Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 077 2008 December by Tasmanian Fishing

Issue 77 December 2008 - January 2009

Print Post approved; PP 702512 00027

Mayfly feeding Trout Chudleigh Lakes Macquarie River Very Big Trout Big Flathead

Kayaks Squid more... Mason Paull with another (for him) BIG brownie. See page 10 for details.

Bringing you the biggest and best in Tasmanian fishing news

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CONTENTS

Macquarie River - Craig Rist 4 Mega Trout - Mason Paull 10 Two Top Tassie Lures 12 Chudleigh Lakes Wilderness - Shane Flude 14 Hayes on Mayflies - Peter Hayes 18 Jan’s Flies - Jan Spencer 20 St Helens Grand Slam - Jamie Henderson

Upsizing your Flathead - John Orchard 31 Squid for Kids - Dan Clifton 34 Boats and Reviews 39 Inland and Marine fishery news 42 Classifieds and Subscriptions 43 Fishing, boating services directory 44 Kayaking 48

My Say Check out the fish on the cover. Mason Paull has been on the cover before with big trout and I even tried to find something else. Big fish though are hard to keep off the front page. So there he is. Mason is a big man at a long way over six feet and he makes any fish look small. So think about that and you can see what a great fish he is holding. The most interesting part though is his determination and constant desire to learn. Mason has spent quite some time chasing big fish from southern bluefin tuna, to makos and trout. He has conquered them all. Read his story and learn. Over the last few months we have been working hard on our website www.tasfish.com

The best part though is the regular newsletter. To receive it all you need to do is to subscribe to the website. It costs nothing and you will get all the hot fishing news delivered to your email every week or so. Built for Comfort...Built for Performance...Built for Anglers

We hope you enjoy this issue and especially the dedicated kayak section. This will be a regular feature and we will have some good reviews in the next issue. Lastly we hope you have a great Christmas and New Year and the fish bite well. Mike Stevens.

It is a developing site and now has stories from the first 25 editions of Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News online. They are all searchable and you can print them out. Within the next few months we will have all back issues online and it will be a huge resource.

Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Published by Michael Stevens PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250. Ph/fax; 6331 1278 Email; fishn@bigpond.net.au Advertising: Quenton Higgs - 0427 129 949 Stevens Publishing, ABN 79 095 217 299

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Fishing News - Page 3

Macquarie River Mayfly Spinners Watching a trout of any size take your dry fly is something you never tire of. From the moment the fly disappears in a swirl, time seems to stop, as you wait for those crucial seconds to pass before lifting the rod to set the hook. What happens next can be either a solid hook up or a limp fly line heading back over your shoulder. When it all comes together and the fish takes the fly clean, that moment would have to be one of the most addictive things about dry fly fishing. The dun hatch of the mayfly is famous in our highland lakes during early summer, but it’s the spinner stage of the mayfly on our lowland rivers that first sparks the interest of both trout and fly angler. Books by David Scholes and Tony Ritchie have educated and motivated many to experience this spectacular event on the lowland rivers of Tasmania. The Macquarie River is one of these rivers that have become famous for its red and black spinner hatches. The Macquarie starts from the hills east of the town of Ross and flows north through farmland to Longford where it joins the South Esk River. This slow lowland river with its weedy runs and broadwaters make this an ideal habitat for the mayfly’s life cycle. It all starts in late spring as the weather starts to warm up, triggering an explosion of life after a cold winter. Mayfly nymphs start to swim to the surface emerging as a brownish coloured dun. The duns then fly off the water taking refuge amongst the riverside grasses and other vegetation. They stay there for a couple of days before changing their appearance yet again as they moult into the adult mayfly spinner. This is their final transformation allowing them to mate and lay their eggs back into the river when the conditions are right. The red mayfly spinner has clear wings, an orange coloured abdomen and a black thorax and head. While the Black Spinner has the same clear wings, the entire abdomen, thorax and head are black. Both the red and black spinners have three long tails that stretch out behind them. The mayfly spinner hatch first appears on the Macquarie around October and runs through to the end of January. They then reappear in numbers from February onwards.

The Macquarie River has long been regarded as one of Tasmania’s best mayfly rivers. By the middle of November the trout on the Macquarie are well and truly on the look out for spinners. Warm days and light winds are ideal times to find spinners back over the water. Once they have finished laying their eggs they will die, lying spent on the water with their clear wings laid out flat across the surface, making an easy meal for the trout. A good time to be on the water is from 9 or 10am when things start to

warm up a bit. Expect to see spinners on the water at any time from mid morning until late in the afternoon, depending on the weather. As a general rule there is a hatch in the morning and again in the afternoon. A late evening rise to spinners and caddis can also be anticipated.The sight of a once lifeless river instantly coming to life with rising trout will get any angler, armed with a fly rod and the right fly, pretty excited. Continued page 6

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Fishing News - Page 5

Finding feeding trout is a delight and then it is essential to get the fly to them quickly.

A day on the Lower Macquarie

Not everybody has the luxury of going fishing on the best days of the week, including me. Sometimes you just have to take what you are given. When planning a days fishing a week in advance you can only hope the weather is going to be on your side. It was the month of December and I still hadn’t had a chance to squeeze in my annual trip to the Macquarie River. There are just too many places to fish in Tasmania and not enough time to fish them all. The weather forecast wasn’t looking good with cold fronts expected to pass over during the day. Despite this, I wanted to spend the day on the lower Macquarie River, if only to check out a new stretch of water. The section of the lower Macquarie flowing past the town of Cressy becomes a much wider river after receiving the additional volume of water from the Lake River and the Poatina tailrace water of Brumbys Creek. This part of the river had been on my list of things to do for some time now, so today was going to be the day. The morning sun was trying to break through the clouds, as I drove through Latrobe to pick up Simon, giving me some hope for the days fishing. We left Latrobe uncertain of how successful the day was going to be, yet excited to be exploring a new section of the Macquarie. By 10 a.m. we had arrived at Cressy, the sun free of any clouds at this stage, but we could see dark intimidating clouds making their way off the mountains towards us. We pulled up at the river and hastily threw our waders on and put our rods together. One other car in the parking area was the only sign of anyone else desperate enough to be on the river today. We figured that most people would fish upstream so we decided to walk down the river and then fish our way back to the car. We had only walked 100 m when the cold wind started to blow and then down came the rain. We looked at each other and laughed, “what are we doing here on a day like this.” We took shelter under a tree and talked about what the fishing may have been like if the weather wasn’t so miserable. Fifteen minutes later the wind slowed and the sun beamed through the clouds. We continued on, despite the obvious signs of more rain, if only to see what this section of the Macquarie River had to offer for future trips.

The reward of accurate casting. Fishing News - Page 6

were starting to look up and so were the fish. I decided to remove the stick caddis dropper confident that the next fish would also take the dry. We were both making our way down the river at a pretty fast pace, only stopping to check out the pockets of calm water that just screamed “fish here”. One such place was a stretch of quiet water along a high deep bank below a willow tree that had grown out into the river. Tall grass grew right to the rivers edge with the water a metre below. This situation created a calm section of water out of the wind that would allow the spinners to safely fly out over the water and lay their eggs. As good as it looked, there were no rises, just a feeling that there should be a fish hard in along this bank. Standing back from the edge I shot leader and fly out over the tall grass using a bow and arrow cast. I could only just see the fly on the water through the tall grass. Seconds later a trout of around 2 pounds came into view under the fly. Very slowly I watched the fish ease up to the fly pause for a millisecond and then take the fly. I let the fish turn down before setting the hook. The fish made a dash straight out into the middle of the river taking the fly line through some thick weed in the process, before leaping clear of the water. The fly line cut a track through the weed as it broke free leaving a clump of weed hanging from the line. I managed to keep the fish away from the willow tree by steering the fish down stream eventually leading it into a shallow weedy corner, a great looking river fish that was soon revived and swimming free again. You know I tried casting that fly over several more likely spots on our way down the river with no response. I guess sometimes you do need a bit of luck on your side! Finally we started to fish our way back to the car. The sun had stayed out and we were now kicking out grasshoppers

I had left the car with a size 14 Orange and Black Spinner tied to my tippet. By now, I had tied on a Stick Caddis under the dry fly using a short length of line tied to the bend of the hook. The chance of finding trout feeding on spinners at this stage wasn’t looking good. Looking down the river I was surprised to notice a single rise in a pocket of calm water protected from the wind by a stand of trees. These trees made it impossible to get below the rise to make a cast. There was no other option than to cast directly down stream. I delivered a slack line cast above the rise, giving the flies some chance of a drag free drift. The fly line and leader started to straighten out immediately upon hitting the water. I watched the dry fly intently as it floated down through the strap weed, hoping the stick caddis underneath wouldn’t catch on weed before it reached the fish. The dry was finally pulled under moments before drag was about to set in. I immediately lifted into a lively fish, nothing huge; maybe a pound, but still a lot of fun on a four weight fly rod. I A nice Macquarie River trout soon had the little river taken on a Red Spinner. fish lying in the weeds, I slipped the hook out and he kicked back into the river. Our plan was to fast track it down river and then fish our way back to the car staying well back from from beneath our feet. Simon and I spread out so we could the river to prevent spooking any fish on the way down. More both fish a section of unfished water. Once you had fished wind and rain followed, then the sun finally reappeared as the up to the starting point of the other person, you would then walk up past them staying well back off the waters edge giving clouds started to take on a lighter shade of grey. The heat from the sun was starting to dry everything them another 100 metres to fish, before returning to the water. out. This was a positive sign as the temperature continued to This process was repeated all the way back to the car. Each rise. We focused our attention on the sections of river that time we crossed paths gave us an opportunity to discuss fish were sheltered by high banks and trees. These are the places caught and lessens learnt. The wind was still quite strong, so to seek out when the conditions are less than ideal. Spotting there were no great clouds of spinners hovering over the water another rise at the side of a fast run saw me scrambling down in these conditions. Despite this, these river trout were still on the bank below the rise. Stripping line off the reel I waited the look out for them and any rise covered successfully with for the fish to rise again. As it did, I landed the flies a metre a black or red spinner was eaten. Fish were located by rise formations and the distinctive in front of the fish. I was fully expecting to see the dry pull under again but it was the orange and black spinner that this splashy sound of a rise that was quite often heard from behind fish was after as it disappeared in a swirl. Resisting the urge to you. Each time the sun appeared from behind the clouds it strike immediately I paused to let the fish turn down before was possible to spot fish from the high banks with the aid of lifting the rod. When fishing two flies like this it can be hard Polaroid sunglasses. Finding fish that were not rising, using to change between instantly lifting the rod when the floater is Polaroid sunglasses, gave us another opportunity to catch pulled under and pausing for those few seconds when the dry fish that we may have otherwise walked past. Finding a fish is taken. If in doubt I try to pause before setting the hook just patrolling the quiet back waters or holding stationary in the in case the dry has in fact been taken. That way there seems current, taking nymphs, oblivious of your presence, is a treat to be less chance of missing the hook up. After a short fight on its own. But then to see the initial reaction from the fish another fat little river fish was landed and released. Things as it first notices your fly and then move up, inspect your fly,

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before taking it like a natural, is the ultimate in sight fishing. Back at the car the weather had turned again and was starting to rain. Fortunately we had seen the best of the day when it had counted, explored a new section of the Macquarie and caught some nice fish along the way in less than perfect conditions. As we left the river we where already planning a return trip. If the fishing was this good on a day like this, what could it be like with little or no wind and the temperature above 20 degrees?

Flies

When things are quiet a great searching fly combination is a Royal Wolf with a stick caddis or mayfly nymph dropper. Prior to and during the time when the mayfly duns are emerging, a size 14 brown seal fur nymph covered with floatant and fished in the surface film can be very effective. A fly such as the Brown Dun can be used when the fish are taking the floating duns. Red or black spinner flies are usually tied with or without a palmered hackle along the body. The Macquarie Red, originally tied by Max Christensen, is a very effective palmered style fly that floats high on the water. This famous red spinner fly imitation has fooled countless fish over the years and is

Anglers Access Macquarie River Project update November 2008

Anglers Alliance Tasmania and Inland Fisheries Service are implementing the Anglers Access project on the Macquarie River. Anglers Access involves landowners, anglers, natural resource management groups and the community in improving access to our river fisheries through negotiated agreements, riparian management and installation of appropriate infrastructure such as stiles over fences and access signage. This project is building on the success of the Brumbys Creek pilot project and is proposed for other rivers including the Huon, Derwent, Tyenna, Meander and Leven.

well worth carrying a few in your fly box. When fish are refusing this pattern, a fly tied without the palmered hackle along the body can work at times. The hackle on this fly can also be trimmed top and bottom, turning this fly into a spent spinner when trout are mopping up the dead mayflies. Many variations of the ‘Macquarie Red’ can be tied using different materials, if only to satisfy the fly tiers creative imagination. For example, in my variation of the red spinner I use three grey Micro Fibits for the tails and orange Supreme Hair for the body. The palmered body hackle and the main hackle are tied with a black or red rooster saddle feather. As I said, many variations can be tied and used successfully. I think its the size, shape and the way the fly sits on the water that is often the deciding factor when it comes down to a trout taking the artificial.

Funding from the DAFF Recreational Fisheries Community Grants Program, NRM North and support from the landowners themselves, in this case Richard and Louise Archer from Brickendon, has made these projects possible. At Brickendon an extensive willow removal program and replanting with natives along with riparian fencing, off stream stock watering and installation of fence stiles will not only improve safe access for anglers but assist the landowner by mitigating flood damage caused by willows restricting river flows, potential loss of stock and protection of fences. Members of the Longford Fishing club are being instructed in chainsaw use to encourage volunteers to assist with further willow removal and control efforts in the future. For further information on Anglers Access contact the Project Manager, Neil Morrow on 0438279421

Piled up and ready to burn.

The colour on the stumps is just to show they have been poisoned. Fishing News - Page 8

Including your own individual touch to an existing pattern or creating your own is one of the joys of fly tying. There’s always something very satisfying about catching a fish on one of your own ties. Craig Rist

Before: Lower Macquarie River - upstream of Woolmers bridge on ‘Brickendon’.

After: Same location as above.

Dragging willows away from the river.

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Fishing News - Page 9 19/5/08 11:35:47 AM

Mega Trout

by Mason Paull

All my adult life I have pursed big fish. With my trout fishing I really only got serious when a mate showed me a monster from Lake Crescent. From then on it became an annual trip to Crescent, for 5 days at a time. We would fish hard for the days were there using bait and spin gear. My biggest fish from the Crescent was a neat 10lb. Now with the closure of my hallowed lake, I was left with no big fish location. So I started fishing the Arthur and Pieman rivers hard during the white bait runs. I have put many hours in—mainly trolling in the early years, with moderate success. My best fish out of the Pieman was an 8lb resident brown trout and as for the Arthur, well everyone has seen the monster Peter Morse caught right under my nose. See the cover of TFBN Issue 70 Oct/Nov 2007. Now don’t get me wrong, I was pumped for him but it’s not the same as hooking one yourself, operating the landing net for someone on their first trip to the river just doesn’t cut it I’m afraid. Now with the introduction of the soft plastics, I have became addicted to them. If my wife ever sees my arsenal in one spot, Im a dead man. With the rivers frustrating me I turned my attention to the Reece Power Station. I had been told that they held big fish, not heaps, but with the right technique, some good fish can be extracted from the fast water directly out of the turbines. I stopped using anything but rubber and later adding the Gulp Range to my weapons of war. Such was my success rate, if I didn’t land 20 or more at the Reece Power Station, I would come home slightly depressed.

