Issue 103 April - May 2013
Game Fishing Preserving Tuna Striped Trumpeter Late Season Trout Australian Fly Fishing Museum
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Tackle Reviews
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Fly Tying
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4
8 My Say
It is great to see any youngster involved in fishing and seeing Lachy Hicks (above) with an albacore not much smaller than him is great. We all love fishing and should make an effort to get younger people involved as often as we can. Fishcare Volunteers have done a great job over the years both running fishing days for kids, but also spending many hours in schools educating youngsters on fish and responsible fishing. However if the Government gets its way you may soon see a licence to use a rod and line in saltwater. There has been a report done which you can find on the www.dpiw. tas.gov.au website. Or google the report ‘An assessment of Licensing Arrangements for Tasmania’s Marine Recreational Fisheries’. The introduction says ‘Although the Recreational Fisheries Advisory Committee had supported this project proposal and the Department commissioned the project, at this stage there are no changes proposed
Striped Trumpeter — Jamie Henderson
4
Game Fishing – Tip and Tactics — Kelly Hunt
8
Barbless Hooks – Good or Bad? — Joe Riley
14
Late Season Trout Opportunities — Craig Rist
16
Preserving Tuna — Simon Hedditch
20
Australian Fly Fishing Museum
24
Jan’s Flies — Jan Spencer
27
St Helens Family Fishing Festival – Jamie Henderson
29
New Products and Reviews
34
Marine Fishery News
36
Inland Fishery News
37
Fishing, boating and accommodation services directory
38
for recreational sea licenses in Tasmania. The report does not make any recommendations. The report may be further contemplated when considering the challenges faced with declining recreational license and Fishwise revenues.’ MAY BE FURTHER CONTEMPLATED .... I think that means ‘We are trying to work out how to implement this without upsetting eveyone.’ Some will agree it is a great idea, and will raise some money that the Government will use wisely to benefit recreational fishers. RUBBISH. I am sure it will be supported by the peak body RECFISH, because their funding of $135 000 per annum comes from net, pot, abalone and rock lobster licensing now, so more money would be great. Don’t get conned — Licences will stop people fishing, and will certainly discourage adults from taking the kids down to the wharf. Email me with your thoughts, but read the report first if you can.
Mike Stevens
Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Published by Michael Stevens PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250. Fax: 6331 1378 Email; mike@tasfish.com Phone: 0418 129 949 Stevens Publishing, ABN 79 095 217 299 All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Print Post approved; 100003074
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Fishing News - Page 3
Striped Trumpeter Jamie Henderson
Bailey Zanetto with an east coast stripey.
The fish Tasmania’s coastal waters are fast gaining a reputation of having some of the best variety and quality of fishing in the southern half of Australia. Every season for the last decade or so we seem to be experiencing new and unusual species migrating into our waters and revised management strategies are ensuring that fisheries are protected for future generations. There is one particular species though that has stood the test of time and has the potential to really put us on the map and that is Latris lineata or the striped trumpeter. Quite often classed by Tasmanians as “one of the best eating fish in the sea”, the striped trumpeter, or sometimes known as the Tasmanian trumpeter, are mainly caught off the coast of Tasmania, but can be caught in South Australia and Victoria and are also found in New Zealand and South American waters. They are reported to grow up to 1.2m in length and about 25kg in weight and live for up to 30 years. Around Tasmania spawning occurs between the months of July and October and typically a single fish of 3.2kg can produce 100,000 eggs. Females reach maturity at around 45cm or 5 years old, while males reach maturity at around 53cm or 8 years old. Larvae go through an extended larval phase of around 9 months before settling on inshore reefs. The inshore reefs are where most recreational fisherman targets the smaller fish but often venture wider to the outer reefs in search of the larger specimens. Over the last few years access to larger offshore boats has become easier and technology in the form of depth sounders and GPS has advanced greatly making the job of finding the fish in deeper waters no longer guess work. This has opened up a once mystified and secret fishery known only to a few to the every day angler. Fishing News - Page 4
What follows is an in depth look at some of the techniques, tips and tackle involved in successful Striped Trumpeter fishing.
