout and salmon. They are Australian made and come in a large range of airbrushed colours. My favourite colours for trout are yellow attractor, yellow C.D, frog, white tiger, green and brown and brown trout. For atlantic salmon I prefer the colours fluro carp, fluro tiger, cobra, deadly attractor and green carp. They work best trolled or cast with a slow retrieve. They will dive to a maximum depth of 3 meters.

No.7RapalaGlassShadRaps No.3Pro-Troll/Echipsluresandflashers No. 8 Rapala Husky Jerk No. 4 Tillins King Cobras

No.2 Rapala tail dancer 5cm

This is another top deep diver for trout and salmon.

They have an excellent tail wagging action when trolled, or cast and retrieved. Like the Mcgraths they work best in deeper impoundments and dive to around the same depth.

Unfortunately the Australian rapala market has a limted colour range and the best colours are available from the worldwide rapala market. If you would like to access these colours come and have a chat to me at Charltons Fishing. My favourite colour is fire tiger.

No.2RapalaTailDancer5cm No. 9 J.J’s Stunt Jumpers No.1McGrathDeepDiver No. 6 Tillins Ashley Spinners

No.3 Pro-Troll/Echips lures and flashers

These lures are only new to the Tasmanian tackle scene but should take it by storm. They have been designed for trout and salmon in the USA and have proven themselves as a front runner in the lure market. I was fortunate enough to try some of these lures before they became available and have had some success. The main two that I like in the range that I tried were the trout killer and the sting king. The E-Chip lures

and flashers all have a small inbuilt emitter built into the lure which creates small electronic pulses through the water column which immitates a wounded bait fish. They also come in a great range of colours. I have had some good results on the Lake Barrington salmon with the Pro-Troll E-Chip Flashers.

I trolled these deep on a lead core line before my lure.

No. 5 Sting Cobras continued next page ........

Pride Fishing News - Page 9

No.4

No. 5

No.7

Tillins King Cobras

Sting Cobras

Rapala Glass Shad Raps

One of the oldest cobras on the market and Tasmanian made. Thy have a great action and run very shallow. They are great for drift spinning amongst snags. It is very easy to control the depth of the lure. They also troll really well either flat line or on a lead line. I tie my own teaser flies on a black magic KS size 1 single hook. This method gives the lure extra length and an articulated motion. I have had great success on Lake Barrington atlantics using this method. King cobras also have an extensive colour range with some very natural looking colours. My favourite colours are nos. 42, 44, 46, 63, 71, 62, 47 and 58. All of these colours are red hot on trout and salmon. King cobras are also the only cobras with the green jewel cut eye, which glints light reflection to help entice any wary fish into strike mode.

Another great Tasmainian cobra and produced in Launceston by Robert and Tony Morecroft. Sting have a great airbrushed finish and are heavier than most cobras. They work best at slow speed where they have a great tail action. Stings come with a single true turn trolling hook and bead. You also have the option of swivel rigged, split ring rigged or teaser fly rigged which are all available in pre packs. Stings also work well trolled deep on a lead line. They have some great colours such as the glow grub and the grey feather which are very innovative and top fish catches.

No.6

Another top trout/salmon catcher. They are a deep running lure with a tight running action even at low speed. Glass Shad raps are a clear transparent plastic lure with an inbuilt rattle to attract fish from a distance. They have a few good colours but my favourite is the fire perch. My son Ben has had a lot of success on this one. There is a picture of him and a lovely atlantic salmon that he spun up on the front cover of this seasons inland fisheries code book with a rapala glass shad rap in its mouth. It is Bens favourite by far. Rapala shad raps dive to about 2.5 meters, but it does depend on the size that you are using. I would not go fresh water fishing without one of these in my tackle box.

Tillins Ashley Spinners

No. 8

After working in a busy city tackle shop you get a fair idea of what works and what dosen’t. Tillans Ashley’s are by far Charltons Fishings biggest selling fresh water lure. They have been around for over 40 years and have proven themselves to be top fish catches. They are designed for spinning for either from a boat or off the shore. Some anglers give them an action by a stop wind start wind motion.

This is very effective. Like the King cobras they have a superb finish and are very uniformed.

2006 Their foil based colours are catalogue just favourites such as numbers arrived 14A, 14B, 14C,14D, 22 and 29. Ashleys are also Tasmanian made on the banks of the Tamar River.

NEW

Lifestyle Marine

Rapala Husky Jerk

A great lure by Rapala. They are a suspending lure, which means that when you stop winding they stay neutral in the water column making it very easy to control the depth. They come in shallow and deep diving versions and also come in a plastic glass finish and a balsa style just like the shad raps. I like using these lures in the larger sizes like 10 and 12 centimetres.

They really sort out the size of fish that you catch. They troll well on both flat line and lead line. My favourite colours are fire perch and baby bass.

No. 9 J.J’s Stunt Jumpers

This is a great trolling lure for trout and also very popular for native species on the mainland. They are a deep diving lure that come with two interchangeable bibs. The first will dive to around 2.5 metres and the second to around 4 metres.

Stunt jumpers were designed in Australia but are now mass produced overseas. They come in some great tout colours and are very effective on big fish. Another lure that I highly recommend that you have in you tackle box.

If you have any problems accessing these lures give me a call or come in and see me at Charltons and I will try and help you out. I hope you have a great start to the new trout season starting on August 6.

Dry Street, Launceston Anthony Stagg Ph 6331 9507 or 0427 318 410 WWW.lifestylemarine.com.au

Good Luck Damon

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Fishing News - Page 10

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17 Wilson St Burnie Ph: 6431 5039 Fax: 6432 4039 Fishing 23/6/05 News 10:25:18 - PageAM 11

News from Inland Fisheries Service Letter to the Editor Fishing and Boating news

Sale of Brown Trout

Lake Crescent

The issue of Inland Fisheries selling brown trout to Private Fisheries has generated a great deal of debate amongst anglers, and opinion regarding the benefits, has been divided.

Great Lake, which is the source of brown trout offered for sale, has a very large population of brown trout. This lake could accommodate a much larger angler harvest than it currently experiences, and the fact that it is under fished creates its own problems. For instance, it has meant that for many years, Great Lake has had a high proportion of old fish many of which have been in poor condition.

In order to use this brown trout resource cost-effectively, the Service has transferred adult fish from Great Lake to stock other public water. There has been no detrimental effect on the lake’s fishing performance as a result. All of the fish are sourced from Liawenee Canal, leaving the many other streams around the lake untouched. The run of fish in Liawenee alone is huge, with over 50,000 fish present on any given day with a much larger number running over the whole spawning run which typically goes from April to June.

This year, the Service decided to take a limited number of fish for sale to private fisheries in addition to those destined for public fisheries. Up until mid July a total of 4,070 trout had been sold at a rate of $6.80 each, which returned a total of $27,676 to the Service.

All of the money raised from the sale of brown trout is used to fund various public waters stocking programs. This includes adult brown trout into waters such as Bradys and Curries, trophy Atlantic salmon into Craigbourne and Barrington, and rainbow and brook trout into many other waters.

On balance, given the resource available at Great Lake and the benefits to the recreational fishery as a whole, I consider that the sale of limited numbers of brown trout is sustainable and will not adversely affect the performance of the Great Lake fishery.

John Diggle Director of Inland Fisheries

It had been nine years since anglers were allowed to fish at Lake Crescent due to the presence of European carp, so when this water was reopened at the start of last season, the fishing began with a rush. Good quality brown trout in the 3-4 kg range were caught early, mostly in the outflow canal but fish were also caught out in the lake.

Water levels were not ideal over the past season, being low and failing to flood the marshes. When this does occur, the fishing should be spectacular and Lake Crescent may regain its reputation of old.

The water was dirty due to the low water level last season and did not produce the best fishing. Looking into the water, it is hard to understand how the trout find their prey but given that they do and are growing big and fat, they must also be able to see a lure.

When the lake calms off, lots of big fish can be seen on the surface all over the lake, chasing bait fish. Anglers who have pursued these fish and persisted in presenting a lure in front as they cruise around on the surface, have had some great fishing. Some good rainbows - up to 3 kg - have also been caught by anglers casting to them as they feed in close along the rocky shores.

With all of the stocking that the IFS has undertaken at Lake Crescent over the past five years, and evidence of the fast growth rate of the fish, anglers interested in chasing trophy fish should be putting in some serious time on this water.

Lake Sorell

This lake showed glimpses of its past glory last season as the water level rose to within 200 mm of being full.

As the water backed into the marshes the fish started to show up along the edges. The water quality improved markedly last season due to higher water levels and, if this trend continues, the fishing should improve.

The condition of the fish has certainly improved from the lean years of the mid to late 1990s when the trout slabbed as the water quality deteriorated.

The trout are now in generally good condition but numbers are still low. Despite this, some good fishing will be had if the fish are attracted into the marshes with adequate rains this season.

Anglers should note that the Service is still attempting to eradicate carp from these waters and that fences and traps have been installed to assist the carp management program. Anglers should be aware of these physical restrictions, which may interfere with their recreational use of the lakes, and that regulations exist governing interference to these IFS structures.

In other words, anglers should stay well clear of these structures at all times.

Chris Wisniewski, Senior Fisheries Inspector (Carp)

Licence sales are up

Latest figures show that the Service’s recreational licence revenue for the financial year 2004/2005 to May 2005 was up 9% on 2003/2004 figures. This indicates an upward turn in licence sales over the past two years, halting the previous trend of declining sales of the past decade, and it goes against a national trend away from angling in inland waters towards marine fishing.

Positive licence changes made

Reforms to simplify the licence product category and price, were proposed last year and discussed with stakeholders and angling groups. Those changes that were successfully introduced for the 2005-06 season include:

Sage fly rods from $199 (Limited stock) Sage fly lines from $89.95 Columbia full mesh vest $75 Breathable waders from $350 Exclusive Buy: Fully insulated neoprene waders $289 now $189 NEW from Simms: Rivertek convertible Goretex waders Rapala lures from $9.95 Rapala braid (130 m) from $24.95 Korkers wading boots. Lamson reels. Sage fly rods. Vision.

G. Loomis. Hardy reels. Scientific Anglers. Innovator. Redington.

Phone and mail orders welcome.

71 Bathurst Street, Hobart (Next to Book City)

Phone 6234 3791 Fishing News - Page 12

1. ‘Rounding down’ of the price of a standard licence to the nearest dollar or fifty cents after applying the Government’s Fee Unit increase (a standard annual index for CPI application to government fees); 2. Extending the time period of short term licences, so that a 14 Day becomes a 28 Day Licence, a 3 Day becomes a 7 Day Licence and a 1 Day becomes a 24 Hour Licence.

Renewal forms sent out

Renewal forms were sent to 22,217 Annual Licence holders at the beginning of July 2005.

A range of simple payment options have been provided again this year, including payment over the phone or internet, or in person at Service Tasmania shops or through one of the many private agents (eg tackle stores) throughout the State.

The Service worked hard to prepare the licence holder database for the mailout and fewer incaccuracies in address details occurred. The only real change to renewals this year, was a reduction in the 16 digit payment number. This was reduced to a 10 digit number, making it easier for customers and agents to transcribe and fewer errors.

Win a Boat Promotion

This year, the Service embraced the real business world, and has offered an extra incentive to customers for buying an angling licence, and doing so earlier in the season.

Seen as a revolutionary step for government, the Service will give-away a prize of a boat, trailer, motor and fishing gear worth $10,000 to a lucky angler who purchases an Annual Licence before 31 October 2005. Anglers will automatically go in the draw to win, and the winner will be announced in December.

The Service is grateful for the support of its sponsors for this promotion, including Eastern Shore Marine, Yamaha, Dunbier and Stacer, as well as Marine and Safety Tasmania (MAST) and the Tasmanian Branch of the Australian Fishing Tackle Association (AFTA). An added bonus of the promotion is the positive relationships being forged between industry and government, enabling further ideas for promotional partnerships to be investigated and developed.

Sarah Burton, Marketing and Communications

Stocking Tasmania’s Inland Fishery Wild versus domestic trout

Tasmania’s fishery, which is based on wild trout that thrive in its myriad of lakes and rivers, is recognised as one of the worlds finest. The term ‘wild’ does not mean that trout are native to the island but that they have formed self-sustaining populations since their introduction in the 1860s. Trout are classed as a wild strain if they result from parents that have spent the majority of their life not in a hatchery.

The brown trout that live in Great Lake provide the State with the majority of its wild strain brown trout for stocking. The adult brown trout that swim up the Liawenee canal to spawn are stripped of eggs and milt. The fertilised ova are taken to the Salmon Ponds where the fish are raised to a size suitable for stocking. The appropriate size for stocking is dependent on whether the receiving water has a population of predatory fish, such as other trout and redfin perch, and also whether there is adequate cover for small fry to take refuge.

However, not all of Tasmania’s trout fisheries are self-sustaining. A lot of fishery management activities undertaken by the Service, are aimed at maintaining trout populations through stocking. Between July 2004 and July 2005, for instance, the Service stocked nearly 500,000 fish into public waters around the State.

Brown trout fishery

The brown trout is the species that Tasmania is perhaps best known for and it is the brown trout fishery that attracts anglers from interstate and overseas. However, resident anglers influenced by the experience of the generations that have gone before, have come to expect and appreciate the diversity of the Tasmanian fishery. This is reflected in the multiple species management approach at a number of waters throughout the State.

Brook and rainbow trout have existed in the State for over a century and have established self-sustaining populations in a few locations. However, generally, they do not co-exist with brown trout particularly well. Where they co-exist, brown trout nearly always have the competitive advantage over rainbows because they breed earlier. In the case with brook trout, browns are able to tolerate a wider range of conditions and diet. As a consequence of this, it has always been necessary to stock brook and rainbow trout in order to provide a multiple-species trout fishery.

Even for brown trout, not all fisheries are based on self-sustaining stocks. Where redfin perch occur or where spawning facilities are inadequate, there is usually poor recruitment of stock to the fishery. In these cases it is necessary to stock trout in order to maintain a population of a size suitable to host a recreational fishery. Often this may be done not only with the progeny of wild strain brown trout but also with the adult brown trout themselves. In the last couple of seasons, for instance, the transfer of adult brown trout has played an important part in resurrecting fisheries such as lakes in the Bradys system and Lake Crescent.

Rainbow trout fishery

Great Lake is an ideal source of wild rainbow trout ova for growing out at the Salmon Ponds hatchery and restocking. It has a large enough population of rainbow trout combined with adequate facilities to trap spawners. These wild strain rainbows are used mostly to restock Great Lake in order to boost the population size and guarantee the survival of the fishery. Without this restocking, the wild rainbow trout population at Great Lake would probably suffer further decline.

Increasingly, the need has been for large numbers of rainbow trout fry to be stocked at Great Lake. Most recently the Service, in conjunction with Saltas, which trialed rearing wild rainbows in its commercial facilities at Wayatinah, has been able to restock larger size rainbows of 20 grams, thereby increasing the probability of survival.

Brook trout fishery

Brook trout have always struggled to co-exist with brown trout in Tasmania such that they do not appear to be able to recruit or self sustain where brown and rainbow trout are present. One of the first places where the species was stocked and established as a wild population, was at Lake Leake.

The population thrived at Lake Leake until it was stocked with rainbow trout in the early 1900s when the brook trout declined and eventually disappeared. In 1963, another self-sustaining population of brook trout was established in Tasmania, this time at Clarence

Lagoon. This population has persisted as have more recently established populations at lakes Rolleston, Plimsoll and Selina. The one thing these fisheries have in common is that brook trout are the only salmonoid species present. Domestic stock of brook trout have been kept at the Salmon Ponds hatchery for many years to ensure that there is a supply of the species should the wild population crash.