Technique

When I fish plastics, including Berkley Gulps, I use them like natural bait. You must fish them slow and deep. You will get snagged, and if you’re not, you’re not in the zone—simple as that. All the big fish I have caught have been on big plastics and big jig heads. I look for where the water eddies back towards the power station. Just flick the plastic into the eddy and let it sink to the bottom. Braid is a must, so you have the feel of the lure hopping across the bottom. I slow roll the lure across the bottom so far and slowly lift them to the top and then repeat. The big fish will be found in these back waters. They will not be in the fast water. My hot lure was always an 80 mm Neon Squidgy on a 9 gram head. It sounds insane I know, using a huge head like that but trust me, it works. But, on one trip by myself, I kept getting these small rattles, nothing serious, but could not hook up. I decided to put on a pumpkinseed Berkley Turtleback Worm, first drop bang solid 6.5 lb trout, followed by another serious brown. Well, from this time on, I only use Turtleback Worms, and with great success. I think with the Gulp, just the look of the worm matches the eels and glaxia that are present at these hot spots. As time went on the range of Gulps increased and one day with my good mate, Leroy from Bigfin Sportsfishing, I saw the camo Sand Eel in 6”. I thought I might grab a pack and see how they perform. Over the long weekend in November, the planets aligned and my pursuit of the mega brown trout came to fruition. I took my son Daniel, his best mate Jeremy Shaw and my good mate Stephen Mace. We had been fishing hard with not a lot of success. I had a huge follow from what I though was about 7 to 8 lb. I had been using a small lure and thought maybe ‘big lure—big fish’ might be more on the money. On went the seven gram jig head with the 6” sand eel. We fished on with moderate success, then Jeremy yells out for the net. I raced to his side to see a lovely brown trout of about 7 lb. With it safely in the net we took some digital shots and placed it back into the water. Jeremy at this stage was giving us all a lesson, his lure of choice was the 3” Berkley Fry in watermelon. Normally a quiet lad, he was letting us all know he was in front. I was fishing the Sand Eel slow and deep and started to get results—all small fish though. But, like big fish they come out of the blue. After standing at the same spot for two hours, I twitched the Eel off the bottom and it came up rock solid. I thought I had a snag. Taking one hand off the rod and giving it two sharp tugs all hell broke loose. The fish powered off like a freight train. What was to follow was my Personal Best trout. After seeing it lay in the net, people would have heard my screaming some kilometres away. The fish was a tad over 14 lb in the old measurement and for a split second I was going to take it home, by my son, who is a firm believer in releasing all big fish said “Dad, lets get some great pics and let it go”. I just had to agree, this magnificent fish was too good to be caught once.

Daniel Paull releasing a good fish.

Continued next page...

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Fishing News - Page 11 19/11/08 2:57:57 PM

.... continued from previous page With all the pictures taken, it was put back and it went on its way. To say I was elated is an understatement, and to see the fish swim away unharmed, well it doesn’t get any better than that.

Tackle

I use a 2 to 4kg rod, coupled with a 1000 to 2500 size reel. I have one reel loaded with 4 lb Fireline with the other loaded with 8 lb. I use 6 to 12 lb Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon leaders about two metres long. You don’t need bulky heavy gear, you will land all the big fish you encounter on this tackle. I use TT tournament jig heads, they have quality hooks in their jigs and are seriously strong.

Fish for the future

Anyone that knows me, know I am all for release. I very rarely bring a trout home. With the introduction of soft plastics, fish have become so easy to catch that we should sit back and ask ourselves ‘how many are enough?’. By all means take a feed, but if you catch a monster like I did, think twice about killing it. Take a digital camera and record everything on this, your memories will be recorded forever and the blown up picture will be a great reminder of the great catch. My son is an avid angler and even though he witnessed the catch, I want him and his mates to experience the exhilaration that I did landing this beautiful trout. Mason Paull

Two Top Tassie Lures Tassie Devils Tasmanian through and through. This is the first of what we hope to become a regular piece, keeping readers up to date on the latest on what’s catching around the state. The current 08/09 trout season signalled a change in the way Tasmanian Devil lures are distributed in Tasmania. Tas Fishing Supplies is now the distributor for Tasmanian Devil Fishing Lures statewide. Previously retail stores were supplied direct and although Wigston Lures enjoyed the contact with people the move to John Orchard’s distribution network has freed up the staff to concentrate on the growing export market. John has enjoyed adding Tassie Devils to his range and has helped the Tassie Devil lure to even more parts of the state. Extremely popular this season has been the range of Tassie Devil 4 Packs produced for specific waters. With feedback from store owners and anglers these packs are designed for each individual lake or river, and give the angler a great chance at taking a good fish with proven successful colours.

Pink is Hot

Around the waters the hot pink colours have been gaining popularity with #55 – Pink Panther producing good fish from Woods Lake. Another top lure for Woods has been the #88 – Gold Zebra. Similarly at the Great Lake, the new hot pink and purple #96 – Abigail has been taking some excellent trout trolling at about 2.5 metres deep. Hot pink has been the biggest selling colour for many years on the mainland and overseas. It is only in the last two seasons or so the

Tasmanian anglers are warming to the fact that the hot pink colour is a huge fish catcher. It is beginning to make its way to the top of the sales list in local stores. Also performing well in Great Lake has been the Y94 – Yellow Sunset. One of nine current lures in the yellow wing variety these too are gaining in popularity. In the Snowy region of NSW these yellow wing lures outperform the standard colour each year. It is in both Eucumbene and Jindabyne in particular were they seem to be most favoured. There are a few local anglers who swear by the Y48 – Eucumbene Bomber at in Arthurs Lake so that is worth giving a swim. The yellow wing lures are also very popular in the UK with Irish anglers using them with great success. It may surprise a few to hear the Tassie Devil Lure selling well on both Flinders and Bruny Islands. Tas Fishing Supplies has several stores selling purpose 4 Packs for saltwater species. The erratic action designed into the Tassie Devil is irresistible to a wide range of species and is certainly not just a freshwater lure. We have many photos on our website from around the world from saltwater anglers. Some prefer to rig the lure in reverse so it can be retrieved much faster than for trout fishing. Give them a try sometime, you might be surprised.

Lures for Kids

Wigston’s Lures has recently supplied 300 lures to Fishcare Tasmania for the Take a Kid Fishing Day’s around the state. These special lures are printed with the “Take a Kid Fishing” slogan and handed out to participants on the day. It is a great event to be associated with as it supports the future of fishing in the state where the young anglers of today can learn about all

the different aspects of the sport. The work of the Fishcare volunteers must be commended as the do a wonderful job with the children.

Back to Pedder

Lake Pedder will once again be the place to be over the Australia Day week in January. The 2009 Back to Pedder Competition will see us take up the role of major sponsor. It is a fantastic event and we are extremely proud to be associated with the Lake Pedder Anglers Club. We have been involved since its inception in the early 1990s. The money raised each year for Camp Quality and the enjoyment the kids take away from their time at Pedder is inspiring. The Ian Wigston Memorial Trophy is awarded to one of the Camp Quality children for heaviest trout and the late Ian would be proud to see the kids taking part and enjoying their selves so much each year. It is a great event and all anglers should look at making the trip. Entry forms are available from your local tackle stores. Proceeds go to a fantastic charity and the setting is as good as you will find anywhere. ww.wigstonslures.com.au

Yep Tackle lures

It is delight to see these lures hanging on hooks in tackle stores. It is even better to see them catching Tasmanian fish. I remember way back when the owner of Yep Tackle appeared on the cover of Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News. Dale Howard is a good angler and his foray into tackle is something he long wanted to do, but was it wise to move into the soft plastic market? Afterall this area is huge with literally thousands of imported plastics flooding the market. Sometimes though people are smart and are happy to get just a small piece of the market. That is what Dale has done.

Distributed by Tasmanian Fishing Supplies. Fishing News - Page 12

He has done his research, worked out what is needed and had that made. The range of soft plastic lures, in two and three inch are made specifically for the Tasmanian trout and inshore saltwater market. The plastics are all flickbait style lures with split tails in colours that are perfect for trout, trevally, Australian salmon, Atlantic salmon and other popular species. There are also some hard body lures, but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just look at the plastics. Colours include Whitebait, Green Olive, Salt N Pepper, Blue Oyster, Pumpkin Seed and more. Plastics come with ten in a packet unrigged and the prerigged have five per packet. The unrigged plastics have a couple of jig heads included, but I am a huge fan of the pre rigged versions. Pull one out, tie it on and cast away. Simple, cheap and very effective. Check them out at www.yeptassietackle. com or at all good tackle stores.

Hot Yep lures and places to use them Georges Bay

Georges Bay is the place to use the Yep Tassie Tackle pearl white three inch Flick Bait and equally effective is the three inch ready rigged, blue oyster Flick Bait. The ready rigged lure are ideal for the angler who would prefer not to, or have some difficulty rigging their lures with jig heads. These lures work a treat on the big Australian salmon, tailor and trevally that cruise this

water. T he best methods are drift spinning. Let the lure sink almost to the bottom and retrieve quickly with a few stops on the way.

Arthurs Lake

An early morning drift on Arthurs lake will get some great results using the t wo i n ch Ye p i n pumpkinseed colour. Fish it slow and deep for the best results. If you are not hooking weed and loosing the occasional lure you are not fishing deep enough.

These new pre-rigged 3â&#x20AC;? stickbaits from Yep Tassie tackle are designed to get you into the fish with the minimum of fuss. No more wondering if your plastic is swimming correctly, these lure are perfect straight from the

Arthur River

Arthur River salmon, at the mouth of the river have been smashing three inch Flick Bait in pink bits colour, on an incoming tide. The sea runners seem to prefer the three inch green olive Flick Bait.

packet.

Great Lake

Salt-n-pepper three inch flick bait, and ready rigged three inch pumpkin seed is the lure for the Great Lake. Nigel Harris used the salt-n-pepper to help win the trout comp. there last year.

Derwent River

The three inch ready rigged white bait, smoke cloud and the five inch sand mullet are the most popular in the Derwent when chasing sea runners. The two inch olive gold, green olive and whitebait are the favourites for the bream hunters.

Soft plastic and hard body lures for all Tasmanian fish

Available in allthe good To see full tackle range stores and a state-wide list of Trade stockists enquiries phone 948 410 goDale: to 0429 www.yeptassietackle

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Chudleigh Lakes Day Trips Shane Flude My previous Western Lakes article described the Pine Valley and associated waters and the various routes to reach these areas. Due to the remote location of the valley this area was really an overnight adventure and required the necessary camping equipment. I have since received some feedback that many anglers starting out who wish to fish the western lakes simply don’t possess the equipment necessary for such an excursion. The following article will therefore describe waters that can be reached and fished comfortably in a day trip and details three moderately easy walks in the Chudleigh Lakes area. The only equipment you will need is boots and rod. The Chudleigh Lakes are situated over the Great Western Tiers behind the Mole Creek/Chudleigh area and basically include the catchment area of Lake Mackenzie. It is from Lake Mackenzie that the three walks commence and at a little over an hour’s drive from Launceston or Devonport the Chudleigh Lakes has and continues to be a very popular angling destination, particularly for northern anglers. Park in the gravel car park just short of the dam wall near the boom gate or drive up to and park under the wall near the canal outflow. Climbing the stone steps sees you on top of the Mackenzie Dam wall ready to head south towards the first destination of Lake Lucy Long and Westons Lake. Total distance is about 14ks return with a rise and fall of around 100m. This is the shortest of the day walks I will describe. Now don’t go rushing off madly along the wall because the first fish of the day should be cruising slowly along the edge. Walk slowly the length of the wall with just your head showing over the guard rail. When the weather is blowing from the

Releasing Western Lake trout is the best option, but occasionally one is eaten at camp.

NW-SW a calm slick forms along the bottom of the wall which concentrates food items and makes polaroiding easy. The tricky bit comes in casting down the length of the wall without spooking the fish below. This is best achieved by running ahead of a cruising fish and laying your fly out before the fish approaches. The fish often take well but can frustrate you by turning back just short of the fly. Once hooked you have two options, play the fish the length of the wall to the shallow areas at either end but at 975 metre s in length it can be a long drag so the only viable option is to walk down the bitumen face. This looks daunting but the dam wall is actually quite grippy and can be safely negotiated to net your fish. Worst case would be you add a 5oo metre swim to the day walk. My best effort along the wall was 4 fish but 1 or 2 is average. Expect brownies of around 1-2 pound although I have Declare claimed a nice rainbow and Declare All AllYour YourFishing Fishing Equipment Equipment seen others, presumably from some unsanctioned previous stocking in the headwaters. The Lucy Long/Westons area is best reached by walking along the southern shoreline of Mackenzie to the ford on the Fisher River and then walking up the Explorer creek track about halfway to Lake Explorer. In summer time Lake Mckenzie is usually well down and the old vehicle track is easy to follow. If the The catastrohic impact of lake level is high this route accidentally introduced alga “Didymo”, also known as around the southern shoreline Rock Snot, on New Zealand’s freshwater environment. is impossible to negotiate due to thick scrub. There exists a moderately well worn track The catastrophic impact of accidentally introduced alga which leads directly south of “Didymo”, also known as Rock Snot, on New Zealand’s freshwater environment. the wall near the small cliff, One drop of water. One microscopic cell. One ecological disaster. over the headland through One drop of water. One microscopic cell. One ecological disaster. light scrub and marsh directly That’s all it takes. Don’t take our fishery for granted. That’s all it takes. Don’t take our fishery for granted. onto the wire rope ford across Be Be aa Barrier Barrier -–Not NotaaCarrier Carrier of of pests pests to toTasmania. Tasmania. the Fisher River. Once you Check, & Dry Dry your yourfishing fishingequipment. equipment. Check, Clean Clean & have slithered across the wire For more information visit www.ifs.tas.gov.au For more information visit www.ifs.tas.gov.au ropes (a refreshing experience or www.biosecurity.govt.nz/didymo or www.biosecurity.govt.nz/didymo if you lean the wrong way) the or phone Quarantine on 03 6233 3352 or phone Quarantine on 03 6233 3352 Explorer Creek track is easy to follow. It leads directly to and culminates at the Lake Nameless hut. Follow this track for about 1 kilometre Photo - Brad Harris

Help Help Protect Protect Tasmania’s Tasmania’s Freshwater Freshwater Environment. Environment.

Fishing News - Page 14

towards Lake Explorer and look for the obvious saddle in the ridgeline above on the left. A 15 minute stroll over the hill sees you standing above and looking down along Lake Lucy Long with Westons Lake in the distance. These lakes run roughly east-west and provide nearly 3 kilometres of perfect unrestricted shoreline with the sun at your back to Polaroid. Neither lake contains huge numbers of fish but you should see some beauties. The northern shore of Lucy Long is rocky and open and the waters drop off deeply onto a largely debris free bottom. The fish stand out well but are often found close in to the bank. The southern shoreline features rock scree and rises sharply up behind the lake. Some patches of thick scrub impede progress however the advantage of this shore is the elevated polaroiding positions. Back casts may be impossible if the fish is out to far. Check out the eagles nest half way along. The eastern end of the lake features a large shallow area which accepts the inflow from Westons and is only a short distance from the outflow. Such areas near any current flow are hot spots on the lake. There is a great camping site amongst the Pencil Pines just south of the inflow. Westons Lake is only a short distance away over the rise. It is about a kilometre long and can be easily walked around. There are some raised banks behind the southern shore which again restrict back casting, the rest of the lake is clear. The northern shoreline is favoured as again like Lucy Long walking this shore means the sun will be at your back. You may probably see only 3-4 fish in this lake but they often reach 6-8 pounds. It pays to walk slow and give particular attention to the trench of deeper water that runs around the eastern end of the northern shore. Once you have lapped Westons it will be time to slowly make your way back along Lucy Long. If you have some spare time the small tarn about 1 kilometre further downstream is worth a look. It contains quite a few 2 lb trout and has a great dun hatch on the right day. Total walking time back to the car from the eastern end of Westons is around 1.5 to 2 hours. The second day trip I will describe is to Lakes Explorer and Nameless. The route in is as already described, just continue along the Explorer Creek track without deviating over the saddle. Since the Nameless Hut has been rebuilt, this area has proven quite popular. The track has seen some repair work in recent years and is easy to follow and in good condition. The restored hut above Nameless is magnificent but a bit to popular for my liking. Lake Explorer would have to rate as the murkiest Chudleigh Lake with visibility often only a few feet. Swans have been blamed for uprooting the weeds and disturbing the silty bottom. They have certainly been present in numbers when I have visited. Despite this the trout which average 2-3 pound are often in excellent condition. The southern shoreline is probably the favoured shore as the northern is quite rocky with large expanses of rock scree. Fish numbers appear similar around both shorelines. The inflow from Snake Lake produces an area of clear water and

is an obvious hot spot. Due to the overall clarity of the Lake Explorer it remains a popular spinning water. Lake Nameless is a huge water and takes several hours to fish around. On selected suitable days the dun hatches can be fantastic however the fish often rise just out of casting range. Fish size and condition is similar to Explorer but they are far easier to spot in the clear water. The lake can be waded but the bottom is deceptively soft in places and stirs up considerably and is therefore not recommended. Total distance back to the car is just over 8ks and takes a little over 2 hours. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basically all downhill on the return journey. Explorer Creek itself is worth a look if you have the time. It features some large slow pools which all contain small trout. Rising trout can even be spotted from the track. The last day trip I will describe is to the Blue Peaks Lakes. Despite being only about 6ks in from the car park the track rises and falls around 150 metres with several steeper pinches and I would rate this walk as the hardest of the three. Starting point is the small gravel car park near the bomb gate below the Mackenzie wall. The track in follows an old 4wd route which is now largely overgrown and only appears as two distinct

Blue Peaks is worth the walk just for the scenery. However the fishing can be spectacular as well.

