Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 066 2007 February

Print Post approved; PP 702512 00027

Issue 66 February - March 2007

$3.95

A super silver trevally caught by Harriet Stevens in Georges Bay. See page 6 for details.

• Albacore • Silver trevally • Bait collecting • Bream news • Catching monster bream • Sarah’s Kitchen • Beach fishing • Lake Augusta • Highland action • Surface poppers

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N

ot that long ago, flyfishing meant, for the most part, dry flies and trout streams. How times have changed. Today, the term ‘fly water’ encompasses nearly everything from the tiniest, jump-across creeks to the wide-open ocean.

Anglers now present flies from the surface into the darkest depths; bass, trout (of course), salmon, steelhead, bonefish, stripers, sailfish and bluefin tuna are all fair game. We’ve even heard of a guy chasing giant alligator gar on the fly.

These days, any water is fly water. hy we make That’s why we make different models 182 different fly rods, from our delicate “000” or “triple ought” weight TXL, with a blank that weighs a mere fiveeighths of an ounce, on up to the saltwater heavyweight champion, 16-weight Xi2. Toss in nine two-handed Spey rod series (designed to fit specific casting styles), the specialised long-distance-casting TXR series, and well, next thing you know, you’re building 182 different rods.

Our goal with each of these rods is to make it easier for anglers of all abilities, under any conditions, to put the fly closer to the fish.

Of course, accomplishing this goal isn’t easy. It means employing a dedicated (OK, fanatical) team of designers, engineers and materials specialists.

It means investing an extraordinary amount of time in the lab and on the water. Our exclusive G5 Technology, which allows us to build the lightest, most responsive rod blanks in the industry, for example, took nearly five years of intensive R&D. And it also means a commitment to quality that can only be satisfied by handcrafting every Sage rod in Bainbridge Island, USA. Why do we go to such lengths? At the end of the day (and the beginning, and the middle…), we are a company of people who live to fish. Our quest to create equipment that makes time on the water more enjoyable is, as they say, a labour of love. It’s also a great excuse to go fishing. A lot. See you out there. www.sageflyfish.com

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CONTENTS

Calendar of events 4 Inland Fisheries news 4 Georges Bay silver trevally - Jamie Henderson 6 Bait collecting - Leroy Tirant 8 Bream essentials - Steve Starling 12 Bream events news 13 Sea Fisheries news 14 Little man - big fish - Terry Horton 14 Bait fishing for monster bream - Damon Sherriff 16 Sarah’s kitchen 17 Let’s hit the beach - Daniel Clifton 18 Steering in the right direction - boating tips - Mick Gregory 22 Highland action February - March - Peter Hayes 24 Surface fishing action - Leroy Tirant 26 Fishing and boating directory 27 Reviews and Fishermans basket 28 Trolling - Lines and getting the best from your lure - Bill Presslor 29 Chasing chooks - albacore tips - Tim Anderson 30 Lake Augusta - an underfished gem - Joe Riley 32 Classifieds and subscriptions 37 Boats 37

My Say It is not often you get a chance to see and listen to the hot-shots of fishing in your home town. In March Tasmania has two qualifying rounds of the Australian ABT bream tournaments. Quite a few heavyweights are coming from the mainland, figuring it will give them an extra chance to qualify to fish in the final later in the year.

One of the benefits of this is the Squidgy team is doing some presentation nights. I would just about put anything on the line and say collectively these guys have done a bigger variety of fishing than just about anyone on the planet.

Steve Starling and Kaj Busch will be the two best known, but there are a few other lesser know, to us anyway, that will backup Starlo and Bushy. Their knowledge on sportfishing is immense and they love sharing it. I have been fortunate to have fished with both and they are fantastic, just to observe.

I saw/heard them having a little competition once on who

knew the most scientific names of fish. It went for ages until one of them ran out of puff. How many scientific names do you know? One, two, or perhaps a few more. It really isn’t that important, but it does show how deeply interested Bushy and Starlo are.

Don’t miss these nights as detailed. I believe there will be a fair amount of giveaways as well.

The Squidgy Pro Team promotional nights will be; Monday 5th of March: Launceston Football Club (Windsor Park, Riverside).

Tuesday 6th of March: Ulverstone Civic Centre Thursday 8th of March: Mecure Hotel Hobart All Squidgy nights will feature presenters Starlo and Bushy and special guest Chris ‘Slick’ Wright.

Mike Stevens

Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Published by Michael Stevens PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250.

Ph/fax; 6331 1278 Mobile; 0418 129949 Email; fishn@bigpond.net.au Advertising: Quenton Higgs - 0427 129 949 Stevens Publishing, ABN 79 095 217 299 All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the publisher.

Print Post approved; PP 702512 00027 Printed by Harris Print, 39 Alexander St, Burnie.

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Fishing News - Page 3

Inland Fisheries News Dredging at Lake Echo during February

Commencing 19 February Hydro Tasmania will be undertaking dredging work to remove sediment and timber from the Lake Echo intake flume. The works will be confined to the dam end of the lake and will be surrounded by a floating barrage. The dredging is expected to continue for three weeks.

Anglers are asked to keep clear of the bottom end of the lake and to launch boats at the newest ramp located a third of the way up the lake on the western shore. After launching it is advised that boats head north rather than south. Signs will be erected directing anglers to the ramp.

Anlers should check with Forestry Tasmania as to the best access routes to the preferred boatramp as logging operations have been occurring in the area lately.

Redfin perch a problem that you can help contain!

With the weather warming up redfin perch are actively biting and anglers fishing certain waters will no doubt encounter them in numbers. Please do not move redfin perch live or dead from water to water!! If you kill redfin perch make sure they stay at the water at which you caught them. Or if you are taking them for eating put them safely in the car rather than leaving them in your boat. A new population of these fish would be catastrophic to our fishery and the environment. No fish or any other aquatic organism should be moved from one water to another!!

Don’t use imported baits!

Prawns imported from Asia have recently been found to carry viruses which could potentially threaten our native crustacean species. The use of prawns and other “fish” baits is illegal in most Tasmanian inland waters but is permitted in estuaries and is widely practised by those who fish for bream. Please do not use prawns or any other fish product that are not labelled as Australian caught or farmed. Be aware that even your left over prawns intended for human consumption should not be used as bait as they may carry these potentially devastating viruses.

Declared Pest – Didymo (Rock Snot)

Didymo is a freshwater algae that is spreading rapidly in New Zealand where massive blooms can have a significant impact on the aquatic insect life that fish rely on for food.

Didymo has recently been declared a ‘List A Pest’ under the Plant Quarantine Act 1997. ‘List A Pest’ are pests of significant quarantine concern not currently known to be present in Tasmania.

There is a very real risk that Didymo may inadvertently be transported into Tasmania by people returning from New Zealand via the reuse of contaminated equipment such as all fishing gear (reels, flies, nets etc) and clothing such as waders, footwear and wet clothes. Didymo can spread from a single drop of water.

Fishing and Boating Calendar 2006

Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News is pleased to provide this calendar of events for the year 2006. Events and dates are correct, to the best of the editor’s knowledge, at the time of printing but are always subject to amendment or cancellation.

Date Event and venue More information FEBRUARY Thu 8 to Mon 12Feb Mon 12 Sat 17 & Sun 18

Wooden Boat Festival, Hobart Take a Kid Fishing, Hobart Regatta ground.

Hillcrest Caravan Park Game fish comp, St Helens

Fiona Ewing 6233 9073 Sheryl Turner 0419 335 159

MARCH Fri 2 to Sun 4 Fri 9 to Sun 11 Sat 10 & Sun 11

ABT Bream qualifier, St Helens ABT Bream qualifier, Derwent River St Helens Game Fishing Classic

Steve Morgan (07) 3268 3992 Steve Morgan (07) 3268 3992 Jamie Henderson 6376 2244

APRIL Sat 7 & Sun 8 Sat 14 & Sun 15 Sun 29

Easter Game Fishing Competition, St Helens BigFin Sports Fish Comp, St Helens Most brown trout waters close

Sheryl Turner 0419 335 159 Sheryl Turner 0419 335 159 Neil Morrow 6233 8930

MAY 19 & 20 May

Inland Fisheries Open Day, Liawenee Canal

Neil Morrow 6233 8930

HayesonBrumbys

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Photo Competition Sendinyourphotos.We’llgiveyou$100 ofBlackMagictackleforthebestphoto’s published.IfyourcatchwasmadeusingBlack MagicTackle,andyouincludeaBlackMagic barcode,we’llgiveyou$200worthofBlack MagicTackle.BlackMagicTacklehaveahuge rangeincludinghooks,flyhooks,gamelures, gamefishinggimbalandharnesses,Sabiki andflyjigs,gameleaderandmore.

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All anglers planning to return or enter Tasmania from New Zealand should disinfect their fishing gear, material and clothing. This can be done by soaking and scrubbing in hot water in a 2% solution of household bleach or a 5% solution of either salt or dishwashing detergent for 2 minutes. If disinfection is not a practical option, after cleaning and complete drying, allow a minimum of 48 hours before using in another waterway.

Shayne Ling from Smithtonwith some nice albacore caught off St Helens.

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Name ..........................................

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Learn to fly fish, brush up your skills or learn advanced techniques. Whatever your level these workshops are designed to inspire, entertain and educate. You can spend many years learning fly fishing skills - or you can fast track.

These live in workshops are based at our comfortable 20 bed convention centre on the banks of Brumbys Creek, with a purpose built casting pool right next to the centre.

This is a superb location for a fly fishing weekend getaway. We invite you to come along and have some fun with like- minded people while you gain a lifelong benefit from this experience.

Your skills will be improved enormously as will your enjoyment of the sport.

As the key instructor Peter Hayes has been the National Casting Champion a total of 10 times in addition to winning the National Fly Fishing Championship.

Additionally, Peter’s knowledge gained from a lifetime of casting and fishing, plus twelve years of guiding experience in the highlands and lowland rivers is bound to rub off on all participants.

Peter has run casting clinics for many years in Australia and New Zealand.

Course cost is $300 per person and covers tuition, accommodation and meals. Places are limited and filling quickly.

Stay on packages

As participants of our courses you may choose to stay on and take advantage of our facility on the edge of Brumbys Creek. The fishing here can be sensational (see the article in the current FlyLife magazine, issue 45).

Should you choose to stay on after the Sunday the bed and breakfast cost is $65/person/night. You can self cater your evening meals or visit the local hotels or restaurants.

Workshop dates

Intermediate/Advanced Fly Fishing and Casting weekend: 24, 25 February For more information or to book your place contact Peter: 0448 905 125 or email hayes@flyfishtasmania. com.au

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The Exceler literally excels in its list of features from the ultra light diecast aluminum body and machined handle with soft- touch knob to revolutionary designs only ever seen in its pricier cousins. One turn of the handle and you’ll experience the ultra smooth cranking power of the famous digigear drive system made famous in the dearer Certate and TD Sol models. The perfectly meshed gears provide incredible power that will last for years of reliable service even under the harshest fishing conditions.

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Georges Bay silver trevally

When the words “Sportsfishing” and “Giant Trevally” are spoken most think of far north Queensland and long boat journey’s to offshore reefs, but here on the East Coast of Tasmania we have our very own version. Georges Bay is home to Pseudocaranx dentex, or the silver trevally as it’s more commonly known, which is one of the most prolific species in our estuarine waters. They are caught as juveniles by children on just about every jetty around our coastline and are the very fish that most of us would have cut our teeth on as a keen youngster. They can be caught with a wide variety of methods from simple bait fishing to saltwater flyfishing but no matter what the technique or size of the fish they are one of the best sportfish Tasmanian waters have to offer.

Silver trevally can grow to 76cm in length and over 6kg in weight and examples of up to 60cm fork length and 5-6lb in weight are being caught by switched on anglers right here in Georges Bay, St Helens every weekend. Well perhaps I am getting a little excited, but 50cm fish are common enough with the cover shot fish of this magazine at 49cm. The size of the fish being caught is considered massive on an average scale and fish of this size have only started showing up in recent years, evidence once again that the ban on netting our inshore waters is improving the fishery all the time. They start to show up during late spring /early summer and by Christmas catches of good sized fish are being reported nearly every day and this continues on all through summer.

Whilst the trevally can be caught using a variety of different methods one of the most popular, ever increasing and most successful techniques is the use of soft plastics on ultra light spin tackle. This form of fishing is not for the faint hearted and if you want to tangle with a bruiser of a trevally of 4lb or more than the old boat rod and 20lb line needs to be left at home. Lightweight, high modulus graphite rods of 6-7 feet coupled with good quality spinning reels with smooth drags are the weapons of choice.

Silver trevally are a schooling fish and where there is one there will be more. So one of the most important and key

factors is to work an area where a fish has been caught. Being a high speed swimmer they also like a bit of current flow so areas with a good tidal influence, strong flow with access to sandflats and rocky reefy structure close by are where to start looking. I like to pick area’s with a bit of broken weed, rock and big sandy patches and cast my plastics onto the sand areas as this is where the trevally Georges Bay abounds with silver trevally during summer. They are easily will be feeding. Cast targeted and can be reliably caught. Fish of up to 50cm are common up and across current using an appropriate sized jighead weight for the conditions, at the right time, small ‘tap, taps’ are sometimes all you will enough to get the plastic to the bottom but still let it drift feel then by just lifting the rod you should connect with a along the bottom, and let it bounce along naturally with the solid hookup. Sometimes the largest fish can give you the current back to the boat or section of shoreline your fishing most timid bite so don’t discount any takes as not worthy of from. Small lifts and drops and twitches imparted with the intense concentration.

Prime spots are also pylons and channel markers and any rod tip as the plastic drifts back toward you will draw strikes from any trevally nearby. They are not always on the bottom large piece of structure such as jetty’s and wharfs, one of my more favoured areas to look are any rocky points jutting out though and using a count-down approach works well. Of course this is hugely affected by the jighead weight, the from the shoreline. Once hooked these fish will give one of speed of the tidal current and the depth. The basic are cast the most spirited, dragged out fights of any fish of its size. up and across current and count the first cast down for say They will generally give a blistering run right from the onset three seconds before starting the retrieve; second cast five peeling off much line then lay sideways in the water and circle seconds; third cast eight seconds. Then when you find the deep much like a tuna. They can be very difficult to pull up off the bottom but a bit of time and patience will see them strike zone stick at it.

The bite from a trevally can at times be very subtle and boat side, if you are fishing from the shoreline you may need requires a bit more concentration from the angler to strike to give chase at times.

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Silver trevally will give you a good run around the boat and big specimens require good angling skills and quality gear.

It’s because of the way they fight that good quality gear is needed, high modulus, lightweight graphite rods of 6’6”-7’6”(2-5kg) are needed as they give a very sensitive feel in the tip to detect the subtle takes, have the ability to cast log distances with light weights but still retain the power in the butt section to wear the fish down. Rods such as Shimano Catana, Starlo Stix, Raider series, T-Curve and my personal favourite Ian Miller Bream Buster Brawler are all good choices and cover all price ranges. The Bream Buster Brawler is a 6’7” 2-5kg extra fast action rod with an immense amount of power in the butt section and capable of taking the torture the Trevally will give it. Match any of these rods up with a good quality spinning reel in the 1000-2500 size range making sure that the reel has an adequate drag system that will cope with a fish that takes long fast runs. Reels such as Shimano’s Sienna, Symetre, Stradic, Twin Power and Stellas are some of the few that have features and a quality drags capable of dealing with a large trevally.