The downside of this strategy is that the gene pool of this “reserve” stock is very small, and this is not favourable for the survival of such stock should they be needed to reseed a population.

New stocking opportunities

Since its inception in the 1860s, the Salmon Ponds has been the backbone of the State’s trout stocking efforts. However, with a higher priority being placed on stocking activities there has been an increased demand on production beyond the capacity of this ‘old style’ hatchery. Due to its location and the increasing scarcity of water from the Plenty River, high temperatures have lead to unfavourable conditions for raising small trout and the Service has had to consider alternative ways of obtaining reliable stocks beyond fry size.

Domestic rainbow trout

In recent years, the Service has managed to use a number of commercial hatcheries for obtaining domestic rainbows for stocking.

Domestic rainbows are used in fisheries where wild strain fish are not necessary, such as waters where redfin perch populations exist or spawning facilities do not provide adequate recruitment. Examples of this type of fishery are Brushy Lagoon, Craigbourne Dam and

the Waterhouse lakes. Usually commercial hatcheries donate fish that are surplus to their requirements. Last year, in order to better manage stocked waters, the Service sought to guarantee a supply of domestic rainbows from commercial hatcheries for stocking public waters at a regular rate.

Brook trout bonuses

In 2001, the Service set up an agreement with commercial hatcheries to agist brook trout for display (Snowy Range Fisheries) and trial sea cage farming (Sevrup Fisheries). In return, these commercial hatcheries have provided a percentage of their production to the Service for use in stocking. In 2002, the first of the progeny of these commercially reared brook trout were given to the Service as fingerlings, and in each year since, the Service has received at least 12,000 yearlings.

As a result of this agreement, the number of waters that the Service has been able to stock with brook trout has risen dramatically.

For instance, since 2002, brook trout have been stocked at Bronte Lagoon, Bradys Lake, Brushy Lagoon, Craigbourne Dam, Meadowbank Dam, Trevallyn Dam, Lake Kara and Lake Leake. However, these populations are not expected to be self-sustaining at these waters.

The stocked fish are at takeable size.

Thus anglers are able to capitalise immediately on the stocking. These domestic brook trout have also proven themselves to be less fussy than their wild counterparts, often voraciously attacking trolled lures as well as baits and flies. They are a valuable drawcard, therefore, to young anglers willing to take up freshwater fishing. continued on page 14.....

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Fishing News - Page 13

Trophy Atlantic salmon

The large quantities of Atlantic salmon produced in the State by sea cage farming, require sizeable broodstock populations that need to be replaced.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Atlantic salmon were stocked in a few locations with only moderate success. Generally sub-adult fish were used, and negative to poor growth resulted. One drawback with using Atlantic salmon for freshwater stockings has been their apparent inability to feed in their new environment and consequently they tend to ‘slab-out’ or lose condition over time.

From 1997, Lake Meadowbank has been stocked with large (4–9 kg) ex-brood stock

Atlantic salmon. This has been a drawcard to Lake Meadowbank for southern anglers, particularly early in the season when the fish are in their best condition.

Similar stockings were undertaken at Pet Dam and Curries River reservoir in 2001 and 2002. However, problems associated with having large numbers of anglers fishing in public water supply dams, have precluded further salmon stockings at these waters. In 2004, Lake Barrington and Brushy Lagoon were chosen as replacement venues for northern salmon stockings and proved to be a big hit with local anglers.

In 2004, Sevrup Fisheries and Saltas offered the Service large quantities of big ex-brood stock Atlantic salmon for use in

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public fisheries. This opportunity led to the Service being able to use Atlantic salmon as an alternative species for regular stocking.

As a result, Craigbourne Dam, Bradys Lake and Lake Trevallyn have been added to the list of fisheries receiving regular stockings of trophy sized Atlantic, and they have all had an increase in popularity amongst anglers.

Trophy Atlantic salmon are now a keenly pursued target, particularly at Craigbourne Dam and Lake Barrington with some very large fish, up to 12 kg, being caught at both waters. The fish released into Lake Trevallyn have provided good sport for anglers fishing around Launceston and some of the fish stocked there have been captured as far away as Hadspen.

The introduction of Atlantic salmon into waters like Meadowbank, Barrington and Lake Trevallyn has brought anglers back to previously under-fished fisheries. As a result of this initiative anglers are now becoming aware of the quality of the brown trout that exist in these waters and how best to catch them.

Adult trout transfers - an important stocking strategy

The use of adult brown trout to restock fisheries that either do not have spawning facilities or suffer from poor recruitment has been a long practiced management strategy in Tasmanian inland fisheries management.

In the past, Hydro Creek at Arthurs Lake and Liawenee Canal at Great Lake, were the primary source of adult brown trout for restock into other waters. In recent times, trout that have been electro-fished from overpopulated streams, have also been used in understocked fisheries such as Brushy Lagoon and the Waterhouse Lakes in the north east of the State.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of trout were transferred each year.

In 1974, for example, 13,600 trout were transferred from the Central Highlands (from Hydro Creek and Liawenee) to other waters around the State. Throughout the 1990s and early this decade, transferred brown trout were only used for the Nineteen Lagoons waters, Penstock Lagoon and Pawleena Lagoon.

The total number of trout transferred was around 1,200.

During 2002, the number of adult brown trout transferred increased markedly to around 5,300 with the majority going to Lake Crescent in preparation for a reopening of the lake.

Over 8,500 fish were transferred in 2003, with a large number going to the Bradys system of lakes. The lakes of the Bradys system had fallen in popularity amongst anglers over the past decade, and reports and surveys indicated that trout stocks there were less than what they were in the 1970s and 1980s.

Surveys of anglers’ catches in the 200304 season, indicated the 2,000 brown trout transferred to Bradys, Binney and Tungatinah during May 2003 made a real difference to the number of trout caught by most anglers. The number of anglers fishing the system in the last two seasons has increased significantly.

Last season saw the reopening of Lake Crescent to angling for the first time in nearly ten years. The transfer of adult brown trout from Liawenee to Lake Crescent in 2002 appears to have been crucial to the re-establishment of the fishery. The growth rates of the trout from 2002 to 2004, when the lake was reopened, were astounding with fish growing from an average size of 1 kg to 2.5 kg. Many of these fish have continued to grow and some are now above 4.5 kg.

Adult brown trout have continued to be transferred in large numbers for the past two years. The Mersey River, Brushy Lagoon and Lake Barrington have been added to the list continued on page 16.....

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of fisheries that will continue to receive a boost from this stocking strategy.

Stocking waters near population centres and with multiple species

In order to ensure the long term commercial viability of the Tasmania Inland Fishery, the Service has sought to retain the existing number of licensed anglers, while attracting new fishers to the sport. It is logical, therefore, to develop waters close to population centres.

Hence, Craigbourne Dam, Curries River Reservoir, Brushy Lagoon and Lake Barrington, have been the focus of stocking efforts over the past year. With the exception of Curries River Reservoir, these waters have become multiple-species fisheries and have had high numbers of stocked fish. This can be seen in the stocking lists for each species. Stocking waters with more than one species of fish is a strategy aimed at providing a diversity of fishing experience for the State’s resident anglers.

The Service examines the performance of fisheries using a number of methods, including feedback from anglers through the Angler Postal Survey. Another important measure are results of the creel survey, which is conducted in conjunction with licence checking Fisheries inspectors. Whilst it is too early to assess the effectiveness of the current stocking strategies, it has been evident from the creel survey, that more anglers are fishing waters close to population centres and more importantly, anglers are catching good numbers of fish.

It has also been very encouraging to see young anglers fishing these waters with their parents and finding success by catching a fish.

A story in the Service newsletter “Angler News” March edition was a great illustration of the new stocking strategies working. Melanie Fulton, a 6-year-old budding fly fisher, managed to catch two rainbow trout, a brook trout and a brown trout in a couple of evenings of fishing at Bradys Lake.

The Service publishes all its trout and salmon stockings on a monthly basis in the electronic newsletter Angler News. If you wish to receive a copy of the newsletter, send your email address to infish@ifs.tas.gov.au and request to be put on the mailing list for Angler News. Alternatively, copies are available on the IFS website www.ifs.tas.gov.au.

Tim Farell, Fisheries Management Biologist Inland Fisheries Service

Table 1. Brook trout - domestic stock Water Date Age Number Origin Adults Bradys Nov-04 Adult 60 Cressy Craigbourne Dec-04 Adult 350 Snowy Range Advanced fry Craigbourne Dec-04 Adv Fry 6250 Snowy Range Bronte Dec-04 Adv Fry 20000 Salmon Ponds Clarence Lagoon Dec-04 Adv Fry 10000 Salmon Ponds Fingerlings Craigbourne Jan-05 Fingerling 2500 Snowy Range Leake Jan-05 Fingerling 16000 Cressy Yearlings Bradys Apr-05 Yearling 7000 Cressy Brushy May-05 Yearling 7000 Cressy Craigbourne May-05 Yearling 7000 Cressy Leake May-05 Yearling 2000 Cressy Table 2. Brook trout - wild/domestic stock Water Date Age Number Origin Plimsoll Nov-04 Fry 18000 Salmon Ponds Selina Nov-04 Fry 4000 Salmon Ponds Rolleston Nov-04 Fry 3000 Salmon Ponds Table 3. Brown trout - wild stock Water Date Age Number Origin Adults Pawleena Jul-04 Adult 300 Hydro Creek Brushy Aug-04 Adult 150 Sassafras Ck Bradys May-05 Adult 2000 Liawenee Curries May-05 Adult 1000 Liawenee Brushy May-05 Adult 410 Liawenee Curries May-05 Adult 1000 Liawenee Mersey River Jun-05 Adult 500 Liawenee Bruisers Jun-05 Adult 80 Liawenee Camerons Jun-05 Adult 50 Liawenee Duncan Jun-05 Adult 30 Liawenee Lynch Jun-05 Adult 30 Liawenee Lodge Dam Miena Jun-05 Adult 50 Liawenee Crescent Jun-05 Adult 600 Liawenee Barrington Jun-05 Adult 600 Liawenee

Type Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Type Diploid Diploid Diploid Type Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid

Stocking tables continued on page 18.....

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Top waters recommended by the IFS T

asmanians are lucky to be surrounded by a wealth of prime trout fishing destinations with both lake and river fisheries well catered for. With the 2005-06 angling season starting on Saturday 6 August, it is timely for anglers to reflect on the success of last season and begin to peruse maps in order to plan for the coming trout season.

Over the past twelve months, the Inland Fisheries Service has been busy with the most intense stocking program in recent times. This has seen brown, rainbow and brook trout, in-conjunction with large Atlantic salmon, released into various waters throughout the State. The information provided below should assist both new and dedicated trout anglers to make plans for the coming season.

Arthurs Lake

Without exception, Arthurs Lake is the most popular fishery in the State. It is estimated that one third of all brown trout captured in Tasmania come from this lake. This water fishes well from October through to April, with the period December to February being the peak fishing time. The average catch rate for this water is around 2 fish/day.

Great Lake

Further north of Arthurs Lake, is the large expanse of Great Lake. Here both brown and rainbow trout may be captured. The catch rate is somewhat lower than at Arthurs Lake but the chance of catching a prime wild rainbow trout provides added incentive. Hopefully, waters levels will be kind for the season ahead.

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One of Tasmania’s most productive waters is Craigbourne Dam. It is open all year round, has excellent access, is close to Hobart and stocked with brown, rainbow and brook trout, plus some huge Atlantic salmon.

Bronte Lagoon

Bronte Lagoon on the south western region of the Central Plateau, is a popular water amongst anglers. Here an angler can use artificial lures or flies to hook a wild brown trout or one of the recently stocked rainbow or brook trout. This water should begin to pick up this season following a generally slow 2004-05 season.

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Adjacent to Bronte Lagoon is the Bradys system of lakes, consisting of Bradys Lake, Lake Binney and Tungatinah Lagoon. This system has come in for some special attention from the Service over the past three seasons, with brown, rainbow and brook trout and large Atlantic salmon stocked

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Brumbys Creek Jun-05 Penstock Jun-05 Four Springs Jun-05 Craigbourne Jun-05 Paget Jul-05 Second Lagoon Jul-05 Rocky Jul-05 Botsford Jul-05 Carters Jul-05 Bradys Jul-05 Craigbourne Jul-05 Pawleena Jul-05 Advanced fry Penstock Dec-04 Chipman Mar-05 Fingerlings Bradys Jan-05 Curries Jan-05 Fry Mersey Sep-04 Mersey Sep-04 Don Sep-04 Arboretum Sep-04 Melrose Creek Sep-04 Don Sep-04 Cethana Sep-04 Tooms Nov-04 Leake Nov-04 Rostrevor Dec-04 Beaconsfield-Brandy Jan-05 Beaconsfield - WS Jan-05 Beaconsfield - Farm Jan-05 Beaconsfield - Bruins Jan-05 Big Lagoon Jan-05

Liawenee Hydro Creek Lake Crescent Lake Crescent Hydro Creek Hydro Creek Hydro Creek Hydro Creek Hydro Creek Lake Crescent Hydro Creek Hydro Creek

Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid

at high rates. All methods of angling are successful within this system, however, skilful bait fishers seem to do especially well in the early months of the fishing season. These waters are well primed for the season ahead and should produce good fishing into early next year.

Adv Fry 20000 Adv Fry 2000

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Saltas Saltas Saltas Saltas Saltas Saltas Saltas Salmon Ponds Salmon Ponds Salmon Ponds Salmon Ponds Salmon Ponds Salmon Ponds Salmon Ponds Salmon Ponds

Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid

It could be said that Lake Barrington has seen an Atlantic salmon lead revival. Since the stocking of 900 very large Atlantic salmon in February (700) and May (200) this year, anglers have done reasonably well at this water. Not only have people caught some of these big salmon but also some large brown trout have also been brought undone. This water has been targeted as part of the Service’s popular waters program and should receive some future stockings of both rainbow trout and salmon when available.

Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult Adult

600 500 105 30 30 50 100 350 300 100 350 320

10000 10000 6000 1000 1000 6000 4500 30000 30000 5000 200 1000 200 200 1000

Tooms Lake

Tooms Lake is located some 40 km’s north east of Oatlands and provides for all angling methods. The lake is a renowned early season fishery with both rainbow and brown trout of around 1-2 kg captured. Anglers can expect to catch two or three fish for a days fishing.

Hopefully the overall condition of fish will improve this season.

Lake Barrington

Lake Burbury

Lake Burbury on Tasmania’s west coast is a fishery that is steadily growing in popularity. This lake is open all year round and fishes well in all months. Rainbow trout represent almost 60% of the estimated 30,000 trout harvested from this water each year. All methods of angling are permitted and the use of a boat can increase an anglers catch rate dramatically. This water is well worth the extra travel time and should be put in the angling diary for the 2005-06 season. The scenery is an added bonus.

Little Pine Lagoon

For the dedicated fly fisher, Little Pine Lagoon offers some specialised fishing for early season ‘tailing trout’ and mid summer Stocking tables continued on page 19..... mayfly feeders. Early in the season brown trout rummage around in the shallow water looking for aquatic snails, small crustaceans and insects. They can often be seen feeding in water so shallow that their tails and fins cut through the surface at regular intervals. All fly fishers should at least fish this water during summer, just to experience the fantastic dryfly fishing.