Map courtesy of Tasmap. Fishing News - Page 15

wheel marks in a few areas. Watch for the short cut across the first marsh past the old cement foundations, it actually cuts five minutes off the trip. The remnants of the 4wd route can be traced as far as Little Throne Lake where the driver has done a sharp turn across the old lake bed. Its interesting just how long these marks remain as the area has been closed to vehicles for at least 25 years. There are several small short cuts on the way in and the track appears to split in several areas, don’t panic as all roads lead to Rome. Once at the Peaks you will be confronted with the three main lakes and a number of smaller tarns and ponds. All contain fish with some of the smaller ones holding some better than average fish but certainly nothing trophy size. Concentrate on the main lakes; they hold heaps of fish between 2-4 pound. The northern most water is probably the least fished of the three. It is quite a shallow rocky lake with a deeper section across the middle. This area along with the weedy shallows near the outflow are probably the best areas to fish. Fish certainly frequent the other rocky shores but are very hard to spot among the many drowned rocks. The middle Blue Peak Lake where the track culminates is easily the deepest lake and seems to hold the highest population of trout. Most are around 2-2.5 lb. There are shallow bays along the western side which offer excellent wade polaroiding however the stand out feature of this water are the reliable dun hatches. These often start just after 9am and usually occur across the whole lake. If you arrive on a dun hatch day you will probably not venture past this water and simply spend the whole day casting to the many rises. If a hatch is not on or the sun goes out then a dry fly drifted around the main edge trenches should get a result. The southernmost lake at Blue Peaks is called Little Throne Lake and is the only officially named water. It is also the largest water in the system and features bays, necks, weed beds and deep trenches. Again these deep trenches are reliable fish cruising locations. Trout tend to be bigger in this water and during a good season will average 3-4 pound. Dun hatches can also feature here but are not as reliable as on Middle Lake. Black spinner action can be fast and furious in midsummer when the wind dies out completely particularly off the many rocky points. When levels drop in late summer Little Throne Lake almost becomes three separate waters and it is possible

Another nice trout about to be released.

Two flies are a good option. See the second fly in the top right of the photo.

t places the fishies to some of awesome fish! e as we go e m rid so ld to wi t a secre take Come and the Berkley a to deliver in Australi

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Fishing News - Page 16

to rock hop between the narrow necks that form. As the levels drop the fishing improves. A full days fishing at the Peaks will probably see you visit all three waters as all have areas worth fishing. You can easily cover 20ks for the day. Walking time in or out to the head of Middle Lake is around 1hour 15 minutes. Next G mobile phone coverage is available for most of the walk into Blue Peaks and service is only lost about 400metre s short of Middle Lake or as you decend the last hill on the way back to Lake Mackenzie. Full service is obtained from all of the surrounding major peaks such as Blue Peaks,Turrana Heights and Forty Lakes Peak. Avoid snake bites in low lying areas for this reason. Yes you will see the odd snake but they aren’t numerous anywhere in the Chudleigh Lakes. Apart from my early trips when armed with spinning rod I now fly fish exclusively in all Western Lakes. Fly choice is similar for the whole area namely Red Tag, Royal Wulff, Dun, Black Spinner and some floating nymphs. Floating line with a standard 9ft tapered leader will suffice. Longer leaders are an advantage in deeper water or when conditions calm off completely. Early December to late March

is the best time of year. The action usually starts around 9am but after a cold night fish sometimes don’t start to cruise until 11am and in the Western Lakes once the fish are moving they are also feeding. In midsummer I have still been able to Polaroid cruising fish as late at 7pm but I’m usually on the way to the car before then. As always perfect total sun is essential for a good day’s polaroiding and as we know in some years these perfect days can be counted on one hand. Fishing blind is always an option but no Chudleigh Lake has high enough numbers to ensure a decent catch rate unless there’s a hatch on. I mentioned earlier that boots and rod are all that is needed for these days walks but for those venturing into this area for the first time the Lake Mackenzie TASMAP in 1:25000 scale is essential. Pay an extra $25 and get it laminated if you intend on using it more than one season, once wet the map becomes about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike. If time is hard to find and you don’t possess the camping gear try to allocate at least one cloud free day this season to the Chudleigh Lakes. Shane Flude

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Fishing News - Page 17

Hayes on Mayflies It is no surprise to me that as a trout fishing guide my December and January book out well before the other months. The repeat clients come primarily for the opportunity to fish the Highlands tremendous dun hatches. By mid December the highland lakes that are suitable for the mayfly reach temperatures that signal ‘hatch’. If you are lucky enough to be out on one of the huge hatch days you will experience a show from nature that you won’t easily forget. Duns coming off in the thousands, miraculously popping from beneath the surface like little jack in the boxes. Trout love to eat them in all their life cycles. Mayflies must surely be one of the trouts tastiest foods and they seem to not be able to let a single one go past. Just like me with a box of mixed chocolates. I will sort through looking for the Turkish Delights then eat every one of them. Mayflies are a trout’s Turkish Delight. The ascending, wriggling nymph must drive the trout into a wild frenzied state. When a trout comes across the struggling, hatching, emerger in the surface film it must be almost to good to be true. Then there is the high sitting, brown wind surfing dun. Drifting predictably with the wind straight into the upwind swimming mouth of Mr Speckles. But then ….. the best fun of all is leaping high for the mating spinners laden with eggs. Yum ! I once read that a gram of dried mayfly to a trout is the equivalent of 5000 calories to a human. A much greater energy supply that even the most lavish dessert we can eat. No wonder they like them.

History and trends

Most any shallow weedy water in the highlands grows good numbers of mayfly. The more obvious and better known waters are Little Pine, Penstock and Arthurs Lake. Thirty years ago I fished these waters a lot and it was all done from shore. I remember well the prolific dun hatches in

Fishing News - Page 18

all these waters. I remember the fish sipping gently as they worked toward my waiting fly. The take was always slow motion, a sipping nose from fish with heads the size of a Sherrin football..... a wait for the closing mouth and the turning down of the head then a smart setting of the hook. You know the rest..... boy it was good. Then, 15 years ago I started guiding and I have witnessed the slow demise of the highland mayfly. I think the past 4 years have failed to show me even a half decent hatch. And perhaps as much the problem as the changing environment which has lessened the hatches is the change to the feeding behaviour of the trout. These days trout seem The animal that equally excites both trout and anglers alike. to feed in fast furious spurts Shown is Atalophlebia australias. then retreat to the depths to We are all buying bigger and faster boats so we can tear all feed on the ascending nymph rather than the dry. Very often quick spashy rises result from the beat of the tail as the trout over the lake looking for passively feeding fish to cast to. These hurriedly retreats to safety. These erratic nymph feeders are fish don’t exist because we tear around the lakes in bigger and almost impossible to catch on a static dry. It saddens me to faster boats looking for passively feeding fish to cast to. I am proud to say that some years ago I lobbied successfully say that I believe we, the anglers, are to blame for their poor to introduce a 5 knot speed limit in the Cowpaddock. Man I table manners. Too many boats, too many motors, too much speed and too came under some flack at the time but many thinking anglers many anglers. I once thought Jason Garrett was a traditional now see the wisdom of this and they are happy to abide by the old snodger with a tweed jacket when he suggested to me that rule at Penstock too. Have a think about just one knot on some most fishing should be done from the shore or with thigh waters. I assure you it is more respectful to the trout. After all it is their environment that we are in not vice versa. boots not full length waders. Now I understand the wisdom of his ways. It is my opinion Continued next page..... that some of our lakes should be gumboot only fisheries in December. We have all made a rod for our own backs and This is perhaps the ideal ‘dun’ scenario: Dull, guides like me unfortunately, and unknowingly, sped up the process. overcast day, shallow water and no boat.

Fishing methods : Dry Fly, Traditional Vs Modern

When I was a boy it was normal to use just one fly (a palmered highland dun of some pattern) on a tapered leader. Prior to and after a hatch this fly was bait fished in a static manner. Some fish were caught like this but not many. During the hatch feeding fish were sought after and cast too. The fly was left static in the path of a feeding fish. The strike was performed ‘God save the Queen’ after the take and if everything was right we hooked and played a trout. Good bags were often had by good anglers. Now that things have changed I don’t believe that the good anglers do as well with this method as they once used to. When I started guiding 15 years ago I used parachute duns exclusively. I nearly always used two flies tied about 3 feet apart. The dropper was often a size 10 with a mylar tail. This was an attractor with the smaller #12 point fly following behind. This system worked well and one reason was the two flies fished a larger area. The dropper was a large and visible fly that ‘drew’ the fish that would often take the smaller fly. The attractor was bright and on dull mayfly days this seemed to make a difference. The parachutes sat down in the water unlike a fully palmered dry and the fish not only saw them more easily but they took them more readily and we had better hook up rates. Then along came Shayne Murphy who I consider to be a great angler. Shayne and I started pulling our dries. We pulled like boy scouts even though the conventional wisdom was to not allow a dry fly to drag. As soon as the flies landed near the rising fish we gave a smart 3 foot strip. After a short hesitation we would pull a further three feet. I can’t tell you how many fish we used to catch like this. The movement clearly attracted the fishes attention. The leader noise scratching the surface helped turn their heads too and the resulting takes were spectacular smashing affairs. We never hooked a fish….. they hooked themselves deep in the mouth. This was clearly a more successful method. Then came the poms John Horsey and Martin Cottis. They brought longer 18 foot leaders of level 4 pound. Seals fur dries with fluro heads. Constant casting of short lines and constant movement. Raking and reaming the water. Every inch of it. It was so successful that 10 years on this remains the most successful dry fly fishing system that I know of. It sucks really. I think I would rather trade my 5 meter tri hull sportfishing boat with 130 HP Honda, Minn Kota electric motor, Lowrance colour depth sounder and fish finder for a day on Little Pine 30 years ago with my gumboots and Glad garbage bag raincoat with arm holes in the corners and my fibreglass 1021 rod.

Two of the keenest ‘mayfly’ fishermen around—Jim Allen and 1/22/08 1:24 PM Page 1 Julian Newton-Brown search for the perfect pattern.

Classic 444.8.125x10.875

Nymph fishing, Static Vs moved

I had two local guys on the boat a few years ago in the Cowpaddock. I fished one of them with two brown nymphs under a woollen indicator. One nymph at 3 feet the other at 8 feet. The other rod was rigged with an 18 foot flurocarbon leader with three brown nymphs of varying designs and weights. We fished these rigs for an hour or so before the hatch and a similar time after the hatch. At the end of the day one method produced 14 fish and the other 13. Both methods were equally successful but on many occasions one system was better than the other for periods of 20 minutes or so. On another day I had a very skilled fly fishing father and his novice teenage son who had a broken right arm. The father cast possum emergers accurately to rising fish for several hours and only had 2 fish to show for his considerable efforts and skill. When the son was beating him 11 fish to 2 Colin said ‘Haysie for chris sake give me an indicator and a nymph’. I have seen this dozens of times in a dun hatch at the lakes. An indicator with a nymph down 8 feet is a deadly thing. Again, and sadly, this is a good method of catching fish but do I really want to fish like this ? No I don’t, it’s not good for the soul.

Go to it

However you choose to fish and whatever stage you are at in fly fishing mayfly time in the Highlands of Tasmania is a special time. Go and participate in it as it is today and enjoy nature at its best. Think about your part in it and learn to be a better custodian than we have been previously. Unfortunately It is a fact that our sons and daughters will never witness the mayfly fishing of 30 years ago. Peter Hayes

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Fishing News - Page 19

Jan’s Flies Jan Spencer

Tuesday 12 November saw me catch my first fish on a dry fly in the highland lakes. I had heard on the grape vine that there had been an odd fish or two coming to dries during the first weeks of November. Previous to all this there has been some great fishing to tailers on Little Pine Lagoon and frog feeders in the Nineteen Lagoons. To see the antics of these fish the angler needs to be lakeside at daybreak or late evening, although there are odd times such as a very overcast rainy day where the fish will do their tailing, chasing and charging acts all day. Getting back to the week mid-November when we had some really warm days—it brought out all sorts of insects such as gum beetles, ladybirds, Great Lake beetle, soldier beetles and even an odd dun, so the prime fishing was finally getting underway. It’s at this time some decisions need to be made—either continue fishing wet or to drift a dry around hoping a snout or two will show. It’s better to wait till the trout start taking off the top consistently before getting too excited. The way to get some advantage over the fish is to hang a dropper under a dry. The dry needs to be a buoyant pattern, remembering the dropper will add extra weight to this set up. The length of the dropper needs to be around six inches, tied off the bend of the dry fly hook. The dropper fly need only be dressed lightly.

The dry fly being a well dressed dry—as the angler needs to move the dry to get some attention from the fish. Remember, when the dry is moved so too will the dropper. On the other hand if a fish takes the dropper the dry will act as an indicator. Choosing what flies to use at this time of year is a little bit hit and miss especially for the dry, I find a palmer body fly is good because it floats well or a foam gum beetle as this too will stay on top. The dropper will always be one of two flies—a Brown Nymph or a Stick Caddis. The Brown Nymph is my usual preference as I happily think it can also represent a stick caddis. When dressing the following fly make sure it is not overly dressed. The legs are important as they give it life.

Brown Nymph Hook:

Long shanked medium guage hook, size 14-16 Thread: Brown Tail: Dark brown cock fibres – small bunch Rib: Fine copper wire Dubbing: Claret seals fur Wing case: Strip off a pheasant feather Thorax: Claret seals fur Legs: Small bunch feather tips 1. Take thread full length of shank and tie in tail, then rib. 2. Dub on claret seals fur, make sure not to over dub body. Bring the seals fur two thirds along the shank toward the eye, now bring rib forward in nice even turns to this point, tie rib down and cut away excess. 3. Tie in pheasant feather slip for wing case. Now dub thorax on with claret seals fur. Do not overcrowd the eye with dubbing.

4. Take a small bunch of pheasant feather fibres, then tie them in with only a short length of the tips facing toward the bend of the hook. Cut away excess fibres. 5. Bring pheasant feather slip over the top of thorax for wing case, tie down firmly and cut away excess slip. 6. Form a nice little head, whip finish and varnish. This will be the last article for this year, so I may wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. May you all have a new tying vice in your Christmas stocking.

Revolutionary NEW Flyline Inspired by nature, 3M™ Sharkskin™ Fly Line feels and sounds like nothing else on the market. It is composed of microreplicated structures that reduce friction, improve floatation, boost durability, eliminate line glare and repel water. The result is nothing less than a revolution in fly line design. • Reduced friction through rod guides produces superior shootability • Microtextured coating increases surface area and repellency and forces the line to sit higher on the water • Synergy between line texture and patented AST chemistry strengthens the coating integrity and durability • Radical textured surface creates a stealth effect, dispersing light and reduces the chance of spooking fish • Improved water shedding makes for effortless roll casting, mending and pickups. WF 3 F to WF 8 F Ultimate Trout Taper - features long front taper.

Check all the specs @ www.scientificanglers.com Fishing News - Page 20

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Fishing News - Page 21

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Fishing News - Page 22

• Clamps around ONLY * gunwale and chine on a tinnie with up BLA Code 200686 or down winding mechanism to suit gunwale height • Galvanised steel frame with pneumatic tyre on plastic rim

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• Premium high strength BLA Code 144254 braided polyester mooring line with integral shock absorbing section • Virtually eliminates sudden jolts • 300mm soft loop at one end • 12mm x 5m $34.90* 12mm x 8m $49.90* 15mm x 8m $71.90* 15mm x 12m $79.90*

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all stores. *The prices as shown are recommended sale prices that may vary from store to store. Images shown are for illustration purposes only. Accessories not included. All prices include GST. Limited rights reserved. Sale valid until 31st January 2009.

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Fishing News - Page 23

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Fishing News - Page 24

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Fishing News - Page 25

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BLA Code 241546/48

• Ideal for canoeing, sailing etc. • 2 webbing straps, zip & reflective patches • Approved to Australian Standards AS1499 • Child S – Junior • Adult sizes S – XXXL from $59.90* BLA Code 241552-58

• Designed for active water sports such as skiing, knee boarding, wake boarding and towables • Approved to AS1499 BLA Code 241746-58 • Features soft flexible foam, three heavy duty adjustable webbing straps and gusseted side panels • Approved to AS2260 • Junior – XXXL from $99.90* BLA Code 241768-80

Safety ONLY

$13.90 *

FROM

BLA Code 222112

$19.90 * BLA Code 226999

Flare Container

Fire Extinguisher

ONLY

$19.90 *

1m x 1m

26_08_KEA Sum_Sale_TasFN

PARTICIPATING DEALERS

Tamar Marine

$8.90 *

BLA Code 221054

• Anodised aluminium shaft with moulded black nylon ‘T’ grip and blade

2 Piece Telescopic Paddle

ONLY

$13.50 * BLA Code 221064

• Extends from 762 to 1066mm

Humminbird stockists.

Minn Kota stockists.