Locations and techniques During the late winter and early spring months the fish come into the inshore reefs to spawn and can be caught in water as shallow as 30-50 metres, this means you don’t necessarily need to venture too far from shore to catch a feed of fish, however being more easily accessible to the hoards of other anglers the closer grounds can cop a lot of pressure and fish numbers will be low. To start catching large fish and good numbers the outer reefs are definitely a better choice, looking for bottom in the 100-300 metre depth range will have you on some prime territory and usually away from the pressure of weekend danglers. Also don’t become too wrapped up in sourcing “Secret Spots” and GPS marks of mystical fish producing reefs that other fisherman keep hidden away. Plenty of good stripey bottom has, and can be, found by accident so don’t discount any good looking reef you see on your sounder. Every bit of reef is worth a look and some key points to look for are nice high pinnacles that jut straight up from reef or on the edge of the reef, good holes and sheer drop-offs and reef structure that runs along the edge of a contour line. Quite often we have fished a patch of reef that produced good fish last trip only to be seemingly devoid of fish this time, a quick move to more reef nearby has found fish and a move again found even more, the general rule of thumb is if the reef looks good give it a try, if no fish are on the chew within 15-20 minutes pull up and try another section or patch of reef.
The underwater currents and tides play a very important role in where the fish will be situated in relation to the reef, obviously it is hard to gauge what the underwater currents are doing 100 metres down or more, but as you drift with the tide you will get an idea of the direction. While the tide is running hard try drifting onto the face and off the back edge of the reef, the fish hold in these areas using the currents much like a trout in a stream to maintain a position whilst using the least amount of energy and have food items carried to them by the current. Also try the deeper holes and crevices during this time as the fish will also hide in them to keep out of the strong current, as the tide slows drift across the reef proper as many fish will take this opportunity to move about on the reef hunting out other food items. In order to do this effectively you need to be on the water when there is minimal wind, being Tasmania this is not always easy but study the weather forecasts and try and aim for days where wind of 5-15 knots will be predicted. Up to 10 knots is fine but once it becomes higher the drift rate increases to a point where contact with the bottom is almost impossible, at this point sea anchors can work well but having someone on the controls of the boat and driving the boat in reverse to hold station will be the best method. Apart from a seaworthy ocean going boat there are a couple of key pieces of equipment that are needed to help locate areas where striped trumpeter will be. These are a powerful high resolution depth sounder and a GPS or chart plotter, the sounder to locate reefs, structure and fish and the GPS to mark any likely spots to come back to. Being able to use your depth sounder effectively is paramount to finding good stripey bottom, units with a minimum of 500 watts and dual frequency, 200 and 50khz,
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When using the sounder turn all the automatic controls off and run the unit on full manual, this will allow you to constantly adjust the settings such as gain or sensitivity to suit the depth and conditions, try using gain and sensitivity on its maximum limit only tapping it back a fraction until screen clutter starts to disappear and then the unit will be reading at its best. Once a patch of reef has been found a useful feature that some sounders have is the ability to set an upper and lower depth limit. If for example you are fishing in 100 metres of water looking at the top 70-80 metres is a waste of time as the striped trumpeter schools will hold within 20 metres of the bottom. If the unit has this feature set the upper limit to 80 metres and the lower limit to 105 metres and this will allow the sounder to display only the information in the bottom 25 metres of water and give you a much better picture with more detail of what is on the reef. At this stage it is quite common to see elongated arches and constant lines across the screen and these will be individual fish feeding, also look for masses of bait schools on or near the bottom as where there is bait there will be stripey. Quite often you will see a bait school sitting just off the tip or the edge of a sharp drop or pinnacle and this is a prime feature to drop a bait onto. Some popular East Coast locations to try are Merricks Reef, Middle Ground, Pulfers Reef, Binalong Patch, The Cliff and the Eddystone Patch. These are all good reef areas to try your hand at catching a few stripey but are also good base points to prospect around and see what other reef structures come up. Like I said before there are really no secret magic spots that produce fish all the time, you need to search around and find good reef and drop a bait down to really get an idea of what’s going on, if no fish come aboard within a short time move on and find another reef.