Reels should be spooled with 4-6lb Berkeley Fireline and leaders of 6-8lb in a quality fluorocarbon should also be used as the fluorocarbon with its superior abrasion resistance can be dragged across rocks and around pylons and still hold up.

Wriggler in Gary Glitter, Silver Fox and Bloodworm. I cut a small piece off the very nose of the wriggler so it butts up against the TT jighead nice and snug and make sure it is rigged dead straight to give as natural an action in the water as possible.

Other plastics worthy of a mention are the Berkeley Gulp Sandworm in natural colour and the 2” Power Grub in Pumpkinseed, both of these are used in the same manner as the Squidgies and on the same jigheads with the exception of the sandworm being fished somewhat like a bait with very little movement from the angler.

Silver trevally are a hard fighting fish never willing to give up for a second and tests light tackle and anglers patience and skill to the limit. They are easily targeted in Georges Bay with many areas holding good schools of fish and offer the angler

a solid sportsfishing alternative to some of our more romantic species unavailable to the average fisho. They are also quite a reasonable table fish for anyone seeking to take home a feed for the family.

Despatched and bled quickly, placed on ice, filleted and eaten that night will certainly please the family and guests at a BBQ. I saw Steve Starling on a DVD mention silver trevally make great sashimi so give this a try as well.

Next time you are on the coast stop in and see me, Jamie, at St Helens Bait and Tackle and I will be happy to give you all the hints and tips and point you in the right direction of one of our regions premier sportfish.

Jamie Henderson

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The size, style and colour of soft plastics does not seem to matter too much. Getting your lure in the right depth zone does though.

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Jigheads in the 1/16th to 1/12th size are perfect for this technique, I prefer the round Squidgy heads or the TTLures heads, and by far the best plastics I have found are the #2 and #3 Squidgy

80 Hobart Road, Kings Meadows Phone 63 444 000 www.brucestevenson.com.au Fishing News - Page 7

Bait collecting.

Owning and working in a tackle store I get the privilege of talking to fisherman all day long about all types of fishing.

And regardless of how long they’ve been fishing for I am usually able to come up with something new for them to try; even more so when it comes to bait fishing. Like any form of fishing using the right bait, collecting and storing it properly can make the difference between catching fish and going home empty handed. I find a lot of anglers for one reason or another get stuck into a routine of using just one type of bait, and whilst this may be fine if you catch fish with it every time, what if you don’t?

Collecting or finding and gathering bait for fishing is a tradition for many. Many anglers started fishing careers by digging in the garden for worms or scrounging around a beach looking for pippies, and such, to have bait for a session. It’s not until later in life, perhaps in our teens that we progressed to using lures and other methods besides bait to catch a fish.

Its something parents can do with the kids and it can be a lot of fun for them as well as learning new things about the world around them.

Freshwater.

Worms; probably the most well known and oldest used form of bait for fishing. There are several species, but the most common used by anglers are scrub worms, tigers, bloodworms and of course sand worms used for beach fishing. Scrub worms are normally very large, as thick as your finger and up to 4-5 inches in length. Because of their size only one is needed on a hook and I find a bronze size 1 baitholder ideal for these big buggers. A little trick I learnt years ago was to inject a small amount of air into them using a syringe and they would float just off the bottom out of the mud and weed.

This is a great attracter for fish as it will be seen from a long way off and a big juicy worm like these will not be refused.

Be sure to only thread the hook into the worm once and don’t hide the hook point. Tiger worms can be identified easily because they have light colored rings around them which give them a tiger stripe effect.

Tigers are normally very small and quite a few should be used on a hook. Because they are so thin I recommend using a very fine gauge hook like a Daiichi 2451 size 6. Bloodworms are basically your more common garden worm, slightly dark in color with a visible ring one third the way down the body and is lighter in color than the rest of the body. These worms make a fantastic bait especially when they are fat and 2-3 will fit on a size 6 - 1 bronze baitholder and be sure to only thread Pumping bait is not that common in Tasmania. You will get the best a small section of the and freshest baits, cost is virtually nil and the catch rates will go up.

Don’t pound an area too much though - do a small area, leave a bit worm onto the hook as and then try again. This allows populations to rebuild quickly. the extended ends will wriggle and move even that are well shaded. They can be kept (in most cases) for an more when they are left in the water for quite a while and the indefinite period of time as long as they are kept in a well movement is a great visual attractor for fish. Flat tails look ventilated container and the soil they are kept in is not too very similar to a garden worm and are just as effective and moist. I prefer to keep them in black soil and store them in should be fished the same way. the fridge as it is very important to keep them cool. As a kid Collecting worms is fairly easy. A pitch fork should be my old man used to lay out newspaper on our lawn and wet used, as a shovel can cut the worms in half as you turn over it down with a hose. The worms would be attracted to the the soil. Moist areas such as compost heaps, under logs, cow surface with the moisture at night and come morning we pats, and by digging up a garden bed or in wooded gullies

2006

1200 HOURS EVERY YEAR .....That’s Durability!

Fish farming is big business. Huon Aquaculture in Tasmania farm Atlantic Salmon, a 24/7 operation that involves staff of 100 and a big fleet of rugged aluminium work boats, all powered by Yamaha 4-stroke outboards.

Over 14 years of exclusive use, Huon Aquaculture has experience with the full range of Yamaha 2-strokes, 4-strokes and now EFI models. With 40 Yamaha outboard engines on the water, racking up big operating hours every day of the year, there can be no better test or testimony to the durability and reliability of the Yamaha 4-stroke brand.

Racking up more than 1200 operating hours per engine per year, the electric start Yamaha 4-stroke models from 25hp through to 115hp deliver the power, performance and reliability that exacting commercial businesses demand.

“Yamaha 4-strokes have cut our fuel bill by 50%. They deliver superior thrust, easy starts and low noise... all important OHS issues in our workplace. Operating 24 hours a day all year round, Yamaha is the heart of this business.”

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Fishing News - Page 8

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58 Wright Street, East Devonport Phone 6427 8854 Fishing News - Page 10

would turn over the newspaper and find heaps of worms stuck to it, which made for easy retrieval. Worms can be fished unweighted, under a float, rigged with a running sinker and even trolled behind a set of cowbell attracters, which are available at most tackle stores. I know it sounds strange but you’d be surprised at how many fish you will catch trolling worms. They are a bait that can be found all year round with a bit of work and can even be used in saltwater. Fish like bream, trevally, mullet and a host of other saltwater species will readily take scrub and garden worms. Beach worms can be found around the shore wash of most beaches and their homes are identifiable by a small swirly looking mound of sand. This is where a bait pump comes into its own. The pump is placed directly over the mound and pushed down into the sand whilst pulling the handle up simultaneously. This creates a vacuum and the pump fills with sand. By pulling the pump out and pushing the handle back down you expel everything in it, including hopefully the sandworm. Some sandworms can be massive in length, some several feet. A worm that large will make several baits.

Terrestrials

Grass hoppers and beetles all make choice baits at times of the year when they appear. Grass hoppers can be collected by hand or with a small net in grass paddocks or in tussocks along the edge of the river you are to fish. They usually appear through summer and there are many species of grass hoppers that come in various sizes and colors, but they all catch fish. They can be rigged through the body with a fine gauge hook and cast unweighted on light line up stream and left to float with the current. It’s not hard to tell when trout are feeding on grasshoppers because their rises are normally fairly splashy. Beetles are another common trout food. Again there are plenty to choose from but in the central highlands gum beetles can be prevelant. I prefer to fish these rigged on a small fly hook and cast with a float rigged ½ a rod length from the hook. Other bugs like cockroaches can be found under rocks and logs in darkened places and cast unweighted and left to drift are deadly.

that swims. They can be very hard to find as they tend to be in small groups, so many fisherman protect their nipper grounds with great secrecy. I rig them on either a long shank hook by inserting the point at the base of the tail and running it just under the shell along its back bringing it out in the gap just before the head shell. With the hook point facing up you won’t snag up as much and the hook won’t drag in the sand.

The other method is to just pin the nipper in his tail fin with a small octopus type hook. Sand crabs are often a by catch when surf fishing and are cursed by the people that catch them as they are good bait stealers, but they themselves are a gun bait, if used fresh, for gummy sharks.

Shell fish

Mudeyes

Pippies, mussels and oysters make fantastic bait for nearly all saltwater fish. Pippies or cockles can be found around the shore wash of beaches. Sometimes they are buried in the sand just below the surface and the mounds are a give away. If there are very few at the surface you can find them by twisting your body to drive your feet into the sand and you will ‘feel’ the pippie and be able to collect it. Mussels are found around pylons and rocks, as are oysters. You will need a flat head screwdriver or a flat nosed divers knife to pry open an oyster or mussel. These are soft baits, and baitholder style hooks are a definte advantage. Bait mate thread can also be used to tie the bait to the hook. These soft flesh baits can be frozen for later use but it is best to only take the quanity needed for a days fishing.

Crabs

Crabs of various species and nippers are also found on beaches and around weed and rocks. Small black crabs are gun bream bait, and to a lesser extent green and soldier crabs. The best place to hunt for crabs is around rock pools. Carefully lift smaller stones and you will find crabs scurrying around and can be easily picked up. Their claws are usually small and don’t hurt if they latch on to your finger. Soldier crabs are good for a number of species and can be found running over beaches in their hundreds like small blue spiders. These don’t have claws as such and can be picked up before they bury themselves into the sand. With these smaller crabs I prefer an octopus type hook with a wide gape and only just pin the hook through the shell at the bum end. They are best fished live if possible and I don’t like trying to keep them for later use as they never survive, so its best to just release what you have left before you go home.

Nippers

Nippers or one armed bandits as they are also called need to be pumped from the sand using a bait pump. Nippers also have a tell tale hole in the sand and you pump these the same way you wood a beach worm. Fished dead or alive nippers are deadly on whiting, salmon,bream and just about everything else

Collecting bait is a great activity with kids. It is part of growing as a junior anglerand a science lesson rolled into one. Don’t hesitate to take the kids with you. They might not always be very helpful but they will have fun and are often so intent on their own discoveries you are left to the serious collecting.

These are the larvae of a dragonfly and are approximately an inch in length. They live in all freshwater rivers, dams and lakes. They can be found under logs and rocks that are submerged or in weed beds. They can be collected by hand only in Tasmania. There are two species of mudeye, one of which is called the couta mudeye. I suspect this is because of its elongated shape and this guy has a great set of nippers on his head that will grab onto your finger if you aren’t quick enough to pick it up between your fingers.

This is by far the best of the two species to use as bait, and this is proven on the mainland where the only mudeyes they sell are couta’s. In fact I believe that nearly all coutas caught by commercial operators in Tasmania are exported to the mainland. Which makes collecting them by hand yourself the only option to get some. Spider mudeyes (shown above) are the other variety and are short round little bugs with no nippers. Both mudeyes can be used as bait and the best way to rig them is by putting a small size 16 hook through their wing case which is as hard as plastic. This doesn’t hurt the mudeye and he will happily swim around all day, which is exactly what you want. A dead mudeye is next to useless in my book, and I see far too many fisherman putting a hook through their bum, which kills them. Mudeyes swim by expelling water through their bums so by putting a hook their it stops them swimming and they don’t last anywhere near as long as they would hooked through the wing. The best way to hook them through the wing is to very gently bend them in half which forces the very short wings upward away from the body making it easier to put the hook through. Mudeyes can be kept for several days to weeks by soaking an egg carton in water then put this into a polystyrene box and kept in the fridge at around 6 degrees.

Every 4-5 days take them out and give them a swim in a tub of cold water for a few minutes so they can rehydrate themselves.

Mudeyes are best fished under a float but can also be trolled behind attractor type cowbells.

Grubs

A favored bait by many Tasmanians. The common wood grub is found in many types of trees whilst the wattle grub is of course found in a wattle tree. Wood grubs love dead trees so look for old logs beginning to rot and carefully split them

with an axe. You will see the sawdust type remains of where a grub has been in his tunnel, so if you follow this you should find the grub. Wattle grubs are a different kettle of fish so to speak. In a live tree you will see bits of sawdust type remains at the base of the tree this will tell you that there is an active grub in the tree and upon careful inspection you should be able to determine the entrance to his hole. The tricky part is to then spilt the tree carefully until you find the grub, but I assure you, this isn’t as easy as it may sound. Grubs can be rigged in may different ways and this will depend if you are using them as a bait on the bottom, or under a float or if you a spinning with them. Wood grubs are of course the larvae of a moth.

Nymphs

An under utilized bait by fisheman. These are the life blood for freshwater fish and live in the mud, sand and weeds on lake beds and under rocks and logs in the rivers. They are very small and are the larvae of mayflies, stoneflies and caddis plus others. They are approximately 15mm in length and 4 or 5 pinned through their tails on a fine gauge size 10-14 fly hook and fished under a float make them a deadly bait for trout.

The best place to find them so they are easily identified to the uninitiated is in a river, if you carefully pick up a few rocks and look underneath eventually you will find one that has a small insect moving about and that will be a nymph.

Poddy mullet

These and other small saltwater bait fish are great bait fished live for flathead and other fish. These can be collected by buying a clear plastic bait trap from a tackle store or by using a clear 2 litre juice bottle. One of the squarer varieties are best because it will lay flat on the sand. There are two ways you can use it, one is to simply place a piece of stale bread inside then just place in water with the cap off in about 1 foot or less deep and leave for short while. The other way which I prefer is to leave the lid on and cut a small long hole on one side just like a tissue box. Place stale bread inside and place in a depth of water that just leaves about an inch or 2 of water flowing over the hole. The baitfish swim into the hole and feed on the bread, upon your return just whip the bottle out and you should have a few fresh and lively baits.

Using fresh bait is by far more productive than something frozen or salted. It’s not hard to collect bait once you locate where it is. All that is needed is a few simple tools, like a bait pump and a pitch fork. Your kids will have a ball chasing crabs or pumping nippers, you could even start a worm farm at home and have fresh bait on tap. A great part of fishing is the preparation like rigging up your rods, sorting out your tackle box etc it all builds the anticipation of another trip and collecting bait is just an extension of that. The most important thing I might add to all of this to only take what you need, there’s no point taking a heap more than you need because the idea is to use it fresh and just as important is to not transport various baits to areas where they are not found as this can upset the ecology of where your fishing.

Leroy Tirant Fishing News - Page 11

option on each (sometimes they’ll all carry exactly the same Squidgy tail and head combo!), but rather because I want to be straight back into the action if I break off on a snag, get shredded by a fish or suffer a serious tangle. Hot bites often last for just minutes during a seven hour session and you need to optimise your in-water time. I can swap to a back-up outfit in seconds if I need to.

On the reel front, I’ve been a Shimano man for over 20 years and see no reason to change. Stellas, Twinpowers and Sustains dominate my line-up, but the new Aernos Oceania is an amazing piece of kit for the price, and I’m really enjoying using one of these, too.

Starlo’s breaming essentials With several important BREAM Tournaments coming up on the Tasmanian calendar, we figured it was high time to hear from a regular competitor on how he prepares for these events. In addition to being one of the country’s most prolific angling journalists and TV presenters, Steve Starling is a highprofile regular in the ABT’s National BREAM Series, and a former top-three cash prize money earner on the circuit. He was also NSW Team Captain in 2001 and 2002, NSW BREAM Angler of the Year (AOY) in 2001, NSW AOY runner-up in 2002, Victorian AOY in 2002 and is a dual National BREAM Circuit tournament round winner. So, when Starlo talks about his list of ‘essential’ gear for competing in these events, it pays to listen! Here’s what he had to say when we asked him about this important subject:

My list of ‘essentials’ — things that always go into the boat at the beginning of each ABT BREAM Tournament session — varies somewhat with the passage of time. In particular, my collection of rods and reels and my lure inventory fluctuates a little. Since becoming involved in the design, testing and marketing of the Squidgy range of soft plastics, I tend to use these lures almost exclusively, but I certainly acknowledge that there are plenty of other great plastics out there and I’ve done really well in the past on Sliders, Atomics and XPS, to name a few.