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Table 4. Rainbow trout - domestic stock Water Date Age Number Origin Adults Curries Nov-04 Adult 350 Springfield Craigbourne Nov-04 Adult 350 Springfield Pawleena Nov-04 Adult 130 Salmon Ponds Dulverton Nov-04 Adult 100 Salmon Ponds Waverley Nov-04 Adult 100 Salmon Ponds Penguin Town Nov-04 Adult 100 Springfield Waratah Town Dam Nov-04 Adult 200 Springfield Four Springs Nov-04 Adult 100 Cressy Bradys Nov-04 Adult 40 Cressy Advanced fry Rowallan Nov-04 Adv Fry 10000 Springfield Barrington Dec-04 Adv Fry 12500 Snowy Range Leake Dec-04 Adv Fry 10000 Snowy Range Curries Dec-04 Adv Fry 20000 Snowy Range Skinner Dec-04 Adv Fry 600 Snowy Range Fingerlings Tooms Barrington Blackmans Little Waterhouse Four Springs Brushy Dulverton Guide Pet Rowallan Rowallan Dee Bradys Echo Dee Bronte Craigbourne Yearlings Lagoon of Islands Mikany Taylors Dam Curries Leake Dee Bradys

Type Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid

Aug-04

Fingerling 18000

Mountain Stream Fishery Diploid

Aug-04 Sep-04 Sep-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Jan-05 Jan-05 Feb-05 Feb-05 Mar-05 Apr-05

Fingerling 5000 Fingerling 1200 Fingerling 1200 Fingerling 3000 Fingerling 3000 Fingerling 300 Fingerling 20000 Fingerling 10000 Fingerling 10000 Fingerling 6500 Fingerling 7600 Fingerling 400 Fingerling 7000 Fingerling 6500 Fingerling 3000 Fingerling 3000

Mountain Steam Fisheries Diploid MountainStreamFisheries Diploid MountainStreamFisheries Diploid Springfield Diploid Springfield Diploid Oatlands High Triploid Springfield Diploid Springfield Diploid Springfield Diploid Springfield Diploid Cressy Triploid Cressy Triploid Cressy Triploid Cressy Triploid Tassal Russell falls Triploid Springfield Diploid

Jul-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04 Nov-04

Yearling Yearling Yearling Yearling Yearling Yearling Yearling

Salmon Ponds Springfield Salmon Ponds Springfield Springfield Springfield Springfield

2500 1000 200 850 400 4800 4800

Triploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid

Penstock Lagoon

Penstock Lagoon, like Little Pine Lagoon, is reserved for fly fishing only. This water is relatively small but produces some very well conditioned brown and rainbow trout (1-3 kg), especially early in the season. The use of a boat can be an advantage, although it is not essential.

Craigbourne Dam

Closer to Hobart, Craigbourne Dam at Colebrook offers anglers in the Hobart region an easy day trip to fish for brown, rainbow and brook trout, in addition to some large Atlantic salmon. This fishery has seen a remarkable turn around in the last twelve months with anglers catching fish from 0.25 kg through to an impressive 6 kg. As the days lengthen, this water becomes a real after work option for southern anglers. It has proven to be very popular over the winter period and should continue to produce good catches of brook trout with the occasional large brown trout and Atlantic salmon possible.

Thw Western Lakes and lagoons are some of the most prized fisheries in Tasmania. Photo. N. Brown

Western Lakes

All waters within the Nineteen Lagoons that normally receive a stocking of adult brown trout have been restocked for the 2005-06 season. This is in addition to some stockings of both rainbow and brown trout fry in recent years that should be well and truly size this season. These waters include lakes Chipman and Dudley, and Little Blue Lagoon.

Lake Leake

Many anglers find this water a little challenging, but hopefully, following some significant stockings of both brook and rainbow trout, in-conjunction with the on-going stocking of brown trout fry, this water should yield some consistent catches this season.

Table 5. Rainbow trout - wild stock sourced from spawning runs

Water Date Age Number Origin Type Southern Rivers Dee Mar-05 Fingerling 1500 Salmon Ponds Diploid For southern anglers, the Derwent and Tyenna rivers are the best Great Mar-05 Fingerling 45000 Saltas Diploid river trout fishing options. Fishing for early season whitebait feeding Penstock Mar-05 Fingerling 1500 Saltas Diploid Table 6. Atlantic salmon - domestic stock Water Date Age Number Origin Craigbourne Jul-04 Adult 30 Saltas Barrington Aug-04 Adult 200 Saltas Barrington Aug-04 Adult 80 Cressy Brushy Aug-04 Adult 80 Cressy Craigbourne Aug-04 Adult 480 Cressy Barrington Feb-05 Adult 700 Saltas Frombergs Dam Feb-05 Adult 12 Saltas Meadowbank Feb-05 Adult 1400 Saltas Brushy Feb-05 Adult 300 Saltas Trevallyn Feb-05 Adult 300 Saltas Bradys Feb-05 Adult 720 Saltas Craigbourne Feb-05 Adult 720 Saltas Barrington May-05 Adult 200 Saltas Craigbourne May-05 Adult 120 Saltas Bradys Jun-05 Adult 150 Saltas

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Type Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid Diploid

trout in the Derwent River is a highlight of the season. All methods can be equally successful and only one or two hours need be spent on a crisp winter/spring evening to catch one of these prime fish.

The Tyenna River near Westerway is one of the State’s most popular sections of river. This stream offers some ideal river fishing for both small and the occasional very large trout.

North Western Rivers

The Mersey River is a very popular water with between 1,500 – 2,000 anglers fishing the river each year. This river caters for all angling methods and provides ideal conditions for each type of method through out its length to Parangana Dam. The stocking of 500 - 1 kg brown trout into the lower reaches should again provide some additional fishing, especially early in the season. The Leven River provides very good fishing for sea run trout, which can be accessed from the tidal reaches near Ulverstone. The Gunns Plains region is also an area that fishes well, especially as the season gets into full swing.

Rainbow trout are also captured in the upper reaches.

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• Daiwa Sealine SLD20 with STP 15 kg rod $635 • Okuma 24 kg Titus rod with T50W reel $470 • Penn 15-24 kg Mariner rod with Senator 114H reel $350 Silstar, Daiwa, Penn and Alvey surf combos from $99

*Offer applies until end of August.

Sleeping bags -10 rating

$99 Many anglers believe G Loomis rods are the best in the world. We have tiny stream rods, spinning rods, soft plastic specialist rods, fly rods and premium game rods.

Team Daiwa reels are Daiwa’s premium range and prices have just been reduced in Australia.

Check out our range of these superb reels.

Spotters

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WIN THIS BOAT

Buy you Inland Fisheries Licence from us and you could win this fabulous Stacer 420 Seahorse, Yamaha outboard, Dunbier trailer, Safety gear and $2000 worth of tackle.

Plus a good range of swags gloves, beanies and camping gear.

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Seminar

Trolling for Trout Late November Victorian, Bill Presslor is reconised by many as the leading authority on trolling for trout. His experience is huge and he is well versed with methods rarely used in Tasmania. Learn many tips that will increase your catch. Bill will discuss fishfinders, different lures, lead lines, dowriggers, flat lining, cowbells, trolling sinkers, speed, setting up your boat and other critical aspects of trolling for trout.

This seminar is free and well worth your time. We advise you to book a spot by phoning us now.

Bill Presslor’s book is also available in store now.

Flylines A good selection at $19.95 On Soft Plastics

An awesome book that will certainly improve your catch rate. In store now $29.95

144-150 Hobart Rd, Kings Meadows Launceston(UpfromMcDonalds-nexttoNBC)

Ph 03 6344 7466 Email: launceston@gotone.com.au

Fishing News - Page 21

Sarah’s Kitchen

I know that you wouldn’t have come home from a fishing trip with a feed of prawns but I thought that it would be nice for a change to use something a little bit different. I think most people that eat seafood like prawns and enjoy them. I hope you like this one.

HONEY PRAWN STIR-FRY 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 ½ cups carrots, thinly sliced 1 ½ cups snow peas, cut into 3 1 cup broccoli, cut into bite size pieces ½ cup shallots, chopped 400g peeled raw prawns ½ teaspoon garlic, crushed ½ teaspoon ginger, crushed 1 cup water 1 chicken stock cube, crushed 1 teaspoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons cornflour 1/3 cup honey

Celebrating Trout Fishing in Tasmania! An opportunity to fish your way to a fortune!

The Rotary Club of Longford, along with the Cressy community and trout fishing businesses and services, is proud to present the Tasmanian Trout Expo at Cressy over the weekend August 27-28 2005. Held at two sites in Cressy, there will be a free shuttle bus service between the Cressy District High School and Brumby’s Creek.

The event will be open to the public between 10am – 4pm each day.

Brumby’s Creek, at the southern entry to Cressy will host an array of activities including fishing competitions with substantial prizes. The Bendigo bank tagged fish competition has a prize of $5,000. also there are substantial prizes each day for the heaviest trout caught at Brumbys Creek by a male, female and junior – as well as an overall prize for the heaviest trout caught.

The fishing competitions are limited to 1,000 entrants so get your entry form early to avoid disappointment (Forms available from Doo-Gun Tackle in Longford, Ringwood Hotel in Cressy or from Lorraine Green (contact details below).

On top of that, Peter Hayes will be conducting a free ‘Kids Learn to Fish’ session (bookings required prior to the day) on the Saturday afternoon, and the Tasmanian Fly Casting Championships on Sunday.

Cressy District High School will host an array of activities including large indoor and outdoor exhibitions of services and products, interactive and educational fun activities for all ages, trout history and entomology/’bug’ displays/activities, cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, taxidermy display and a fishing gear/clothing fashion parade.

For a fun family day out, a chance to meet celebrities, catch some trout, and the opportunity to win thousands of dollars worth of great prizes, come along to the Tasmanian Trout Expo in Cressy August 27-28 2005.

For more information please contact Lorraine Green, lorraine.green@northmidlands.tas.gov.au or Ph: 6397 7315 Fishing News - Page 22

Toast sesame seeds under the griller till just browned. Put to one side.

Butterfly the peeled prawns using a sharp knife.

Coat a wok with cooking spray, and saute garlic and ginger for 30 seconds.

Add prawns and cook for 2 to 4 minutes or until just cooked.

Remove prawns from the wok, leave to one side.

Re-heat wok,add ¼ cup water,carrotsand broccoli, cook for 2 minutes.

Add shallots and snow peas, cook for a further 2 minutes.

Add stock powder and soy sauce.

Sarah Sherriff Combine cornflour with the remaining waterthen add to the wok.

Add honey, sesame seeds and prawns Cut fish into bite sized pieces. and combine well.

Coat a large non-stick frypan with cooking spray.

FISH MORNAY Saute onion and garlic for 1 minute.

750g boneless fish warehou filets Add fish to pan and cook for 3 ½ cup onion, diced minutes. ½ teaspoon garlic, crushed Combine the cornflour with the 2 tablespoons cornflour evaporated milk.

1 x 375ml can evaporated milk Add to pan, stir well. ½ cup tasty cheese, grated Add tasty cheese and parmessan 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese cheese and combine.

Fishing and Boating Calendar 2005

Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News is pleased to provide this calendar of events for the year 2005. Events and dates are correct, to the best of the editors knowledge, at the time of printing but are always subject to amendment or cancellation.

Date Event and venue More Info AUGUST Saturday 6 August Brown Trout season opens Sarah Burton 6 Sat/Sun 27 – 28 August Trout Expo, Cressy Lorraine Green OCTOBER Saturday 1 October Rainbow Trout season opens Sarah Burton 6 October 1-31 Recreational whitebait season Sarah Burton 6 Saturday 29 October Take a Kid Fishing, Stanley Wharf Damian Heran Sunday 30 October Take a Kid Fishing, Beauty Point Wharf Quento NOVEMBER November Date to be advised IFS Free Fishing Day. Statewide Sarah B November 5 Crayfish season opens, Statewide Helen Mulcahy 62333 Sat/Sun 19-20 November Tasmanian Boating & Leisure Show. Lindisfarne Motor Yacht Club Mar Sat/Sun/Mon 19-21 November Lake Burbury Fishing Classic.

Joy Ma November Date to be advised Tamar River Fishing Competition Libby S DECEMBER JANUARY 2006 Saturday 14 January Take a Kid Fishing, St Helens Wharf Quenton Higg MARCH Sunday 5 March Take a Kid Fishing, Hobart Avril Brown 63

Fish in the water

‘Give the fish a chance, put the fly on, or in the water’

F

ly fishing, by definition, must involve a genuine attempt to capture fish. Armed with a balanced outfit and adequate casting skills the final element, fishing the water, is still not without it’s challenges. This is particularly so for our ever increasing, urban based, aspiring fly fishers who, more than others need this type of outdoor activity, but have little experience to draw on to understand the aquatic and marine environment of the fishes. It is most likely unfamiliar and the mirror like surface of the water, denies vision of the fish habitat and behaviour below.

Eliminate areas where there are no fish

Before focusing on where the fish are, maybe it is helpful to eliminate where they are not. As simple as this may sound, many otherwise skilled anglers seem not to fully recall the importance of this when fishing. The fish live in the water, with only very brief and explosive excursions into the air.

Trout jumping for dragonflies in the heat of a summer’s day are not the norm.

Do not spend most of your day walking along deserted beaches, bush bashing and walking cross country, if you want to catch fish.

Fish don’t ride in cars or boats.

Do not spend most of the day motoring from one location to another. Most locations of similar type, and in the same geographic area, are likely to experience similar levels of fishing activity. If you are having trouble finding fish move around in the immediate environs, do not start moving across the entire countryside or ocean.

Fish do not live in the air.

False casting has many purposes. Trying to drive them into a feeding frenzy, by endlessly casting an, out of reach fly high above, is not one of them. False cast as little as possible and then, get the fly down onto the water where the fish have at least the opportunity to take it.

Fish will not jump out of the water to snatch a fly from your hand, contrary to eternal, hopeful speculation. While you wait for a fish to rise, put the fly on the water. Many is the day

A friend was fishing his favourite section of the Mersey River in northern Tasmania, on a balmy twilight summer’s evening. As he false cast he felt first, a take in the sky and then, the fluttering fight of a small bat.

Bats are capable of taking darting flies in the sky, fish are not! that the only rising fish we have seen, are to our flies. When you are polaroiding, put the fly on or in that part of the water, under which you can not polaroid, due to circumstances of light, shadow and wind. You will probably see the take with your peripheral vision or, hear the lustier takes. If you miss it, you have lost nothing. Rather, you have learnt that there is at least one interested fish about. More often than not, you will bring the fish to hand.

As a new comer to fly fishing, you will need to find water to which you can gain ready access. This normally results in fishing waters that have few, or no, bars to access and are also located conveniently to where you, and a significant number of other fly fishers, live. If this is so, you are fishing waters that will have had a huge amount of pressure on them and continued next page......

theUltimate line "No other line is so perfectly tuned for classic dry fly presentations - but it's also a great taper for wet flies, nymphs, and streamers." ... Neil Grose [ TROUT GUIDE + AUTHOR ]

““

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Fish do not walk.

This unique line is a specially designed trout taper with a midlength head and concave compound front taper for positive turnover while maintaining a delicate delivery. The convex compound rear taper maintains good mending and casting properties without adding extra weight. This allows you to handle a broader range of applications with the ideal balance of distance and control. It’s a high floating line with a supple coating and low memory, the ideal line for all serious trout fisherman.

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Fishing News - Page 23

the fish still remaining in the water, have probably escaped the diligent efforts of some very fine anglers. Realise this is tough water and either be happy to fish it very regularly, with poor results while learning it’s secrets, or find easier water which is under less angling pressure.

Do not push the fish away

Fish have vision over a large range, but lack the human depth of view. This means that if they are cruising and looking for food a short distance in front of themselves, they are unlikely to see an angler until they are very close. However, if they are stationary and on the alert for danger, they will see an angler a considerable distance away. They are particularly sensitive to any potential danger from above, the realm of predatory, fish eating birds. Use cover, where possible, and keep your silhouette off of the fish’s skyline Fish can perceive sound through their lateral lines. If you can hear yourself wading around in the stream or lake, the noise will surely be deafening to the fish. Move slowly and quietly.