Tackle This is one area where skimping on quality gear is not an option, rod and line fishing for striped trumpeter is hard on tackle and hauling large hard fighting fish from 100 metres or more of water tests reel gears, line rollers, bail arms and rod guides to the limit. Many cheaper reels just don’t have the quality internal gearing and bearings to be able to cope with the torture of continuous winding under extreme load and when stripey fishing this is what outfits will spend the majority of their time doing.
Dropping 500-1000 grams of lead to the bottom and systematically winding up 5-7 kilogram fish — often 3-4 fish on one rig, is enough to strip the gear teeth and warp shafts of sub standard reels. One simple outfit capable of taking the punishment is an Alvey 825BCV combo, this is the Alvey 825BCV deep sea reel, a 1:1 ratio direct wind reel with an anti reverse, strong star drag and is as tough as nails coupled with a stout Alvey 5’6” heavy boat rod. Whilst it is not cutting edge technology nor does it look overly flash hanging out of the rocket launcher of a Gucci offshore fishing boat it does a superb job of hauling fish aboard with a minimum of fuss other than some grunting from the angler. By far the best type of reel to use is a good quality large spinning reel, they are easy to use but make sure you choose a quality model capable of handling the job. Large spool capacity is vitally important to hold enough braid to be able to fish in depths up to 300m and will rule out many spinning reels most of which are cheaper surf style reels with inadequate quality components for the job. Lever drag overhead reel are option, they can hold a much larger capacity of line than a spinning reel but become awkward when not used to having a heavy weight on top of the rod in a boat that’s pitching and rolling, important when fishing the depths required for big striped trumpeter. Look for a reel with stainless steel bearings if possible and don’t necessarily go for the lightest models, a bit of weight indicates they are solid and strong in the housing and gearing, after all it will be used as a workhorse. Another aspect when choosing a reel is the retrieve ratio. Many discussions have been had over whether a high speed reel is better than a low speed reel but at the end of the day the reel will wind in line only as fast as you can wind the handle, remembering that when there is a lot of weight and fish at the other end its you that has to do the work. A high speed reel is great for recovering line fast but with a lot of weight on the end will become difficult to wind quickly and will tire you fast; on the other hand a low ratio reel will wind with ease even with a lot of weight but will take a lot longer to get to the surface.
Also a low ratio reel when spooled to capacity with line will have a faster retrieve ratio as the spool diameter has been increased, as too will the high speed reel which then may become far too difficult to wind when 2 or 3 large trumpeter are on the other end trying to swim back to the reef. Rods need to be strong and in the 15-24 kilogram ranges, short 5-6 feet, have a fast taper and quality guides suitable for braid, this makes it easier for the angler to pump and wind and short stroke the fish to the surface. This is no time to be sporting as striped trumpeter hit hard and then aim for their hole in the reef, you need to stop them fast or risk being hung up or busted off on the reef. A short rod with a fast taper will load quickly and still have power in the butt section to fight the fish. As far as line is concerned there is only one choice and that is to use a quality braid, usually between 30-60lb depending on the rod and reel being used. Braid, which has less stretch than monofilament, will allow greater line capacity on the reel, feel the bites better, feel when your sinker hits the bottom and allow you to stay in contact with it and most important of all being a finer diameter for its breaking strain then the equivalent mono will have less drag in the water and be less effected by underwater currents and tides.
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should be used, units of 1Kw tend to be more popular for their ability to read better at depth. A high pixel count on the screen will give a much more defined picture and whilst monochrome units with a high level of grey scale will give an excellent picture and good definition, colour units will give better density readings and allow you to determine better target separation between individual fish and structure.
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I have tried fluorocarbon line for traces with great results and it is much harder and abrasive resistant for its relative breaking strain than normal mono trace. Keep the trace length relatively short, I find 20cm is more than adequate and crimp a hook on the other end; I also like to put a lumo bead or piece of lumo tube on the trace before I crimp the hook on just as an added attractant. I get asked all the time what type of hooks are best for stripey fishing and the simple answer is any good quality heavy gauge hook designed for live baiting or set line fishing.