When it comes to rods and reels, I like to have at least four and preferably five top-notch outfits rigged and ready to go. This is not so much because I want a different lure

Like so many other regulars on the circuit, I have relied heavily on Ian ‘Barra’ Miller’s custom rods, or on factory-rolled sticks designed by Ian and made by Shimano. I had a lot of input into the new Starlo Stix Tournament Pro Lite-Spin and it’s an absolute cracker of a stick for around $200. Two of these have now permanently joined my tournament arsenal.

In the line department, I still can’t go past Berkley Fireline.

I previously had most of my bream reels and spare spools filled with 4 lb and a few with 6 lb, in a mix of yellow and grey, and I swap around according to conditions, but now I’m getting right into the new Crystal Fireline and loving it.

I replace my Fireline pretty frequently (especially the Crystal stuff, which does crack up a bit with heavy use). It’s not cheap, but it is the best and you need new, fresh line in a tournament.

I also have one outfit on hand spooled with what Bushy and I call ‘the scringy line of doom’ — in my case, 2 lb Vanish fluorocarbon or 3 pound Nitlon. I hate being forced to use this stuff in a competition scenario, but its ultra-finesse has won me a couple of important rounds and scored me vital extra fish or upgrades in many others.

For leaders, I once used a lot of Stren Magnathin and Scientific Anglers fluorocarbons, but am now mostly using Nitlon or Rockfish, and I carry a range of diametres for different scenarios and conditions.

An accurate measuring device and set of electronic scales are important for upgrading and I sometimes run a singlefloat fish marking system where I always attempt to tag the smallest bream in my live well at any given time, so I know which one to high grade. This system is far from perfect, but it’s less time consuming (at least initially) than a multi-float system and I reckon it’s also kinder to my fish.

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Fishing News - Page 12

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Finally, speaking of looking after your fish, I wouldn’t touch a bream with any net other than my Dave Irvine Environet. I hate knotted mesh nets — they’re real fish killers.

Oh, and one last thing — I don’t leave the ramp these days without my Casio wristwatch and also a cheap alarm clock, both synchronised with the official time piece for the comp’. I’ve been late back in the past, and that time penalty thing really hurts!

Here’s Starlo’s basic checklist of essentials (excluding rods and reels) for each BREAM Round:

Lures

1 x large box of Squidgy Fish and Squidgy Wriggler soft plastic tails in the two smallest sizes and full range of colours 1 x box of assorted lead-head jigs, primarily Squidgy Round Heads and Squidgy Finesse Heads 1 x box hard-bodied micro-minnows, primarily Ecogear SX-40s, Attacks and Deception Palaemons in a range of colours

Leader material

1 x spool of Nitlon in six breaking strains; 6 lb, 8 lb, 10 lb, 12 lb, 14 lb & 16 lb

Accessories

1 x Environet landing net 1 x Rapala Electronic Scales (8 kg model) 1 x Alvey plastic measuring rule 1 x small bobby cork on short tether with clip to use as high grade indicator 1 x Stormy inflatable PFD vest 2 x pairs long-nosed pliers 2 x pairs of braid scissors 2 x pairs of Maui Jim polarised sunglasses (in case one is lost or broken) 1 x Casio Seapathfinder wristwatch 1 x cheap travel alarm clock Steve Starling

How to Catch the BIG Ones!

2007 bream competitions

The Boat Shack has a full range of:

ABTNationalQualifiers

ABT will be running two qualifying events next year which will give Tasmanian anglers the opportunity to be able to fish in a nationally organized competition for prizes which are usually in excess of $50, 000 for the winner.

Anglers weigh their heaviest five bream live at these events and fish are released unharmed at the end of the competition.

The tournaments will be held at Georges Bay on the 3-4 March and at Derwent River on the 10-11 of March. It’s worth attending the weigh in at 2 o’clock on each day to see the range of boats and fish the anglers have caught.

Shimano Australia and Berkley will have teams fishing these events and some big names in the fishing industry will compete against locals. Steve Starling, Kaj Busch, Chris Wright, Scott Towner are just to name a few. Phone 07 3268 3992

Nigel Harris - one of the top performers in 2006.

TasmanianBreamClassic The 2007 Tasmanian Bream Classic will be fished in a new format to reward consistent angling over the three rounds at three different waterways. Teams of two anglers can catch and weigh ten live bream, with heaviest bags being allocated points at each round. At the end of the three rounds the team with the most points will be champion team of the year.

To fish the ABT TAS BREAM CLASSIC you need to become a member of ABT AUST. Dates for these tournament are: 21/22 April: Georges Bay, St Helens 23/24 June: Derwent River, Hobart 8/9 Sept: Scamander River Phone 0428 347736

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Take a kid fishin’ or Little man - big fish I never thought I would write this story. Call me prejudiced, a disbeliever, and if I had not been a part of it all I would still be of the same opinion. Shame, shame as they say!

The saga began when a friend, Steve Jackson from my eastern tuna M.A.C. days phoned me asking if he could arrange to take his son Aiden tuna fishing. A past Canberra resident Steve had recently moved to Franklin in the Huon Valley and after one or two false starts I managed to get them a berth on a trip to Pedra Branca.

Lee Harris’s “Go” boat (46’ Cresta Sports Fisherman) made the usual 6.30am departure from Southport on an icy June 2006 morning, frost still thick on the deck with the prospect of light winds and good fishing conditions. I promised I wouldn’t blab about this but I just can’t help it.

Steve took a while to find his sea-legs; in fact he didn’t, and commenced laying a berley trail ten minutes after departure.

Far too early but God bless him he still had plenty for the rest of the day. Aiden was ten at the time, basically knee high to nothing and I was a bit worried for the little bloke. I needn’t have been, he was made of more stoic stuff. I admit it; I’m guilty of a first grave misjudgement.

Arriving at Pedra the usual scene of intense activity, seals, birds, bait fish etc generated high excitement; our fishing prospects looked great! The lines had been set for no more than one minute when a lure was smashed and Leo our main charter player was on his first major bluefin, adrenalin pumping, enjoying the time of his life!

Young Aiden just watched and said very little but no doubt taking it all in. Steve meantime laid low. Leo landed his first big bluefin and since the little fella was next in line we put him in the chair and adjusted every bit of the harness to its minimum.

He didn’t have long to wait and suddenly it was all happening. The rod looked every bit a tree trunk, the reel a ships winch and all of us gave Aiden ten minutes on the fish at best. That was my second misjudgement. Ten years old, four foot tall with the tenacity, determination and remarkably the strength to beat an 80kg pocket rocket (yes you read right) in one hour even. From the skipper down we were all hooting; well Steve wasn’t but he would have if he could. If there was a downside it was the fact that in the last few minutes of the fight seals attacked the fish mauling it a little but that in no way diminished a mighty effort from Aiden.

RECREATIONAL FISHERIES NEWS February 2006 Hopefully everyone had a fantastic Christmas holiday period with lots of time spent out on the water. Next month sees the start of the recreational scallop dive season, so now is the time to brush up on the rules.

Recreational Scallop Season

You need a recreational scallop dive licence to take scallops. The fishery is open from 1 March 2007 to 30 June 2007 inclusive. The use of recreational dredges to take scallops is not permitted. Scallops can only be taken by hand and only the licence holder can take scallops. Fishers can not take scallops on behalf of another scallop licence holder and unlicensed people cannot be in possession of scallops while out on the water.

There is a minimum legal size limit for each species: • Commercial and Queen scallops 100mm.

• Doughboy scallops 80mm.

Fishing News - Page 14

After plenty of congratulations and photos it was back to a reset. Leo boated two more excellent fish which were tagged and released. When the second of the two was set free a little voice was heard to say “I could have another go”, so into the chair our lad went again. The action slowed as the sun emerged from behind cloud and surface conditions became flatter. Time for a lure change as schools of blues continued to rip through small bait fish all around the boat.

Finally a fish liked our offering and it was on again for the little fella! Could he do it for the second time? Everyone except Aiden doubted it.

Wrong again, could he do it? .. Yes he could! Ten minutes, half an hour, an hour, go boy go! This little guy had us, especially Leo, give him seriously vocal encouragement. An hour and half came up and we could see him beginning to sag, but I have seen adults crash after ten minutes and this was his second major fish.

This is where Dad Steve has his big moment.

As Aiden had the fish almost beaten Steve emerged from the cabin and put in ten minutes of finishing touches when Aiden finally crashed. The little bloke did all the hard yards, a truly amazing effort from one so young. When we arrived back at Southport the jetty scales showed a weight of 96kgs.

I had been a hardcore skeptic of kids landing seriously big fish but I was well and truly proven wrong as Aiden's strength and determination was nothing short of amazing. I look forward to fishing with you some other time little fella; it will be a tough act to follow …….. a marlin or a mako maybe?

Terry Horton

Aiden Jackson with the results of his torrid battle - a 96 kilo southern bluefin tuna.

The size of the scallop is measured across the widest part of the scallop shell. The measure should be made across the shell in line that is generally parallel to the hinge.

Ideally, scallops should be measured underwater and carefully returned immediately after they are measured. Shucking (removing scallops from their shell) at sea is prohibited.

A personal bag limit of 40 scallops per day (all species combined) applies. This is also the scallop possession limit while out on the water. The bag limit applies to the total catch for the day regardless of how many trips are made. Once a fisher has caught their bag limit they must stop fishing for scallops for the rest of the day.

A personal possession limit of 200 scallops (species combined) or 5 kilograms of scallop meat applies while on land. This generous possession limit is designed to allow fishes to keep scallops for consumption over a long period (eg for when the season is closed).

During the 2006 season there was some evidence that fishers were making multiple trips in a single day catching their bag limit of scallops each time and returning to land. This practice is illegal and puts scallop stocks at risk. The Marine Police have prosecuted several people and heavy penalties apply. If you see anyone breaking the rules, call Fishwatch on 0427 655 557 and help preserve the fishery for the future.

Scallop and Charter Boat Fishery Public Consultation

The Department is currently conducting a review of the recreational scallop fishery management plan. The scallop management plan will be open to public consultation shortly and fishers are encouraged to have their say about how the fishery is managed.

A new management plan for the sea charter fishery is being developed and will be open to public comment in the middle of 2007. An important part of the management plan will be data collection through fishing logbooks which will provide better information on the number of charters and the fish caught (and released). This will build on the great work that has been done by the Sea Charter Boat Operators of Tasmania (SCBOOT) who have run a voluntary logbook for several years.

Keep your eye out for notification of the public consultation periods in the public notices section of Tasmanian newspapers or on the Legislation and Management page of the Department’s website www.fishing.tas.gov.au Need more information?

For more information on recreational sea fishing: • call the Recreational Sea Fishing Line on (03) 6233 7042; or • visit www.fishing.tas.gov.au

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Fishing News - Page 15

Bait fishing for monster bream Bream are arguably one of the most popular fish in Australia as they have the lot. They are great fighters and are readily easy to catch, which makes them a great fish for kids. In the north of the state we have several estuaries with super sized southern black bream. The fish are not as thick as the east coast estuaries such as the Scamander River or the Swan River but a little time and effort is worth its while and very rewarding.

Location

Bream are opportunist feeders, just like Snapper. They eat a wide variety of food.

Their mouth is designed for crushing hard food such as mussels, pippis and crustaceans but they will also have a go at bait fish as well.

Locations vary from estuary to estuary. For example the fish out of the Tamar seem to eat solely crabs where the fish from Pipers River tend to eat pippis. They adapt to their location and take what is available. What I have found with my bream fishing experience is that my bigger fish have normally been taken in very shallow water and are nearly all caught on an incoming tide. Don’t be scared to try in under one metre of water. Big bream tend to hang out in areas where gummy sharks and sting rays are caught. Their main diet is also crabs.

Time of the year

I have normally targeted the bream in the Tamar River in the warmer months but this year I fished through the winter. I fished many cold mornings and evenings and found that the winter and early spring was very productive for the bigger fish. The months that I would normally fish for bream were October, November and March. A friend of mine by the name of Steve Robinson caught a 2.7 kg fish in April in reasonably cold water.

The bigger fish we caught this season were caught in a water temperature of only 11 to 12 degrees so don’t pack your gear away when it gets cold.

Bait

Bream can be caught on many baits from prawns, pretty fish, garfish to squid. They all work really well on small to medium sized fish. We have found big crabs work a treat on the larger fish.

We use big velvet crabs which are found around the rocky shores.

They are a purple colour and have a back about the size of a 50 cent piece with a creamy coloured nipper. Once you have collected your crabs break the nippers off them as this will stop them from burrowing into the mud. I also break one of the back legs off the crab. This is where I enter the point of the hook.

Hooks

I use a larger hook than most bream anglers as I find that it works far better when you are releasing the fish. It will also stop toad fish and other small pickers from getting hooked. I have been using a 2/0 Gamakatsu octopus and a 3/0 O’Shaughnessy. Both of these hooks are very strong and are razor sharp. Big bream can break a smaller hook very easily with their crushing jaws.

Leader

When I was growing up I was taught to use the finest leader on bream and that you couldn’t catch them on a thick heavy leader. I have found this to be wrong!!!!

After fishing this season amongst masses of toad fish and 2 to 7 kg gummy sharks I got sick of being bitten off and snapped off due to leader damage. So I have got rid of the clear 9lb leader and tied on a thick green 10kg leader.

From then on I have landed more bream . I think this is due to less leader nicks. Even the small bream didn’t seem to mind the green leader and the big hooks. I have caught a few fish around 250gm using this rig. It makes you wonder about these expensive fluro carbon leaders! I know that it won’t be something that I will be using.

Sinkers

The sinkers that I use are one ounce snapper leads for the big bream. They cast really well and hold on the muddy bottom. Around the full moon the tide runs extra strong so I go up to a 2 ounce. So much for light sinkers being the best! I feel the bigger fish don’t really care about your sinker as they are looking at your bait. A heavy sinker gives you more control of where your bait is positioned when the tide runs hard.

Fishing News - Page 16

Like son - like father. Two monster bream from the Tamar River.

Ben Sherriff’s at top 2.35kg and Damon Sherriff’s 2.25kg.

Rig

I use a running sinker rig with an extended sinker dropper as it casts better than a standard running sinker rig and helps keep your line, sinker and bait from being buried in the mud. I also use a longer leader than most bream anglers. If toadies bite my hook off I still have plenty to retie another hook over and over again without having to change my leader.

Rod and reel

A big bream rod needs to have a strong butt section with a soft tip and be around 7 foot long. I like the Shakespeare range.

These are the rods that I would recommend for super size bream, an Ugly Stick SP70/A2 and a SP1170/2M. Both of these rods will handle big gummies as well as big bream. A spinning reel around the 2500 to 4000 size is ideal spooled up with 10 lb Berkley fireline.

The reel must have a smooth drag.

Reel in gear and in the rod holder

I learnt this technique from hooking snapper from Geoff Wilson (snapper fisho and author of best selling Fishing Knots and Rigs). I have applied it to big bream and it seems to work a treat. I have my bail closed with 1 kg of drag set on my reel. Big bream hit very similar to big snapper and if you have your reel in free spool you will miss hits.