Marineline

6-8 West Tamar Rd,

279 Argyle St,

LAuNCESToN

HobART

P: 6331 6188

P: 6231 0345

Fishing News - Page 26

ONLY

BLA Code 227012

• Suitable for: Fire Blanket A class – wood, paper, cloth, • 100% woven B class – liquids and glass fibre E class – electrical • Supplied in vinyl • Available in 0.6kg with pouch with eyelet 1A:5B:E rating $19.90* for wall mounting, • 1kg with 1A:10B:E rating $23.90* BLA Code 227001 ready for emergency situations

• Rigid poly container with threaded lid, for storage of flares and other emergency items

Deluxe Aluminium Paddle

SUMMER Steering

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Plumbing

Engine Accessories 11.3lt Fuel Tank ONLY

Mechanical Steering Kit

$229.00 *

FROM

$20.70

• Non corrosive UV stabilised plastic • 1/4" BSP internal threaded pickup

22.7lt Fuel Tank ONLY

Whale Orca Electric Bilge Pumps

ONLY

$749.00

ONLY

BLA Code 291570

$49.90 *

Whale Float Switch • Converts electric bilge pump to automatic operation by sensing rising water level • Operating range (6-32V) with a load current up to 15 amps

ONLY ONLY

$1149.00 SAVE

00 $1100.

• UV stabilised polyethylene • Direct reading fuel gauge incorporated in the cap

12V Portable Aerator Kit

ONLY

$39.90

Tamar Marine

200230 Universal Hose Shown

$11.90 *

$39.90 *

BLA Code 200478 - PROMO

Filter & Clear Separation Bowl • Suits 200390 Head and Mercury® OEM components

Outboard Flusher

1lt Fibreglass Restorer and Wax

$18.90 *

ONLY

BLA Code 200720

• Dual water inlet • For even flow • Suits all types of marine ONLY * gelcoat and paintwork in new or reasonable BLA Code 261198 condition • High quality carnauba wax and polymers leave a rich, deep, wet look gloss after application

$24.90

Marineline

6-8 West Tamar Rd,

279 Argyle St,

LAuNCESToN

HobART

P: 6331 6188

P: 6231 0345

20%

ONLY

Maintenance

1lt All Purpose Boat Wash

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ONLY

• Single piece live bait aerator to suit almost any application • Supplied with 1.2 m of electrical wire fitted with alligator clips

$12.90

SAVE

• Will not separate two-stroke oil from fuel, making it suitable for pre-mixed fuels • Spin-on filter Mercury® style to suit 200390 head

BLA Code 131714

• Powerful, heavy ONLY * duty liquid boat cleaner BLA Code 261020 • Safe for use on paint, steel, aluminium, glass, rubber, vinyl and canvas

BLA Code 200230

BLA Code 200394

BLA Code 271030

• Italian styled • Weather resistant black grip • Standard 3/4” taper • UV stabilised thermo plastic • 340mm diameter

$13.90 *

FROM

• 2.1m x 8mm grey PVC fuel hose with UV stabilised primer bulb • Also available with fittings to suit most major outboards • Evin/John $19.90* • Yamaha/Mercury $19.90* • Merc 99 to date $19.90*

• Compact, highly efficient centrifugal pump • Can be dropped into water tank or container • Suitable for fresh and saltwater, plus diesel transfer • 13.2 l/m open flow, 12V

$43.50 *

ONLY

$23.00

Fuel Filter

Centrifugal Electric Galley Pump

BLA Code 291600

• Single engine application to 300hp • Meets ABYC/NMA standards

$59.90 *

BLA Code 133102

SAVE

Fuel Hoses

BLA Code 131688

$65.00

$49.90 *

BLA Code 200110

• 3 year warranty • Compact, powerful 12V high performance bilge pumps • 500gph $24.90*, 950gph $44.90* BLA Code 131414 1300gph $59.90* BLA Code 131418

• For outboards with tilt tubes • Hydraulic reliability • Suits most motors SAVE up to 150HP

Champion Steering Wheel

BLA Code 200106

13141

Front Mount Hydraulic Steering Kit

$24.90 *

BLA Code 131410

UP TO

BLA Code 280112-12ft

• Compact rotary helm with ¾˝ tapered shaft • Meets ABYC/NMMA standards • Wide range of cable lengths available

Side Mount Hydraulic Steering Kit

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$39.90 *

Fishing News - Page 27

SUMMER

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Navigation

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BLA Code 231510

$39.90 *

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BLA Code 231530

150 Series Compass

200 Series Compass

• 50mm apparent card diameter • 5º graduationmarks • Adjustable compensators

• 65mm apparent card diameter • 12V red illumination

$119.00 * BLA Code 232074

Angler Bracket Mount • 70mm direct read hi-visibility dial • 12V green lighting • Five year warranty

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$12.00

Cooking Magma ONLY $549.00 * Newport BLA Code 139594 - PROMO LPG Barbeque • Manufactured from 100% 18-9 stainless steel for ultimate hygiene and corrosion resistance • Dependable Piezo Crystal Ignition system • Convenient snap-out dual radiant plate for even heat distribution • LPG control valve Includes FREE Magma Marine Cuisine Cook Book RRP $18.80

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$55.00

Magma Marine Kettle 2

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$329.00 *

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• Patented 18-9 stainless BLA Code 139622-PROMO steel design provides safety, durability, flexibility and performance • Burner plate and dome system allows you to boil, fry, heat, brew, grill, saute’, simmer, stew and bake • Great for boats without a galley • Assorted sizes and delivery systems • Marine Kettle 2, LPG $349.00*, 139619 • Marine Kettle 2, Coleman type Canister $329.00* • Marine Kettle 2 PARTY, LPG $459.00*, 139621 • Marine Kettle 2 PARTY, Coleman type Canister Coleman Type $429.00*, 139623 Shown E

$79.00 *

BLA Code 139642/43/44/46

Magma mounts fit all Magma barbecues • Assorted mounts, including rail, deck and rod holder type • Available in 7/8˝ rail mount, 1 1/4˝ rail mount, socket mount and rod holder mount

SAV

$49.00

Includes FREE Magma Marine Cuisine Cook Book RRP $18.80

13962

Seats & Accessories ONLY

Hull, Deck & Cabin Hardware

Crew Folding Seat

$24.90 *

BLA Code 181300

Strata Mate Tinnie Seat

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$11.90

BLA Code 182058

• 360° seat swivel • PPG coated steel construction

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$42.10 183060

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BLA Code 182112

• Ideally suited for tinnies

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$13.50

$69.90

BLA Code 183060

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• Anodised aluminium base and pole • Heavily reinforced nylon locking swivel top • Available in 300mm $69.90*, 450mm $89.90* BLA Code 183062 600mm $99.90* BLA Code 183064

Tamar Marine

• UV stabilised plastic • Lid has 2 folding drink holders • Door size 340 x 132mm

Inspection Hatches

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$54.90 *

BLA Code 173422

UP TO

Injection moulded Luran® $30.00 • plastic for optimum strength, UV 173426

Folding Drink Holder

and weather resistance • Non-skid lid surface, hinges through 100 degrees • Available in outside dimensions of 286 x 386mm $54.90* and 350 x 600mm $109.00* BLA Code 173426

ONLY

$4.90 *

• Mounts BLA Code 194110/12 on any flat vertical surface • Black or white • Holds drinks to 75mm diameter

Humminbird stockists.

Minn Kota stockists.

Marineline

6-8 West Tamar Rd,

279 Argyle St,

LAuNCESToN

HobART

P: 6331 6188

P: 6231 0345

$49.90 *

BLA Code 194072

Coastline Pedestals

PARTICIPATING DEALERS

Fishing News - Page 28

Lockable Glove Box

BLA Code 181402

• Folding backrest • Grey/ charcoal padding

• Comfortable, rugged, single piece moulded polypropylene shell

PPG Seat Swivel

$69.90 *

ONLY

SUMMER

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Lights

Electrical

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BLA Code 121325

L E D

Light

Folding Anchor Light

Portable Battery Chargers

• LED efficiency and durability • 275mm light weight aluminium pole • 64 x 47mm plastic folding base • Available with incandescent bulb $15.50* BLA Code 121333

Portable Nav Lights

• ABS housing with rubber suction BLA Code 121423/25 cup mount • Operated by 3 ‘C’ cell batteries (not included) • Bi-colour port/starboard or stern light • Available with incandescent bulb $14.90* BLA Code 121422/24

NEW

$19.90

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29% /25

121024

Four Position Battery Selector

$22.90

$18.50 *

FROM

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ONLY

$249.00 *

BLA Code 117023 - Duel

SAVE

0 $136.0

$14.90

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Fishing Accessories Medium Cutting Board

BLA Code 123152

$99.90 *

• 400,000 candle power • Glare free beam • 1.7m coiled lead with 12V cigarette lighter plug

Tamar Marine

ONLY

BLA Code 394832

Storage

$39.90

Tinnie Storage Bin

ONLY * • Small storage bin BLA Code 395002 for odds and ends, fishing gear and bait • Fits securely over gunwale of most tinnies

Marineline

6-8 West Tamar Rd,

279 Argyle St,

LAuNCESToN

HobART

P: 6331 6188

P: 6231 0345

$229.00 *

• 2x quick release rod holders • 2 rod holder mount • Large cutting area with recessed storage trays

BLA Code 123194

$23.00

$32.90

$21.90 *

FROM

ONLY

• Enables isolation of ONLY * one battery or battery bank from the other BLA Code 114298 • Voltage: 6-32 VDC • Continuous Rating: 250 amps • Intermittent Rating: 360 amps

Marine Stereo Package

• 2m coiled cord with cigarette plug • Slide switch on back of handle • 55W, 12V

Blue Eye Spot Light

$119.00 *

• CD/MP3 player, USB flash memory player, AM/FM tuner • 2 x 100mm 50watt waterproof speakers

• Pressed stainless steel BLA Code 122102 housing with integral toggle switch • 12V 15W incandescent bulb • Available in 110mm O/All Dia $21.90*, 140mm O/All Dia $24.50* BLA Code 122104

Hand Held Quartz Halogen Spotlight

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Sound

• Port and starboard side BLA Code 121024/25 mount lights with UV stabilised plastic housing • Acrylic lens for longevity. • Available with black or white housing Incandescent $18.50* LED $39.90* BLA Code 121030/32

Stainless Steel Round Dome Lights

BLA Code 113242

• 12V Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) BLA Code 113646 allows for twin battery charging at the same time • Automatically prioritises charging of start battery to 13.7V in twin battery systems then switches charge to house battery

• Twin 4 watt ONLY * fluoro light BLA Code 122008 • Switchable to 1, 2 or off position • Includes cigarette lighter plug • Magnetic portable attachment

Side Navigation Lights

$29.90 *

FROM

• ATM fuses mounted in front of panel for simple replacement • IP56 water resistant rating • 4 Gang $29.90* • 6 Gang $39.90* BLA Code 113252 • 5 Gang with power socket $49.90* BLA Code 113255

Twin Battery VSR

• Single or double FROM * 12V/8W tubes • White plastic body, BLA Code 122002 clear diffuser • Integral on/off switch • Single $19.90* and Double $22.90* BLA Code 122006

Mini Twin Fluoro Light

• Suit 12VDC/6 cell flooded wet cell, maintenance free or AGM batteries • 5amp 2 stage $119.00* , 10amp 3 stage charge $179.00* BLA Code 114580

CMP Spray Proof Panels

$23.90 *

FROM

$119.00 * BLA Code 114578

L E D

• Folding plastic base • 650mm high • Available with incandescent bulb $17.50* BLA Code 121326

Fluoro Lights

FROM

BLA Code 121330

Folding Anchor

L E D

$28.50 *

ONLY

Fishing News - Page 29

St Helens Grand Slam 24 January 2009 Over the last few years we have seen fishing activity in St Helens grow rapidly and with it has come various forms of fishing tournaments and competitions. Serious events such as ABT Bream Qualifiers, Pro Bream Tournaments and Game Fishing Competitions as well as small family based fishing competitions designed to get mum, dad and the kids down to the water. Now we have the crème de la crème, The Tasfish.com St Helens Grand Slam, the brainchild of Mike Stevens from Tas Fishing and Boating News fame. This event (which really is just a day of fishing madness, mayhem, silly banter, skullduggery and good times loosely disguised as a fishing competition) will be run on the fish rich waters of god’s own estuary, Georges Bay St Helens, during the annual Regatta Day on the Australia Day long weekend in January. The Competition will be fished with artificial lures or flies only, no berley and three different fish will make up the Grand Slam. The fish are Australian salmon, silver trevally and bream and the idea is to catch these three species, measure and photograph each on a ‘Brag mat’, and add the lengths together for a total length. This will be your points. A twist though is the “Rogue” species, and there are lots of those in the bay. Every additional species gets you an extra two centimetres (two points). You might catch an extra five species, so that would give you another 10 centimetres. For those of you who wish to take it seriously, remember the rest of us will not be, the tides for the day will be high tide at around 8:30 am and low tide around 4:30 pm–ish and the anglers almanac puts peak fishing times at 10:26 am....so be prepared.....or don’t.....it doesn’t bother us.

The rules will be simple, brag mats to measure the fish and about 25 cameras to record the fish will be supplied by sponsors. Entry will probably be around $50 per team and its all designed to be a bit of fun. If you can't have fun, don't enter. All the entry money goes to charity. Start time will probably be 7.30 or 8 am and fish through until 11.30 or so and then stop for a sponsored lunch. Fishing may resume at 1 pm and go through until 4 pm or whenever we get sick of catching lots of fish followed by a get together and a few beers to finish. There are no big prizes nor is there any amounts of prize money, but some nice trophies and the top finishers would be covered in glory....and maybe some confetti...and streamers...maybe even a photo or two. And just to help things along a bit we are even going to tell you where to catch the fish and what to use as well.

Fish 1 - Australian salmon

The salmon tend to roam the bay following the bait so they can pop up just about anywhere, but likely spots to start are the main channel leading out to the barway and the Moulting Bay area, all the while keeping a lookout for hovering birds and pelicans on the move. If adopting this searching technique doesn’t work for you then you can always just follow the big blue boat with “Gonefishing Charters” written on the side, fair bet says he will lead you to some fish. Lures such as Halco Slices and Twisty’s, Raiders, Snipers and Norstream Sluck lures in the 15-30 gram sizes work wonders especially if retrieved at high speed, even skipping the lure across the surface can attract savage strikes from hungry Salmon and makes for exiting Visual fishing. Soft plastic lures such as Squidgy Fish in Black and Gold, Evil Minnow and Silver Fox and Squidgy Flick baits in Evil Minnow and Pilly are all deadly on Salmon. When the Salmon are marauding a bait school simply casting out a soft plastic and letting it sink down slowly will usually result in a hookup if not either a straight retrieve back to the boat or a twitch-and-drop retrieve will be effective.

Fish 2 - Silver trevally

Match the hatch

Match the hatch with Berkley Powerbait T Tail Minnow’s. Tempt fussy trout with a choice of Chocolate Pearl, Olive Pearl, Leaf Pearl, Purple Pearl, Bronze Pearl , Pink Glow, Green Pumpkin and Cherry Candy Seed. Proven Trout takers, T Tail Minnows come with the Berkley powerbait advantage, fish hold on 18X longer! With proven scent and flavour, you can fish Berkley Powerbait T Tail Minnows for trophy trout with confidence. Available from leading tackle stores. Visit www.purefishing.com.au for all your fishing needs.

AUPA-0658-8-00A

Fishing News - Page 30

The silver trevally is probably one of the most prolific species in Georges Bay and can be easily caught by pretty much everybody. Jig heads in the 1/16th to 1/8th size are perfect for chasing Trevally and by far the best plastics I have found are the Pro Range Squidgy Wriggler in Bloodworm, Evil Minnow and Wasabi, Squidgy Flick Baits in various colours both with S-Factor scent added as well as Berkley 6” Sandworm in Natural and Berkley 2” Powergrub in Pumpkinseed. Just simply cast the plastics out and let them sink and sit on the bottom for a moment, quite often the fish will pick it up off the bottom, then a slow lift and drop all the way back to the boat, simple, easy and effective. A popular spot to try once again is the main channel leading out to the barway, drifting the channel with the incoming or outgoing tide along the edges and around the pylons seems to consistently produce fish.

One of the easiest fish to catch to make up the Grand Slam is the Australian salmon. However it may also be the most valuable and most variable. Size can range from 35 cm to 55 cm. And again if this technique proves fruitless just follow the big blue boat with “Gonefishing Charters” written on the side, most likely at this stage of the game he will be in the lead anyway so stealing his fish is perfectly acceptable and falls under the “Skullduggery” section of the rulebook.