The author, Jamie Henderson showing his form.
Bait and Rigs Being a reef dwelling fish the striped trumpeters diet mostly consists of octopus, squid, crustaceans and small fish so using baits found naturally in their environment will produce the best results. Try and use baits that as fresh as possible and not just some scrap you have had laying around in the freezer for a while, trumpeter can be fussy eaters. I have found that fresh squid or octopus produces excellent results, some commercial fisherman even swear by garfish, don’t be shy with the amount you put on the hook either, give them plenty to chew on.
You can use a simple Paternoster rig, but heavy duty; make them up as described in the article or many tackle shops have premade stripey rigs.
Fishing News - Page 6
One of my regular fishing partners even swears by using fillets of fresh gurnard that are an unwelcome by catch when stripey fishing, being fresh from the water they are a high quality bait and do seem to work well. In conjunction to the bait I like to use something that glows in the dark, usually this is a 5” B2 Candy Squid from Luhr Jensen slipped onto the hook shank before the bait is placed on, these not only act as an attractant in the dark water but if the bait is picked off by smaller fish there is still a lure on the hook that the fish may go for. Other alternatives to this are plastic glow beads or glow tubing placed on the trace above the hook, whatever the item I have found that something that glows increases the activity especially when the fish are thin on the ground. As far as bottom rigs go keeping things simple is the best idea and a standard paternoster rig, albeit a heavy duty version is the basis for this. Mainline breaking strains are always a subject of much conjecture and I have tried anything from 80lb through to 450lb, some people will argue that a lighter leader will catch more fish; personally I don’t think that in the dark murky depths it will make a whole lot of difference. A lighter mainline will certainly be thinner and will give less drag in the currents but will also be easier to cut through on some reef, it can also be difficult to handle when you are trying to lift fish aboard the boat and can result in cut hands if you do not wear gloves. A loop in one end should be crimped with some armor spring or tubing as a chaff guard where the swivel from the braid clips to and then 3-4 Branch Line Swivels should be slid on and crimped into place. The Branch Line swivels work much better than normal cross line swivels because you don’t have to cut the mainline to put them on, just simply slide them onto the line position them where you want your spacing, one metre apart is good, and crimp them into place. From each of these swivels crimp on your trace material, anything from 50lb through to 200lb can be used once again up to the individual,
Circle or “sport” circle style hooks are a good choice as it allows the fish to practically self hook when it takes the bait with no need for the angler to strike and being that they hook the fish in the corner of the mouth make it easier to remove from the fish, sizes 4/0 through to 8/0 depending on the brand and style. One of my favorite styles is a commercial grade “Ezibaiter” style hook which is a type of circle hook but with a longer shank, they are a longline hook used by commercial fisherman are heavy gauge, commercial grade, quite inexpensive and very effective. Sizes 11/0 through to 14/0 can be used depending on the size of the fish in the area. At the sinker end of the rig simply crimp in a loop leaving about 2 metres between the last hook and the sinker loop, very few striped trumpeter are caught in this area just above the reef and is where you will mostly be annoyed by gurnard. From this loop tie a short length of lighter mono, around 50lb, and attach the sinker or lead weight to this, if in the event you snag the sinker on the bottom this lighter line will break and you get your whole rig back only minus the sinker, cheaper and better than losing the whole rig every time. Basic large snapper style sinkers are the best as they sink nice and straight without twisting, 16oz through to 32oz should be kept on board to cover all scenarios of tide, drift and current.