Fish can perceive your presence in still or slow moving water.

If your presence in the water produces a widening ripple, the fish will detect this. Fish from the bank whenever possible.

Varying species have different responses to the presence of the angler. Fly fishers have preyed upon brown trout for about 1,800 years. The brown trout you pursue are the progeny of the survivors, of the survivors. If they sense the presence of a human being, they will go into a non-feeding survival mode.

Saltwater species, ranging from sharks to tailor, seem yet to have learnt to avoid contact with humans. They appear to learn little from watching their brothers and sisters being dragged struggling to an unknown fate above the surface, at the hands of an enthusiastic angler.

Forget the fish, find the food

In streams, fish occupy two types of locations, sheltering lies and feeding lies. Sheltering lies provides concealment and a measure of protection for the fish. Feeding lies provide food.

In a sheltering lie a fish is normally remote from any reasonable drift with a fly and will seldom, if ever, break cover to take the fly. However, when there is food on the water, the fish will move out into a feeding lie underneath it. Fish the food or bubble line and you will cover most of the fish in the stream.

In lakes, food is not brought to the fish by the current but rather, they must move to the food. Lake fish will by preference avoid the vulnerable daylight shallows or uncomfortable warm and/or icy edges. If there is no food about, they will drift off to Damselfly the safety and comfort of deep water. They may elect to occupy nymph a particular thermocline but in our shallower lakes normally hold very near the bottom. Remember this when you contemplate the wet fly. Once food appears in or on the water, the fish will cruise and feed in that area.

With the right breeze on the water a lake can be converted into the equivalent of a stream. When the breeze pushes the food onto and along a shore, a food line is established and fish will feed in it while moving upwind. Wind lanes, which set up off points Isopod or in the middle of a lake, may result in a similar food line.

In estuaries and on the flood plains the small inflowing streams bring food to the predators and the confluence provides a habitat for prey species In the ocean, hovering birds indicate the presence of bait fish. When the predators drive the bait fish to and above the surface it is time to get a fly into the water. Bait fish will also move into and out of shallow estuarine areas with the rise and Mayfly fall of the tide. Look for out flowing baitfish dragged by an ebb nymph tide into the jaws of the predators. Find the areas where the bait fish or other food is concentrated or funnelled past and you will find the fish.

Food and food species occur in very distinct location. When you chance upon fish strive to understand why they are in the location. Do the shallow seagrass beds provide food, are the mayflies hatching from the black peat mud bottom, are the pike working the channels on tide change. Then take your evolving Mudeye knowledge and seek out these specific locations.

BERLEY - The sweat smell of success A berley line across the ocean will reach out and draw in many fish that cross it. Load up a berley container with bread, fishy cat food and tuna oil and cast to the line. If surface bread feeding species like garfish or mullet are around, spike the tail with floating pieces of bread and fish a small ‘Bread Fly’.

Berleying or ground baiting is, of course, illegal in most freshwater environments.

Great fly outfits for the start of the season NORSTREAM NAGANO FLY ROD OUTFIT

Nagano 4 piece 24T 6 weight fly rod, PFC large arbour fly reel, weight forward #6 fly line, backing and leader. Cordura covered rod and reel tube.

R.R $199.95

NORSTREAM CASSETTE REEL

Aluminium Large arbour disk drag reel includes 4 cassette spools and carry case.

R.R $99.95 Fishing News - Page 24

Mosquito larvae

VISION 3 ZONE COMBO OUTFIT

VISION 3 Zone fly rods

WhereeveryougoallovertheEuropeyouwillfind 3Zonerodsasaleadingvaluerod.Wehavehadthis rangeforyearsperfectingiteverytimenewsolutions cameup.Weusetheindustry’sleadingcomponents andmaterialsinalllevelsofproductionlike:Gudebrod thread,PacificBayguidesandFlexCoatepoxy coating.3Zoneseriesisoneofthemostcomplete seriesoffering10differentmodelsforalltypesof fishing.Theyarebyallmeanshighperformancerods ataffordableprices.Youreallyneedtopayalotmore togetbetterworkingrodsthan3Zone.That’swhywe arenotsurprisedtofindtheserodsmoreandmorein the hands of highly skilled fly fishermen.

3 ZONE VISION FLY RODS 4 PIECE 9’ 6WT 4 PIECE 9’ 7WT 4 PIECE 9’ 8WT 4 PIECE 9’ 9WT

3 PIECE 7’ 6” 3WT 3 PIECE 8’ 4WT 3 PIECE 9’ 5WT 3 PIECE 9’ 6WT 3 PIECE 9’ 7WT

RR $249.95 RR $249.96 RR $249.97 RR $249.98

3 piece 9’ 6 wt Outfit comes with a Vision large arbour reel, backing, leader and loop, top quality WF6 Vision fly line.

This premier package comes in a attractive box gift pack and includes a rod bag.

R.R $245.95

RR $149.95 RR $149.95 RR $149.95 RR $149.96 RR $159.95

Vision lifetime warranty

All vision 3 zone fly rods are covered by the Vision lifetime warranty.

Vision rods are supplied in a split lined cordura covered rod tube.

Available from all good quality tackle stores.

Trade enquiries Clarkson Imports 03 9758 7722

The ocean also provides the opportunity to put the food, or more precisely the scent of the food, into the water. Berley is an extremely valuable asset to draw fish onto the fly from an ever increasing slick across the sea.

You must always be trying to find the food. Will the insects be hatching in the calm lee of a shore? Will the beetle drop be pushed along a quartering, windward edge? Will the post dawn chironomid hatch lay dead and dying, in an early morning, food slick in the middle of the lake? Will the bait fish be drawn onto the flood-lit jetty? Answer questions such as these and you will find the fish. If there is no obvious food about, you need to seriously consider moving about the water in a fairly quick manner. Do not continue to fish one small area for hours on end when, just around the corner, the fish may well be in position and feeding.

Polaroiding

One of the greatest developments in finding fish has been the skilled use of polaroid glasses. With a little bit of light, a kind breeze and a lot of practice, you can see through some of the water, to find the fish. Be warned, a lot of anglers go to pieces when confronted with a seen fish, the bigger the fish, the greater the demise. Put a fly in front of a polaroided fish and success usually follows. If it is unsuccessful, you will learn from observing the fish as he fails to see, ignores or inspect and then rejects your inadequate offering.

Searching versus seeing

So you can not see any feeding fish. Always have a few casts to make sure that they are not about.

Fish will normally feed at dawn and dusk. This is because most prey species will take advantage of the low light conditions in an attempt to avoid being taken. Predatory fish seem to understand this strategy. If there is no food about, you may not see them feeding but put a fly out, and it may well lift an unseen fish. During the day you may arrive in an area in which fish have been feeding freely but have recently stopped. If you cover the water appropriately you may find a significant number of fish still remain in the area prior to ghosting off into protective deeper water or in search of food elsewhere.

The tide plays a huge part in the movement of food and bait fish. Get to know the local environment and the part

that the moving water plays in providing food. River mouths are best fished on a falling tide as baitfish are washed out to or passed the waiting predators. In the wider ocean a rising tide normally provides the best of the fishing. Note when the fishing starts to improve and relate it to the state of the tide for future reference.

On bad days when there is no food on the water, and circumstances do not permit polaroiding, there is only one thing for it, work the water. The number of fish you bring to the fly will be directly proportional to the time that the fly is on, or in, the water.

And, within reason, move, move, move. Cover calm water and windswept water. Cover first the shallow water and then the deep water. Fish over a rocky bottom and then fish over a muddy bottom. Know in your heart that they can not get out of the stream, lake or ocean, and will take on the very next presentation.

“Is it not amazing, how luck always accompanies the hard working angler?”

Trevor Hodson

Put the flies in the right level of the water

Mostly fish have an expectation of where they are going to find food, and specifically search that level of the water.

Sometimes they will lock onto a particular food species and will totally ignore anything, natural or artificial, which is not in the appropriate level. The levels and appropriate fly types are:

Above the water; Dry Fly Air side of the meniscus Water side of the meniscus Sub surface Substrate

Emerging Dun and Poppers Hatching Nymph Nymph, Wet Fly or Lure Fly Nymph, Wet Fly or Lure Fly

It is a good idea to fish two or even three flies and cover simultaneously, multiple levels of the water. Use fly line of varying specific gravity (floating, intermediate and sinking) to get flies rapidly, to the right level in the water.

Trout respond to the rhythm of the season and in early spring will usually feed below the surface. As summer approaches the water warms and insects start to hatch.

Predictably enough the fish will now start to feed on or near

the surface. Needless to say the reverse happens as the cold hand of winter starts to grip the water.

Saltwater species come and go with the changing of water temperatures and the coastal currents. Get to know what species occur, at what time of the year.

Convert opportunities into fish to hand

Whether you find the food, fish or neither, always anticipate a take in the first ten seconds of the first presentation.

As time passes, the likelihood of a take declines but at no time does it ever reach zero. Similarly, multiple presentations in the same general area have a declining likelihood of success but never reach zero.

Once you fly is on or in the water never take your eye off of it if you can see it, or the general area of water it is in, if it is below surface.

Fish without excessive curves in your fly line and with your rod tip down, to eliminate any slack line. Know the precise second a fish takes the fly so that you can set the hook, at a time of your choosing. If you have not been watching your fly when a take occurs, and then have to play catch up before the fish ejects a fly, you risk missing the fish or striking too hard and breaking a fish off.

Play the fish out by letting it run when necessary but always maintaining contact with the fish as it swims towards you. Get the line onto the reel at the earliest opportunity. Bring the fish to hand sooner, rather than later. Too long a fight may excessively stress a fish destined for release or worry a hook out of position. Wet your hands before picking up a fish to minimize the harmful effects of your hands on the fishes skin. Lift and turn the fish upside down to eliminate any struggle. Do not run your hand down the length of the fish when you release it, this removes valuable, infection defeating slime. And most fish slime has an equally detrimental effort on human hands, albeit you look forward to the experience.

THE FISHES Multiple numbers of fish, of the one species, are correctly referred to as fish. One or more fish, of two or more species of fish, should be referred to as fishes.

‘Good luck with the fishes’ Barry Hickman

World class flylines - tried, and tested in Tasmania by Rio owner, Jim Vincent

WindCutter® - floating

A unique taper designed for both light presentation and extreme distance. Fly fishers using RIO’s WindCutter® fly line can make tip casts with just the tip of the rod for a very tight loop, yet for distance use the thick belly to load the butt section of modern graphite rods. The tip is one line size less and the belly one line size heavier than the nominal line size. The first thirty feet on all sizes is within the AFTMA parameters for that line weight.

The WindCutter was designed for windy conditions and bank feeders. Multifilament core, self-lubricating coldwater coating.

WF3F – WF8F, Color: Yellow.

R.R. $99.95

MainStream

User-friendly, high-performance tapers individually designed for optimum line size and normal casting ranges. New in 2004, the MainStream floating lines have a supple coating that remains memory-free in cold water.

The smooth, self lubricating coating improves your casting distance and accuracy. The shorter front taper facilitates tight casting loops and positive turnover.

WF3 - WF8 Models: Floating, Type 3 & 6 Sinking, Type 3 Sink tip, Intermediate.

R.R. $64.95

RIO Grand™ - floating

The RIO Grand® is state-ofthe-art in fly line technology with distinctive benefits for the trout fly fisher. The tip floats extremely high due to RIO’s proprietary manufacturing process, yet gives a smooth light delivery of even the smallest dry fly.

The weight forward taper features a slightly heavier load to activate the faster modern fly rod, yet the rear taper is long enough for roll casting. The line is the product of RIO’s SlickShooter™ Process and incorporates a supple coldwater, super slick, selflubricating, dirt-resistant coating on a nylon multifilament core.

This is the perfect line for wet or dry fly fishing. RIO has included a welded loop on the front end of the fly line to facilitate changing leaders.

In all our tests we have found excellent turnover and presentation with this loop. When landing fish, it slides through the rod guides more easily than the customary nail knot.

Traditionalists can cut this loop off and not compromise the taper. 100’ long.

WF3F - WF6F, Colour: Pale green.

R.R. $99.95

Selective Trout™ - floating

These unique weight forward and double tapers are designed especially for selective trout fishing in all weather conditions. The Selective Trout™ lines are designed for discerning anglers and technical fishing. The weight forward lines feature a long front taper for delicate presentations and an extended rear taper for effortless roll casting. RIO has reinvented the timeless double taper by slightly increasing the weight behind the front taper for easy turnover of the long front taper and leader. The Selective Trout line, ultra supple for delicate presentations and memory-free in winter, is the perfect choice for the most demanding conditions. Super slick, selflubricating coldwater coating on a supple multifilament core makes accurate casts and delicate presentations easy.

WF3F - WF6F DT3F - DT6F, Length: 90 ft, Colour: Chartreuse.

R.R. $99.95

AquaLux® - intermediate

The perfect lake line with an intermediate sinking rate of 1.5 – 2.0 inches per second (3.7 cm/s).

Ideal when stealth is required for wary, selective fish. Based on the Classic weight forward taper for superior casting, this transparent clear line with a single strand monofilament core remains flexible in coldwater lakes. Made with superior adhesion technology, a leader can be nail-knotted directly to the coating.

WF3I - WF9I, Length: 100 ft (30.5 m), Color: Clear AquaLux. R.R. $109.95

Available from all good quality tackle stores.

Trade enquiries Clarkson Imports 03 9758 7722

Fishing News - Page 25

Flick Baits are particularly good for fishing deep into snags, as the small, chemically-sharpened Finesse jig hook riding uppermost provides a fair degree of snag-proofing.

Flick Baits are available in three sizes - 70, 85 and 110 millimetres - and eight all-new colours: Dark and Stormy, Evil Minnow, Flash Prawn, Green Gremlin, Gold Finger, Green Meanie, Real Bloodworm, and Sashimi Shrimp. The 70 mm model comes with 15 pieces per pack, the 85 mm 12 pieces, and the 110 mm ten pieces.

At a recommended retail price of just $8.95, there are endless hours of fishing to be had!

Currawong Lakes

Loon UV Knot Sense

Strengthening your knots may not be important to you, but it is to some.

This is a beaut product that does much more. It smoothes and strengthens your knots immediately on the water when exposed to direct sunlight. Great for repairing damaged flies.

Loon UV Wader Repair™

Squidgy Flick Baits

Unlike the rest of the Squidgy range of soft plastics, these new Flick Baits have little built-in action as such, relying on the angler to bring these simple yet deadly soft plastics to life.

Designed to be rigged on a Squidgy Finesse jig head, work them with short, sharp flicks of the rod tip and watch the fish climb on. Thus far, the smaller models have proven deadly when danced in snags, rock bars and oyster racks for bream, bass, estuary perch and the like, while in the larger sizes they’ve taken dusky flathead, school kings, Australian salmon!

Skirted slamon lures

I have always fancied a lure like this would be great for Australian salmon.

They carry the idea of a home made lure constructed with some plastic tube to a new level. A small skirt is added to make this into a simple mini game lure. These have been put together

by The Boat Shack in Devonport and are available statewide.Around $10 for two.

In the past I have often found I have forgotten to fix that annoying hole in my waders. You know how it goes - the waders leak all day and you vow to repair them in a few days when they dry out, but of course you forget. This little tube will stop that forever and you can have an instant repair outfit with you.

Don’t let a wader leak ruin your day, be back in the water in minutes. Works on wet or dry waders, wetsuits, hiking boots, and many other items.