So don’t pick your rod up until it is buckled over and your drag is growling off line.

Chasing big bream in our states Northern estuaries is not for everyone. You are not going to come home with a fish every time but don’t be disappointed because when you do catch that elusive fish it makes it all worth while.

Damon Sherriff

Sarah’s Kitchen

I thought that I would do another recipe using squid as everyone seems o be catching it at the moment and it is surprisingly easy to work with:

Spiced Snapper

2 tablespoons ground coriander 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 tablespoon mustard powder 2 teaspoon mixed praprika 1/3 cup peanut oil 2 kg whole snapper

Salt & Pepper Squid

Seasoning

8 small squid hoods, cleaned and sliced into rings ½ cup plain flour 2 tespoon Chinese five spice 2 teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper vegetable oil for deep frying Pat squid rings dry with paper towel.

In a bowl mix together flour, Chinese five spice and salt and pepper.

Dip squid rings into the flour mixtureand shake off any excess.

In a medium sized saucepan, heat oil over a moderately high heat and fry the squid in small batches. (approx 2 min each batch) Drain on paper towel and serve immedialtely.

60gm butter 1 medium brown onion finely chopped 2 cloves crushed garlic 2 teaspoon mild curry powder 2 cups cooked white rice ½ cup shelled pistachios(roasted) 2 tablespoons parsley, chopped finely 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped finely 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind Dry-fry spices in a small frying pan, stirring until the smells are fragrant, cool; stir in the oil.

Heat butter in a small saucepan.

Cook onion, garlic and curry powder, stirring until the onion is soft.

Combine the onion mixture with the other ingredients in a bowl.

Sarah Sherriff Cut fish fish three times on each side.

Place the fish on a piece of greased aluminum foil.

Fill the fish cavity with the seasoning.

Brush the fish all over with the spice mixture.

Seal foil to make a sealed parcel.

Cook fish on a heated barbecue, turning occasionally, until fish is cooked through.

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Fishing News - Page 17

Lets hit the beach

Beach fishing is probably the most popular form of fishing in Australia; more people take part in beach fishing than any other form. Why? Because it is accessible to just about anyone, chances of success between beginners and experienced anglers is not too dissimilar. Having said that, experience will lead to better quality catches.

So are you looking to go sea fishing, don’t have or can’t afford a boat, sick of sitting on crowded pontoons in the river? Then grab a rod, head to your nearest beach and cast a line, it might just surprise you.

This article is for those out there that are interested in catching some quality fish, but have no way of getting out into the open ocean, and think it would be nice to go home with a fish for a change, I am writing about beach fishing because I too have been sick of trying for a feed of fresh flathead, but the only ones I seem to catch in the Tamar River are so small they wouldn’t make a feed of fish fingers. Well hopefully I have the answer.

I have been fishing the beaches in the north of the state for about 4 years. After numerous fishing trips on the Tamar River, fighting for a spot on the jetty, a mate said ‘let’s try the beach’.

So the next weekend we packed our surf rods and headed to the beach just east of Bridport, Saint Auburns Bay. Here we set our plan to find the best gutters and troughs during the low tide, after an hour of scouting the beach we had picked our spot, set up for the day and got ready to fish the incoming tide. The incoming tide can be very productive; with fish following small schools of bait fish into the shore as the water rises.

This is the prime time to rig up, cast out, put your surf rod in a holder, and try flicking soft plastics out into water. On my last trip the surf was so flat that I could see everything in the water and to my surprise I found myself sharing my little piece of the beach, with a number of eagle rays, who were not at all worried about me, occasionally swimming past me as they moved for a better location in the sand. That day I learnt a lot about that beach just by watching fish swimming up the gutter and how the bait schools would work the edge of a trough, always watching for predators. You could see them get nervous, just before they would explode out of the water, as a small school of salmon would shoot through hoping to gorge themselves.

When ever you are fishing, whether it is the beach, the river, or the rocks always be watching what is going on. I Fishing News - Page 18

try to learn something new every time I fish so I am always watching what is happening.

For those that know nothing or very little about beach fishing, the following information will be of use if you use it as your guide until you learn more from fishing the beaches.

Dan Clifton.

Baits and rigs Baits

Baits are the preferred method for beach fishing in Australia, although the new generation of soft plastics can be fished effectively as baits. I will often use dead baits on the bottom hook of my surf rig but on the top hook I will use a bright coloured soft plastic.

I have found that I will catch the majority of the salmon on the plastic rather than the bait, but the bait tends to be better for flathead and is a must for scavangers such as gummy sharks.

Baits that work well for beach fishing are: Blue bait, pilchards, squid, tuna, barracouta and just about any smelly oily fish that will stay on the hook. Bait durability needs to be considered especially if the surf is rough.

Baiting the hook, as simple as it may seem, needs some attention when surf fishing. No point casting out into the waves to have your bait ripped off before it even hits the bottom.

When using baits such us blue bait, these are a small version of the pilchard, they are extremely effective baits but are very soft and fall off the hook easily. For this reason I try not to use them hole, so I cut them in half and use them on a 2/0 single hook.

I place the hook through the thickest part and then back through near the tail or through the eye.

This seems to work ok, but you will still need to check it often if it is the only bait you have on.

Tip: use this on the bottom hook, and on the top use squid, soft plastics or popper bug.

Squid is great bait, tough as nails but needs to be replaced every half hour or so, as it loses it’s flavour so to speak. Easily put on the hook any way you like whole, sliced into strips, or using the head. It doesn’t matter just make sure the hook point is out by at least a centimeter.

Pilchards are probably the most common beach bait in the whole world, generally fished whole on a three gang hook configuration. Now there are many people out there that will agree and disagree on which way the head should face with

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Fishing News - Page 19

pilchards. I like the head to be facing towards the rig, because I believe most fish eat other fish from behind. Some people believe it is the other way around and will fish tail to the rig, but what ever works for you do it. The important thing when baiting pilchard on gang hooks is to make sure the pilchard is hooked evenly and when finished it sits straight, this will make sure it doesn’t fly off when casting. Just experiment a bit if it is your first time using pilchard.

Rigs

Main Line

Three way swivel or Geoff Wilson’s dropper loop or twisted dropper loop knot.

Single Hook Configuration.

350mm

catch fish, if it is stable at a high or a low pressure fish seem to be quiet. So if you are new or old to the sport you should try keeping a journal of conditions such as barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, clear or overcast, etc. these will help build important data and take some of the guess work out of fishing.

I will finish up on with a few key points to consider when beach fishing and I hope you all got something out of reading my article. Even if most of it you already knew most of it, maybe I gave you something fresh to think about, or got you inspired to go and find yourself a beach, cast in a line relax and hopefully get your self a nice healthy feed of fish.

Because Tasmania has some of the best fishing in Australia so get into it!

You can rig your line anyway you like, most important is that it is going to get out to the fish and that it has enough weight on it to hold in the sand. Most beach fisherman use star shaped 3 Gang Hook 100mm - 150mm sinkers as these are very effective in settling into Configuration. the sand and not drifting too much. Star sinkers Key points to beach fishing are best when they have a swivel in the top of Always check weather forecast before going them. This stops the rig from twisting when 350mm beach fishing. winding in the line to check baits Try and pick a beach with prevailing wind off The most common way to rig up for beach/ shore or try to find a sheltered bay. surf fishing is using a paternoster rig, this has Weather can change quickly so go prepared for two hook positions and has the sinker fixed at wet cold conditions; nothing spoils a fishing trip the bottom. This works well because the line is Snap Swivel. more than being wet and cold. anchored to the sand and the bait is displayed in Read the water e.g. Look for rips or current as the water column rather the sitting on the sand these will indicate troughs or gutters, these are where the crabs and weed can cover it. where the fish will feed. If you can’t read the In the figure below you will see how to water, try to get there early and find gutters at put together a paternoster rig. It is easier to low tide. use three way swivels than to tie the dropper Go to your local tackle store and find out which loops if you are not familiar with the knots. beach is best for you in your area.

But if you wish to tie your own completely Star Sinker No.3 for most surf Use sharp hooks then you will need a copy of Geoff Wilson’s configurations.

Keep a journal of weather, tides, gutters, wind Knots and Rigs. anything else you think is important on Alternatively you can purchase pre-made  and the day, such as dolphins in the bay, sea gulls rigs that are made in wire form or from heavy working etc mono-filament line, they are my choice of rig as they are cheap to buy ranging from about $1.50 to $4.00 and are like me, you know what it is like to stand next to a guy Most of all enjoy yourself. they withstand most toothy critters that you might encounter, fishing, using the same bait and the same rig and he gets all the fish. He either knows or just got lucky and is casting into ‘Fishing’ – good fun –good food - good for you! such as barrracouta and small sharks. the trough that you are not.

What size hooks to use?

Hook size is important. It is important to what you are intending to catch. If you are trying to catch whiting in the surf, then you want a small hook size 2 or 4, but if you are looking at the big picture, and want to catch the majority of species on offer you will be looking to use a hook or gang hook around about 1/0, 2/0 or 3/0 depending on your bait selection and size.

3 set gang hooks, also comes in 2 and 4 set

Single hook Always use sharp hooks! If it’s rusty get rid of it. The days you catch nothing, will be the days fish are a bit shy. They bite, but if you don’t get that hook into them, or something big takes a run, because it is big and its mouth is hard, that rusty hook just won’t cut it.

Where and when

The million dollar question. Where and when do I surf fish? Well it is easy. Any beach and any time, but there are still laws to fishing the beach as there are to any fishing style, these rules are not concrete but they do increase catch rates.

Firstly the beach is best if it has gutters and troughs in it, these can be found at low tide or from the knowledge of local people. For example Bell Buoy beach at Low Head is very flat and shallow, with few or no gutters and troughs in it, it can still fish well but it is home to mainly salmon and gummy shark.

But other beaches such as the ones I fish between Bridport and Bellingham are full of troughs, even though it is still relatively flat and shallow.

These troughs provide a place for bait fish to feed and concentrate; it is these very places that larger predatory species come for food. If you understand how fish are feeding then you can make the educated decision on where is best. If you Fishing News - Page 20

At low tide you can see clearly the troughs and gutters in the beach Tides are not important to catching fish in the surf but they can change how actively feeding fish will be. For instance flathead will be feeding when ever the water is moving, they will sit and wait for food to wash past them, so when ever the tide is receding or coming in is going to be best. At high tide it is better for pelagic fish such as salmon, barrcouta even tailor, because these fish swim in the water column, they need water, therefore high tide has sufficient water for them to come close to shore and feed.

Moon phases effect tides, but they also effect fish feeding and I believe that the best times for beach fishing are usually around first and last quarter of the moon, these provide high tides later in the day so you can fish the evening on a high. Full moon is also very good but high tide is usually in the middle of the night. Fishing through the night on full moon can be both pleasant and rewarding.

Many experienced fisherman believe that barometric pressure is important to high yields when fishing whether it be trout fishing or beach fishing, I guess I too keep a close eye on barometric pressure. But I cannot tell you which is the best pressure for a type of fish or if high is better than low. But I can tell you that I believe that if the pressure is rising or falling I will

The author with a nice gummy shark.

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Fishing News - Page 21

right Steeringin in the the right “Steering Isn’t it strange, how you meet new friends ...

A couple of years ago my daughter and I were drifting one of our local creeks flicking plastic’s for lizards when we noticed a boat fast approaching. For no apparent reason the vessel swung hard at speed, sending one occupant into the water and the driver, luckily, remained in the boat as he was hanging on to the steering wheel. The boat continued on in a circle until the driver was able to cut power to the engine.

We rushed over, dragged the young fellow out of the water and took him back over to his dad, who was still in their boat, now sitting idle. As the story unfolded, the pair of them were on their maiden

voyage when the pulley and wire cable steering system snapped. The torque from the motor put the rig on full lock, sending the young lad into the drink shaken but unharmed.

Dad was not so lucky. The cable, on snapping, whipped around and caught the back of his left calf leaving a wound that required several stitches.

From that incident a firm friendship has been founded.

On strong recommendation Warren fitted a new SeaStar hydraulic steering system to his boat and has experienced hassle free boating ever since. Below is a variety of steering solutions, some you may already be familiar with, and there are others that may assist you in the future.

If you are looking at fitting any new kind of steering, firstly check if your outboard has a tilt tube, this is the round hollow cylinder that

Attaching Nut

Tilt Tube

Wiper Nut

Cable Steering

traverses between the upper section of your engine’s mount bracket (see pic).

The tilt tube is threaded at both ends which is standard for both cable and hydraulic steering applications. With cable steering, the cable attaches to the starboard side and a wiper nut designed to keep lubricants in and corrosion out is fitted to the port side. Hydraulic steering systems utilise the tilt tube

Splashwell mount kit.

Transom mount kit.

MGroup SteeringArticle Feb07

Prefabricated side consoles make updating the standard tinnie easier.

for mounting are front mount cylinders that are secured to both ends of the tilt tube or side mount cylinders that

When it comes to big game and offshore fishing talk to Fred, Phil or Tony - they have all the answersweon gear to use, and are the masters of the craft where they’re biting.

the art of steering

Fishing News - Page 22

meshing with the internal gearing. As the steering wheel is turned, the inner cable is pushed or pulled through the outer cable, thus controlling the direction of the outboard.

Return Arm

attach to the starboard side of the tilt tube and have a similar wiper nut setup to cable steering on the port side of the tube.

For a steering cable to work the outer sheath needs to be held still to allow the inner cable to move. At the motor end of a steering cable there is a standard 7/8” threaded nut that screws directly on to the tilt tube. The inner cable then travels through the tilt tube and is connected to the front of the motor via the return arm. Behind the steering wheel is the helm.

Depending on age, the cable could be screwed onto the helm or on later model units held in with a quick release pin. The inner cable then passes through the helm,

If you don’t have a tilt tube on your motor, then don’t panic as there are plenty of transom mount or splash well kits available from your local Teleflex Marine Dealer that will enable cable steering to be fitted to your rig. The easiest way to ensure you get the right set-up from the word go, is to take your rig to your local Teleflex Marine dealer and ask them to show you what is available.

Mechanical steering is available in two helm/cable configurations; rotary, which is probably fitted to 98% of cable steer boats, and rack steering found more so in ski boat applications where precision steering is a prerequisite.

A Teleflex® rack steering system will require greater space behind the dash and is slightly more expensive with units starting around $390.

A standard Teleflex® rotary steering kit off the shelf, will set you back approximately $220 depending on cable length. The only other expenses you may incur,

if you are fitting steering for the first time, will be a steering wheel starting anywhere from $27 and a return arm, that links the end of the steering cable to the steering arm on the front of the outboard. Depending on brand prices these should start from around the $60 mark. On smaller outboards you may need to purchase a steering bracket/arm to attach the steering arm to.

However if you are updating an existing system, in most cases, you should be able to reuse your current steering wheel as most helms run a standard ¾” tapered shaft.

Taking the next step up in rotary and rack steering will get you into Teleflex’s nfb® “non feedback steering” range. Propeller feedback is prevalent in all outboard powered boats, and in steering systems without nfb, the load is carried back through the steering system to the driver who continually fights the torque to keep the boat on the desired path. Teleflex nfb® steering alleviates this torque feedback allowing the driver to steer to port and starboard with equal effort. You will find Teleflex nfb® units available for around $295 depending on cable length.

No FeedBack Steering for Outboards Steering loads exist in all outboard powered boats. These steering loads are actually turning energy from your engine’s propeller. NFB steering locks out the prop feedback load which causes hard to handle steering. With NFB the wheel doesn’t turn until you turn it.