Fish 3 - Bream .... this will be the tough one

Georges Bay is home to large schools of quality bream which are great sport but can prove a tad more difficult to catch than the salmon or trevally. The bream love to hang around wharves, jettyies, moored boats, oyster racks and any other sort of structure. By far the most productive areas for holding fish are the expanses of sand and mudflats exposed at low tide. They feed heavily on the rich barnacles, mussels and small crustaceans that abound in these areas and grow fat and powerful. General rule of thumb here is anywhere out of the water at low tide, once covered with a couple of feet of water at high tide will have fish all over them. Targeting them with soft plastics and hard body bibbed lures is the perfect technique for these areas. Plastics such as 80 mm and 100 mm Pro Range Squidgy Wrigglers in Wasabi, Bloodworm and Evil Minnow and the new 50 mm Flash Prawn in Wasabi are all dynamite on Georges Bay bream. The Berkley range of Gulp has always been a great bream lure as well. Try the 6” Camo Sandworm, Pumpkinseed 3” Minnow or 3” Fry in a variety of colours. Once again keep an eye on the big blue boat with “Gonefishing Charters” written on the side and follow him up onto the flats….he will lead you to the fish. There are many “Rogue” species to catch in between time too, leatherjacket, flathead, mullet, mackerel, squid, tailor, whiting, snapper, wrasse (might have to lose points for these though..??) and many others but the word is that anyone who catches a yellowtail kingfish automatically wins. It’s when these extra bonus points are up for grabs that tournament strategy and tactics come into play……the copious use of water pistols and flour bombs comes under the category of “strategy” so get your thinking caps on if you want to outsmart the competition. As far as tackle is concerned so long as it’s a legal form anything will do, no need for specialised gear just use whatever you feel comfortable with, spin rods, boat rods, soft plastic rods even a handline if you are that way inclined.....might even be bonus points for fish caught on a handline...!! Whatever the case its all about a fun day fishing on the water with a bunch of like minded people and a bit of light competition thrown in. So get active, get motivated and get down to St Helens on Australia Day weekend and have a ball catching fish in Georges Bay, for anymore information call or email Mike Stevens at Tas Fishing and Boating News (all details supplied in the front of this issue). The full details and entry forms will be available online at www.tasfish.com by mid-December. Jamie Henderson.

Upsizing your flathead catches John Orchard Flathead are the mainstay of the recreational fishery and whilst many people target other species on a regular basis, everyone loves a good feed of “flattie” and everyone hopes to catch that elusive monster flathead – The Lizard. Unfortunately with increased fishing pressure it would seem they are all too often few and far between and anglers feel they need a boat to head out to deeper waters. Not necessarily so - there are a few ways for the shore-based angler to increase their chances of landing better than average “flatties” on a regular basis. The first thing to consider is what time of the year is it? During late winter, spring and even early summer, many of the larger flathead are to be found in close to shore – and I do mean CLOSE, as it is at this time of year that many come inshore to breed. Many of these fish will be heavy in roe, so it is important to “fish for the future” and only keep enough for a good feed in order that future stocks have a chance to be replenished.

At this time of year they are virtually right on the edge of the inshore drop-off and can easily be caught surf fishing or spinning with soft plastics or lures. Ideal locations are those bays that have patches of weed scattered throughout which offer shelter on the outgoing tide; when the tide turns to come back in – so do the flathead and you will find them patrolling the sandy edge between the weed beds and the beach. Other key inshore areas not to be overlooked are any rocky structures - whether they be rocky points or simply patches of rock out in the middle of “no mans land” – remember, flathead LOVE structure as they are ambush feeders - and structure draws baitfish. The second thing to consider is the size of your “bait” – even a small flathead will attach a relatively large bait, which means if you don’t counteract this you will spend a lot of time reeling in quantity rather than quality. When chasing bigger flathead I am a lover of the larger moving artificial lures in comparison to lobbing out stationery “natural” baits – it is amazing how big a bait “rat” flathead will inhale given the time to force it down their throat. If you are serious about trying to target quality flathead – the number one rule is think bigger than normal lures and use braid with a mono leader to increase casting distance and “feel”. Pre rigged soft plastics such as 3” and 4” Tsunami Shad Tails are a great way to start as are Berkley Gulp’s and Bozo soft plastics around the same size and even larger. There are a myriad of different colours to choose from under each of these brands so don’t be shy to mix it up a bit – as a general rule I would start with bright colours on a dull day, and dark colours on a bright day.

Reliable, efficient, fishing reel that won’t let you down No bearings, no gears - no problems Deepwater Combo Alvey 825BCV/6R

Big baits, big lures and big plastics may be the only thing you need to change to catch big flathead. This 73 cm flathead came from less than one metre of water in an estuary.

MAXIMA - TREAZURE NEW - a soft, co-polymer line with extraordinary abrasion resistance.

250 mm diameter with powerful 1:1 winding power. 600 metre/23 kilogram line capacity, powerful multiplate drag system, strong solid 1.6 metre fibreglass rod. Ideal outfit for striped trumpeter. Don’t risk a good fish - get it in the boat. Available from all good tackle stores.

free catalogue

For your free copy of our 84 page catalogue and guide to better fishing simply fill in the coupon and send to: ALVEY REELS, P.O. Box 105 Goodna, Qld 4300 Name................................. Address .............................. Phil Atherton N.E. Tas.

........................................... ............... Postcode ............. Fishing News - Page 31

This is purely to gain a contrast between the lure and the “background” sky – remember, they are ambush feeders lying on the bottom and looking up so try and make it easier for them to spot your offering quickly. Provided there isn’t too much weed about to foul the hooks, larger (floating style) bibbed lures also work well as you can “crank” them down until they put up a “puff ” of sand and then let them float back up a couple of feet before repeating the process over and over again – this style of fishing keeps the lure in the strike zone longer than a standard retrieve and can create some exhilarating fishing at times. If the “drop off ” is a bit far off to reach with bibbed lures or soft plastics, the old “lead winged” Tassie Devil cobra wobbler makes a great flathead lure if you can find a tackle store that still has any left (they ceased making them with the recent rise in lead prices). These things cast the proverbial country mile and have a great action. Last but not least, if you are REALLY serious about landing that monster flathead of a lifetime - then save the pennies and head to Flinders Island.

Cutting edge Australian made boats - since 1957

Zac Massie on the beach hooked up to a good flathead and right with a big ‘Croc’.

Vagabond6.2metre

* Centre-Line Length: 6.2m * Maximum Beam: 2.4m * Weight: 1300KG Approx. * Dead-Rise: 21º * Maximum Power: 230HP * Max EngineWeight: 350Kg *Transom Height Single: 25” (Twin Motors:20”) * Load Capacity: Nine Adults *LengthOverallonTrailerincluding Engine: 7.4m *OverallHeightonTrailer:2.4m * Width On Trailer: 2.4m

Victory 6 metre

* Centre-Line Length: 6.0m * Maximum Beam: 2.4m * Weight: 1100KG Approx. * Dead-Rise: 21º * Maximum Power: 225HP * Max EngineWeight: 279Kg * Transom Height: 25” *LoadCapacity:SevenAdults *LengthOverallonTrailerincluding Engine: 7.25m *OverallHeightonTrailer:2.35m * Width On Trailer: 2.4m

BassHighway,Somerset,Burnie TAS 7320 Ph: 64 352 200 E:anthony@coastal-marine.com.au

Lack of fishing pressure compared to our local waters means there are greater numbers of big flathead to be had than anywhere else I have fished from the shore. Flinders Island is probably also the exception to the rule when it comes to using baits, especially areas such as the “Pot Boil” beach where you can “burley up” and let the current take the smell for literally miles – simply pick a good spot, run out some burley pellets mixed in oil and wait for the fish to come to you, it’s as easy as that!!!

For more information on Flinders Island – how to get there, where to stay, transport and where to fish etc, refer to the last edition of Tas Fishing and Boating News. John Orchard.

Rod and Range Sports - Glenorchy Specialists for all your fishing, shooting and archery equipment Call in and see Ross Heddle for expert advice. Open Mon to Fri: 9 am to 6 pm Sat: 9 am to 1 pm. Closed Long Weekends Ph/Fax 6273 4330 351 Main Road Glenorchy Fishing News - Page 32

Also specialising in service and repairs to firearms,rodsandree ls.

Fishing News - Page 33

SQUID for KIDS Dan Clifton Well what can I say what year it has been, there have been plenty of fish caught right throughout the winter in the Tamar River with trevally and kingfish amongst the mix of species caught during the off season. Now that it is warming up and the mercury hitting close to 30. There are many fishos looking for something to target. Well I have been pondering what to write about for this issue as I have been unable to produce an article in the last two issues due to high commitment with work and the Bream Breeding Program. So after a nice BBQ and a couple of coldies it hit me, what do people like to eat during the summer, mmm.... something not to heavy and not to light, something not to hot and something with plenty of appeal. Got It!!!! A nice salad mixed with a lushes serving of salt and pepper squid. Man I am getting hungry just writing about it. Well the first thing we need is some fresh southern calamari. Where do I catch it you are thinking, well that is easy you go to your wallet and pull out $20 head down to the local supermarket and ask for some of the freshest frozen no flavour southern calarmari..... Mmmm does that sound like a nice meal or not. Well if you are like me and you have had the freshest calamari you can get, yes that means just hours out of the water and into the bread basket, you could be less interested in second rate commercial squid. The answer is easy, first you need a location. Second an outfit to fish with (basic is best) Third an idea of how to clean your catch And fourth some mates and a BBQ There you are four ingredients So let’s look closely into these four ingredients, starting with locations in Tassie, the locations I will mention are locations that I personally have success at when chasing calamari. If you are new to this then just head to your local tackle store or ask a friend that you know loves to fish, they bound to know of somewhere close by that has squid.

Kids absolutely love squid—especially if there is some ink left. The places I mention in the following paragraphs are from my personal favourite back. If you have a boat and live near the Tamar this one is for you, located. On the map you will see the red circle where I go to catch my XOS squid during the summer, these guys are no fools and there are a few little tricks I have come up with in the past few years that have proven to be the undoing of these monster squid. The other great benefit of this technique is that it covers you for other species that turn up during the session. My technique is to anchor up in the area located in the map; there is a noticeable shelf about 100 m back from the point. Once anchored and happy with how the boat has settled then it is time to start with the magic. Nothing to out of the ordinary but it is berley, yes that is right berley. Some of the readers might be thinking right now this guy has lost the plot, anchored and berley, crazy crazy....

Well the secret to a good berley is a tin of cat food (pilchard is best), 1 kg of chook pellets and some tuna oil. Now with the tuna oil more is not always best in this case it isn’t just a small splash of tuna oil in this mix will be suffice. Now this is how the day will go, once you start to berley preferably with a berley basket, you will notice after about half an hour small fish appearing like salmon and mullet, these are great fun to catch while waiting for the squid to arrive, and the little trick here is to use some bright coloured soft plastics like chartreuse, pink, glow etc. Using a small hook like a number 2. This will allow you to catch some of these small pelagic feeders like the salmon. Then set aside you will need a squid jig such the one in picture 1. This can be rigged on another rod if you have one and if not you can always use a handline.

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them taking your lure, even at night as there is a huge flood light the shines into the water at the northern end of the jetty, you will know you are in the right spot because there is always a nice collarge of squid ink on the decks. Fifth is the Low Head power station, this place is a great place for the family just on sunset during a warm still night, it can be very productive on the right night. It is best attacked on a high tide, but this is once again not an essential, you will find that you may cast and cast and cast and nothing not even a sign and then you will see a school of 30-40 of the blighters swim straight past you. That is the way it goes up there but they are there and when you break there code you are in for some fun. When fishing for squid I highly recommend a long handled landing net this is to get them in and keep them well away from you until they have expelled all there ink. The ink from these guys will stain your clothes forever. So don’t where you best going clobber when going squid fishing (unless it’s all black). One last place is the Clarence point jetty this jetty like many other land location is a bit hit and miss but it can be effectively berlied just 30min to an hour either side of the tide. While I am on the issue of jetties, I would like to bring up an important safety issue. Jetties and boats no matter how safe you think they are can take your child’s life and yours in the blink of an eye. Recently on the mainland a very unfortunate man and his boys drowned after the pram and the toddler feel over the side of a wharf.

Keep your casts long and past the ball of bait and salmon close to the boat, because this is where the squid will ambush from when they arrive. Usually within an hour you will start to get the odd squid attacking your soft plastic, when this happens you need to keep it moving just fast enough to keep the squid interested and once close to the boat cast in your squid jig and pull out you plastic. This needs to be done without losing the interest of the large squid. Although this sounds a little complex it really isn’t, I have taken many kids out for fun days on the river and they have been able to master it in no time. The second spot on my list which I won’t go into to mush detail about as it is exactly the same technique and is only around the corner. So Pipeclay Bay at George Town is another favourite. My third favourite and a real blast when it is on the bite, is the break wall at Bicheno. The technique I mention above can be used there also by throwing out a bit of berley here there. But it is not essential, I have caught squid of the break wall at all times of the day, but I will be the first to agree that this place is best at sunrise and sunset. Once the light has gone they will be hard to catch again unless you have a light in the water. I have an old sealed headlight, a spare from my HQ I had as an apprentice. I have some wires solded on to the appropriate spots and then have filled around it with a bit of silicon. Hook it up to a 12v car battery and beautiful a submersible light just for squid (and they love it) I have taken squid here with tubes in excess of 600mm these are really nice squid. And I just use a standard cheap prawn style squid jig, I prefer the colour green but everyone has their favourite colour. Fourth of the list once again in Bicheno is the Gulch this place is close to my heart as it is where I first started catching quality squid in Tasmania. Is has great broken bottom a Mecca for squid when the weather is calm and you can actually watch

What I ask is that if you have children even if they can swim please make them wear lifejackets (on jetties and wharfs too), this not only give you time to safely rescue them but stops them from being weighed down by clothing often required when fishing in Tasmanian waters. As you may or may not understand that when fisherman and their children drown from these events is not that many of them can’t swim, but are not mentally prepared to be in the water.

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I have fished on the Tathra wharf many times and I have been there and seen kids jumping off the wharf and have no issues, same as with surfers in the area and snorkelers, the reason these people don’t drown is because they plan to be in the water, it is not a shock when they get in even if it is cold. But when you are not planning on being in the water that is when tragedy strikes. So if you have prepared for the event that your child or yourself is in the water your chance of survival is greatly increased. Please remember this next time you take a child fishing!!!!! Okay now you know where to go you will need a basic setup for squid fishing, the great news is that you won’t need a fortune to get started. If you have a fishing rod that will help if not you can do it with a hand line but it is not as easy. 6-8lb line is best, a few prawn style squid jigs ($5.00 -$25.00) I use the cheap ones as you can lose a few in the kelp. A net is optional and also a light if you have one. Alright now you have the location the gear and a few squid in the bucket. Well its easy and a little messy but it worth it trust me, what you do is pull the head off, then the wings and skin from the outside of the squid get it free from all skin, now squeeze with your thumb and index finger inside the front of the tube, you should feel a hard piece in there, this is called the pen and is the backbone of the squid.

With your thumb and finger pry it away from the tube until you get a good hold of it, then slowly start to pull it out, when the bottom point of the tube starts to turn inside out, use your fingers to push it through so that the whole tube turns inside out. Now you can clean the gut cavity and your done. All you have to do now is decide if you want rings or curly’s Well to wrap up this article we need one more thing a recipe on how to cook your salt and pepper squid. Being a typical male and having limited cooking skills I recently purchased a book called 4 ingredients in this book there is a fantastic recipe for salt and pepper squid.

Yum Yum - Enjoy this

Serves 6 • 1 tsp. Sichuan peppercorns and 1 tsp. Sea salt. • 400 g fresh squid caught by YOU!! • 1 cup of corn flour • 1 cup vegetable oil. In a dry pan, roast the peppercorns until they become fragrant and begin to crackle, transfer to a mortar along with sea salt and grind. Add cornflour and roll the squid in the mixture, shake off any excess. Deep fry in hot wok for 1 minute (No longer or they will toughen) Drain and serve hot.

It is a great night with mates catching a few squid and Tamar squid can be a good size. They are great to catch with the kids and taste superb as well.

Dan Clifton

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www.tasmap.tas.gov.au Maps may also be purchased from Service Tasmania outlets and TASMAP agents statewide.

Depar tment of Pr imar y Industr ies and Water Fishing News - Page 36

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Banana boat jigs are the latest innovation in jigs. Utilising the latest japanese technology these jigs are set to revolutionise the jig fishing fraternity. Unlike other jigs, banana boat jigs can be fished successfully at all depths and using different retrieve styles. There are three tow points which allow the lure to be straight jigged, zig zagged and fluttered. Attached to the swinging twin assist hooks is a squid skirt for added attraction. Spare skirts are available. Banana boat jigs come in sizes: 80, 100, 120, 150, 200gm. And in three colours.