Trout Fishery and Wildlife Retreat So you’re looking to catch trophy rainbow and brown trout, year round, amongst some fantastic scenery and wild-life? Well Currawong Lakes may be just the exciting yet relaxing destination for you!

Currawong Lakes and Wildlife Retreat is nestled in the east coast highlands between Lake Leake and Lake Tooms. It is situated on the edge of the Long Marsh water reserve and Tooms Lake conservation area. And only an hours drive from Launceston or two hours from Hobart.

Anglers have the choice of fishing Lake Currawong, Lake Long Marsh or Lake Macquarie that are all annually stocked with hefty rainbow and brown trout. The latter is specifically a brown trout water.

Currawong will suit the beginner or the experienced angler with guiding/ tuition and gear hire on hand. Half and full day fishing is catered for and if you really want to soak up the atmosphere stay for longer in on of our cosy, self contained cabins. Facilities include a venue that would be ideal to host a private conference or corporate team building incentive that’s just a little bit different.

As if catching that fish of the year wasn’t enough, savour the smell of the fillets sizzling on the BBQ whilst gazing across Lake Long Marsh, serene in twilights afterglow. Currawong Lakes is a special place. Ph 63 811148 for details.

‘Why I recommend Honda’ ‘Reliability to me is a must as I fish way offshore along the East Coast.

Reliability is the reason I chose Honda outboards. My boat is a 6.2 metre Stabi Craft HT with twin Honda 90s. It performs beyond brilliantly.

This isn’t the first time I have owned Honda outboards, I have had them on my two previous boats, so I had plenty of time with them.

The business I work with, sell and service Honda outboards and I see very little if any concerns regarding these engines. It’s basically oil filter and some fine tuning that’s all.

One other thing I will mention is the fuel economy. For a normal day fishing going to the continental shelf and trolling I would use about 80 litres. There’s no two stroke fumes and no oil to refill. I can not recommend Honda highly enough and wouldn’t own anything else!’

Andrew and Sue Tyson

For further details contact: • Lindsay Deegan Marine; 102 Eastland Drive, Ulverstone, Ph. 6425 2238 • Lifestyle Marine; 14 Dry St Invermay, Launceston, Ph. 6331 9507 • Maynes Marine; 119 New Town Road, Hobart, Ph. 6228 3999

Or phone Honda, freecall 1800 80 75 90 Fishing News - Page 26

H

onda is the biggest manufacturer of four stroke engines in the world, producing around 10 million every year. Honda’s has a single mindedness and commitment to four stroke engines no other company can remotely match. Sure Honda know how to make two stroke engines, in fact we’re famous for them - winning seven of the last eight World Motorcycle Championships with them. In 2002 500cc 2-Stroke Grand Prix bikes were dropped and Moto GP 4-Strokes introduced. It was no suprise to anyone that Honda rider Valentino Rossi blitzed the field-leaving all other riders in his wake.

Honda also know that to achieve the ultimate in boating pleasure, comfort, fuel economy and performance, only a four stroke will do. Honda believes their four stroke outboard engines are the best in the world. Honda has a range of four stroke engines from 2 to 225 horsepower (and 52 models in between).

Honda remains solely dedicated to the advancement and development of four stroke and the benefits it will bring to our environment and the quality of your life.

Thankfully, Honda’s specialist dealers remain as passionate as our engineers. For you, it all adds up to value that lasts. In years to come, when you’re accustomed to the sheer joy of boating with a Honda 4-Stroke, you’ll truly know the satisfaction of having made the right choice.

Honda four stroke outboards - a natural evolution.

2 l 5 l 8 l 10 l 15 l 20 l 25 l 30 l 40 l 50 l 75 l 90 l 115 l 130 l 150 l 175 l 200 l 225 Horsepower

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ISSUE 1 • Bigger Flathead • Tasmania’s Top Trout Lures • Berleying for better results • Trevally at Stanley • Port Sorell • Tamar River Snapper

• Best baits • Tassie’s top lures • Finding trout Greg French ISSUE 12 • Choosing a fly rod • Tassie’s top spots • New Zealand • Central Highlands - Peter Hayes • Down rigging

ISSUE 2 • Surf fishing • Trolling for tuna • Swan River Bream • Mersey Bluff • Tamar River • John Fox on trout • West Head fishing

ISSUE 13 • Lake Burbury • More on mudeyes • Game fishing teasers • Game fishing • New products • Float tubing

ISSUE 3 • Tamar River snapper • Tempting marlin • Tassie Devil lures • Water temp. and trout • Bream - East Coast • Avoiding sea sickness • Ansons Bay secrets

ISSUE 14 • Boating techniques • Surf Fishing • Game fishing tips • Fish finders • Marine Communications

ISSUE 4 • Kite Fishing • Manns Lures • Trout Management • New Zealand • Understanding tides

ISSUE 15 • Polaroiding Great Lake • Trout tips • Game fishing tips • Fly tying • Understanding fish finders

ISSUE 5 • Great Lake report • Lures and flies for the start of the season • Lake Echo report • Choosing a fly rod • Rapala lures • Derwent River trout • Bait fishing

ISSUE 16 • Lure and fly colour - does it matter • Spearing flounder • Penn fishing stories • Fly tying

ISSUE 6 • West Coast fishing • Macquarie River • Derwent Bream on fly • Flinders Island profile • Planing Boards • Curries River Dam

ISSUE 18 • Loch style techniques • St Helens sportfishing • Henty River secrets • Big Bream • Brook trout • Back country browns

ISSUE 7 • Arthurs Lake • South West Tas. • Mayfly fishing Jim Allen • Baitcasting techniques • Electric Motors

ISSUE 19 • Dun fishing techniques • Great Lake tips • Game fishing • Kids stuff • Getting started

ISSUE 8 • Bronte Lagoon • Game Fishing • Fly Tying • Bream on lures • Mudeye fishing • Jigging ISSUE 9 • Late season trout opportunities • Tasman Peninsula • Surf Techniques • Baitcasters ISSUE 10 • Winter opportunities • Choosing a rod • Soft plastic lures • Internet fishing • Fish Finders ISSUE 11 • Season opener • Choosing a rod

ISSUE 17 • Trophy Atlantic Salmon • Fly Fishing tactics • Smoking fish • Choosing a fly rod • Fish Finders

ISSUE 20 • Mako shark on fly • Tasman Peninsula • Fly leaders • Outriggers • North west coast • Caring for your catch • Pakula gamefishing tips ISSUE 21 • Secret English fly fishing techniques by John Horsey • Tassie’s best Bluefin lures • Fly tying ISSUE 22 • Big boating issue • Boat handling techniques • Tassie’s best fly techniques • Kids Stuff

ISSUE 23 • Four Springs Lake • Peter Hayes casting tips • Lure fishing lakes • $100 - $400 fly rods • Sea-run trout on lures • IFC Commissioner profile ISSUE 24 • Tamar River Snapper • Peter Hayes casting tips • Meadowbank Lake • West Coast sea-trout • Fly fish Tamar River • Nymphing secrets • Squid on bait, lure & fly ISSUE 25 • English hopper flies • Peter Hayes casting tips • Arthurs Lake - Cowpaddock • Gum beetles • Game fishing ISSUE 26 • Albacore on fly • Peter Hayes casting tips • Mudeye magic • Lifejackets • Game fishing - live baits ISSUE 27 • Gamefishing • Peter Hayes casting tips • St Helens bream • Lake Skinner rainbows • Windlane fishing ISSUE 28 • Dover Atlantic Salmon • Which Boat?

• Dressing for the cold • David Scholes new book ISSUE 29 • More Atlantic Salmon • Fly rod comparison • New Zealand on the cheap • Starting the season ISSUE 30 • Spinning techniques • Tailing techniques • Huon River secrets • Dog Nobblers • Soft plastics ISSUE 31 • East Coast Bream • Blue Peaks Lake • Choosing a Spinning Reel • Lifejackets ISSUE 32 • Great Lake • Duck Bay • Striped Trumpeter • Derwent Bream • Tamar Kingfish • Bridport Hot Spots • Game Lure Colours ISSUE 33 • Autumn Fishing Tips • Monster Sea Mullet • Game Fishing • North West Snapper • Bream On Lures • Big Trout Theory ISSUE 34 • Tassy’s most popular boats • Winter trouting

• Snapper • Frederick Henry Bay

• Flinders Island

ISSUE 35 • Trout opening destinations • Tamar Secrets • Bushy on Bream • Fly Casting Championships

ISSUE 47 • Little Pine Secrets • Kingfish • Bream on plastics • Trout hotspots • Arthurs Lake

ISSUE 36 • Lake King William • Craigbourne Dam • Tamar River trevally • Mullet on fly • D’Entrecasteaux Channel • Electric power

ISSUE 48 • Tasmania’s best game lures • Snapper • Penstock • East Australian Current • Big, fat, silly flies • Saltwater fly fishing

ISSUE 37 • Huon Tributaries • Downrigging baits in current • Flathead on fly

ISSUE 49 • 25 Hotspots around Tasmania • Lake Burbury windlanes • Rainbow opportunities • Big flathead • Scalefish changes

ISSUE 38 • Best Game Lures • Georges Bay • Choosing a propellor • Catch and Release ISSUE 39 • Elephant Fish • Winter Garfish • Soft Plastics • Southern bluefin tuna • Salmon on Fly ISSUE 40 • D’Entrecasteaux Channel • Stripey trumpeter • Soft plastics • Fish finder tips • Brook trout • Casting tips ISSUE 41 • Mega sized mullet • Brumbys Creek caenids • Tooms Lake • Bream on lures • Mayflies • Derwent bream ISSUE 42 • Gamefishing teasers • Neil Grose’s secret spots • Stillwater indicator nymphing • Autumn streams • Anglers Hall of Fame ISSUE 43 • Southern bluefin tuna • Yellowfin tuna • Jassids • Surf fishing • Elephant fish ISSUE 44 • Big boat issue • Anchoring correctly • Atlantic salmon • Fly retrieves • IFS news ISSUE 45 • Four Springs • Bream - Tamar River • Calamary • Multi tool review • IFS news

ISSUE 50 • Winter opportunities • Warehou • Trolling for flathead • Boating reviews • Funny boating stories ISSUE 51 • Lake Crescent • Trout Opening • Brook trout • Best lures and flies ISSUE 52 • World record bluefin • Soft Plastics • Eight weight fly rods • Brushy Lagoon • Chartering a Game Boat • Tailing trout ISSUE 53 • Trout and bream on soft plastics • Burleying • Lake Meston • Kayak fishing • River fishing tips ISSUE 54 • Game fishing tips • Great Lake sharks • Saltwater jiggibg • Mako sharks • Bruny Island trout and bream ISSUE 55 • Southern bluefin tuna • Bass Strait makos • Garfish • Hooks Issue 56 • Lake Barrington Atlantics • IFS News • Northern Australian Escape • Lake Sorell strategies • Starlo and Bushy on plastics Order any back issue. See below

ISSUE 46 • Brumbys Creek • Snapper • Great Lake

Subscriptions and back issues Subscribing; Just fill in the form, or send your details as below. You can fax the subscription form to 03 6331 1278 or post to Stevens Publishing, PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250. or email details to fishn@bigpond.net.au Name;__________________________________________________________Address;____________________________ __________________________________________________________Postcode;____________Phone________________ Subscriptions: $24; one year. $48; two years. Back issues; $3.95 each - Issue Numbers req’d.____________ Payment by; ____ Bankcard ____ MasterCard ____ Visa ____ Cheque ____ Money Order Credit Card No. __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ Exp. date __ __/__ __ Total amount;______ From issue no.____ 1 year____ 2 years ___ Fishing News - Page 27

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Scottsdale St Helens Call in for all your fishing tackle including full range rods, reels, lures, landing nets and bait. Also life jackets plus diving gear and stuff for all water sports.

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Fishing News - Page 28

• Do not bring live or dead fish, fish products, animals or aquatic plants into Tasmania from overseas or interstate.

• Do not stock or transfer any freshwater fish species, invertebrates or plants into any inland waters (including private dams, farm dams or public waters).

• Report any unusual fish captures or sightings to the Service immediately.

• Wash mud and weeds from your fishing boat and trailer and clean all fishing gear (eg waders) and camping gear before entering Tasmania and moving between waters.

• Do not use willow as a rod support, as it has the ability to propagate.

• Buy aquarium fish only from registered aquarium dealers in Tasmania.

• Do not release the contents of aquaria and garden ponds (fish, plants and water) into lakes, rivers, farm dams, drains or down the toilet.

StHelens -Eaglehawk Neck-38’ Mariner • Get involved with your local Waterwatch or community group up waterways.

1toto8clean people incomfort-QualityPenngear.

• Contact the Service for correct and responsible disposal of BrettCleary, Ph:animals 0418121317, unwanted fish, aquatic and plants. 0362231200 • Report any suspicious or illegal activities to the Service, Tasmania Police or BUSHWATCH 1800 005 555.

Get hooked up - with an expert

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• Contact: Cyril Stevens Phone 6431 3082 Fax 6431 1255

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What YOU can do to prevent the spread of pest fish, plants and diseases

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Stop in at Deloraine Pizza and Pasta, 53 Emu Bay Rd, Deloraine. Ph ahead 6362 2000 to have your delicious pizza or pasta waiting.

Open Wednesday to Sunday from 5pm. Orders taken from 4 pm.

Wanted Fishing shack or land Arthurs Lake.

Prefer Morass area. Must have water views Tasmanian/Australian fly fishing books. Wigram, French, Sloane etc. Phone 63446866 (H) 0419 177706.

G Loomis DSR IMX Dropshot spinning rod

The ultimate in finesse rods for trout or bream. A perfect rod, designed especially for soft plastics. US import, brand new, full warranties. RRP $600, buy now for $480 incl rod tube and postage if reqd.

Other models also avail. Ph Jon Lane 6239 6840.

Marine Batteries Now available AC Delco Voyager deep cycle & starting marine/RV, maint. free batteries with built in charge indicator. Nor-Co Batteries, Devonport Ph 6424 6466

Fly casting lessons Beginner Level: 3hr introduction to fly-fishing for those with 1 year’s experience. $120 p.p.

Intermediate level: Full day $185 p.p.

Advanced Modules: Four 3 hr modules for those with more than 3 yrs experience or have completed the Intermediate class. Distance and Double Hauling, Roll Casting, Stream and Mend Casting, Troubleshooting and General Improvements. $120 p.p. module.

See our web site for information on Peter Hayes Products, Guided Fly Fishing Packages, Free Tips and Fishing Articles and much more at www.flyfishtasmania.com.au

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Fly Fish Magic Seminars each Frid to Sun. 2 people max. Bicheno and Lake Leake area. Beginners Yes! Fish guaranteed (conditions) pike mackerel, gars etc. rainbow and brown trout.

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Fly Fish Magic Evenings at Bicheno. Beginners Yes! Tuition. Fish guaranteed (conditions) Gear provided, pike, mackerel, gars etc. $65 for one $55 p.p for two Ph 0429 344 566 52-55

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Please send details to Erin at eabb@bigpond.com or call 6267 1144 or SMS to 0417 399 189.

Tasmanian Highland Holiday Cabins Currawong Cabin - Great Lake. Fully self contained, sleeps six, spacious lounge/dining, laundry, bathroom.

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Fishing News - Page 29

Jan’s Flies

The following small nymph is very basic, there can be weight added to get it down if the selected stream is running fast.

8. Form a nice little head, whip finish and varnish over the wingcase as it helps keep it together.

As mentioned this fly can be weighted if desired. I hope the weather allows us all to have a fish on opening day, so tight lines.