The Catch When your rig hits the bottom striped trumpeter are not the only fish that inhabits the reef, you will most certainly feel a bunch of small taps, 90% of the time this is the gurnard, a ugly looking red goggle eyed fish with lots of terrible spikes that if jabbed by one will have you in pain for hours. Be very careful handling these fish as a simple mistake can ruin a whole day on the water, one way of trying to avoid the Gurnard is to wind your rig up a few winds on the reel as soon as the sinker touches bottom. Other fish that you may come across are banded morwong or perch and big deep sea cod but when a big stripey hits you will know all about it, they are not shy about how they strike and they just grab the bait and head for the reef. This is when you need to have your drag locked up and hold on as quite often if the school is thick there will be more than one fish on the rig and its not uncommon to have a 3-4 hook rig loaded with fish all heading down. Once you have pulled the fish aboard it is important to bleed them straight away and put them on ice as soon as possible, they are after all one of the finest eating fish in the sea and should be
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paid the respect they deserve. Leaving top table fish lying around on a deck in the sun for hours will spoil it very quickly and considering its worth up to $35+ per kg taking the extra care at sea will be evident when it hits the table. A few bags of ice placed in a decent ice box with a couple of buckets of sea water will lower the temperature nicely, enough that I challenge you to keep your hand in it for any length of time, and have the fish flesh firm by the time you are back at the ramp. Being at sea fishing for Striped Trumpeter can be one of the more relaxing moments of fishing you are ever likely to experience especially when
you are with a few mates, conditions that are suitable for drifting the reefs are usually are very comfortable for the angler as well, not something we get to have all that often. However relaxation can quickly turn into intense excitement when a couple of freight train Trumpeter hit your rig with the intent on pulling you over the side of the boat, if you manage to win the fight and haul the fish on board not only have you had some serious fun without too much danger but you end up with some fantastic table fare that will keep the wife and family very happy……. what more could you ask for. Jamie Henderson
Gurnard are the curse of the bottom fisher. Phil Zanetto with an often encountered monster cod.
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Fishing News - Page 7
Game fishing Kelly Hunt
T
he Tuna season has opened with a tremendous head of steam. The west coast was treated to spectacular a sighting of Bluefin Tuna smashing bait from Macquarie Harbour all the way to Point Hibbs. These fish have fed well and are turning up in good numbers and good size. In this month’s issue we look at a few hints and tips that should have a few of those 30 plus kilo Bluefin with one of your lures in its mouth. The rest is up to you and your crew. Team PENN – DOUBLE BLACK has started the year well and loves fishing off the East and South coasts of Tasmania for Tuna. We have many years’ experience on board and would love to share some advice that may have you catch a few as well.
Hints and tips Rigging: Two types of rigging for Tuna and it really comes down to if you are intending to competition fish or recreational fish. The competition rules of a sanctioned competition demand that all rigs and leader lengths conform to an IGFA standard. This at first can
sound horribly confusing but with a little reading it is quite simple to nut out. The details of such are probably better devoted to a story in itself, so I will just discuss recreational rigging.
Hook placement and the manner in which you rig to place your hook is the debated question here. There are a number of simple ways to rig and crimp the business end of a Tuna lure and they can be found on the internet and YouTube. Pick one that suits your style of fishing and the fish you wish to target, practice this and you can’t go wrong. Hard bodies have found favour with anglers looking for fish on bright or quiet days and there has been a trend to change out big trebles for singles. There is an argument for better hook up rates. The jury is out on this one, but my opinion is there is better holding power on a good size single and easier release once boated.
Lure styles, colours and sizes. Traditional skirted pushers have been the favour of most anglers for a very long time when targeting Tuna. More
....tips & tactics
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and more we are starting to see “sub” surface lures like MAC baits and big bibbed divers. These lures are fantastic options when it is bright out or the fish have shut down a touch. The extra action these lures generate can raise a strike out of a fish purely for that agonising wounded bait fish waddle. Their other advantage of course is they offer another dimension to the spread by being down deeper into the food bowl. Colours for these lures start out with “matching the bait” Work out what your target fish are feeding on, the size they are on and you won’t go far wrong. OK smarty pants explain Pink Mac baits You have me there. Pink Mac baits have been a fantastic lure for tuna and the explanation on why is a fun topic. It can be argued it’s the “action” or it may be we started to have success so they are always the one out, so it “just seems’ to me like the GO TO for any occasion. The fishing for large tuna down south has had great success with Halco’s King Brown and other patterns. These lures trolled slowly reach fantastic depth and can find a hungry fish down deep. Skirted surface lures are the big player in the art of catching tuna. There are a number of good quality brands that work very well. Here is the point that I like to make. They do have to “work” By work I mean breath, pull down a smoke trail and re-surface. There are a number of different head shapes that dictate when and at what interval they will do this at any given spread position. The general rule of thumb is the longer the head the further back in the spread that lure should run. The shorter lures with a cupped face when working well should cup a bit of water forwards when they take a breath. All these factors will have your spread doing what it is intended to do and that is look like a nervous bait school. Tasmanian conditions demand that you have a couple of lures from the Zacatak lure range. Mario builds a quality Australian made lure and has a massive range of skirt combinations that mimic our unique Tasmanian bait - Redbait. Lure skirt combinations that mimic squid are also a good choice and a good starting point to any spread. Weather can be a big decider on what type of lures to run. If the conditions are a bit sloppy and windy it may pay to slow a touch and run some big divers along with a couple of Jet Heads.