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Ye s , i t ’s y e t another soft plastic on the market – the packaging is “loud”, it virtually jumps off the wall at you. So what makes this one any different to all the others? The design is unique with a single curly tail that imitates an injured fish and the colour range is excellent f o r Ta s m a n i a n conditions with realistic imitations complete with eyes, they are affordable, they are available in both rigged and un-rigged versions in a variety of sizes ideally suited to our waters. Check em out!!

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‘Crossover’ to a Bar Crusher XS Reef Sport Bar Crusher’s new XS Reef Sport range of ‘crossover’ plate-aluminium boats fills the gap for anglers who have been searching for a hardcore fishing boat with maximum flexibility. Comprising three models – the 560XS, 620XS and 640XS – built on Bar Crusher’s most popular hulls, the strong and sleek XS series has been designed to excel in all scenarios from the river to the reef. Bar Crusher director Peter Cleland said the crossover concept stemmed from consumer enquiries for a boat that was suitable for estuary, inshore and offshore lure casting, trolling and bottom bouncing. “Developed as a true all-rounder, Bar Crusher’s new XS series meets these demands,” Mr Cleland said. “Nothing beats an open boat for ‘fishability’, so we’ve moved the low-profile centre console further aft and incorporated a number of seat spigots in the floor,

which allows seats to be moved around the boat or taken out altogether, for maximum fishing space. “Bar Crusher has become known as the boat of choice among serious recreational anglers and these new models again hit the mark as beautifully-built and well thought-out fishing machines for those who demand high performance and smart functionality.” Constructed from heavy duty, pre-stressed marine grade plate aluminium, the 560XS, 620XS and 640XS follow in the footsteps of every Bar Crusher model to deliver the smoothest ride of any aluminium boat on the market. The ultra-smooth ride is the result of Bar Crusher’s high-tech Waveslicer™ non-pounding, deep-V hull, while the expertly-engineered Rigideck™ sub-floor system ensures maximum hull strength. Another characteristic of every model is the amazing stability at rest, thanks to Bar Crusher’s exclusive Quickflow™ water ballast technology.

Measuring 6.10m LOA (560XS), 6.70m LOA (620XS) and 6.85m LOA (640XS), the boats are respectively rated to carry outboards from 115ph through to 200hp, with fuel capacities ranging from 150L to 300L. Rod holders, forward casting platform, livebait tank, in-floor fish storage tank, berley bucket, large-volume storage pockets and an easy-to-clean treadplate deck are among a long list of standard fishing-related features inherent to each model in the XS series. Destined to make a big impact on the water this summer, check out the XS Reef Sport range today at www.barcrusher.com.au Further information: Coastal Marine, Somerset, Tasmania – 6435 2200 or visit: www.barcrusher.com. au

Fishing News - Page 39

Salt-X

Possibly the saltwater fisher persons best friend, this product neutralizes salt corrosion and once left to dr y, leaves a protective coating that helps give further protection to your valuable assets. Apply to boats, trailers, fishing tackle, outboard motors, jet ski’s, 4 x 4’s etc and also makes a great outboard flushing solution to clean out any salt residue inside your outboard motor. Available in 500ml ready to use spray packs for around $12.95 at most tackle outlets. (Also available in concentrate if required)

Phew-Go

Rarely do you find a product that lives up to all its hype however this one is a real “cracker” for the mad keen fisher. Unlike most deodorizers that simply mask the smell, this one actually kills all organic odours making it the ideal product for getting rid of unwanted fishy smells from your boat, fish boxes, eskies etc. Spray directly onto the affected surface, a quick scrub if necessary, leave for 5 minutes and then rinse – no more smells!!! Also great for dog kennels, litter trays, garbage cans etc. (Rinsing not necessary if not coming into contact with food stuffs) Recommended retail for a 500ml spray bottle is just $12.95 from most tackle outlets.

Rovex - river fly rod.

The up and coming name in fishing tackle is Rovex by Jarvis Walker and they have really hit the nail on the head for

those keen fly fishers that love to chase river trout on nymphs and dry flies. This small, but powerful 2 piece 4 wt fly rod is only 7’6” long allowing for easier casting amongst the trees found bordering most of our good trout rivers and is short enough to double up as a great pack rod for the western lakes angler on a budget. Retailing for under $300 this rod offers the performance characteristics of rods well above it in cost and comes in a sturdy slim-line zip top pack tube. Try one out, you will be pleasantly surprised at its performance.

to 3 tackle trays as well as, third, the extremely practical insulated bag which can hold your day’s lunch and drinks or even your cleaned catch. Forth, is the array of convenient storage pockets, 2 external pockets feature mesh bottoms for water drainage while the internal pockets feature a zippered mesh wall to keep your items secure and allow you to easily see what is within. And lastly, padded back-straps allow you to transport the bag just like an everyday backpack. The All Rounder comes with three Shimano tackle trays included.

Shimano STC Allrounder

E-TEC releases new outboards

Equally at home out in the tinny or carting loads of tackle to your favourite rock fishing platform, the STC (Shimano Travel Concept) All Rounder has been intelligently designed with both mobility and storage practicality in mind. Made from heavyduty rip resistant m ate r i a l, t h e All Rounder has been made tough to handle all the punishment that tackle bags usually receive. The All Rounder features 5 clever components that differentiate it where other tackle management systems usually fall down. A large top compartment features enough room to store multiple reels as well as leader material and tools such as pliers and cutters. Second, is the large main compartment which can hold up

BRP Australia held its annual Club E-TEC event recently on Queensland’s Gold Coast. The event launched Evinrude’s 25 and 30hp E-TEC engines along with the 115 H.O. and much anticipated 130hp. The introduction of the 25 and 30hp models signals a change of focus for the Canadian power sports giant and pushes BRP into the popular small horsepower market dominated by Mercury and Yamaha. BRP GM Gregoire Dupont said he expected good market penetration with E-TEC’s 25 and 30hp engines. Marine Business had a run in several tinnies powered by the small outboards, which come in various spec classes including a basic pull start tiller steer to electric start remote control models with tilt and trim. All models feature an RPM control button to adjust engine revs from between 400 and 900rpm for more efficient low speed trolling. Dupont also hinted at BRP’s plan to develop smaller outboards for the tinny market.

“It would be great to have E-TEC technology in a 9.9 and 15, but achieving that is technically very difficult.” The 115 H.O. was also on show, pushing along a Skeeter SX 1700 bass tournament boat. The 115 H.O. high performance outboard complements the “standard” 115 V4 in the class, and from all accounts, performed faultlessly on the speedy Skeeter bass boat. BRP also showcased its 130hp on several boats, including the twin rigged Stabi-Craft 759, Evolution’s Apex Predator 650 and the Tournament Bluewater 2250. The bright red Kiwi Stabi with just one engine in the water still reached almost 30 knots. Also of interest at the launch was the previously “military only” style outboard which runs on virtually “anything that burns”, including petrol, kero, diesel and even Jack Daniels whiskey! This 55hp MFE outboard is now available to the general public and will be aimed at mostly commercial operators and people in remote locations where standard fuel is scarce.

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Fishing News - Page 40

Savage sold to Telwater

Honda’s doctor

HONDA Australia’s national marine dealer network has taken delivery of an innovative electronic diagnostic tool which enables immediate analysis of engine health. The diagnostic tool – named “Dr H” – is a first for Honda’s marine division. The slimline unit plugs directly into the outboard engine and is used in conjunction with a laptop or desktop computer to provide detailed engine reports. Honda assistant service manager Stephen Harvey said the efficiency with which Dr H could be used translated into cost-effective servicing for owners of Honda’s technologically-advanced fourstroke EFI outboards. “Regardless of the outboard brand or any manufacturer’s claims, it’s imperative marine engines are regularly serviced, particularly heading into summer when most boats have sat in the garage all winter,” Harvey said. “With the assistance of Dr H, Honda’s qualified technicians can very quickly analyse any abnormalities and address any areas of possible concern before people hit the water. “Dr H also has the ability to accurately assess engine usage, look for previous alert conditions such as over temperature or low oil pressure, and allows technicians to print full-service reports for owners – which also provides exceptional piece-of-mind for customers who are considering purchasing a used outboard.” For more information contact www. honda.com.au

BRUNSWICK Asia Pacific Group has announced the sale of the Savage brand name and manufacturing assets to Gold Coast-based boat builder Telwater for an undisclosed price. The agreement, which was effective as of 31st October 2008, will see all Savage manufacturing relocated to Telwater’s facility at Coomera, Queensland. Included in the sale is a long-term agreement with Brunswick Asia Pacific Group for the supply of outboard and sterndrive product for all boat brands manufactured by Telwater. John Pfeifer President of Brunswick Asia Pacific Group said the decision represented a strengthening of the company’s industry partnership with Telwater. “Brunswick Asia Pacific Group and Telwater saw the opportunity to mutually enhance each other’s business. Telwater

gains additional manufacturing volume while we benefit from the security of a longterm contract for the supply of engines,” Pfeifer said. Savage national account manager Cameron Wood said Telwater’s key strategy is to maintain Savage’s independence. “It will be manufactured here [Gold Coast facility] but will have its own identity … we certainly won’t be blending towards a Stacer or Quintrex,” said Wood. “We’re different people who look after our different brands within our company. We’re quite competitive internally between the brands.” Paul Phelan MD of Telwater said the sale agreement also delivered substantial benefits to dealers, including: *Continued delivery of high-quality product; *Latest manufacturing techniques; *Online dealer ordering and tracking systems; and

*National distribution and logistics network. The company plans to fulfil all current dealer orders following a short interruption to relocate manufacturing equipment. Warranty on Savage boats manufactured prior to the sale remains the responsibility of the Brunswick Asia Pacific Group and will be coordinated through regional service managers. Remaining employees affected by the closure of the Melbourne manufacturing facility have been offered redundancy packages.

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Banana boat jigs Banana boat jigs are the latest innovation in jigs. Utilising the latest japanese technology these jigs are set to revolutionise the jig fishing fraternity. Unlike other jigs, banana boat jigs can be fished successfully at all depths and using different retrieve styles. There are three tow points which allow the lure to be straight jigged, zig zagged and fluttered. Attached to the swinging twin assist hooks is a squid skirt for added attraction. Spare skirts are available.

Fishing News - Page 42

Angler Help Wanted

Wigstons SPORTS

The Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute has recently introduced a Research Angler Logbook Program. Programs such as these have proven useful for providing important information on recreational fisheries around the world, including Victoria and WA within Australia. The logbook aims to gather information across all MARINE fisheries, including: game fishing, offshore/inshore/estuarine line, potting, netting and diving. The Research Angler Logbook represents a method of collecting a range of useful information across these methods, and provides a capacity for ongoing monitoring of changes in the recreational fishery using data directly collected by recreational fishers. This is an opportunity to participate in research on recreational important fish species that will assist with the sustainable development and management of recreational fisheries for Tasmania. We are seeking people to join the team that are keen to maintain detailed and accurate records of their fishing activities. The logbook would be particularly suited to fishers that already keep a record of their catch, who are on the water a lot, are passionate about fishing and happy to help out by providing information about their fishing practices.

Distributed by J.M. Gillies.

Specialising in • Fishing • Hunting • Camping • All Sports 63 High Street, New Norfolk, TAS, 7140 Ph/Fax 6261 2733 Mob. 0407 836 329

The information provided by participants will remain strictly confidential, and all participants will be provided with a summary of research progress and results through an annual newsletter. If this sounds like something you would like to be involved in contact TAFI at R.ALP@utas.edu.au or phone on 6227 7286. Sean Tracey, Research Angler Logbook Program. Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute

Recreational Marine Fisheries News Update on the Long Spined Sea Urchin Research Project

Banana boat jigs come in sizes: 80, 100, 120, 150, 200gm and in three colours.

Wayne & Sue Perkins

The habitat of two of Tasmania’s most valuable fisheries, abalone and southern rock lobster, is being threatened by the long spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii). The long spined sea urchin is native to NSW but in recent years large populations have begun to establish on Tasmania’s east coast. In small numbers the urchin has little impact but when large numbers build up they overgraze seaweeds and algae on rocky reefs, changing these highly productive eco-systems to rocky barrens unable to support abundant marine life. Rocky reefs are an essential part of Tasmania’s marine ecosystem and a key habitat for rock lobster and abalone as well as providing nursery areas for many scalefish species. The Tasmanian Aquaculture and Fisheries Institute (TAFI) has been conducting research on the potential of large rock lobsters (135mm carapace length and larger) to be an effective predator of adult long spined sea urchins. Research has been taking place in the Elephant Rock Research Area since April 2008 when 637 large rock lobsters were released. The research team have been recapturing the research lobsters and testing the DNA in their faecal pellets (poo) to determine whether they have been eating the long spined sea urchins. The good news is that 50% of the research rock lobsters with faecal pellets tested positive for Centrostephanus. These are just initial results, but it shows the potential for increased populations of large rock lobsters to reduce long spined sea urchin numbers to ecologically sustainable levels.

Further research will be conducted over the next three years, including the creation of a second research site at North Bay on the Forestier Peninsula which came in to effect on 1 November 2008. To ensure the scientific validity of the research project, the temporary Research Areas will be closed to commercial and recreational fishing by diving, and the use of rock lobster pots or rings, for up to three years. Recreational fishing for scalefish by rod and line, long line, drop line and the use of nets is permitted in the Research Areas. The large rock lobster being released are specially marked with two separate holes of at least 5mm in diameter in the tail fan and two lines of blue and/or yellow coloured elastomer (a coloured dye) in the muscle tissue on the underside of the rock lobster's tail. As well as the fishing restrictions within the Research Area, it is an offence to be in possession of these specially-marked research rock lobster. Funding for the research project is provided by the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) and Natural Resource Management (NRM). The project is also supported by Department of Primary Industries and Water and the abalone, rock lobster and recreational fishing sectors.

Need more information?

For information on recreational sea fishing: • call the Recreational Sea Fishing Line on (03) 6233 7042; • visit www.fishing.tas.gov.au; or • subscribe online to have fishing news information updates emailed to you.

Yamaha Powered Salmon Business wins Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The team behind the Huon Aquaculture Group has every reason to be proud with their Managing Director Peter Bender recently receiving an Entrepreneur of the Year Award for his innovation while building a successful vertically integrated salmon company. Situated amid the pristine waters of Tasmania’s south-east coast, the Huon Aquaculture Group exclusively relies on Yamaha outboards to power their 41 work boats that operate around the clock for 365 days a year. Peter Bender’s work in developing a fully integrated salmon company was acknowledged by the Australian division of the global business powerhouse Ernst & Young. Taking out the title in the Retail, Consumer & Industrial Products category, Peter Bender has come a long way since purchasing the business from the rest of his family in 1994. He now oversees a fully integrated business including hatcheries, marine farms, fabrication, processing, value adding and sales & marketing divisions. The on-water facilities of the Huon Aquaculture Group are located at the mouth of the Huon River in the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and comprise seven sea farms that produce around 10,000 tonnes of fish per year. There are 59 Yamaha outboards in service with their Works Manager Robin Fahey enjoying the benefits of owning clean, quiet and reliable 4-stroke engines. Success of Huon Aquaculture depends on the pristine, unpolluted waters of the

D’Entrecasteaux Channel. Yamaha 4-strokes were selected because of their clean operation and minimal emissions to both atmosphere and water. “The key to Huon Aquaculture’s success is our pristine waters and rivers that we use to grow our salmon,” said Robin. “ We now have 41 Yamaha powered boats in our operation and since we switched from using 2-strokes outboards to Yamaha 4strokes, our fuel bill has halved.” “The reliability of our Yamaha 4-strokes has been much better and we have had minimal downtime amid an operation that runs 24 hours a day, for 365 days a year. Approximately 80% of outboards clock up over 4000 hours over two years with some engines doing up to 3000 hours per year.” Huon Aquaculture operates their Yamaha 4-stroke engines under a commercial lease agreement through Yamaha Motor Australia. Each outboard is meticulously maintained through local authorised Yamaha dealer Baily Marine using genuine parts and Yamalube oils with new engines replaced on a 24 month rotation. By heavily investing in Research and Development, Peter Bender has fuelled a range of innovative measures to assist in the phenomenal growth of his business at a rate of 28% per annum for the last four years. Along with developing a state of the art hatchery with the latest water recycling technology, the Huon Aquaculture Group has engineered an automated feeding system with an underwater sensing unit to minimise waste. They also pioneered

Free Classifieds Advertisements of a non-commercial nature, to current subscribers of Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News, are free and can be inserted for two issues. Cost for commercial and non subscribers remains at $11 and must be pre-paid.