155 Brisbane St, Launceston. Ph 6331 8322

tdirection direction...”

The only trick to updating or installing a new Teleflex® steering system is getting the cable length correct, the table below shows you how to correctly measure your boat to ensure multiple trips to the local marine outlet

are not required. If you are replacing an existing cable, the length will be printed on the outer sheath of the cable approximately 25cm from where the cable attaches to the helm.

Refer to the chart below.

How to measure Steering cables Measure cable routing path from wheel centre line to engine connection as follows: A = Centre line of wheel to gunwale (or deck, if routed downward) B = Dash to transom C = Gunwale to centre line of cable connection at centred tiller For cable installations through the engine tilt tube - Add A, B and C + 150mm, then round up to the next size. Order that length cable.

For cable mounted to transom, splashwell or stringer - Add A, B and C, then subtract 150mm and round up to the next size. Order that length cable.

CABLE THROUGH ENGINE TILT TUBE

SPLASHWELL CABLE MOUNT

TRANSOM CABLE MOUNT SIMILAR TO STRINGER TYPE

Replacement of Existing cable: If possible, find the part number stamped on the plastic jacket of the old cable. If you removed the old cable, measure the replacement cable as follows: Y

ROTARY

Y RACk 190845 Y • For rack and rotary cables except 190845 A+B+C=Y. Y+ 450mm = cable length • For 190845 cable Y = Cable length at mid stroke

C A B

The best maintenance for cable steering is to apply heavy oil (such as outboard gearbox oil) to the cable and wind it forward and back through the tilt tube on a regular basis. If you are going to use grease, then a Teflon based grease is preferable. The problem with grease is that after a period of time mixing in with the marine environment it will solidify, causing the steering to become heavier and eventually seize. This can be a very costly exercise, especially if the corrosion has reached a point where the steering cable and tilt tube have grown together as one.

Putting it simply, hydraulic steering is more efficient, reliable and requires less maintenance than cable steering, but it is certainly more expensive, with a base system starting around $750.

It really comes down to how much time you are going to spend on the water and what style of boating you undertake. Apart from the weather, a boat’s steering probably has as much an impact on the skipper as any other facet of being on the water (hitting sand bars not included), so making it enjoyable and as easy as possible makes sense.

SeaStar® hydraulic steering consists of a helm that uses oil to transmit force through flexible or rigid hoses. These hoses are connected to a cylinder that is generally mounted on the outboards tilt tube. This provides a solid platform for the cylinder to control the movement of the

“Front mount cylinder, offering a clean, cable free splashwell.”

engine. SeaStar® hydraulic steering systems are relatively exempt of any frictional loads from engine torque as most of the moving parts are running on ball bearings and in oil. The helms also feature an integral lock valve which prevents any load being fed back through the steering wheel. The lock valve will not allow the engine to move until you open it by turning the steering wheel.

You would be quite unlucky if you can’t find a hydraulic steering system to fit your rig. Kits are designed to suit outboards up to 600hp and power steering applications for boats to 30m. Systems vary to suit a range of engine horse power and configurations including outboard, stern drive inboard, shaft drive (rudder) and power steering.

When mounting the cylinder on the outboard’s tilt tube there is the option of a front mount or side mount cylinder. If this is not suitable a splashwell mount is available.

Twin engine rigs can be set up with the option of having a cylinder on each engine (a single SeaStar® synchronisation valve is recommended for this installation), using a single cylinder and linking the engines with a tie bar, or by using the specifically designed tandem outboard steering cylinder, which is well suited to podded engine installations.

If you find when travelling your position varies from standing to sitting, SeaStar®

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The easiest way to measure

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the correct length of hose is to run a piece of string in the route you wish to run the hoses, measure it and then take it to the next length divisible by 30cm or 1’.

SeaStar® hydraulic steering is available to suit a variety of applications, but is more engine specific than cable steering. It is paramount to ask your local Teleflex Marine dealer for advice.

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(07) 3907 5500 (02) 8845 0900 Victoria, Sth Aust & Tasmania (03) 9552 9400 Fishing News Page 23 Western Australia ( 08) 9434-8400

It’s happening in the Highlands

March and April are among my favourite months for fishing in Tasmania’s Central Highlands.

The weather is generally at its most stable in these months and breathlessly still, bright, sunny day are not uncommon.

I remember being at Great Lake one day in a spot I call Proposal Point and looked in awe of the stillness of this wonderful environment. The surface of the lake was literally like a sheet of glass and I remember commenting that it looked possible to roll a marble all the way from Miena to Breona on the surface of the lake.

Fish were rising intermittently and everywhere you looked. The ripples giving away their position lasted for several minutes. Back to the point though.

Stable weather patterns are generally the most suitable for the bugs. In these months it is possible, and likely, that you will find a secondary hatching of gum beetles. There are often ants moving about due to smoke in the air or impending stormy/thundery weather. Midges love to come off on the still days and there is a good chance of finding a Jassid or two about.

Where to fish

I like to focus on the larger impoundments at this time of the season although having said that I can well remember many great days in the western lakes too.

Lakes like Echo, Dee, Great Lake, Arthurs are prime March April waters. These large surface area lakes are just whopping big insect traps.

The western lakes is a valuable resource and it is a delight to fish in this area in any good weather pattern. Late in the season, when the sun is lower in the sky, is a great time to polaroid this area. Have a look at any that take your fancy but only try to fish these waters in periods of good sun and zero cloud. The western lakes are all generally shallow and this has been a particularly dry season so beware of turbid water

Fishing News - Page 24

February and March can be the most pleasant of all times for fishing in the highlands. And the fishing can be hot too. conditions. Leave it for two or three days after a big blow to fish here. By then the silt will have settled out. It’s a catch 22 really. The shallow water levels are great for polaroiding but this causes the bottom to stir up in even medium winds.

to trout are just like big sushi trains to people. The food is concentrated in a narrow width that stretches for long distances. Fish will start at the downward end and nearly always travel upwind in a straight line path.

Fishing methods

I think it best to position the boat a long casting distance out to the side of the lane and cast side on to the slight wind.

Don’t sit in the lane with your boat – for a few reasons.

Stable, light winds are necessary to form wind lanes and I can tell you from first hand experience that wind lanes

One is that the fish will be coming straight toward you and unless your casting is pinpoint accurate you will stuff up many opportunities.

Two, when a fish takes your fly he is pointing straight toward you and you will miss more strikes than you get. I side on take is always better for a hookup. Three, if anyone else sits upwind of you then you will not have put down all their fish. In this respect it is not good practice to cut another fisherman’s lunch by parking on the same lane downwind. Either find your own lane or sit a decent distance upwind.

Downwind of points or spits that stick into the lake edge is always a good spot to look. The fact is that no one understands much about their formation and finding them is a little about observation skills and a lot about gut feel. Get out and practice is the best advice I can give you.

In closing

Just get out and do it. Be perspicacious and I know you will be pleased with your efforts. Oh, one other thing. Think about letting go most, or all, of your catch. The fish are approaching full spawn at this time of year. The flesh is often soft and pasty and after all they are ready to shag so that we can continue to catch their offspring. Have a heart, and a little empathy -let them go and do it.

Peter Hayes

I always use a dry fly - it’s mostly personal and it’s mostly what my clients pay me to do. The longer leader you can throw the better. Try using a 6 metre one – it is not that difficult. Always check the cast. By this I mean always give the

Great Lake can be spectacular. Clear water can have fish showing out like sharks. line a sharp grab just as the leader starts turning over on the delivery cast.

This will ensure that any remaining energy is used to kick the leader over straight.

If you are lucky enough to be on the water with an ant

Try using just one f ly instead of two or three.

If the fish are predominately on midges or ants use

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a Bibio Hopper or a black Bob’s Bits with a red head. If there are beetles about you cannot seem to go past the Guides Tag that I tied a decade ago now. This fly has caught thousands of fish for hundreds of anglers in the highlands since its inception. This fly has all the qualities that a guide requires.

Good floatability, good angler visibility, good fish visibility, good attractorbility (if there is such a word), good durability and finally it catches the clappers out of them. Make sure you have some in your box.10s and 12s are all you need and consider cutting the hackle off the bottom of them in still bright days.

Finding lanes

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OPEN 7 Days Fishing News - Page 25

Surface fishing In Tasmania surface fishing for trout has been a long standing tradition. ‘Top spinning’ with wood and wattle grubs is still a favored past time for many, but in recent times anglers have been starting to become aware of hard bodied lures and soft plastics that can be used for the same purpose at less expense. Nearly all fresh and inshore salt water species available around Tasmania’s coastline will take a surface lure fished with a variety of retrieves. Anglers have to remember that fish spend a fair amount of their time in the upper reaches of the water column either because of water temperature, or because that’s where they are feeding. When they are high in the water column or near the surface, fish spend a fair amount of time looking up and are always opportunistic when looking for a feed. I guess the most appealing prospect when fishing with surface lures is that its visual fishing. Quite often you will see the fish before it strikes, which can lead to stressful precious seconds before it grabs the lure and of course the amazing strikes that leave a hole in the water where your lure once was. It can at times be a more productive method, often out fishing other techniques.

Freshwater.

Trout spend a great deal of their lives feeding off the surface. They are an enigmatic sport fish that respond with great enthusiasm to surface lures, especially through the summer months. Small insects, baitfish and various moths and dragon fly’s all live on or near the surface at this time of the year and whilst some are subtle in their actions, most, especially the larger species are very noisy when they land on the water. An erratic stop and start with a twitch of the rod tip will often entice a strike as your lure will mimic the actions of something that has just landed on the water and I suppose it represents a big moth dying or a frog swimming, whichever

it is, fish find it irresistible. I look for locations around weedy margins or off rocky points and over weed beds in deep water.

I start with slow retrieves, only just turning the handle to pick up slack line as I twitch the lure with the rod tip. I leave the lure sitting dead in the water for quite a few seconds between each twitch as the fish will often strike the motionless lure. A reel with a slow oscillation is ideal for this. I prefer small poppers through the day and late in the evening I may change to a larger surface lure with a spinning blade or prop, which makes a splashy bloop upon

Using surface poppers is one of the most exciting visual parts of fishing.

Seeing fish charge your lures gets the heart beating like nothing else.

Sometimes they get the lure - sometimes they miss. retrieve and can draw fish in from a long way off. You can fish these lures well into the dark with great success.

I have found color to be almost irrelevant and find I use dull greens and browns through the day and darker almost black lures at night. I think that darker lures have a better silhouette at night when fish are looking up at the night sky. The advantage of using a popper or lures with a prop is that they float and can be used around very shallow margins where fish often are late in the day and especially at night. The types of lures I like to use are Rapala Skitter Pops, Strike Pro Rack Poppers and Squidgy Bugs rigged on a light jig head, and virtually tail walked with a slow wind across the surface.

Fishing News - Page 26

Saltwater.

Saltwater species need a different approach when surface fishing with the exception of bream,whiting and mullet. For these three species I would use the same retrieve as with trout.

Tuna, trevally, tailor, salmon, couta, pike and a host of other fish will take a surface popper but prefer a faster retrieve that has the lure skipping rapidly over the surface.

This represents a small baitfish fleeing and staple fish such as salmon cannot resist. Lures I prefer here a pencil shaped poppers, not the big cupped face bloopers that are used in the tropics. Smiling Jacks, Strike Pro Laser lites and Gillies poppers are my favorites. The technique is simple, cast the lure out as far as possible, hold the rod tip high and crank the reel as fast as you can and get that lure moving. You can’t wind fast enough when fishing for saltwater species so reels with high speed ratios of approx 6.3:1 are ideal for this. Areas to look for are simple, fish poppers exactly in the same places you have been fishing with bait. The comparison might surprise you. Colors can play a part, but I prefer an all white lure or a white one with a red head. I found this combination to be the most successful from Marrawah to St Helens.

Fishing for saltwater fish with poppers is an adrenalin rush, especially when you see a school of big salmon smashing a Continued on page 28........

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Fishing News - Page 27

....continued from page 26 popper as it skitters across the surface whilst competing against each other to try and catch the supposed fleeing baitfish.

Your heart is in your mouth until one of these fish finally hooks up. Just remember to keep winding as more often than not as soon as you stop the lure the fish stop chasing it.

Tackle.

Rods for normal use on freshwater species are fine for top water fishing as small poppers(approx 5cm) and soft plastics can be cast with little difficulty on a normal spinning rod in the 5’6-7ft range in the 1-4kg bracket. There is a small advantage with a longer rod in casting distance and being able to hold the rod tip higher to dance the surface lure over weedy margins or around snags further off shore. Reels that balance on the rod to compliment the outfit are what your after, and reels with a slow oscillation offer a distinct advantage as they will lay line more evenly on a slow retrieve.

For saltwater surface fishing rod choice will be dependant on if you are fishing from a boat or from shore. In a boat I find a 7ft fast tapered rod rated to about 6-8kg ideal. I like a reel in the 3500-4000 size range with a fast retrieve of up 6.3:1. Off shore a rod in the 8-10ft length are great as the added length will give greater casting distance with the same weight rating and reel you would use from a boat.

Lines for surface fishing are a personal choice, I have used both braid and mono and found both to work fine, but with braid be sure to use a leader of at least a metre to half a rod length to act as a shock absorber when a fish hits a lure being retrieved across the surface flat out. If using mono try a high quality copolymer as this has no memory and won’t spring off a fully loaded reel. I don’t use snap swivels in an type of lure fishing as I believe it can dampen the action, so I use a loop knot straight to the lure. This gives the lure plenty of room to move about freely.

This summer give surface fishing a go you’ll be surprised at the results and how visual the surface strikes are, and chances are you’ll be hooked.

Leroy Tirant

The torque and pulling power of Honda’s BF75 is better than some 200hp outboards!

Conquer the offshore with Stacer’s 669 All-Rounder Centre Cabin Stacer’s new 669 All-Rounder Centre Cabin joins the popular Stacer cabin range as the largest Stacer model ever produced and the ultimate offshore fishing vessel.

Packaged ‘Ready 2 Go’, the 669 All-Rounder has hard core anglers covered with an endless range of fishing accessories included as standard.

Stacer National Sales & Marketing Manager Damien Duncan said the 669 All-Rounder appeals to offshore anglers for numerous reasons.

“Stacer’s 669 All-Rounder has been designed specifically for offshore fishing with features, structural strength and integrity in mind,” Damien said.

“This model features all the fishing accessories an offshore angler needs including aluminium rocket launchers, outrigger mounting plates on the side decks, burley bucket, cockpit lights, fisherman side rails, six aluminium rod holders, a sliding pedestal helmsman seat, roto-moulded removable kill tank, transom door and an ally core deck with wash floor to name only a few.”

“The 669 All-Rounder is a plate boat constructed with thick gauge aluminium delivering a boat that is both stronger and heavier. It’s ready to be put to the test.”

“Offshore anglers will be up on the plane in no time with the 200 horsepower Mariner outboard supported by twin fuel tanks with a 300 litre capacity for those long range fishing expeditions.”

“We are also currently developing a twin engine transom which will be available in April,” he said.

More standard features on the 669-All Rounder include an anchorwell with an anchor winch plate, bimini, envelope and front clears, two transducer brackets, telescopic rear ladder, QL trim tabs and VHF Navman Radio and antenna.

For anglers wanting to option up their boats further, optional features include the ability to upgrade to a maximum 225 horsepower engine, auxiliary motor mount, cutting board, live bait tank, storm cover, two tone paint and ski pole with cutting board and live bait tank.