Jan Spencer Fly tyer for the World Champion 2000 Australian Team

W

Little Brown Nymph

ell here we go again, another season has begun! As I am writing this there has been very little rain or snow and the lakes are not looking good at all. Great Lake for example is at an all time low. Some would look at this with some hesitation but I think it’s great because it opens up a whole new world in trout fishing on many of our lakes. The challenge is to prospect waters at these new low levels and I find this personally exciting.

Hook – Long shanked, heavy gauge size 1416.

Tail – small bunch of pheasant feather fibres.

Rib – very find copper wire.

Body – fiery brown seals fur.

Wingcase – slip pheasant feather.

Thorax – brown seals fur.

Having said this the start of the season will find me on one of my many favorite small streams and I am sure I will be fishing a small nymph under a strike indicator; that’s provided the streams are not in flood. To fish a small nymph upstream and drift it around rocks and through pools can be exciting fishing where the fly must be placed accurately and good control is a must. Untidy line on the water will result in the strike being missed.

Method 1. Take thread full length of hook shank.

2. Place fibres in for tail; do not make tail too long.

3. Tie in rib and let hang.

4. Dub on slim body, take this two thirds along the hook shank, now bring rib along in nice even turns, cut any excess rib away.

5. Tie in slip of pheasant feather and leave for the moment.

6. Dub a nice little thorax in, bring this up to just behind he eye of the hook.

7. Now pull the pheasant slip over the top of the thorax and tie down firmly, cut away any excess pheasant fibres.

Trying to imitate aquatic insects is a tedious task as most at this time are still very small in size and are not overly active because of the water temperature. The trout are also fairly dormant so be sure to put that fly in the right place.

If the water is dirty try a wet Matuka type of fly with jungle cock eye. Fish the back waters; you’ll find the results surprising!

If you don’t tie flies buy Tasmania’s best

Gibson’sFishing Flies Brown Parachute Emerger

Parachute Orange Spinner

Gibson Flies are tied in Tasmania with no compromise on workmanship or quality of materials. Every fly is individually tied to catch fish.

Flies of this quality can’t ever be mass produced and therefore they may cost a little more. However, when you’re about to cast to that trophy fish you’ll be pleased you tied on a Gibson’s fly, or did you?

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Winston Rods

IBIS - from $640 Boron IIX - from $1190 LT5 - from $1310

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Tackle boxes from

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Quality fishing equipment, licences, live bait, accessories, waders, flies, lures, clothing and more. Owners Allan and Sue Davey.

Open 7 days a week during the fishing season

Fishing News - Page 30

ABT tournaments arrive in Tasmania

A

BT Bream and Bass fishing tournaments have enjoyed a huge following by anglers on the mainland for several years now, so much so that the events are covered by three television stations.

There is even a magazine produced for tournament anglers. These competitions are designed for anglers who wish to compete against their mates, peers and the pro’s who fish for a living. Whilst these tournaments are of a competitive nature with anglers fishing for massive prize pools, they are still a lot of fun and even after a poor or average day’s fishing by some, all competitors wait with bated breath at the weigh station to see who the gun teams and anglers are.

As far as the bream tournaments go, in 2005 there were eleven qualifying tournaments fished around the country for anglers to be able to compete in the national grand final. Major prizes at this final include Quintrex boats and major cash draws. Prizes like these attract some large fields of competitors, and are a sight to be seen. All those custom fishing rigs covered in sponsor logos and shiny paint jobs, teams of anglers wearing matching shirts with more logos and an arsenal of the finest fishing equipment available.

All that may seem a bit daunting for the average fisherman, but don’t be afraid because in truth all you need to compete is a 12ft tinny that is insured and can get on the plane with two anglers, and an esky with an aerator in it to keep the fish alive. That’s right, to keep the fish alive. These tournaments are catch and release only so all fish must be kept live for weigh in and they are then returned to the water where they are caught.

The idea of running a Tasmanian Classic is to sort out our logistics and to determine how great a response there is from Tasmanian anglers, and hopefully with fingers crossed if the response comes as expected then next year ABT will hold 1-2 qualifying events in Tasmania for the national round.

What does this mean? Well Tasmanian anglers will no longer have to travel interstate at a massive expense and strain to their bank accounts to be able to compete and qualify. We can do that on our own home waters and have our own gun fisho’s compete in the final.

Because the 2005 Classic isn’t a qualifying event for the national round some rules have been amended to broaden the scope of the fishing. Upon entry a competitor will be given a ‘promo’ bag which will have an embroided baseball cap marking the event, competition rules and maps of fishing areas etc, an ABT tournament magazine, 2 embroided ABT tournament angler cloth patches, some soft plastic lures and stickers etc Entry fee will allow an angler to fish both qualifying rounds and final if he or she is lucky enough to qualify. The Tasmanian Classic will be a teams event, but prizes will be awarded to the top individual anglers as well.

Lastly entry is on a first come, first honoured basis. Because of the huge response already entries may need to capped to a maximum number of boats, so get your entry in ASAP to ensure you can fish!

Competition dates are: 17th September - 1st qualifying round - Derwent River 1st October - 2nd qualifying round - Scamander River 8th October - Final - Swan River Entry forms and information can be obtained from tackle stores or contact Leroy Tirant on 0428 347 736.

Tasmania has some of Australia’s best bream fishing. The size, quantity and quality would leave mainlanders gasping.

Maximising you fishing time - Tournament or not

T

ournament fishing can sound intimidating to the average angler, especially those who wish to enter the competition arena. However, when you witness the line up of boats at the start of an event it does become inspiring. To see the latest fishing rigs, gleaming paint jobs and major horsepower being run by tournament fishos-with household names and any budding angler will want to join their ranks.

Tournament angling for bream, bass, barra and even flathead has taken on huge proportions over Australia.

There are huge prize pools, not to mention the fame for the lucky few who win these events. And then there is often lucrative sponsorship deals.

Any angler who wishes to test their skills against their peers can enter the fray. There are many rules of course, and conditions of entry that must be obeyed, but these are there to protect both the fishing resource and make it safe and fair for the angler.

ABT Australia are an organisation that took up the challenge some years ago starting bass and bream tournaments. They have developed tournaments to a very high level that has also taken fishing techniques to a new level.

Tournament fishing has forced tackle companies to expand their substantial range of merchandise to meet the growing demand of specialist equipment demanded by these modern day anglers.

This equipment, even in average hands, when fished correctly, can open up a new window of opportunity for anglers looking for new and productive ways to catch fish.

Whilst ‘soft plastics’ are the rage hard-bodied lures are still used, and favoured by some. However there has been a revolution in the use of soft plastics and it is these that now win almost all tournaments.

Equipment, as always, varies, mostly in small ways.

It is purchased depending on personal choice, style of fishing and budget.

Rods

For tournament bream fishing, such as we are about to see in Tasmania with an ABT Tournament, bream are the target. Rods between 6’6” and 7’2” with a fast taper are preferred-most common is 7’. These should be good quality and be able to handle 2-3kg braid that is pretty much the standard fare with competition anglers. A shorter rod is often called for around and under structure where the big bream often lurk. Long rods are most popular for fishing open water, and a longer rod helps when casting light jig heads long distance.

Rods to consider come from the premium makers such as Shimano, G Loomis, Daiwa, Innovator, Berkley and Okuma who all manufacture specialist rods top suit the soft plastic market.

And with the tournament market growing specialist rod builder, Ian Miller also keeps up with it. Not only does he fish the comps, he also designs the rods for Shimano and this keeps them at the top of the tree. If you want the best go to millerods.com and have a look.

A relatively new player to emerge is Shakespeare/ Pflueger who have just started to bring their Catera and Trion range of soft plastics rods in from USA. Is one outfit enough though? Of course not, and there are a few reasons. A big tangle and you will be out of action. A bust off when there is a ‘hot bite’ on will put you out of action temporarily, but if you have a rigged second rod you can continue without missing a cast. Rig one rod with a heavy jig and the other lighter for specific areas you will cover. The idea is to maximise your fishing time and to have your lures in the water as long as possible.

The water is the only place you will catch fish.

Reels

Reels for tournament fishing vary more than rods.

You can catch fish for sure on cheap reels, but like most things, if you spend more you get more. Fortunately a good reel is much cheaper now that at any time in history.

All major tackle stores will be able to show you some excellent reels from less than $100. Top end reels run to about $1200. An expensive reel will feel silky smooth and will have a superior drag. This is not so important when using monofilament which stretches up to 25%.

This stretch puts less stress on the drag, but when gelspun braid is used there is no stretch and the drag has to Fishing News - Page 31

do all the work. If it isn’t silky smooth you may well break a large percentage of fish off. Reel size range is generally from 1000 to 2500 which is how most reels are marked. A typical day at a tournament will see many hundreds of casts made and inferior reels will soon have drags, bail arms, bearings and handle wearing or failing-always at the worst possible moment.

Buy the best you can afford the first time. You will never be disappointed at having good gear. A top of the range reel doesn’t cost much more than an average week’s wage and it will last many years.

Line

Braid, gelspun or some sort of superline is the accepted norm when fishing tournaments with soft plastics. Bite detection and working your lure with finesse is very important and only non-stretch lines can offer this option. Bream can be exceptionally wary and detecting the bite (or nibble) is essential. With these non stretch lines anything that happens to the lure will be instantly transmitted to the rod and the angler. A split second saved in reacting could be the difference between hooking a fish or the fish spitting out the lure and you failing to score. A mono leader, usually of 6-10 lb fluorocarbon material is normally used of around half a rod length. Fluorocarbon is virtually invisible and is the ideal final connection. A heavy leader will be used around oyster leases and heavy snags. Some anglers are quite happy and have had good success with leaders of Maxima Ultragreen or other quality line.

This is not to say good quality mono is no good, it is, and especially so when using ultra finesse methods on super shy bream in gin clear, shallow water.

Lures

As mentioned earlier almost every competition is won using soft plastic lures. Some anglers will still use hard body lures from time to time, and some will use a fly, but the soft plastic users outnumber all other by 20 to 1 or even more.

There are a huge selection of soft plastics on the market today and nearly everything in the one to three inch range will

Agent for

catch bream when used with the appropriate weight jighead. Sometimes no weight is best. You can choose between minnows, prawns, grubs, wiggle tails and others. Don’t let any angler tell you one lure catches better than any other either as you never know what they will take. Perhaps some are better, and maybe some colours work better on some days than others, but it is and will not always be the case.

Squidgies, Berkleys, Mojo, Storm, Ecogear, Manns, Firebaits and River 2 Sea are some of the major brands.

I particularly like the Firebaits and River 2 Sea, but that is just a personal choice.

Storage

Keep your plastics in binders or tackle boxes, all separated in their own styles and colours as colours will bleed and different plastic will often mould together into a blob if you aren’t careful. Some anglers favour a liberal sprinkling of salt. They claim this does two things; it draws out the scent and stops plastics sticking together. Ideally a soft tackle bag that takes several tackle boxes works well. This bag should also hold extra or spare reels, leader material, pre-rigged jig heads, scents, scissors, pliers and other odds and ends.

Some anglers also like a bum bag and at the start of the day load this from the main bag with their immediate and essential needs such as leader material, pliers, scissors, jig heads and their preferred plastics.

This saves looking through the big bag and you won’t have to move from your spot in the boat-everything is at directly at hand.

Boats

Boats you will see at some of these tournaments will blow you away. They are awesome. It is nice to have a flash boat, but hardly essential. The latest and greatest hull with 150 horsepower is great, but a 12’ tinny with a 20 horsepower is all that is required to fish an ABT qualifier, and is at no disadvantage-especially in the smaller systems.

Whilst soft plastic lures are the choice of many in tournaments this Scamander bream was enticed by the delicate presentation of a fly.

Haines Hunter - Stacer Boats - all powered by

Same boat as supplied for IFS licence promotion prize

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Per week $40.26 Over 60 months. Interest rate 9.95%. Comparison rate 12.6%

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From From $138.67 $212.58 per week* per week* 70HPYamahaoilinjectedoutboard,twotonehullwithstainlesssteelbowrail, boardingplatform,underfloorfueltank,Navman4150fishfinder,Dunbier boat and trailer registration. $28 314 Yamaha150V6oilinjected,fishfinder,biminiplusclears,autobilgepump,nav trailer, Per week $138.67 Over 60 months. Interest rate 9.95%. Comparison rate 10.71% lights,rearladderandlounge,Dunbiertrailer,boatandtrailerregistration. $42 900 Per week $212.58 Over 60 months. Interest rate 9.95%. Comparison rate 10.44%

Haines Hunter Breeze 470

Stacer 605 Ocean Runner Sports

Eastern Shore Marine Now located at 14 McIntyre Street, Mornington, Phone 6244 1163

Fishing News - Page 32

The most important thing is to have clear deck space and it is essential to have a live fish well. An electric motor is a huge advantage as well as this allows you to sneak into places without spooking fish. It also allows you to hold the boat in current or a breeze without anchoring and you can work a bank or snag moving quietly without firing up the main motor. There would not be a boat in a mainland tournament without an electric.

Live wells

Live wells, as mentioned earlier are a requirement in any ABT Tournament as fish can only be weighed in alive. They are then released alive back into the water from where they came. If your boat does not have one built in it is relatively easy and inexpensive to make a temporary arrangement. ABT does ask for them to be insulated, but it is probably less important in Tasmania. A live well can be as simple as a large plastic storage box and an aerator from a chandlery, marine or tackle store for $30. See more about live wells on page 36.

If you are entering a tournament, especially an ABT event you will need to ensure all safety equipment as required by Marine and Safety Tasmania and Fisheries is present and up to date. A lanyard to a motor cut-out switch is also essential for an ABT event. If your boat doesn’t comply you don’t fish.

Obviously it pays to do your homework; fish the areas prior to the event and try and work out where fish will be holding – and of course what lure they seem to like.

Attend the briefing the night before the event and really listen to what’s being said. If you are unsure of anything ask – and keep asking until you fully understand. All anglers are there for the same reason and with most you will find a good level of camaraderie. So if you see another angler who needs help, or maybe he is having trouble loading his boat or whatever, lend a hand. The favour will always be returned somehow. Some anglers will try the secret squirrel stuff, but you will invariably find they are miserable sods with few real friends at the end of the day.

Above all else enjoy your day, fish as hard as you want and you will get the rewards. It might not be a win in the event, but you will learn heaps and make some new friends.

Leroy Tirant.

Stabi-Craft boats serious, safe and stable

Stabi-Craftaresomeofthemostexcitingboatswehaveever driven.Verysolidlybuilt,exceptionalbuiltinsafety,softrideand excellenthandlingmaketheseboatsthepickofthecrop.

Stabi-Craft 609XR standard boat, motor, trailer start at $51 000.

Deegans Tow ‘n’ Go package from $55 850.

Rules

The single most important part of an event is to know the rules – especially if there are some unique ones thrown in for a local event. This is often the case. For example there may be some speed limits imposed in certain areas. Break these and you could be disqualified. Organisers accept no excuse for ignorance of the rules.

Stabi-Craft 559XR Fish’r packages start $35 000.

Deegans Tow ‘n’ Go package $46 680.

Stabi-Craft459Fish’rcompletepackagestartsfrom$21500.

Deegans Tow ‘n’ Go package $25 500.

FLY ’n DRY NEOPRENE WADERS & THIGH BOOTS

•No1choicefor90%ofTas.troutguides • Hand made in Tasmania •4mmdoublelinedRadialFlexneoprene • Individually leak tested prior to sale • Excellent buoyancy characteristics • Double sealed seams •DoublereinforcedK-Toughkneepads •Suitableforsaltandfreshwaterfishing •Largechestpocketwithhandwarmer • Suitable for aquaculture/commercial •TopqualityTasmanianBlundstoneboots fishing • Warm, comfortable and durable • 12 month guarantee Available from all good tackle, sporting and marine outlets Manufactured by Fly-N-Dry, 10 Negara Crescent, Goodwood, Tas. 7010 Phone: 03 6273 0666 Fax: 03 6273 0692

Serious - Stabi-Craft has been designing & building positive buoyancy boats for many years. Stabi-Craft boats are built to last far beyond whatever you are likely to ask of them.