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underwater lighting to promote fish growth plus developed a new method to treat a range of parasitic pests. Yamaha is proud to play a role in helping a local Australian business that is gaining international recognition for their quality of product and market leading innovation. By manufacturing clean, reliable, smooth and powerful 4-stroke engines, Yamaha continues to be Australia’s best selling brand of outboard engine. Yamaha outboards are available through an Australia-wide network of authorised Yamaha outboard dealers. All Yamaha 4-stroke outboards are supported with a full 4-year manufacturer’s warranty and all 2-stroke outboards are backed by a 3 year warranty – standard conditions apply. www.yamaha-motor.com.au

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Subscribe today Subscribe, Back Issues: Just fill in the form, or send your details as below. 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

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GREAT TASMANIAN FISHING ACCOMMODATION

DERWENT BRIDGE CHALETS STUDIOS simply magic AND

Lady Barron Holiday Home—comfortable self contained accommoda-

tion in a garden setting with sea views of Franklin Sound.It is just a moment from the waters edge and within walking distance to restaurant, supermarket/post office/news agent and all attractions that Lady Barron has to offer.

Fishing holiday packages, 2 to 5 days. Continental shelf, inshore and surfcateredfor.From tunaandtrumpetertosnapperandkingfish -fishwithJamesLuddington0363594507 www.flindersisland.com.au James Luddington Ph 03 63594 507

This 3 bedroom home sleeps 6. The main bedroom has a king size double or 2 king singles. The other 2 bedroom both have twin singles. There is a fully equipped kitchen. The lounge room has DVD/VCR, TV.,& CD player and sliding doors to front patio—great place to watch movement of boats and yachts. A reverse cycle heater/ cooler has been installed for winter/summer comfort. Most of the year yiu have the choice of a gas or wood BBQ. Separate laundry has washer, dryer, airer, iron and ironing board. The house is opposite the start to the Lady Barron coastal walk also the boat slip area one of the popular fishing spots. The wharf is also very popular with fishermen and within easy walking distance. The tennis courts are nearby and tennis racquets are supplied. A visit to Vinegar Hill is essential as the views of Franklin Sound and Islands are superb and is within walking distance. Flinders Island has a lot to offer and all attractions are amazingly close and a short distance by car.

Phone Allan or Pat on (03) 6359 3555

Airlines of Tasmania Your link to Flinders Island

Lady Barron Cottage A great place to stay while you explore, discover, sightsee and fish Flinders Island

Flights available from Melbourne and Launceston Book online at www.airtasmania.com.au p: 1800 144 460 e: flinders@airtasmania.com.au

People search the world for a place like Flinders Island...

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Inspections are welcome 500 metres toward Hobart from the Lake St Clair Road Junction

Phone or book online info@derwent-bridge.com

Stackhouse Beachfront Accommodation

Divers Paradise

Absolute beach frontage to Killiecrankie Bay. Explore endlessly the surrounds via the beach, rock-hopping or bushwalking tracks. You can practically fish from the balcony or if your casting is not so good, walk the 30 metres to the fishing rock right outside the front door.

Flinders Island is a diver’s paradise. Diving, fishing, snorkelling; day or halfday fishing tours or cruises. Shipwrecks, reef dives, scenic dives, drift dives, crayfish and abalone diving, photography, naturalist and research dives are all in abundance.

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Phone: 03 6359 6518

Our time is yOurs…

Fishing and Outdoor

Strahan Marine CharterS

where the forest meets the sea

The store with more on the West Tamar. Everything you need for fishing and outdoors. Seven days a week and public holidays. 48 Weld Street Beaconsfield Ph 03 6383 1555

on port arthur’s waterfront...

Let us be your guide, whether you are after the excitement of catching your own fish or a more relaxed scenic cruise we will personalise the cruise to suit you.

380 Pirates Bay Drive Eaglehawk Neck Toll free 1800 639 532 (03) 6250 3262 www.lufrahotel.com or lufrareception@bigpond.com

For more information on any of the experiences strahan marine Charters offer, contact the strahan Activity Centre: activities.centre@strahanvillage.com.au

Ph: 03 6250 2888 www.stewar tsbaylodge.com.au

(03) 6471 4300

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GreenGate Cottages

“ What a great place to stay! These quality, new bungalows have everything you could ask for to comfortably explore this beautiful region of Tasmania.” (Wendy & Harry- Ulverstone TAS)

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Reflective journeys, deep wilderness, * echoes of the past and $ an untouched coast from

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Fully equipped cottage with all home comforts. Contact Shane or Dianne.

Each chalet and studio has TV/CD/DVD

• Self cont. chalets and studios only 5 minutes from Lake St Clair, about 2½ hours from Hobart, Strahan and Launceston. • Spark some romance in one of the luxurious spa chalets. • Spacious 2 and 3 bedroom chalets. • Studios for two people. • Self cater or dine out nearby. • Private laundries in each chalet. • One studio has disabled access. • Experience easy-medium wilderness bushwalks from 1 - 7 hours • Spoil yourself after the Overland Track, best facilities and value. • Enjoy trout fishing - licenses available, launch your own boat, book a trout guide in advance • Take a day trip to Queenstown for the West Coast Railway • Cruise on the Lake St Clair ferry • AAA 3½ • Seniors - book direct to save 10%

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Stay at the welcoming Strahan Village, the perfect base to explore the rugged West Coast, from just $122* per night, including two breakfasts. Book your Gordon River Cruise, West Coast Wilderness Railway or Piners & Miners journey when you call.

Historic Port Arthur

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Superbly situated on a beautiful waterfront, The Fox & Hounds Inn is a family owned and operated business, located at Port Arthur on Tasmania’s spectacular Tasman Peninsula. Just one minute from the Historic Site, the property provides a link to our convict history, as well as the opportunity to explore 24 acres of native bushland, perhaps spotting wildlife such as cockatoos, echidnas, or wallabies at night. The Fox & Hounds Inn is a one-stop location, with an on-site bottle shop, bar, and licensed restaurant – renowned for delicious, hearty meals made from the freshest Tasmanian produce.

For bookings or information call

1800 084 620 Fishing News - Page 44

9359

*Per room, per night (Garden View room, single/double occupancy, including 2 breakfasts). Subject to availability. Conditions apply. Valid to 30/11/2007. Quote GS068 when booking.

Cnr Andrew and Harvey Sts. Strahan 7468. ph: 03 6471 7268

email: enquiries@strahanbungalows.com.au

20 Meredith St, Strahan 7468. ph: 0439 717307 Email: hentystrahan@bigpond.com.au

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Fishing and Boating Directory Advertise here for $77. Contact Quenton Higgs 0427 129949

Fishing • Guiding • Charters

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Call in for all your fishing tackle including full range rods, reels, lures, landing nets and bait. Also life jackets plus diving gear and stuff for all water sports. Scott, 53 King Street Scottsdale.Ph. 63522357 Julie-Anne, 41 Quail Street St Helens. Ph. 63761390

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GREAT LAKE SHOP SPINNING RODS, REELS & LURES • Hooks, sinkers, bait including mudeyes, scubworms •Excellentselectionlocallytiedflies • Fishing licences • Maps Petrol, diesel, air, ice, gas bottle refills. Full range groceries, magazines and papers.

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Fishing News - Page 45

Kayaking Two/Multi Person Kayaks

The ideal choice for a family person who wants to get either their children, partner or in some cases both, out on the water with them. Generally they are larger kayaks with heaps of payload capacity; most kayaks that fall into this category can usually be operated quite comfortably by one person. Before laying out your hard earned money for a kayak ask yourself a number of very important questions, you may just avoid purchasing the wrong kayak:

1. What sort of fish do you mainly want to target and where will you be fishing most of the time?

Whether you’re going to target species like Flathead and Australian Salmon to provide the family with a feed, or target Trout in narrow streams, or chase Bream in previously unfished estuarine streams. You will find a kayak that will suit your needs. Think primarily about: what will be the main use for your kayak and where will you be going? If you are planning on chasing fish in narrow water then a 5 metre open water kayak is definitely the wrong choice. DO NOT be lured into a purchase by all the bells and whistles, if the basic specifications of the kayak don’t suit your needs.

So you’ve read or heard about this new sport of kayak fishing and you want to get involved, but where do you start? Surely it’s as simple as heading down to my nearest sports store, outdoor shop, chandler or fishing shop, grab a kayak and off I go? Isn’t it? Well no, it’s not. Like people kayaks, particularly fishing kayaks come in all shapes and sizes, with numerous different features, stability ratings, lengths, widths, storage options and the list goes on and on. Let’s look at the types of kayaks, some people will tell you there are only two types, Sit In and Sit On. With the latter being the most popular choice for Yak Fishermen. Within the Yak Fishing fraternity we tend to be fiercely brand loyal and define types of kayaks by the model ranges within a given brand, which is even less helpful. But I am going to steer clear of recommending any brands in this article; you need to understand the basics first. I break fishing kayaks down into 4 basic categories: 1. Sweetwater kayaks 2. Open water kayaks 3. General purpose/Hybrid kayaks 4. Two/Multi person kayaks

Open Water Kayaks

As the name suggests these models are designed for getting out into the deeper blue water, usually a minimum of 4.5 metres in length. They have a hull design that allows them to really cut through the water and maintain good speed in the process. The “Ski” style of kayak fits into this category.

2. Do you need to be able to take two people out in your Yak?

If you have kids you will find one day they will want to come out with you. If you want to encourage this, which I would like to, then look at the different kayaks you can get to suit this need. There are more of them out there than you think. I have made this mistake, when I purchased my kayak my son was 2, now he is 6 he is talking about wanting to have a go.

3. How long will your average trip be?

This is all about comfort, 2 hours on the water in pretty much the same position is okay, 6 hours on the water in a kayak takes some getting used to. Consider this when you look at features in a kayak such as; the seat and leg straps. Go for the best seat you can.

General Purpose/Hybrid Kayaks

This is by far the largest group of Kayaks, with a wide range of lengths, widths and weight capacities. They range in length from 3 up to about 4.5 metres, averaging between 3 and 4 metres. At home in either open or closed waters, this group of kayaks is the one you will commonly find on the waters of Tasmania.

Sweetwater Kayaks

4. How much gear will you need to take with you?

Fishing is a collector’s trap (or is that just me?), most fishermen I know have a fairly large collection of lures, soft plastics, jig heads and other terminal tackle. Not to mention rods, landing nets, dongers, knifes, pliers, etc. etc. With kayak fishing you need to give careful consideration to what you take with you, only take what you need, nothing else.

5. How else do you want to use your Kayak?

These units are usually up to 3 metres long and are excellent craft for negotiating small rivers, creeks and streams. They are also good for getting close into the shoreline of those hard to get spots. These craft are easy to manoeuvre in narrow streams and can generally handle large loads, making them an ideal choice as a river camper.

Do you want to be able to use it in the surf, to have some fun catching the waves? Use it to go camping into a remote river or lake? As a platform for wilderness photography? Or for any other outdoor endeavours? Answering these questions

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Fishing News - Page 46

will help with deciding if a kayak has enough storage space, or is appropriate for everything you want to do?

Then there are a couple of more personal questions, which require honest answers: 1. How tall are you?

Kayaks come in different shapes and sizes, and so do people. If you are 6’4” tall you are going to be looking at a vastly different kayak to some one who is 5’4”. Some brands cater better for tall people than others. Another thing to consider with height is that you have slightly higher centre of balance, which can affect how stable you feel in your kayak.

2. How much do you weigh?

Yeah, okay now I am getting personal and the questions get more personal from here on in. But it is a critical question, but let me give you a real life example of why I ask this. My kayak has a weight capacity of 181 kilograms, which means it can carry a lot in addition to my weight of 110 kilograms. With myself and my gear in it, I reckon it has a payload of 125 kilograms (maximum) and it sits quite stably in the water. If however I weighed in at 75 kilograms, it wouldn’t sit as well in the water and would feel somewhat “wobbly” to some one of that weight. While I really like my kayak I don’t always recommend that particular model to everyone.

• Waterproof container, great for storing handheld two way radio, car keys, mobile phone and camera. • Hand operated bilge pump/sponge/bailing device, if you have a hatch open and get broadsided by a wave you are going to take on water. • Flares and/or EPIRB, consider these items especially if you are heading out in to open water. • Anything else you can think of, face it if it is going to help you return from the water safely, then you can find room for it.

Make sure everything is easy to reach, practicing on the lawn may look silly but it’s worth the embarrassment on the water when you flip your yak from over reaching.

Okay so you have all of your Rods, Safety Gear and Fishing Tackle, now where do you put them all?

So now you have your kayak set up ready to go and are as keen as mustard to go catch your first fish. But by now you should already have started asking yourself “what happens if it rolls over in the water?” The simple answer is roll it back over, but do you know how to?

Many of the bigger kayaks come with a large amount of storage options these days, trap door hatches, clip on hatch covers, flip up lids, utility areas, fish storage bays, rod storage slots, rod holders, side trays and even drink bottle holders.

Do you have a bung knee, or dodgy back? There are a couple of kayak propulsion methods available, including the traditional paddle style, the innovative pedal style, sail style and of course the ability to use an electric motor or small outboard. Even if you have a condition that stops you doing other things there are a number of ways to overcome many physical conditions. Remember you are buying a kayak that is usually carried on your roof racks and it has to get up there somehow. Do not make the mistake of buying a kayak that you can’t lift by yourself. As always having a second person to help you lift the kayak is the ideal situation, but there are going to be times it will be just you. You need to be able to lift your kayak over your head by yourself. Or else have some sort of loading mechanism.

On your first trip it is worth going out for a 15 minute paddle to get your sea legs and to practice falling out of your kayak, before you load it up to go fishing. Spending time to get to know your kayak without all the gear on board will be time well spent and is almost as enjoyable. Over the next few issues we are going to explore a number of different kayaks that are available for purchase in Tasmania. We will review them from the perspective of the specification and features, but we are also going to be reviewing them from the perspective of 3 very different people. First you have the “big fella” of the group weighing in at 110 kilograms and just over 6 foot tall, then there is the “middle fella” he won’t say his actual weight but I am guessing about 78 kilograms and then there is the “little fella” at a sprightly 54 kilograms he is our lightweight. John Pollard

3. How fit are you?

4. How strong are you?

One other tip before you hit the water: Use tether lines for all loose equipment that doesn’t float. This tip alone will potentially one day save you hundreds of dollars in lost equipment. They don’t have to be anything fancy, just a reliable and strong cord. Make sure you know how to tie a good knot and don’t forget to tether your fishing rods.

Another favourite of all kayak fishermen is the “crate”, whether they are homemade or shop bought they hold tonnes of gear. When deciding where to put things in your kayak, practice at home first, don’t get on to the water and suddenly realise that putting your spare soft plastics in the rear hatch was a bit silly.

Choose the right Yak and you could be chasing monster Bream, Trout or even Pelagic species in comfort. There are a number of other considerations you need to follow as well, you don’t just buy a kayak, you also need the necessary safety equipment, some of it is required by law, others are just a damn good idea: • PFD, kayakers are supposed to follow the same rules as all other boat users. PFD1 in Open Water and PFD2 or PFD 1 in Closed Waters. Wear a PFD not doing so is just dumb. • Lights, if you are going out early morning or of an evening you need lighting on your kayak. There are a number of systems available to choose from. • Safety Flag, think about it in a kayak you have a very low profile in the water. A bright orange Safety Flag on a flexible pole will help other water users to notice you. • First Aid Kit, just a small one, basically every Fisho should have one with them anyway, mine is 10 cm wide and long and 3 cm deep, it takes up very little room. • Handheld two way radio, these things are nice to have but need to be kept dry. If you and your fishing mates are spread around in the water, it’s a great way to stay in touch and find out where the fish are.

Put your kayak down on the ground and start placing things in it. Think about what items you put where and how likely you are to want to reach for that item.

Then sit in your kayak and see how easy things are to reach, you might feel like a goose at first but you will be thankful you did this once you get out on the water. Fishing News - Page 47

case when you are tethered by an anchor and therefore can’t go with the flow of the wave. This is why kayak fishermen use an ‘anchor trolley’ as the system for securing the anchor to their kayak. An anchor trolley is simply a rope pulley system for attaching the anchor line and then positioning it anywhere between the stern or the bow. This then allows you to position your kayak to face oncoming waves, or sit in the current correctly.