Built on Stacer’s Evo Series II Hull, the 669 All-Rounder delivers smooth fast planing, a dry ride made possible through the Evo Series II’s spray deflector and stability at rest.

Constructed with plate 5mm bottomsides and plate 4mm topsides, the 669 All-Rounder is a beamy 2.48 metres and can comfortably carry up to eight people.

The enclosed centre cabin also allows for extra storage and a comfortable area protected from the elements to take a break from those feisty catches.

Starting at a competitive $65,648, Stacer’s 669 All-Rounder Centre Cabin comes ‘Ready 2 Go’ and includes boat, Mariner motor, Stacer trailer, safety equipment, registrations and a limited 3 year warranty. Just add dealer delivery charges and your ‘Ready 2 Go’.

For more information on Stacer’s ‘Ready 2 Go’ packages or to locate your local Stacer dealer visit www.stacer.com.au.

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Fishing News - Page 28

Honda BF75 better than some 200hp engines!

The torque and pulling power of Honda’s new BF75 four-stroke EFI engine has been described by a veteran waterski champion as better than some 200hp outboards.

Fitted to a 5m aluminium boat, the super-lightweight BF75 pulled two single-ski skiers straight out of the hole and towed them with the ease expected of a much larger horsepower engine during a recent ski session on the Murray River.

Australian Over 35 Men’s Overall Champion Andy Hill said he was “blown away” by the BF75’s performance.

“In more than 30 years of waterskiing, I’ve never come across an outboard like this new Honda,” Mr Hill said.

“Its torque and pull when leaning into it was better than some 200hp outboards – I could barely feel it pulling away.”

The BF75’s ability to effortlessly pull skiers to their feet is attributed to Honda’s revolutionary Boosted Low Speed Torque (BLAST™) system and high-performance gear case, which results in extremely strong hole shot acceleration.

Its technologically-advanced 1.5lt, SOHC, 16-valve, inline four-cylinder design ensures reliable power throughout the entire rev range and bestin-class top end performance, while multi-port electronic fuel injection, coupled with a dynamic engine control module, delivers exceptional fuel economy at all speeds.

“For people in the market for an all-round fish/ski boat, Honda’s new BF75 will make these packages much more realistic,” Mr Hill said.

“Until now, fish/ski packages have been suitable only for fishing, with most of the boats significantly underpowered, but the power of Honda’s BF75 is absolutely outstanding.”

H o n d a ’s ‘ n e x t generation’ engines are proven to deliver powerto-weight performance equivalent to that of two-stroke outboards, yet with all the advantages of four-stroke technology – superior fuel efficiency, whisperquiet operation and first-class environmental performance.

36’ Steber Sportsfisher Further information: Eaglehawk Neck - Jan-April Honda – (03) 9270 1111 or visit: www.honda.

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Lines and getting the most from a trolled lure One of the most critical factors in achieving optimum performance from any trolled lure is line selection. The line you choose for a particular application deserves a lot of careful consideration, after all it’s your main connection to a fish. Though it has been said countless times, a lot of anglers seem to pay little attention to this detail when it comes time to spool up for a fishing trip. The age-old adage about getting what you pay for certainly rings true when it comes to line selection. The technology and choice available to anglers in the form of monofilaments, co-polymers, braided superlines, and fluoro carbon lines is really quite staggering. The array of manufacturers and brands of lines, along with the price and availability, seems to have expanded enormously in the past ten years. The most important areas for consideration with trolling applications should be lead length (dropback or line out), line diameter, stretch, and abrasion resistance.

Manipulating all of these factors can have a huge impact on your success.

Lead length

Once you have selected a given lure to troll the first consideration should be lead length or drop back. For any given lure that’s trolled this is the most important consideration and the easiest to manipulate. In general terms the further behind the boat the lure is trolled the deeper it will tend to run. In most trolling applications there comes a point of diminishing return, especially with longer lead lengths or drop backs. This point generally occurs somewhere between 200-250ft. (45-60m). Light weight shallow running or lures that float at rest and dive when trolled are particularly susceptible to this phenomenon.

Some large heavy diving lures will however, continue to achieve greater depths well beyond this range. Very long drop backs or lead lengths are often fairly impractical. Just imagine trying to run a very long drop back in heavy boat traffic!

Long drop backs can also have an adverse effect on hook sets due to line stretch, especially with some monofilament and copolymer lines. If you are employing a very long drop back, reeling fish in over long distances is likely to result in more fish lost before they can be landed. Very long drop backs should only be used to achieve absolute depth from a given lure or when fish are so spooky that you must have your lure a long way from the boat.

Measuring drop backs or lead lengths is easy with one of the modern line counter reels or the Australian made Tackle Tracka.

However you choose to measure line out, accuracy is the all important key! How consistently you can control the distance of line out or drop back will make a huge difference to your success rate.

strain. Studies done to establish the diving depth of specific lures have used this standard as a baseline to determine accurate depths. Nearly all lures will run deeper when trolled on smaller diameter lines, due largely to the effect of water resistance against the line. All 10lb test lines are not the same diameter; they can vary in diameter considerably. I’ve had 10lb lines with diameters of .020mm through to lines with a diameter of .035mm still rated at 10lb breaking strain! Virtually all my flat lining for trout is done using monofilament with a diameter of .20 -.25 mm

between 6 and 10lb braid in diameter and trolling depth performance. Either breaking strain will add approximately 25% to the depth of your trolled presentation as compared to monofilament. Softer rods and a light drag are the order of the day for flat lining with braids. The minimal stretch with braided lines can result in hooks pulling and dropped fish when your not familiar with this style of line. The extra depth that can be achieved on a trolled lure utilising braids can give the trolling angler the option of prospecting more of the water column.

When trying to decide on a line for trolling, keep in mind that lines that are primarily made for casting are not necessarily the answer for most trolling applications. In many of our impoundments you will encounter submerged trees, rocks, fences etc. that will really test out your line. Trolling lines need to be fairly tough with good abrasion resistance and low stretch, not soft and limp like a good casting line. The brand of line you choose is a personal preference, but buy as good a quality line as you can.

Leaders for braid can be any type of material that you choose including monofilament, copolymers or fluorocarbon.

Leader lengths can vary according to conditions from 115meters, though a leader length of about 1- 2m is what I use in most of our impoundments. For leader material I now use fluro-carbon line almost exclusively.

Line diameter plays a major role in how deep your lure runs when trolled or retrieved. Thinner diameter lines allow your lure to run deeper and optimise the lure’s built-in action. In most applications diameters in the 0.18 to 0.22 mm range are your best bet for trolling most trout style lures on surface or flat lines. My personal choice for flatlining for tout is line of 0.20 mm diameter. Lines of this size (and of course all others) can vary enormously in breaking strain from one maker to another. Most major brands of line between 2 – 4 kilograms breaking strain for 0.20 mm line, which is more than adequate for most trout trolling applications in our impoundments.

Generally line diameter for downrigging is not as crucial as when surface trolling. Having said this you still need to choose your line carefully. Your selection of line for downrigging should take into consideration what type of line release clip you use and the type of downrigging you intend to do. The belly in your line (the main line from the rod and reel to the release clip) is created by water pressure pushing against the line as you move through the water. The amount of belly in the line increases with larger diameter lines, so it pays to not go overboard with heavy lines for this application. If you are constantly chasing the bottom in snag ridden waters you need to consider a tougher abrasion resistant line. For most Australian conditions line from 0.20 to 0.30mm diameter will handle just about any fishing situation for trout or salmon.

Braided lines

Today’s new generation of gel spun braided lines are amazing to use. Surface trolling or flat lining with braided lines is almost like learning to troll again. The amount of stretch in this type of line is so minimal as to be almost non-existent. Your I consider the Australian Tackle Tracka an essential first hook-up on a fish will amaze you with piece of kit for trolling. It removes the guesswork what you can feel; every headshake or flap and allows you to accurately repeat your dropback of a fish’s tail is transmitted through this when you find the successful distance. type of line. If you have never used this type of line keep in mind that with so little Line diameters stretch you need to run a very light drag and use a rod that Choosing a trolling line for most anglers generally involves is soft enough to be forgiving and act like a shock absorber. looking at properties like strength, abrasion resistance, amount Lines such as Fireline, Spiderwire, Cortland, Fins and the of stretch and for some applications colour. There are a host Australian-made Platypus are all excellent performers. of excellent trolling lines available, choosing one is partly personal preference and partly the application. To determine The new generation of braided superlines are also another the difference line diameter makes in relation to lure diving viable option for flat line trolling. The latest research that depth, a general fixed standard has been set at 10lb. breaking I’ve seen seems to indicate that there is little difference

Line Stretch

Line stretch and resultant breakage can be a problem with some lines. Stretch is usually difficult to detect until you snag up or try to land a big fish.

Ordinarily you can see or feel the difference when your line has stretched and not fully r e c ove r e d . W h e n your line is stretched it may also show up as a different colour, most noticeable with darker coloured lines. To avoid problems like this most line manufacturers recommend that you cut approximately 1.5 – 2.0 metres off your line and retie your lure after landing a big fish or getting snagged. It’s probably something that most anglers don’t do often enough.

Conclusion

Whatever type of line you choose as a trolling line think carefully about the intended application and how you will use the line. Braided Superlines certainly have a wealth of uses but are not always necessary for every trolling application. I still believe that good quality monofilament still has a place in every tackle box and is certainly a bit easier on the budget!

Bill Presslor.

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Fishing News - Page 29

Chasing chooks Tim Anderson takes a look at one of the mainstays of Tasmania’s gamefishing. Albacore are not as regal as marlin, yellowfin or bluefin, but they are fun to catch and great to eat.

The build up

What smells like fish and tastes like chicken? This question has so often been asked by the likes of Cheech and Chong and although the very term conjures up images of ‘hedgehogs’ and alley cats, rarely has the question been posed in this arena.

The answer I am looking for in this forum is obviously albacore tuna. They are often called ‘Chicken of the sea’ due to their white flesh and table qualities and are accessible to nearly everyone with a boat. In Tasmania, fortunately, they can be found close to land, unlike in NSW where they are rarely found closer than the continental shelf.

I don’t by any means profess to be the guru on the subject and I don’t intend to tell those who target these fish what they already know. I do however hope to give a little guidance to those willing to have a go a better chance at catching a fish.

I must digress momentarily to mention that this article was born on short notice as my original article on ‘Land Based Game’ was bumped out and should come to fruition in a future issue of this esteemed publication. My own custom game boat is now on the trailer and at fitting stage with a wishful return to the water prior to the ‘St Helens Classic’.

To make matters worse the ‘significant other’ decided a renovation was in order and completely removed the kitchen and a wall or two for good measure. So hopefully I have risen to the occasion.

Been smoking

This is one occasion where a boat is quintessential even if it is a smaller trailer boat of around 4.5 metres or so. The notion

A superb albacore from Tasmania’s East Coast. you need a large, fully rigged specialty game boat to catch tuna is incorrect. Recently my wife, caught the largest tuna for the competition we were in, just out in front of Elephant Rock at St Helens, within 1km of the shore. We have been close to other ports between Eddystone and Pirates Bay and repeated similar catches on a number of occasions.

I have also on occasions found larger Albacore in close and have had friends catch sizeable yellowfin inside of Merricks Reef (also at St Helens). This proves that when the fish are running tuna will come in close to feed and like most other pelagic species can be found anywhere the bait is.

Another misconception is that you need large specialty overhead rods and reels loaded with the best line money can buy. This very notion has been completely destroyed by

Tasmania’s very own Nick Duigan of Hook Line and Sinker fame where he took an Albacore tuna on less than $20 of rod and reel combination, which was designed for only a couple of jaunts in the bay. I was also witness to a competition winning effort by Jamie Harris where he landed several very good specimens simply dangling a gold and black barramundi mauler out the side of the wash of Terminator on 3kg line.

I must say that he was smoked on several occasions however his persistence did pay dividends.

Albacore can come in jumbo numbers at times up to around 20kg plus, although the average size is around 4 – 8kg. So I suggest that a reasonable quality 6 – 8kg overhead combination or 80 series egg beater loaded with either 20kg braid or 10kg mono is ample to take most fish. Notwithstanding this there is always the possibility of a large yellow fin lurking in the same

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territory so don’t be over surprised if you get smoked, just lay back and enjoy the ride.

couta so you may need to push out just a little further to avoid these species.

Bare necessities

If you’re in a smaller craft, although only within relatively short distances from shore check the weather and sea conditions and make sure you cover all the safety necessities for going to sea. Again if you are catching these tuna take only what you need for a feed as all pelagic stocks are under pressure particularly from the commercial sector.

Lures can be a range from $5 hard body ‘Barramundi Maulers’ and either expensive skirted lures or pushers such as ‘Meridian’ lures or similar cheaper versions found in budget bins of good tackle outlets. I found that Albacore are partial to the ‘Zuka’ straight running lures run close to the wash and Christmas type jet head lures. The hook size varies from a 10/0 to a 6/0 depending in the type of lure. A good guide to choosing the right hook is that the hook gape should slide over the lure head. A short mono 100lb trace is ample for leader material.

Trolling the lures is the best way to cover enough ground to locate the fish and most lures work effectively between 6 -10 knots.

Also try a variety of lures at different distance behind the boat starting right on the wash to the end of the bubble trail which could be up to 20 – 30 metres behind depending on your outboard. Trolling a flashing teaser in the wash can also add to your catch.

I have caught Albacore in a variety of ways including with bait floating back in the burley trail, live bait and have seen them jigged up from the depths with a fast retrieved lure.

They are a fast, tenacious pelagic and on light gear give a great account for themselves and like all tuna they don’t give up until the fuel tank is empty.

By-catch

When trolling for Albacore tuna you are in the areas where you could see, (all be it on very rare days) a marlin or yellowfin tuna. However the most common other species encountered are striped tuna. These tuna fight well and are excellent bait for other species due to their very oily dark flesh, but the table qualities are not the greatest. You may also encounter salmon in close or the dreaded lure shredding

Once caught you should bleed the fish by inserting a knife through the fish in the pit of the long pectoral fin on both sides and place the fish in a kill tank out of the sun and immersed in ice or salt water to keep it cool and fly free.

The best way of preparing these fish is to fillet them, remove the blood line and then the flesh, with some degree of skill and dexterity, can be pulled from the skin to give a clean boneless fillet. The best time to target these fish is from February to late April. The best period of settled weather being the March period. So grab a rod or two and get out there and give it a crack.

Timmy’s top 10 tips

Troll from around 50m water; Put on a selection of lures and types Run lures at different distances behind boat; Use a teaser (witchdoctor, spreader bar with silver lures or coloured skirts; or daisy chain teaser).

Look for bird or surface activity Look for bait on sounder Search current lines; floatsom or dirty water edges, Water temperature approximately 17 degrees plus Dont drive away from fish to find fish.

Listen to marine radios for fish information / activity Tim Anderson

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Mon-Fri 9am to 5.30pm, Sat: 9am to 12 noon, Sun: 10-2pm Fishing News - Page 31

Lake Augusta an underfished gem At the entrance to the Nineteen Lagoons, behind a Hydro Tasmania build rock dam wall lies one of the most versatile fisheries in the Central Highlands, Augusta Dam. This water was created by Hydro Tasmania in 1953 as a means to control the flow of water into Liawenee Canal, by building a large rock wall, and a smaller concrete levee West of the dam.

Augusta Dam forms part of the larger Augusta Lake, however in these dry times the two rarely join during the warmer months of the year when fishing is available in the 1150m altitude around the Nineteen Lagoons.