Safe - We build to the highest build quality, our world leading design has resulted in a boat that is rugged and virtually unsinkable.

Stable -The unique and highly stable hull design allows greater payloads and tougher seas to be navigated

102 Eastland Drive Ulverstone

6425 2238 We take Tasmania Boating Honda • Mako Craft • Trailcraft • Cruise Craft • Stabi-Craft • Evinrude • Johnson • Tohatsu Fishing News - Page 33

Lewis Marine Whittley Sea Legend 700 Australian Marine Industry Federation

Boat of the Year 2005

In the Trailerable Cruising category.

NEW Whittley catalogue just released

T

• Quintrex • Whittley Huge range.

From dinghys to the very best from Whittley and Quintrex.

Great packages available and expert advice.

Ph: 6234 7266 198 - 200 Campbell St. Hobart, 7000

Fishing News - Page 34

he award winning range of Whittley fibreglass boats has been brought to life in full colour with the release of the 2006 Whittley International catalogue. Australia’s largest trailerable fibreglass boat manufacturer continues to deliver a choice of quality cruising and dedicated fishing boats.

Whittley is renowned for the impeccable craftsmanship and attention to detail over the company’s 52 years of operation. Dedication to design, innovation and quality construction are hallmarks of the Whittley brand.

“This new 2006 brochure is an important part of our ongoing commitment to further broadcasting the Whittley brand,” said Whittley co-company director Neville Whittley.

“We are delighted with the affinity that the Whittley name enjoys with the Australian public. We have worked hard to promote our Australian owned and made boats and our sales success is a representation of our customers’ faith and commitment to our brand of quality family and fishing boats” Brilliant colour lifestyle photographs highlight the popularity and versatility of the Whittley range.

From the industry leading Cruisemaster 700 trailerable cruiser, right through to the popular Impala 530 family day boat, the 2006 catalogue features seven Whittley cruiser models.

For the serious blue water fishing enthusiasts, Whittley boast five innovative fishing models under the Sea Legend brand including the 2005 AMIF Boat of the Year award winning Sea Legend 700.

Seen for the first time in the new 2006 catalogue are historic details of the Whittley heritage. This includes photos never before published of company founder Jim Whittley along with the range of wooden boats that first carried the proud Whittley name.

Starting out in a small boat factory in Bulleen, Whittley Marine has evolved to become a dynamic corporation with international arms extending the world over. Based in a new state-of-the-art factory in Campbellfield, brothers Neville and Steve Whittley carry on their father’s passion for building a complete range of seaworthy, hand finished fibreglass boats.

Customers can now select from the full line-up of fully featured Whittley Cruiser and Sea Legend fishing boats. The new 2006 Whittley Catalogue is available through an extensive nationwide dealer network or by contacting Whittley head office.

Whittley Cruisers is Australia’s leading trailer boat manufacturer, producing a complete range of fibreglass boats under the Whittley, Sea Legend, Clearwater and Savage Fibreglass brands. Whittley Cruisers is a wholly family owned Australian company established more than 50 years ago.

Call Lewis Marine 6234 7266 for a catalogue.

THE OUTBOARD CHOICE IS YOURS! Yamaha manufactures more outboard engines than any other company, because more boaters the world over have the freedom to choose the outboard engine technology that best suits their boat and their needs. Yamaha outboard technology platforms cover classic 2stroke power, the awesome grunt of Yamaha 4-strokes or the refined technology of Yamaha’s High Pressure Direct Injection (HPDI) models.

Irrespective of whatever Yamaha power option you choose, you can be assured that with Yamaha, you have made the right choice.

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Fishing News - Page 35

If you’ve got the boat - we’ve got the trailer Is your boat trailer wearing out?

Don’t wait until it breaks on the ramp - or on the way to the ramp.

Australian Trailers build trailers to suit harsh conditions - offering excellent features with strength and value for money. From PWC to 22’ boats.

• Strength and quality are our number 1 priority - it should be yours.

• Boat trailers are not a glossy brochure or pretty picture.

• The preferred choice of many Tasmanian aluminium boat builders.

• The preferred choice of Yamaha, Seadoo, Polaris and Kawasaki PWC dealers.

A full range of trailers

For your new boat or for a replacement trailer INSIST on an Australian Boat Trailer

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Submersible lights protected by checkerplate surrounds.

Drawbar extends to crossmember for added strength.

Checkerplate steps add strength to trailer and guards.

Ron Carter Caravans Easy loading rear roller assembly available

Humminbird’s new side imaging sonar takes consumer fishfinders to a new level

Airport Road, just before Launceston Airport Phone 63 919 165

eading the way in innovation, Humminbird® has introduced the revolutionary, technologically advanced new ‘900 Series’ to their range of fishing systems. These state of the art fishing systems utilise Side Imaging Sonar, a technology which has, before now, not been available to consumers. The 981CX SI and the 987CX SI Combo from the 900 Series both utilise this amazing technology, derived from military and commercial products to map the bottom and structure with “photograph like” detail.

The Humminbird Side Imaging Sonar transducer installs on the transom, trolling motor or through the hull of the boat.

Sonar beams look to each side of the boat reaching out 73 meters in each direction, for 146 metres of bottom coverage in up to 25 metres of depth. Traditional dual frequency down-looking capabilities are built into this same transducer offering depth capability up to 762 metres Until now, this technology has only

been available at very high costs for use in commercial, research and salvage applications. The Humminbird engineering team has adapted the technology for consumer angler and recreational boater use and coupled it with all their most popular and high-performance features.

The 981CX SI and 987CX SI Combo provides saltwater and freshwater anglers with the ultimate tool for gaining more knowledge about bottom and structure.

Humminbird have combined this ground breaking Side Imaging Sonar technology with all the established Humminbird high performance dual frequency fishfinder capabilities, with a colour wide screen format ideally suited for viewing sonar from several sources in split screen mode.

The fishing applications for the new 900 Series are almost limitless. In saltwater, side imaging picks up precise detail on popular fishing structure like wrecks, reefs, humps and drop-offs as well as spotting fish and baitballs in open water.

For the freshwater angler, side imaging reveals fish attracting structure such as timber, stumps, rocks and creek beds.

These fully featured and user friendly models are both part of Humminbird’s fishing system product line, which means they are expandable and upgradeable to accommodate the most current technologies including WeatherSense™ barometric pressure monitor, Navionics Gold Cartography, GPS input, chartplotting and PC upgradeable via www. humminbird.com.au

Sole Tasmanian dealers for Seaquest Olympian and Northbank fibreglass

Stacer, Allison, Seaquest, Northbank, Stejcraft, Skicraft

For all boating and watersports needs statewide.

7 Club Drive, Shearwater. Ph 6428 7124

Open: Mon to Fri 9-5, Sat 9-12

‘Our prices make the drive worthwhile’ Fishing News - Page 36

Goodbye Stessl hello Mako Craft Mako Craft was founded by Tim Stessl and his sister Nicola Stessl in June 2005. With their own backing and experience, after working in the family business with their parents Alf and Dianne Stessl for the past 13 years, the decision was made to start Mako Craft when Alf decided it was time to retire from Stessl Boats.

Mako Craft boats offer great value for money, superb handling and performance, innovative superior designs and over 30 years of experience from the Stessl family, who are the longest running family owned and operated aluminium boat manufacturing business in Australia.

The next generation Stessl was looking for a new image to represent the new range of no-nonsense fishing and family aluminium boats, and so the name Mako Craft was born. These practical, purpose built boats don’t need any flash gimmicks, such as timber grain panels or CD players, which

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you pay top dollar for. All you need is a Mako Craft boat to get you out on the water!

Strong, rigid hulls and technologically advanced designs offer extremely soft riding, stable boats that are perfect for fishing and family days spent enjoying the beautiful waterways that Australia has. Excellent tracking and planing abilities are also features on all Mako Craft boats.

Both families and fishermen love Mako Craft boats due to the practical layout, easy to handle and trailer features, low maintenance and quality and safety that is inherent on all our boats.

Whether it’s a small dinghy for the kids to tear around in or a larger cabin boat that offers protection from the elements when fishing in coastal waters, there’s a Mako Craft boat to suit your needs.

With this experience, dedication and commitment to bringing you the best range of aluminium boats, Mako Craft by the Stessl family is proud to welcome you to the next generation in Australia’s boating future. Mako Craft invite you to join them for another 30 years of fun on the water. Mako Craft will devour the competition! Check them out at Lindsay Deegan Marine in Ulverstone. Phone 6425 2238.

Add a livewell to your boat

ive bait wells are an essential part of tournament fishing. More than ever, competition and tournaments are ‘no kill’ and all fish must be released alive. If the fish doesn’t swim away it doesn’t count, or it may even attract a penalty.

Bream and bass tournaments require live wells to be fitted to your boat and over the last few years Australian boat manufacturers have started to add them, as standard equipment, or as an option.

Many boat builders now market specific ‘Tournament’ model boats that all have live bait tanks/wells. These vary in size from 10 litres that only suit small bait up to split tanks of 120 litres or more that will happily hold up to ten fish in comfort.

The most important things a tank should deliver are stable temperature and oxygen. Temperature should be as close to the water the fish came from as possible and depending on the system used this can be easy or difficult.

Insulation is vitally important if the tank is a simple self contained recirculating tank that only has an aerator. If on the other hand the tank draws water from outside the boat circulates it through the tank and then dumps it back overboard insulation is less important. This is undoubtedly the better style of tank.

So you are going to enter a competition and you need to add a tank to your boat. What do you need to do?

Firstly you need to decide if you want a permanent or removeable tank.

The most simple tank is either a large (very) insulated cooler or a large plastic bin. You really should look at something of over 60 litres. You can get away with just the bin and a bucket, changing the water every fifteen to twenty minutes. This removes waste, refreshes the water and keeps the temperature similar to the outside water.

The next step is to add an aerator. This is a simple unit that uses a bilge pump, usually with suction feet and is stuck to the bottom of the tank. It has clips to attach it to a battery and simply recirculates water through the pump and out a spray head-oxygenating the water. Like humans fish need oxygen and like us if the fish don’t get it they die. Heat can be a problem with this setup though.

Heat is generated just by running of the pump and this warms the water-somewhat negating the adding of oxygen.

The water still needs to be changed if the temperature rise, but with this setup it is probably not as often.

Next best is a tank that pumps water in from the outside and has an overflow-providing a constant flow through the tank. These can be purchased as a complete unit with polyethelene tank, pump and plumbing from marine chandleries. I spotted a 55 litre model at Tamar Marine for around $240. These are great for up to about five or six fish.

If you are serious though a tank of 100 litres or more is the most desired unit.

Once a livewell gets to this size there are all sorts of issues, weight being a significant factor, position in the

boat, plumbing, to insulate or not, how to drain it etc. At 100 kilos or more siting it in the boat is vital. That is like having an extra (largish) person in the boat. It can severely affect trim and in a small boat may even prevent it getting on the plane to if badly positioned. Try and position this as close to the centre of the boat as possible and it should neutralize any potential negative affect.

Putting it in the middle of the boat though can also create a plumbing problem. The drain point of the tank needs to be above the waterline otherwise you will have to pump the water in and pump it out.

The easiest setup with this arrangement is a bilge/pickup The simplest of all. A pump mounted on the outside self contained aerator of the transom. You can buy for around $30 these from any marine dealer or chandlery. They look like a standard bilge pump on a bracket and will often have a stainless pipe on the bottom curved to face forward and designed to pickup water when you are traveling, whereas it won’t normally pickup in a pump due to the negative pressure at the transom. You can then run the pipe from the pump over the top of the transom or through it above the waterline to your live well. Alternately there are through-hull pumps with a threaded skin fitting. A hole of about 25mm is drilled in the hull below the waterline, the pump is pushed through from the inside with sealant attached and the nut done up from the outside. Plumbing is then run from the pump to the tank and hard wired to a switch.

Lives well/bait kits come at various levels.

This one with pump, hose, spray nozzle and switch retails for around $120.

Hydro Tasmania update on boat access to lakes

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s most anglers are aware, access to several hydro lakes has been affected as a result of the current drought conditions.

While Hydro Tasmania has received some good rainfall over its northern headwaters lakes of Lakes Rowallan, Murchison, Macintosh and Burbury during the last week, the water levels at Lake Burbury remain very low and the boat ramps on this lake remain closed until this situation improves.

Unfortunately water levels at Great Lake are still very low and the boat ramps at Cramps Bay, Swan Bay, Haddens Bay and Brandum Bay remain closed until the water levels rise to a sustainable level that will allow the safe launching of boats.

Following the feedback received from the recent public meeting in Launceston, Hydro Tasmania has investigated the possibility of creating temporary boat ramp access on the Great Lake. An upgrade to the launching area at Boundary Bay is undergoing environmental studies as this site appears to give the best access with the current low water levels. Another site at Swan Bay has been identified as another temporary site. We will keep anglers informed of progress in this area.

The water level at Lake Echo has also dropped considerably which has resulted in the temporary closure of boat ramps on this lake.

Hydro Tasmania regrets the inconvenience caused as a result of these closures and appreciates the patience of the angling community during this difficult period. We will continue to keep anglers informed of the availability of boat ramps through public notices in the daily newspapers and our website at www. hydro.com.au. We urge anglers to stay safe on the water during the upcoming fishing season.

New Evinrude V4, V6 E-TEC engines join the family.

B

ombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) recently announced the expansion of its Evinrude E-TEC outboard engine line-up. The 115-hp 60-degree V4 E-TEC is now joined by a 130-hp engine and a 60-degree V6 platform will be available in 150-hp, 175- hp, and 200-hp. As of fall 2005, the Evinrude E-TEC line-up will go from 40 through 250 hp.

In addition to the mid-range engines, the Evinrude E-TEC line will now be available in in-line 2- cylinder 40, 50, and 60-hp; in-line 3-cylinder 75 and 90-hp; V4 115 and 130-hp; V6 150, 175, and 200-hp; V6 200, 200 HO, 225, 225 HO, and 250-hp models. These industry-leading direct injection engines offer low maintenance, exceptionally low emissions and sound, durability and high power in a unique design.

The Johnson four-stroke line will include 2.5 through 225-hp engines. The 2.5-hp is a new addition to the line-up and will be available in early spring 2006. Johnson two-stroke engines available for 2006 include the 3.5, 9.9, 15, 90, 115, 150, and 175-hp models.

“Internationally, the market demand for Evinrude E-TEC is growing faster than anticipated, due to the advanced technology and unique value propositions that no other manufacturer can offer,” said Michel Hade, vice president, general manager, International Sales and Marketing. “These new models will contribute to the great success we have already experienced with Evinrude E-TEC through strong consumer demand.”

The new compact, lightweight engine platforms deliver the advanced features of all Evinrude E-TEC engines, offering excellent fuel economy and strong performance while providing the industries best emissions , no scheduled dealer maintenance for three years or 300-hours of use, industry-leading quality components, and unique BRP styling. The 130 and 200-hp engines feature an exclusive variable exhaust control valve that delivers more low-end power and top speed performance than ever before.

All Evinrude E-TEC engines are available in freshwater and saltwater models (with all models approved for saltwater use).

The 150-hp HO model will feature a high performance gear case and unique graphics package.

Evinrude E-TEC won the Clean Air Excellence Award from the US EPA earlier this year in Washington DC. This is the first time ever a marine engine has received this prestigious recognition for improving air quality and a safer boating environment.