Installing an anchor system for a kayak One of the most useful things to aide fishing from a kayak is an anchor system. I say ‘anchor system’ rather than just ‘anchor’ since an anchor on its own attached to a kayak can be dangerous and a sure fire way to tip yourself out of your kayak. You may be able to get away with attaching an anchor to the side of your kayak in perfectly calm conditions, but generally in those conditions you wouldn’t need an anchor anyway. But an anchor tethered to the side of your kayak in waves is asking for trouble. A kayak is designed to tackle waves head on at the bow or from behind from the stern. To have waves hit you from the side is to risk capsize. This is even more so the

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Marineline Fishing News - Page 48

Some kayaks such as my Ocean Kayak Prowler have built in screw in lugs to attach deck eyes for the purpose of building an anchor trolley. An anchor kit is also available from Oceam Kayaks. Other kayaks have enough deck eyes along their sides already, which you can use for attaching your trolley. If your kayak doesn’t have the required deck eyes in the position you want them, then you will need to drill holes and attach them where needed. If you need to drill holes to place bolts through, then it is recommended that you apply some silicon sealant to make the connection fully waterproof. The anchor trolley I installed on my kayak goes all the way from the stern to the bow. I generally use it in the stern position, so that the anchor line isn’t in the way of my fishing line. But there are times when I may choose to position it at the bow, to see all oncoming waves for example. You can find everything you need to make your anchor trolley at your local chandlery. You’ll need about 6 metres of 4 mm low stretch rope to form the loop from stern to bow and back again. You may need more or less depending on the length of your kayak, or whether you are going to make it go the full length of your kayak or just from the cockpit to the stern. You’ll need a couple of deck loops to attach it to. If, like me, you want it to be removable then you’ll need a couple of carabineers for attaching the trolley to the deck loops. I use a couple of heavy duty ones to attach it to the deck loops and a couple of small ones to act as guides for the top line, which I attach to the running deck line. This makes the trolley a bit tidier, keeping the rope out of my way. To get your rope moving backwards and forwards you’ll need to thread it through a couple of roller blocks which you attach to the carabineers. Then you need to join your rope onto either side of one large carabineer. This one is what you use to run your anchor line through. The other thing to do to finish off the trolley is to attach a couple of clam cleats facing opposite directions on the side deck for setting the anchor line in place. One for when you want to secure the anchor in the stern position and one for the bow position.

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The next thing to consider is the anchor itself. It’s good to have a small sea anchor for when you want to slow down your drift when fishing for flathead or drift spinning for example. The smallest size sea anchor will do the trick for any kayak. Just attach this to about 4 to 6 metres of 4 mm rope for the anchor line. Then attach a float such as buoy to the end of the rope, just in case you lose the line overboard you’ll be able to retrieve it. You don’t need a very long line when using a sea anchor on a kayak. In fact most of the time I only feed out about half the length of line. If you’re fishing in a decent chop then you’ll want to have enough line fed out to place the sea anchor at the same distance as the tips of the waves, so that there’s a constant pressure on the line, making for a smoother ride. To anchor to the bottom you can either use one of the smallest size folding anchors or in moderate conditions use just about any 1 kg weight object. Many people find a small dumbbell to be the perfect anchor for a kayak. Adding a metre of chain to the anchor can increase the holding power of the anchor. If you’re using a folding anchor it’s a good idea to attach the chain to the bottom of the anchor with a galvanised shackle. Then lay the chain down the length of the anchor and use a plastic cable tie to join the chain to the top of the anchor. Then if the anchor gets snagged the cable tie should break with a hard tug and you can then pull the anchor out from the opposite direction. When anchoring to the bottom an angle of 45 degrees is ideal. So you’ll need enough rope to feed out your anchor to the bottom at that angle. So consider the depths you usually fish before buying your length of rope to make sure you have enough. Also consider getting some kind of hand line to hold the rope neatly and make retrieving the anchor easy. There is one other use for your anchor trolley. When fishing amongst submerged trees you can use a length of rope to tie up to one of the branches on a tree. Then feed the line through your anchor trolley to put your kayak in your preferred position for casting. So there you go, not much effort is required to build an anchor trolley and a lot of benefit is gained from having this kind of anchoring system on a kayak. Give it a go on your own kayak and reap the benefits! Craig Vertigan

Cremorne Channel and Fredrick Henry Bay kayak fishing Craig Vertigan reports on one of his favourite locations. The weather is warming up and now is the ideal time to start targeting that most delicious of table fish the flathead. I met up with a group of like-minded kayak fishermen during early September in the hope of getting onto some early season flathead. Flathead and Salmon are usually a sure bet anytime from October through to April, with the hotter months providing the best action. We all know each other through the online discussion forum Australian Kayak Fishing Forum (www.akff.com. au). There are a growing number of Tasmanian members now, and we have been having regular get togethers now to fish as a group of kayakers. It’s great to compare kayaks and equipment set-up, discuss techniques, recent captures and of course - go fishing. I’ve fished this area from the beach of the channel before, trying to catch some of the reported salmon that frequent the channel. But I’d never had any luck from the shore. The only other times I’ve fished this area is fishing for flathead and salmon from the rocks further down the coast, such as the Northern end of Clifton Beach and Goat’s Head Bluff. The rocks at Clifton Beach have produced some particularly good

sessions catching large flathead, on the few occasions it has actually been safe to get out to the best rocks. Fishing from the rocks can be a dangerous business. And from the beach it’s often hard to cast out to the other side of the breakers to the best spots. So I’ve not fished off the rocks here since getting my kayak. There had been talk of sweet tasting whiting and the best technique to catch them. And whether the flathead would be about yet. A few new faces joined the crew and we checked out each other’s kayaks, comparing features. Like all good fishermen, we’re all gear junkies and jump at the chance to see what others are Ocean using. Soon the call was made to hit the water. Kayak We all headed out to fish the bay to try our luck. The conditions seemed perfect. Around 20 degrees, a beautiful sunny day and a slight bit of breeze running across the bay. We drifted far and wide, yet after an hour or so we’d only managed a handful of flathead and a lone whiting amongst us. The call was made that ‘yes we must have been too early for

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the flathead’. We headed back in, a bit jaded and dejected, until I heard that Scott had scored a salmon. Then Dan hooked up. Not long after James had one on. I cast in the general vicinity and pretty soon I had one too. Then they seemed to disappear for a while. We all circled around and tried different techniques and different lures. And eventually we nutted out a pattern. The fish were hanging down low and you needed to get your lure right down in front of their noses. Most times when I’ve come across a school of salmon they will respond eagerly to a quickly moving lure. But this time they would only respond to a very subtle, slowly twitched lure. I found that a Squidgy 3gm jig head on a size 1 hook got me to the right depth. This provided just enough weight to get the lure down to the right depth and still provide the ability to give it some subtle lifelike movement, while drifting in the strong current of the channel. The successful soft plastics used were 3inch Berkley Power Minnows in pearl watermelon, bloodworm coloured Squidgy Wrigglers and black gold Squidgy Fish. These plastics all had very natural colours and when given small twitches they are very realistic representations of injured or scared small fish and prawns. This trip was a real eye opener for me, after trying to catch salmon from the shore at Cremorne with no luck in the past. Now I’d nutted out a pattern and was easily able to locate them and have a fish on every cast. There were about half a dozen

people fishing from the shore and none of them were catching any fish. There was no surface activity, which is the usual give away of actively feeding salmon. So my theory is that these fish had been into the lagoon feeding already and were now coming out with the tide. They were no longer in a switched on feeding mode, so would only travel small distances to attack prey. So if your lure wasn’t right in the strike zone you had no chance. The people on the beach just couldn’t get their lures far enough to get to the tightly packed stream of salmon which were hanging deep and close to the Eastern bank. I ended up taking 6 good sized fish home for the table. The kids loved the meal of home made potato wedges and fried fish in bread crumbs. If you bleed the salmon straight away they make good table fish when eaten fresh. But since they don’t freeze that well, I released the twenty or so other fish. They truly are a fine sporting fish on light gear. And the bigger specimens are capable of towing you around for a while. In the end all the guys got onto some salmon and even a trevally was landed. And the trip really highlighted the need to try different techniques sometimes to crack the pattern of what will work on the day. Craig Vertigan

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Fishing News - Page 50

Kids and fly-rods

Let me start by saying that having kids is without a doubt the best thing that has happened in my life; apart from getting married (my wife will more than likely read this!). I will be totally honest and say I was somewhat nervous before the arrival of our first child, for a lot of reasons. There were all the usual worries and uncertanties that go hand in hand with parenthood, but I also had a few of my own to sort out. For the past eight or so years my life had pretty much evolved around my love of fly-fishing. My wife had milked cows seven days a week for that period of time which left me free to fish when and where I liked. Now I was faced with the prospect of losing my freedom, along with the constant stirring from my work mates that my fishing life would be over, and I was not sure of what was going to happen. When the day finally arrived and our first son was born I was over the moon, as I would have been had we had a girl but now I had a fishing mate and I couldn’t wait. Straight away I was planning ways to get him out on the water with me. And of course I would have to start building up a collection of rods for him! On a shopping trip to Launceston we decided to have a look in the Kathmandu store to see what was available. Walking around the shop I noticed something that immediately I could see would be very handy for our outdoor adventures. It was a baby carrier backpack which was purchased without hesitation. All I had to do now was wait for Jobie to be old enough to ride in it. Our first trip using the backpack was not until New Years Eve 2006 whilst staying at the family shack at Miena. It only consisted of a short family walk around the shore of Swan Bay to see whether Jobie would be okay riding in it. After about twenty minutes Allison noticed that Jobie’s head was looking a bit floppy and sure enough he was sound asleep, and remained that way for the rest of the walk. I made the comment to Allison that he wouldn’t be much fun to take with me if he goes to sleep all the time. At least we knew he felt safe and was warm which would be good as the pack would be getting most of its use in the highlands. It wasn’t long before Jobie became old enough for me to take him for lengths of time by myself and this is where the real fun started with the pack, FISHING. Our first outing was to a farm dam close to home for a trial run. To see how I would be able to manage the job of casting a fly rod safely and effectively fishing my flies with Jobie on my back. After a bit of playing around and getting comfortable with the straps etc we were ready to do a bit of fishing. Whilst on the subject of casting and safety, if you are going to fly-fish with a child on your back, or anywhere near you for that matter always take a moment to think about what you are doing and how the conditions will effect your flies in the air. This can be hard to do if you have rising fish in front of you. If you cant already do so learn to cast off your opposite shoulder so the wind is always taking the flies away from you. I by no means claim to be an expert caster but it is not a hard skill to learn and can be very valuable at times. Plus it is always nice to add another cast to the repertoire. If you get the chance, and you don’t have someone experienced to teach you the art of casting I highly recommend you enrol in a casting course. When I first started fly-fishing I did an adult education day course with Ashley Artis, and a bit later on enrolled in an on the water course with Peter Hayes. Both men are highly skilled casters and just as important fishermen. What you can learn off them in a day can otherwise take years to pick up by yourself. Having spent the majority of the past few seasons fishing by myself with my dog Ross for company it was nice to have some human interaction for a change. I already had a size 6 foam Chernobyl Ant dry fly tied to the end of my 6 pound tippet. I decided to leave that on so Jobie could see it on top of the water and didn’t he love it. Watching the fly splat down and swim back across the top of the water leaving a wake as it went really had him intrigued. Listening to him get so excited made me realise that it didn’t matter

if we caught a fish or not, which we didn’t. The fact that I was finally able to take my son fishing was pleasure enough. The dam also has an abundant array of waterfowl living on and around it. Jobie was right at home watching and listening to them go about there business. Especially popular was when the Swans would pitch in to land near us. When it finally got too dark to see anymore we set off on the short walk back to the car. This turned into quite a journey, as we had to stop along the way to moo at all the cows living in the surrounding paddocks and see if we could scare them.When we arrived home Jobie nearly talked his Mothers ears off telling of his big adventure. On a trip to a creek that is full of small brown trout I decided to turn over a few rocks and see what aquatic life was attached to them. I knew if Jobie could see something crawling on the rocks it would grab his attention. He would get his first entomology lesson without even knowing it. After shifting a couple of rocks for no result we found one that was worth looking at. It was full of caddis grubs that had built there cases out of grit and attached to the rocks surface. Crawling amongst these were some small nymphs and they were what I was really after. We picked a couple off and let them crawl around on our hands for a while just watching. Through Jobie being with me, I found I was slowing down a lot and taking notice of my surroundings again. The aquatic life that I had taken so much interest in when I started fly-fishing, but for the last few years had taken for granted was suddenly interesting again. We sat on the side of that creek for what seemed like ages. Turning over rocks and playing in the water to see what we could find. I think the main attraction for Jobie may have been getting to throw the rocks back in after we were finished with them. At least he was on the water with me. Now I had a young family to take fishing I decided I would buy a boat. It needed to be suitable for my fly-fishing needs, but also allow me easier access to the different fishing situations and techniques Jobie and any future siblings would need to learn. After doing some research on the internet and talking to different people I made the decision to purchase a four metre Hornet, made by Quintrex. Being that size it would be simple for me to handle by myself whilst launching and retrieving with small children, be able to cope with the different conditions I intend to throw at it, and won’t cost an arm and a leg to run. This is a very important consideration when raising a young family, with skyrocketing fuel costs not looking like slowing any. I decided the boats maiden voyage would be to Lake Barrington to chase the large salmon that are released there on a regular basis. It was a fine winter’s day, but on the water it was very cold due to the wind chill. We left the ramp and went for a run up the lake toward the dam wall and back to see how the boat would perform. Jobie thought it was great, with his new life jacket on and a chuppa-chup lollipop in his mouth he was ready to captain the ship. Once we stopped and started fishing Jobie was right up there on the front casting platform with me stripping flyline and trying to drive the electric motor. Finally after drifting and fishing for a while the wind chill became too much so we headed for home and the warmth of the fire. Fishing wise that first outing was

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not very sucessful but I knew Jobie was going to be happy enough out in the boat with me. After that first outing the boat and all boats in general became Jobies main focus in life, apart from chuppa-chups and ice-cream. We now have the problem where everytime we go outside Jobie has to get in the boat in the shed. I leave one of the rear covers off and he gets his jacket for me to put on. He will sit in the boat all day if you let him, pretending to start the motor and navigate it through the dangerous waters that are the shed. I guess it is one way to keep him occupied for a while if I am trying to do something else. Now if we are within a five kilometre radius of the Mersey River at Devonport he will be singing out “ Dad, big boat” in anticipation of seeing the Spirit of Tasmania docked there, along with all the other boats that are in the river. He will even go as far as saying it if we see Teaching kids fishing is a great joy. someone in a canoe, much to everyones amusement. I decided Jobie was now old enough to have a rod he could the fish. I raided my vest and found an old wet fly to tie on call his own. Sitting in the corner of my fly-tying room was for him. After cutting the barb off and bending the end up so the tip section off an old two piece fly rod. After looking at it there were no nasty bits he was really set for action. every time I walked past it for a week or two I came up with Sitting outside watching one day I noticed Jobie kept a plan. I decided that it wasn’t worth the effort of putting a putting the fly up to his mouth all the time. I finally worked proper cork grip and a reel seat on it. I had an old reel that I out he was trying to bite the fly off like I do sometimes. I didn’t use which I strapped to the butt of the rod section with might add this is not a good idea when you can buy perfectly electrical tape to hold it in place. Next up I wound on a short good line cutters designed to do the job for you. I have the length from a double taper flyline that was only being used to chips in my front teeth to prove it. I have truly been amazed tie stick caddis patterns. It was a fairly crude set up but it would the different things Jobie has picked up and tried to copy that do for him to play with, as it would more than likely only be you would think would be of no interest. Especially the cursing used to hit the dog or his baby brother Kai. When I gave it to at a missed fish, which his mother doesn’t think is too funny Jobie and told him it was his very own flyrod like Dads you when we get home and he tells her all about it. couldn’t take the smile off his face, or mine. He went straight Practice sessions with the flyrod have now developed to outside and played with it for what seemed like hours. When include evening bath times, which for those that know me he had finished playing around it was time for his first official won’t paint a very nice picture. We have to sit in the bath, casting lesson. This was the moment I had been waiting for one at each end and I get the job of jigging the rod up and since the day he was born, to show him how to cast his own down so he can watch the fly swim underwater. Some of the flyrod. I knelt down on the ground behind him and put my fly-fisherman out there may well laugh at this but we have had hand on top of his on the rod. That way he would be able some valuable lessons in that bath. Quite a few flies lately have to feel what was going on all the time. When I started to go ended up in the recycle bin due to poor actions or incorrect through the casting motion with him you could tell by the look sink rates. Sometimes I even find myself leaning over the side on his face that he was really intrigued by it. I would do the of the bath when nobody is home checking different flies to full casting stroke with him a few times and then take my hand see how they look. Who knows what people would think if off the rod and he would do a forward or backcast by himself. they ever walked in and caught me in the act? We would then wander around the backyard pretending that Having children certainly wasn’t the end of my fishing life different objects were fish and try to land our short piece of as I thought it was going to be. In actual fact it has probably leader material near them. It wasn’t long before he decided he been the best thing that has happened. I have started to slow didn’t need the instruction anymore and was off by himself. down again and appreciate all aspects of the sport that I was He was a bit lazy watching his back cast, as his baby brother unknowingly taking for granted. But most importantly for me would attest to, but he was definitely enjoying himself. Then I have been able to give my son what I think is the greatest gift he had to have a fly on the end of his leader so he could catch a father can give, teaching him to fish with a fly. Gavin Hicks

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