Augusta Dam itself is fed from the Ouse and James Rivers and sits fair over the flood plain where the two meet. The deeper section of the dam runs North West from the rock fill dam wall along to the Ouse river, while the James River arm runs out over grassy flats to the West, behind more notable waters such as Carter Lakes and Howes Lagoon Bay. Managed as a brown trout fishery, Augusta Dam is open from the first Saturday in August to the last Sunday in April each year. The dam holds populations of wild brown and rainbow trout, which average between 1lb and 2lb, with the odd larger fish turning up every now and then.

Fly Fishing

T he are oppor tunities on Augusta Dam to suit nearly any fly fishing method. There's tailing fish along the western shores, wade polaroiding all around the edges of the lake, drift polaroiding from a boat along the flooded grassy flats, great prospecting with dry fly around rocky ground and the river channels and gutters. There's loch style fishing as most of the dam is less then 4 metres deep, and good wet fly fishing pulling bigger wets with intermediate and faster sinking lines. There's rainbows to catch around the deeper sections of the lake and browns all around the shallow regions.

During calm weather there's midge hatches and free rising fish in the slicks and calm patches that quickly form as the window drops out, and on sheltered shores a bit of a black spinner fall. If you are a river buff, you can even walk the banks of the Ouse and James for trout which hold in the rivers, these can be a good challenge and are often found sitting along the undercut banks.

Augusta Dam holds a nice head of both brown and rainbow trout, which are self sustaining and until recently had never needed stocking. In mid summer 2003, the HEC

unexpectedly drained Augusta Dam. This was bad news for the resident trout and a fish kill estimated to be about 500 occurred. Up to this point, when boat fishing around the deeper water 6ft or greater, or over one of the river beds my bag typically contained about 40% to 50% rainbow trout. After the draining of Augusta, on 19/6/2003 the IFS stocked 500 adult brown trout from Great Lake. (Source IFS Web Site) http://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/ifs/ IFSDatabaseManager/WatersDatabase/lakeaugusta/water_stocking_view Since that date rainbows have made up no more than 30% of my catch. I sincerely hope these beautiful rainbows, which have olive backs, silver sides and magnificent white fringes on their fins, make a recovery to pre 2003 catch rates.

Tailers and Polaroiding

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Fishing News - Page 32

While you need a traffic cop to work out who gives way to who on waters like Lake Botsford, with just a little walking you can have long sections of shore on Augusta Dam all to yourself, with plenty of brown trout cruising the shallows to cast to. At any stage of the day in the right place a tail can suddenly appear, as these fish feed heavily on nymphs and scud. The browns cruise the shallows both around the grassy bays and along the shallow water of the rocky shores in search of food, anything from duns, nymphs, beetles can be on the menu. A couple of seasons ago a mate of mine from Melbourne caught a nice brown of about 3lbs on the rocky shore between Worcester Bay and the Pillans Track. When he cleaned the fish much to his surprise a whip snake dropped out of it's stomach. Now that's a hard dry fly to imitate!

H o t s p o t s f o r wa d e polaroiding and tailers are the grassy flats to the West and Worcester bay when in flood, the rocky shores in from the levee wall and on the back shore. Brown trout will also work the sheltered shore for black spinners on warm bright days with a consistent, light wind.

Boat fishing

Like any addictive substance, this comes with a warning, Augusta dam is not forgiving on propellers and skegs. There are numerous large rocks right through the lake, and although the water is generally gin clear, care and attention are really needed when pottering around shallow bays looking for trout.

The feature of boat fishing on Augusta Dam is drift polaroiding and prospecting with dry flies around the gutters, holes and river beds that constantly appear around the lake.

While on many other lakes prospecting with dry flies is a matter of chuck and chance in featureless water, on Augusta there is endless structure to keep you anticipating the figure of a trout rising out of the depths to gently suck down your parachute emerger.

When drifting over the grassy bays to the West, brown trout are quite often clearly visible against a green background as they cruise looking for food above or below the surface. In calmer weather rising fish are often seen taking off the top right through the lake.

Lake Augusta is home to both browns and rainbows.

Wet flies and Loch Style techniques are also very successful around the deeper shores, fishing around submerged boulders for trout lying in wait for unsuspecting prey to swim past. Quite a few years ago when I was first introduced to Augusta Dam, a friend of mine gave me a touch up one evening fishing his secret fly around these shores.

He was fishing a Cortland fast sink tip line (by the way A few of the author’s favourite flies. this is not an endorsement they are shocking to cast), and his secret fly. He cast from the boat towards General information shore and then ripped the fly back flat out! The Being at altitude Augusta Dam is subject browns he caught came out from the rocks and to wind. When I intend to fish Augusta, if I'm hit the fly two or three times before they hooked going to use the boat I wait until the wind is up. It was an eye opener for me as I hadn't seen forecast below 20 k.p.h, that way I know that such aggression in trout taking a fly at that stage. getting around the dam will not be too hard.

He caught 3 browns all around 2lbs in under a Even when wade polaroiding using a boat will hour while I managed one. The secret fly, a size 6 assist you getting to the out of the way shores black woolly bugger with a massive grizzle hackle. where you will not be bothered by any other I saw them work, I tied some the minute I got anglers. home that night, but they are such a monstrosity that to this day I still have not been able to bring Augusta Dam is limited to 5 fish per day, myself to fish them. and the size limitations on the trout are the As far as flies are concerned, a good mix of your favourite dry flies will do, Carrot fly, Bibio Hopper and parachute duns do well for me. The usual suspects in the form of bead head Woolly Buggers, and traditional wets like Dunkeld, and Invicta will catch their share below the surface.

usual 22cm for both rainbows and browns. I do encourage as much catch and release with rainbows as possible so that these beautiful fish can again increase to pre 2003 numbers.

Continued page 35......

Lake Augusta is shallow and rarely full.

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Fishing News - Page 33

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Being a Hydro storage, Augusta Dam is subject to large fluctuations in lake levels. If there is a good rain overnight, the lake will rise considerably in a short period of time.

I like to fish Augusta Dam if it is 2 metres down or more, the less water between the fish the better. If the water level come up beyond 2 meters there is a vast expanse of water for the trout to move out over making them harder to find. The Hydro Tasmania lake levels are available on the internet at: http://www.hydro.com.au/home/ Tourism+and+Recreation/Lake+Levels. htm

Keep Out Rock Snot !

Augusta Dam does not share the pressure that other waters in the Nineteen Lagoons area do. It is a magnificent piece of water which offers a multitude of fly fishing opportunities.

As always respect the fish and respect the sensible bag limits imposed by the IFS for this beautiful piece of water.

Joe Riley

Free Junior Fishing Clinic Curries River Dam Sunday 25 March 2007 Fishcare Volunteers & NTFA invite youngsters (up to age 16 years) to a Junior Fishing Clinic at Curries River Dam. Whether you are just learning to fish or have a bit of experience you’ll learn plenty more about special skills and good healthy outdoor fun that can be enjoyed in fresh water angling.

Clinics will include techniques used for fly casting, spinning and bait fishing. By coming along and joining in the fun you could win some great fishing tackle or books chock full of hints on how to catch a big one!

Where: Curries River Dam – see Fishcare sign on the Bridport Road (eastern end entrance); Sunday 25 March 2007, 11.00am to 3.00pm Bring: comfy clothes, hat and sun screen, fishing rod if you have one available.

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Didymo (Didymosphenia geminata), commonly called ‘Rock Snot’, is a freshwater alga and one of the world’s worst Top 100 invasive pests.

It is not in Australia but has recently invaded New Zealand and is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere.

Invisible to the naked eye, Didymo can be spread with just one drop of water.

The pest forms great clumps of material, smothering stream beds by attaching to rocks and other water plants.

Rock snot affects water quality, streamlife and fish stocks, and is a hazard to hydro-electric power plants.

Anglers are at risk of accidentally introducing Didymo into Tasmania by using contaminated fishing gear and felt-soled waders in Tasmanian waters.

Please declare your gear on entry to Tasmania, sterilise it with bleach, or better still - hire your gear locally when travelling overseas or if visiting Tassie.

Help protect Tasmania’s pristine freshwater fisheries !

Contact: Inland Fisheries Service on (03) 6261 8065 Email: infish@ifs.tas.gov.au Images courtesy of Biosecurity New Zealand and the New Zealand Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry

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Review – Savage Jabiru 385 So you’re after a boat that can sneak in about the flats and snags searching for that elusive 3kg bream or the equivalent temperamental trout! Look no further, this little tinny can do all this plus handle a little of chop without getting you too wet if the weather suddenly gets up!

The Jabiru 385 (3.85m) seems only a tiny step up from my previous boat, little sister the 350 but the extra room available for fishing is pretty amazing.

With a beam of 1.62 m and a side depth of 470 mm this boat offers heaps of room and excellent stability even with two hefty anglers wandering all over casting or when playing a fish that’s intent in doing 360s around the vessel. Both floor and uppers are constructed of 1.55mm aluminium sheet contributing to strength and lightness. The basic unit comes with two thwart seats, front deck with anchor gusset, bow eye and handle plus two stern handles.

We did a bit of customising to make the boat more fly fishing friendly, adding carpeted forward/rear casting decks and main floor. We added a locker aft of the forward seat to house a heavy duty 12v electric motor battery plus extra storage.

The space between the transom and rear seat was covered that also created good extra storage on the starboard side with the gas tank tucked way on the other. These conversions are OK if you are handy with tools but if you don’t have these skills, or the time to do it the 385 Jabiru Pro provides all this and more ex factory. The carpeted decks ensure minimum tangles or snags-ups with fly lines when casting or playing a fish. Up front the anchor locker also provides ample space to stow other essentials like a drogue etc. Bottom Line canvas completed a great job with a tonneau cover that stops dust and other debris getting on your gear if travelling to Penstock, Little Pine or Nineteen Lagoons.

Savage’s plate recommends a maximum 25 hp motor and a maximum transom weight of 55 kg. We have equipped this boat with a 15 hp Mercury two stroke and it does the job just fine. With two adults the boat effortlessly get up on the plane and backing off the throttle it cruises quite comfortably with very little noise.

All the controls are on the throttle handle

i.e start, forward and reverse so there is no leaning over the transom to change gears. Adjusting the rake relative to the transom is easy as is tilting the motor to cope with shallower water; just apply downward pressure on the throttle handle for three easy clicks/levels and the fourth click drops the motor to normal operating position. Starting is always on first pull.

Running on standard unleaded fuel the mix ratio is 50:1 and like most motors of this size “they run on the smell of an oily rag” i.e. negligible effect on the hip pocket. Not that I worry about trolling I can recommend this unit for those that do. It is easily the best small motor I have used.

Our secondary power unit was, until recently, a 28 pound thrust transom mounted electric and this did the job quite well. We now have installed a bow mounted 55 pound thrust Motorguide electric, wireless to boot, and this unit is absolutely incredible. Manoeuvring with the key ring or foot control is awesome with fantastic acceleration and tight turning to position yourself for a quick accurate cast.

With an all up trailer/boat weight of around 300kgs the unit is easily towed by the average four-cylinder car. Launching the boat is effortless by a sole angler.

Retrieval is just as easy.

As tested, ready to go, the Jabiru 385 including motor, trailer and rego is just $6500. Talk to Grant Garwood at Seaport Marine in Launceston (Ph. 6344 3311) for any additional information and availability.

To say I’m enjoying using this little beauty is an understatement!

Specifications Length: 3.85m Depth freeboard: 470mm Depth keel to gunwale: 600mm Beam: 1.62m Max Hp: 25hp Transom: Short/Long Max weight on transom: 55kg Bottom thickness: 1.55mm Topside thickness: 1.55mm Weight: 90kg Maximum people: 4 Quenton Higgs

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Phone 64434420 or 0427 571 212

De Havilland Topper Mariner 8hp, trailer rego to 8/07, plus extras. $1900 ono Phone 6267 4659

Port Sorell Marine Second hand motors 90hp 2 stroke mercury 96 model $4000 25hp Evinrude good condition Mustang-fibreglass half cab with 70hp motor $3000 PORT SORELL MARINE SHEARWATER 6428 7124

RL Winston Fly Rod BoronII 8ft 6in AFTM#4 fast taper, light Approx 80grm) yet powerful.

Beautiful green rod, unused. Reluctant sale. Bargain at $700 neg.

Phone 6234 2456.

Coastal Marine Savage 380 Snipe, Yamaha 15HP, Dunbier Trailer $3,990 Savage Gannet, Johnson 35Hp, Johnson 6HP, Home made trailer $5,990 Van Dieman Seaman 14’, Canopy and Side clears, Eagle Fish Finder, Yamaha 40hp, Trailer $4,500 Stessl 14’, Evinrude 40HP, Trailer $4,990 Quintrex 420 Dory, Johnson 35Hp, Mackay Trailer $6,490 Van Dieman Seaman 13’ Johnson 35HP, Homemade trailer $3,999 Haines Signature 1550LE, Mercury 115Hp, Dunbier Trailer $18,990 Stabi Craft 389, Bimini with clears, Fish Finder - Excellent condition, Tohatsu 40Hp, Trailer $17,990 Stessl Bluewater 5.5M, Canopy, VHF and 27MHZ Radio, Bait Board, Rocket Launcher, Sounder/GPS, Johnson 90Hp, Mackay Trailer $26,500 Somerset, Burnie Phone 6435 2200.

28lb Minn Kota Transom mount. Had little use. Make an offer. Phone Mike Stevens 0418 129949.

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Email:fishn@bigpond.net.au

Spending big with bonus Yamadollars

Yamaha is sweetening the deal on any new outboard purchase by giving away instant bonus Yamadollars up to an incredible $900 to spend in store at participating Yamaha dealers across Australia.

The ideal way to spend up big on all the summer boating needs, Yamadollars are instantly credited in store to new outboard customers on the spot and are incredibly easy to use with no forms, no vouchers and no delays. Buy a new outboard and spend the Yamadollars- it’s that simple.

“We’ve pulled out all the stops to give our customers their best Yamaha powered summer ever,” said Brett Hampson, National Sales and Marketing Manager for Marine Products at Yamaha Motor Australia.

“Spending up big at your nearest participating Yamaha dealer doesn’t get any easier than the Yamadollars promotion. Walk in, purchase any outboard from our huge range, and the dealer will give you Yamadollars to spend instantly in their store.”

Yamadollars are automatically credited dollars given to any new outboard customer with a value reflecting the size of the outboard purchase. For example, a customer who purchases a 60hp Yamaha 2-stroke engine will be automatically credited $225 Yamadollars.

Making the switch to whisper quiet and super efficient 4-stroke technology is even more alluring with bigger bonus Yamadollars on offer for new 4-stroke customers. Purchase a new 60hp 4-stroke outboard and the Yamadollar amount jumps to $350 of credit to be spent in store.

Needing more horsepower? Then Yamaha can double the bonus Yamadollars to give

customers an instant spend of $900 on the popular F115 and F150 4-stroke outboards.

Not only do boaters get one of the best performing 4-stroke outboards on the back of their boat, but they also get $900 worth of boating goodies to put inside.

“The F115 and F150 4-stroke outboards are two of our best sellers and are the ultimate power plants for weekend day boats,” said Brett Hampson.

“Now with a huge $900 on offer with Yamadollars, it does not get any more tempting than this. Lightweight, clean, quiet, fuel efficient and an extra $900 to spend make the F115 and F150 Yamaha 4-strokes the ultimate power choice for your boat this summer.”