This award confirms that the Evinrude E-TEC technology produces lower exhaust emissions including lower carbon monoxide emissions than four-stroke engines and meets stringent 2006 EPA, European Union (EU), and 2008 California Air Resources Board (CARB) 3-Star ultra-low emissions standards.

Fishing News - Page 37

The Range

There are four different models available in eleven different configurations.

300 Tuff Tender

Incredibly stable Tri hull design Positively buoyant Hundreds of potential applications Available in survey Rated to 3 people Maximum 15hp (around 45kmph top speed) Four year hull warranty (one year for commercial use)

410 Challenger Polycraft have really taken off over the last year or so as the market comes to understand how good they are.

Polycraft boats

P

olycraft is part of National Poly Industries, a Bundaberg based company who manufactures polyethylene products ranging from rainwater tanks through to agriculture and aquaculture equipment. Polycraft is providing an ever increasing range of polyethylene boats as an alternative to conventional aluminium and fibreglass boats for the Australian marine market.

Polycraft boats first came onto the market place in 2001 with the introduction of the 3.00 metre Tuff Tender.

History of polyethylene boats

The first Roto moulded boat was manufactured in 1959 by a Norwegian company called Pioneer boats. Their earlier boats which were orange and can still be seen in service behind yachts and have stood the test of time for over 30 years.

Today there are dozens of Roto and injected moulded polyethylene boats available from various boat companies world wide, with the largest manufacture “Triumph” a USA based company which consistently records sales in excess of 500 boats per month.

How are the boats made

By a method called Rotational moulding which is widely used to manufacture now common polyethylene products such as, rainwater tanks, wheelie bins and children’s playground equipment.

The mould is filled with a quantity of UV stabilized Polyethylene powder, which has the look and consistency of washing machine powder. The mould is then positioned into a very large computer controlled oven for a preset period of time and temperature. It is then rotates in a clockwise and anticlockwise direction to get the desired thickness throughout the entire hull.

Poly versus other boat materials

Polyethylene has many distinct advantages over alloy and fibreglass.

Is not susceptible to electrolysis or osmosis.

Is remarkably soft riding when compared to alloy boats.

10mm thick dual skin hull that is five time more impact resistant than fibreglass.

Is easy to clean and basically maintenance free.

Never needs painting and is solid colour right through.

Is the quietest boat on the water by way of dual skin hull absorbing wave and engine noises.

Polyethylene can float unaided while also having the advantage of air trapped between the two skins of the hull.

Every boat is an exact replica of the original mould, guaranteeing quality and consistency.

Will not dent and is more likely to flex and deflect away from object.

Is great value for money.

Frequently asked questions

Q. What happens to the plastic when left out in the sun, will it go brittle over time?

A. The short answer is no, the Polyethylene we use has a UV stability rating of 11, compared to a wheelie bin with a UV rating of 4 - the boats are two times more UV stable. Go home and have a look your wheelie bin, it sits in direct sunlight 24/7 365 days a year with little effect or notable damage.

It’s always good to point out that the poly used in the boats is nothing like the plastic used to manufacture outdoor furniture, garden lights etcetera. The only other thing you could confidently compare the boats to would be a poly rainwater tank; most of these come with a 25 year guarantee and are nearly always in direct sunlight.

Q. What if the hull is scratched – damaged - holed. Can it be repaired?

A. Polyethylene is very easy to repair if scratched or marked.

Fishing News - Page 38

For small shallow scratches, simply sand with 800 grit sand paper, clean and then heat the effected area with an industrial heating gun until it takes on a shiny appearance.

For deeper, larger scratches contact a plastic repairer from the yellow pages (they cater to the car industry fixing poly bumper bars), they will fill it with a poly welder, sand back and finish with a industrial heat gun.

If in the unlikely situation the boat is holed, the plastic repairer will open the hole by grinding a scallop around the effected area to create greater surface area for the weld to bind to. After the weld is finished they will sand back and heat with an industrial heating gun.

It’s worth noting that polyethylene once repaired is almost indistinguishable from an unaffected area on the hull, unlike alloy.

While it’s not impossible to hole a poly boat, it is certainly more difficult to puncture than an alloy or fibreglass boat. To date not one of our boats has had this occur. Why?, because, the hull is 10mm thick and flexes, absorbing a lot of the initial impact.

Q. Will the boats warp and twist over time?

A. This can happen to a boat if not stored on a recommended Polycraft trailer with full length skids. The main offender is the multi roller trailer, which are not suitable for Polycraft boats. The reason being is that they create pressure in small concentrated areas under the hull which then flexes and small depressions form in the hull above each roller.

On the other hand a full length trailer distributes even pressure over the entire length of the boat, ensuring it holds its shape. They design is intended for easy launch and drive on retrieve. Trailers can be ordered with the boats direct from the factory and will be delivered set up ready for motor installation.

All Polycraft models come with a Four year hull warranty when stored on the correct trailer.

Q: Can you screw directly into the hull, and if so how?

A: Yes you can and a lot easier than alloy or fibreglass.

Remembering each one of the dual skins is 10mm thick; this provides more surface area for the threads to bind into. Any boating accessory such as radios, cup holders, sounders can be simply screwed to the boat with confidence. For best results use a self tapper or coarse threaded stainless screw.

Q. How are the hull and deck joined?

A. The entire boat is moulded in one piece; therefore there is not a joint seam that can leak. There is a parting line where the two parts of the mould come together and separate.

Q. What happens if I hit a jetty or a rock with the boat?

A. The boat will flex and absorb the impact instead of cracking, splitting or denting like an aluminium or fibreglass hull.

Q. What are the environmental benefits to this boat?

A. The boat is produced using a zero-emissions manufacturing process. The hull is also 100 percent recyclable. It can be reground and made into another PE product. Of course, Polycraft uses only 100 % virgin material for strength.

Q: How do you stick rego numbers to the hull?

A: Heat the boat with a heating gun or oxy heating torch until it gets a shinny appearance, then clean with shellite or citrus cleaner. Then apply stickers to prepared surface. Note that 3M stickers seem to be of better quality and adhere more effectively.

Q: What are the best silicon/sealant to use on Poly?

A: The best and worst thing about poly is nothing sticks to it, i.e. blood and guts won’t stick but same goes for certain types of sealants and the like. For best results use Elastomeric silicon/sealers. (It’s a matter of looking on the label on the tube.) We use a clear all purpose sealer called LEXEL. It’s available from most hardware stores. Sicaflex will loose its seal over time Q. What warranty do Polycraft provide on the boats?

A. Every model in Polycraft`s range come with a four year manufactures hull warranty.

Incredibly stable V nose punt design Non slip full floor, casting decks and has ample storage Stainless bow and hand rails are standard Suitable for estuary, impoundment fishing for both social and competition anglers Available in three models Available in survey Rated to 4 people Maximum 50hp (around 55kmph top speed) Four year hull warranty (One year for commercial use)

455 Quickcraft

Traditional deep V design Non slip full floor and casting deck Suitable for estuary and inshore fishing Available in five models Available in survey Rated to 6 people (with optional centre seat) Maximum 60hp (around 65kmph top speed) Four year hull warranty (One year for commercial use)

599 Frontier:

Best value six meter on the market Positive flotation as standard Rated to 8 people in survey and 6 in standard format Long list of standard features Extremely stable due to pronounced reverse chines Four year hull warranty (one year for commercial use) Huge internal deck area Available in Centre Console and Cuddy Cabin Maximum 175 hp (115hp 55 kmph, 150hp 75 kph.)

Abundant storage and seating Call Lindsay Deegan Marine for more information 64 252238

Kids free learn to fly fish day Saturday Aug 27, 1-4 pm No 3 Weir, Brumbys Creek

Numbers are limited so pre booking is essential.

Book your child’s place by phoning Peter Hayes on 0409 944 699.

Bring your own rod if possible. Limited gear will be available on the day.

TasmanianFlyCasting Championships Sunday Aug 28, 9:30am for 10 am start No 3 Weir, Brumbys Creek

Entry fee is $10 for adults, Juniors under 16 free.

All profits to go to trout habitat trust fund.

Adults, Junior and club championship trophies.

First place ‘Champion of Champions’ wins a Sage Fly Rod donated by the Essential Fly Fisher – Launceston.

All levels of competitors are welcome. This is a great social day.

Call Peter Hayes on 0409 944 699 for further information.

Humminbird expand colour range

The Minister’s View

H

umminbird have recently introduced a range of sunlight viewable colour TFT display fish finders.

Adding to the popular Matrix 97X Combo, the range now includes the Matrix 87CX combo and the Matrix 77CX. The high visibility colour technology enhances viewing and shows more detail of the bottom. Using DualBeam PLUS™ technology, the 60º wide beam gives more bottom coverage and the 20º narrow beam gives a detailed look at the bottom.

The Matrix units are all PC compatible, meaning new features can be downloaded from www.humminbird.com.au. Another important feature of the Matrix series is the ‘plug and play’ capabilities, allowing the angler to customise their fishing system to suit their individual needs.

The new Matrix 87CX Combo combines a 12 channel WAAS GPS chartplotter and sonar capabilities in the one compact unit, with a 127mm diagonal 320V x 240H colour display. View charts with the traditional appearance of paper charts, and produce easy to interpret views of fish holding close to structure, bottom hardness, the thermocline and more. The unit incorporates detailed maps to four nautical miles around all of Australia, and anglers can take advantage of the chartplotting and trackplotting features to identify and return to hot fishing spots. The unit features a powerful 500 watts (RMS) output and 500m depth capability.

The Matrix 77CX makes fishing easy, allowing the angler to see fish and detailed variations in structure on the bottom like never before experienced with monochrome fish finders. It has all the fish finding functions and capabilities of the Matrix 87CX without the GPS chart plotting functions.

The 500 Series is perfect for the recreational angler, and now with high visibility colour technology, fishing trips are enhanced, with more detail and a clear depiction of the bottom.

The two new colour units have a depth capability of 330m, and all the features anglers have come to expect of the affordable

yet quality 500 Series. The 585CX fishfinder has a large 127mm diagonal screen, in brilliant colour. With features such as a depth alarm, fish alarm, water temperature and one touch zoom, it’s a quality unit that makes a great catch easy. The 595CX includes all the fishfinder features of the 585CX, combined with a GPS chartplotter, upgradeable to Navionics Gold seamless cartography.

For more information on the Humminbird Range, contact BLA on (07) 3907 5500 or visit www.humminbird.com.au

2005 Tasmanian Bream Classic

Review of the rock lobster and giant crab management plan – update

T

he review of the rock lobster and giant crab management plan is still underway, with the next phase of public consultation due in mid August 2005.

Feedback from an Issues Paper that was circulated in February, as well as consultation with the recreational and commercial fisheries advisory committees, has helped guide the development of management strategies for each fishery.

In August, the Department will release an Information Paper outlining recommendations for changes to the management plan. At this time the Department will also be hosting public meetings at major centres around Tasmania to discuss the proposed changes. Following the release of the Information Paper there will be a 60 day period in which the Department will be receiving public submissions on the recommendations.

The main issues for the recreational fishery will be: Resource sharing between the commercial and recreational fisheries This is a complex issue that is still being discussed. The Information Paper will set out a proposal for resource sharing within the rock lobster fishery.

Special Rock Lobster Licences for the recreational fishery Both recreational and commercial respondents to the Issues Paper indicated strong support for the removal of the special rock lobster licences. The Department believes that the current possession limit of 10 rock lobster is adequate and appropriate for all recreational licence holders and therefore proposes that these licences are no longer available.

Issues that will not be addressed in this review Several issues were raised earlier but will not be addressed in this particular review. Pressure on inshore stocks and egg production are very significant and difficult issues that will require a considerable amount of work and discussion with stakeholders. It is proposed that these will be the subject of separate review processes to commence in early 2006.

Public consultation will be open from mid August until 14 October 2005. The review Information Paper will be available from your local Service Tasmania shop, or by contacting the Department. Public meetings will also be held to discuss the proposed changes to the management plan. Details of these meetings will be in all major papers prior to the commencement of public consultation.

As we head into another traditional trout season, I commend the entrepeneurial approach being taken by the Inland Fisheries Service to offer early bird licence buyers a chance to fish in style with a new boat and motor Stephen Kons package.

It is very pleasing to note the marked improvement in licence sales over the past two seasons. This indicates that the previous trend of declining sales, experienced over the past decade, has been halted successfully.

This is especially good considering it goes against the national trend in recreational fishing.

The fact that some popular Highland and West Coast catchments have low water levels, is an unfortunate climactic factor. However, all Tasmanians must realise we are blessed in this State with many other choices of where to cast a line.

I congratulate the Service for encouraging anglers to consider these alternatives through its active stocking program of many public waters in both the Highlands and at this time of year, the more comfortable lowland waters.

I am sure that waters like Craigbourne, Curries River Dam, Lake Barrington, Brushy Lagoon, Four Springs and Meadowbank will provide good sport for the early season angler.

Good luck for the coming season.

• Boat based tournament • No kill • Boats must have live wells • Team event, plus individual prizes • Two qualifying events - one final • Entry fee $130 per person (Includes $30 ABT membership)

$12 000 in prizes

17th September - 1st qualifying round - Derwent River 1st October - 2nd qualifying round - Scamander River 8th October - Final - Swan River Entry forms and information can be obtained from tackle stores or contact Leroy Tirant on 0428 347 736

- Page 39 Fishing Fishing NewsNews - Page 39

The environmentally friendly E-TECs already meet 2006 EPA EU and 2008 CARB 3-Star emissions requirements.

Every drop of the E-TEC engine oil is combusted and accounted for in it’s 3-Star rating. This is not the case with 4-strokes.

Thanks to stratified combustion E-TECs achieve fuel economy and efficiency only previously possible with 4-strokes. In fact, the new E-TEC 250HP is 36% more fuel efficient than the Mercury Verado 250HP at Wide Open Throttle.

Not only are E-TECs as quiet as 4-strokes, they produce a more pleasing, less obtrusive sound. In other words, the sound of your E-TEC engine will not interfere with the sound of your own voice.

E-TECS ARE JUST AS QUIET AS 4-STROKES

✔

Seaport Marine

E-TECS ARE CLEANER THAN THE CLEANEST 4-STROKE

✔

E-TECS ARE AS FUEL EFFICIENT AS 4-STROKES

✔ The new E-TEC 225HP is 54kg lighter than the Mercury Verado 225HP. Less weight means significantly better handling, improved out-of-the-hole performance, and optimised speed.

E-TECS ARE LIGHTER THAN COMPARABLE 4-STROKES

✔

PN 99050

391/1a Westbury Road Prospect. Phone 6344 3311

E-TECs require no scheduled dealer maintenance for the first 3 years or 300 hours of normal recreational use. You’ll never have to change oil or oil filter – ever. Plus, no belts to change, carburetors to set or lifters to adjust. Compare that to a 4-stroke.

E-TECS ARE EASIER TO OWN AND OPERATE

✔

EVINRUDE E-TEC V6 – 200HP, 225HP AND 250HP.

FIRST IT WAS THE 2-STROKE. THEN CAME THE 4-STROKE. NOW THE FUTURE’S ARRIVED ...

Data: Evinrude Performance Report PE126. Evinrude Testing @ RETC. Trailer Boat Magazine April 2004.

U.S. EPA 2004 Database. Each manufacturer’s 2004 product brochure.

PMA-ads.com 6173

ABT Tournament organiser, Leroy Tirant with a good sized Derwent River bream.

$3.95

• Fishing with kids • Craigbourne Dam • Catching squid • The bizarre Booby • ABT bream tournament • Fishing on a limited budget • Jan’s flies • Sarah’s kitchen • Oct-Nov fly fishing

Issue 58 October - November 2005