Bonus Yamadollars are available on the entire Yamaha outboard range from the lightweight 2hp 2-stroke pocket rocket right through to the powerful 250hp V6 4-stroke powerhouse. Whether the family needs a new 3 seater ski tube or that set of double skis and a wakeboard, your pocket full of Yamadollars is bound to make the weekend family boating experience that much more enjoyable.

The Yamadollars promotion is available up until March 31st 2007 and while outboard stocks last. Find the nearest participating Yamadollars dealer on the Yamaha website at www.yamaha-motor.com.au Yamaha outboards are available through an Australia-wide network of authorised Yamaha outboard dealers. All Yamaha outboard models are fully backed by a comprehensive two-year manufacturer’s warranty.

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Fax to 03 6331 1278 or post to Stevens Publishing, PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250 or email details to fishn@bigpond.net.au Classifieds - FREE for subscribers Name;__________________________________________________________Address;____________________________ __________________________________________________________Postcode;____________Phone________________ Advertising payment: ___ $11. Attach details by Fax, email or post.

Subscriptions:___ $24; 1 year. ___ $48; 2 years. Back issues; $3.95 each - Issue No req’d.____________ Tasmanian Tide Tables:___ $6.60 + $1 post. = $7.60 Payment by; ____ Bankcard ____ MasterCard ____ Visa ____ Cheque ____ Money Order Credit Card __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ / __ __ __ __ Exp. date __ __ /__ __ Total amount; ______ From issue no. ____ Fishing News - Page 37

Shakespeare acquires Penn COLUMBIA, SC. Shakespeare Fishing Tackle announced the acquisition of Penn Fishing Tackle Mfg. Co. Founded in 1932, Penn is a market leader in saltwater trolling and spinning reels and saltwater rods.

These products include the famous Penn International®, Senators®, GT, and GTO trolling reels, as well as Slammer® and Spinfisher® SSM and SSG spinning reels.

“For 75 years, Penn products have been the gold standard for offshore, inshore and surf fishing,” according to Scott Hogsett, President of Shakespeare. “Shakespeare is excited to be able to add Penn’s broad assortment of

The Big Boy is here!

Australia’s best new utility dinghy Savage has just released its new 380 Big Boy tinnie, with an extra wide hull for superior stability, flexibility and storage.

The 3.8 metre Big Boy is also the best looking tinnie you’ll ever own.

By combining voluminous interior space with increased beam, it provides a more stable fishing platform and makes it far easier for you to move around inside.

“The 380 Big Boy also has all those comfortable ride characteristics that everyone loves about Savage boats, so you’ll get to your favourite fishing spot feeling good for the day ahead,” said Steve Bull, National Sales and Marketing Manager, Savage Aluminum.

“This is quite an exciting addition to our range as it ticks every box – comfort, ride, flexibility, stability and looks.”

The 380 Big Boy also has anchor storage at the bow and, of course, is Australian Builders Plate compliant.

“Like all Savage boats, the 380 Big Boy can be perfectly packaged with the ideal Mercury or Mariner outboard engine, a custom-built Savage easy launch trailer and 3-year warranty,” Steve said.

“That way you not only get a fantastic tinnie, you get it at the best price.”

The 380 Big Boy adds even greater depth to Savage’s already impressive dinghy range, which can satisfy virtually any application.

Savage dinghies are all built with the same engineering integrity as our bigger boats, utilising fully welded construction techniques and proven designs.

For more infor mation visit www. savageboats.com.au or locate a dealer on 1800 114 800.

NEWHONDABF75/BF90 Lightest Four-Strokes in their class!

Honda’s new BF75 and BF90 four-stroke EFI outboards are the lightest weight engines ever produced in their class!

Weighing just 162kg and 163kg respectively, the completely-redesigned engines are 4-5kg lighter than their nearest weight competitor, and boast power-to-weight ratios on par with that of two-stroke outboards.

Lean-Burn Control Improves overall engine operation and efficiency

44 AMP Alterator 35 Amp dedicated to maintain superior battery charge

Sleek, Streamline (V-Wing) Design Aerodynamic – to improve performance

Programmed electronic Fuel Injection (PGM-FI) Easy starts, instant throttle response with fuel efficiency

Freshwater Flushing Convenient and easy to use

High Performance Gear Case Reduces hydroponic drag for increased thrust and higher top speed

B.L.A.S.T Boosted Low Speed Torque provides quick acceleration

102 Eastland Dr. Ulverstone 6425 2238 Fishing News - Page 38

saltwater products to complement the current Shakespeare, Pflueger and All Star freshwater, inshore and saltwater offerings.”

“We look forward to bringing to Penn the vast new product introductions and innovation that our customers have come to expect from Shakespeare and Pflueger each year. The Penn name is one of the greatest brands in fishing, but has lacked the resources to grow and develop markets. Our volume and economies of scale will allow us to reinvest in the brand and grow market share.”

Shakespeare is a K2 Inc. Company with premier, branded consumer products including Shakespeare®, Pflueger® and Stearns® Distribution of Penn in Australia will stay with Jarvis Walker at this stage.

Quintrex Fishseekers…family fishing and boating made easy Perfect for family days on protected waters a maximum 50 horsepower and 60 horsepower and fishing rivers and estuaries, Quintrex respectively while the 600 Fishseeker can host Fishseekers combine the features of an open up to six guests powered by a maximum 75 boat with the Millennium Hull and Flared horsepower.

Bow combination.

All models come with a range of standard There are three Fishseeker models in features including full-carpeted floor, glove the open boat range – 450 Fishseeker, 485 box with drink holders, transom handles, Fishseeker and 600 Fishseeker – all possessing extruded side decks and underfloor flotation structural strength, quality and safety. for added safety.

Quintrex National Sales & Marketing Each model can also be personally tailored Manager Damien Duncan said Quintrex with optional extras such as bimini and Fishseekers are unique open boats. envelope, casting platform, navigation lights, “Fishseekers are the only models in two tone painted hull, rod holders, Top Ender our open boat range to feature Quintrex’s style foredeck and centre or side console. renowned Millennium Hull and Flared Bow, Prices start from a competitive $13,937 providing a safe, dry and comfortable ride for the 450 Fishseeker (excluding dealer every time,” Damien said. delivery charges) and all models come “These models also feature a solid T standard as ‘Instant Boating Packages’, Keel, a single piece extrusion designed with comprising of boat, motor, Quintrex trailer, a small exterior keel for structural strength safety equipment, registration and a three and durability. This is a unique open boat year warranty. feature.

To view the entire Quintrex range and “Their large freeboard area and simplistic locate your local Quintrex dealer visit www. seating make them a great family boat for quintrex.com.au. enclosed waters and for keen fisherman, just option up with a centre or side console and you have the perfect fishing companion,” he said.

Measuring 4.6 metres from bow to transom, the 450 Fishseeker is the smallest in the range and is built on 3mm bottomsides and 1.6mm Your every need catered for topsides.

• Eight en-suite cabins Sitting in the middle of the range is the 485 Fishseeker, • Convenience store measuring 4.86 metres from • Hot takeaways • Groceries bow to transom with 3mm bottomsides and 2mm • Newspapers • Fuel and oil topsides.

• Bait and tackle • Boat parking The largest of the range, the 600 Fishseeker, boasts massive • Boat and car wash amounts of interior space measuring 5.98 metres from bow to transom and is built on sturdy 5mm bottomsides and 2mm topsides.

The 450 and 485 Fishseeker can transport a family of five on

St Helens

Hillcrest Tourist Park & Mini Market

100ChimneyHeightsRd.63763298

Spanyid Lures

Dunphy Sports are now the distributors for Spanyid Lures. These innovative Australian-designed metal casting and jigging lures appeal to a wide variety of predatory sportfish, from Australian salmon right up to nasty critters like dogtooth tuna. There are three lures in the range — the Raider, Sniper and the Maniac — and all have been developed for different fishing situations.

The Spanyid story really began with the Raider, and this deadly piece of heavy metal is a classic all-rounder, capable of being, jigged, cast and even trolled should the situation warrant it.

The Raider is available in weights from 10 grams for spinning up tiny tuna like frigates, right through to a hefty 200 grams for deep jigging yellowtail kings, samsons, dogtooth tuna and giant trevally.

The torpedo-like shape of the Sniper is designed for maximum casting distance and out-and-out speed, and comes in eight handy casting weights from 15 grams up to 95 grams. Basically, if you can wind fast enough, the Sniper can handle it.

The Maniac is more of a spoon style, and comes in weights from 5 grams to 45 grams. It performs best at slow to medium retrieve speeds, making it ideal for estuary and freshwater use where fish aren’t quite as quick off the mark as their offshore relations. The larger sizes, particularly the 45 gram model, are just perfect for oversize tailor around foaming washes.

All lures in the Spanyid range have highly reflective chrome, gold or painted bodies, reflective tape with distinctive fright bars and spots to add to their realism, welded or split rings (depending on the lure size and intended target species), and VMC single or treble hooks with or without fly tails.

Trade Enquiries and for your local retailer: Dunphy Sports/Fishing Imports P/L Ph: (02) 9526 2144 Website: www.shimanofish.com.au

Renzetti fly vises

Renzetti Inc was the first to design, develop and manufacturer the first bent shaft true rotary vise. As evidence to their continually expanding product line, they have come a long way over the years. One thing that will never change, however, is their dedication to making sure that everything that leaves their workshop is the very best they can make. Renzetti’s dedication to provide the ultimate

Shimano JigWrex rods If you’ve half a mind to pull the heads off some big kings, amberjack, samson fish, cobia, giant trevally or dogtooth tuna on jigs this coming season, check out the Shimano JigWrex range at your local tackle store.

There are eight rods in this formidable deep jigging lineup, five spin and three overhead, and each is guaranteed to fish their designated line classes to the max.

The JigWrex blanks have a dual stage design, enabling the jigger to really work that heavy metal hard and get full value for his efforts, but without expending huge amounts of energy in the process.

Once hooked-up though, they have incredible power in reserve to stop big fish blasting their way back to the bottom.

The reel seats on JigWrex rods are all Fujis, and on the heavier models feature their Long Lock Nutts and seat rings that prevent the reel working loose while fighting a fish.

The guides are Fuji Silicon Carbides, with Fuji CMNST tips, which are designed to minimise line wear and handle the strain that big fish hooked in deep water impose on fishing rod componentry.

Along with eight coats of Chameleon finish and black bindings with gold and silver trim, these are both stylish and functional looking rods.

The longer rods, specifically the S554, S5103, S605, B554 and B5103 are two piece design, and detach just in front of the long fighting foregrip.

Additionally, the S508, S526, S605 and B526 are all fitted with aluminium gimbals to make fighting fish easier when wearing a rod bucket, and to locate the butts in rod holders when using them for trolling.

All JigWrex rods are designed for use with braided lines and their chosen line classes are based on the Japanese PE rating system. As a rough rule of thumb though, PE 3 is 30 pound, PE 5 is 50 pound, and so on.

Trade Enquiries and for your nearest retailer: Dunphy Sports/Fishing Imports P/L Ph: (02) 9526 2144 Website: www.shimanofish.com.au vise has resulted in the release of the feature-packed Presentation 2000 vise: • Hook range 28 to 4/0 • New hinged rotary head and shaft for precise hook positioning • New ratcheted crank arm • Rotary tension screw • 6’ stainless steel stem • all anodised aluminium • bobbin cradle • military spec anti-corrosion coated jaws • C-clamp or 6 x 6 x ½” powder coated base This vice will suit both the professional and recreational tyer and will provide a lifetime of pleasurable tying of both fresh and saltwater patterns. As Andy Renzetti says, “quality is not an after-thought, instead it’s the very heart of everything we do”.

Contact Mayfly Tackle on (03) 9899 0034 for your nearest stockist.

Gone Fishing Charters

Vulcan 189

In stock now

Virtually 2 boats in one’ the Allison Vulcan 189 is a boat the whole family can enjoy in both cruising and fun mode, whilst the anglers can prepare the boat for serious fishing expeditions. Many great features - including the bulkhead between the cockpit and the cabin with plenty of room in the cabin and two berths for those overnight fishing jaunts.

Fisherman 5

Not a centimetre of wasted space in one beautifully built 5.18m package is a fishing boat with all the features experienced anglers have had on In stock now their “wish list” for years.

Cockpit measuring no less than 2.52 metres long, from the transom through to the bulkhead and 1.62 metres wide, giving the Allison Fisherman 5 easily one of the biggest cockpits in its class.With carefully designed transom wells for the bait and drinks, a huge opening walk-through hatch to make anchoring a breeze, full length fibreglass cockpit side locker storage and wide, flat cockpit coamings (to position rod holders any which way), the Allison Fisherman 5 is a win, win, win for Aussie fishing families.

Fisherman 189

A strong and safe boat for inshore and offshore fishing. The solidly built hull with fibreglass sub-chassis has a variable Vee shape which makes In stock now for an easy ride and excellent stability at rest. The wide deflection chines ensure quick planing and the broad shoulders ensure stability and well mannered handling in rough water.

The cockpit is a fisherman’s delight with easy washable moulded fibreglass floor with side drains, the moulded side pockets and comfortable 78cm internal freeboard. Also the oval live-bait tank with its large cutting board lid.

Ocean Angler 244

A very special boat, made for dedicated fishermen who know what they want in a boat in In stock now which they are going to spend hundreds of hours at sea, working, driving, fishing, trolling.

Some features include: 6’8” bunks with infill (cloth covered), Access tackle hatch, Underfloor cockpit storage, Sink with cutting board lid, Companion way door – sliding with lock, Dual marlin boards with boarding ladder, Two cutting boards on top live bait wells.

• East coast estuary and bay • Bream, salmon, garfish, flathead, mullet and squid • Specialising in BIG BREAM • Soft plastics, lures, flies and bait • 5.8 metre sportfishing boat.

Gone Fishing Charters - St Helens MichaelHaley63761553or0419353041 mhaleycharters@bigpond.com www.breamfishing.com.au

Fishing News - Page 39

IN N OW S I E TA S

Ca b tre Cen ock 6.6 in St by Now ered aha Pow Yam 00 Hp ,0 150 m $70 fro

JU A R R I VS T ED

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5.35M MASTER SERIES RUN-ABOUT SAVE $5,000

Self draining floor, Hydraulic steering, rear lounge, radio, CD player, sounder, Yamaha 115Hp four stroke, Oceanic trailer, rego’s Self draining floor, Hydraulic steering, rear lounge, radio, CD player, sounder, Yamaha 115Hp four stroke, Oceanic trailer, rego’s

6.00M OCEAN SERIES CUDDY CAB

Hydraulic steering, cabin bunks & cushions, rear lounge, Yamaha 150Hp four stroke, rego’s

6.60M CENTRE CAB (PICTURE ABOVE)

Self draining floor, Hydraulic steering, s/steel rocket launchers, kill tank, twin motor transom

Call Peter or Dale for prices & details

BUILT BETTER, LOOK BETTER, PERFORM BETTER….

TABS ALL PLATE BOATS ARE BETTER! EXCLUSIVE TO:

24 Gleadow Street, Invermay Email: captmar@bigpond.net.au Ph/Fax: (03) 6334 3118

CAPTAIN02

Print Post approved; PP 702512 00027

Issue 66 February - March 2007

A super silver trevally caught by Harriet Stevens in Georges Bay. See page 6 for details.

$3.95

• Albacore • Silver trevally • Bait collecting • Bream news • Catching monster bream • Sarah’s Kitchen • Beach fishing • Lake Augusta • Highland action • Surface poppers