Trolling speed and lure spreads The best albacore tuna trolling speeds are within a range of six and eight knots. Switching to larger lures can draw interest from yellowfin and bluefin tuna, but the trolling speed is still about the same. If you have surface skirts out keep an eye out on how they are behaving. If they are spending more time out of the water than under the surface it may be time to slow down a touch. Traveling up wind and either with or against a swell and current will also affect your speed.
Keep a close eye on your spread and adjust speed accordingly when you turn and run with the sea again. When trying to find fish you can run as many rods as you can manage and try and work straight lines. Once you find fish and mark them with a waypoint on the GPS, pull the spread back to 4 allowing you better ability to wheel around and pick up some more without any issues.
Attractors or not I am a big fan of having some sort of “Teaser” running at the rear of the boat. They can take many forms and come in a number of styles, but something at the back
of the boat creating a splash and or a flash like a school of bait fish cannot be a bad thing. The wash of the boat is already creating froth and bubble that fish will come to investigate. The added shape and flash of a teaser will keep them interested until they spot your lures.
Water temperature to look for, temperature breaks Water temp will vary depending on what species of tuna you are targeting. Traditionally albacore will be found in the warmer water to 17 + degrees. Bluefin is a fish more suited to the cooler water temps below 18 degrees. Yellowfin are trickier again. They like to feed in the cooler water but habitat the warmer currents when not feeding. Look for the sea surface charts to give you an indication on local water temps
How many does it take to land one fish? tuna on the shelf or off the back of Tasman Island come out of the shelter of Fortescue Bay and sneak about — weather depending. St Helens in and around Merricks is another area that can hold tuna and not be an issue to a smaller vessel
Birds - what do they mean? If you are a fisherman you love birds! You might not be that happy with the big Albatross that picks your shotgun lure out of the spread, but any other bird is the fisherman’s friend. When trolling around scanning the horizon for birds, there is nothing as exciting as watching a group of
gannets gaining height and then start to dive bomb the surface. This means they have found some bait that is on the surface. More often than not bait are on the surface because something considerably bigger than them is feeding on them. The birds can see this commotion and think “free feed” Everyone loves a free feed and the birds of the southern ocean are no exception. This concentrated bird activity is a key indicator of TUNA. If it is happening some distance away, pull the lures in and motor over. Once within a couple of hundred meters calmly re set your spread and work the edges of the “FEED”. The worst thing you can do is motor right through them.
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Water depth The decision on what depth to fish for tuna can also be attributed to another factor — bait Large concentrations of bait can be found on the continental shelf and working the areas across the considerable depth variations can work well. It can be very easy to get hung up on a lot of tips and age old ideas on when and where to catch tuna. Water depth is a classic example. Most definitely there are areas that hold fish and are great places to start, but fish do two things. SWIM and EAT they have tails and must at times be in transit for their next meal. If next time you are setting off for a known tuna holding area and the weather doesn’t allow you to get there quickly, put the lures out and troll there. You may be surprised What I am trying to say is if you don’t have a boat big enough to chase
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Moon Does it matter, time of day, wind direction, cloud or not To me all this does matter. However it is an article all in itself. What I would like to share is most of us have little opportunity to go fishing at the drop of a hat and to try and target fish feeding trigger points. I would suggest that when you go fishing keep a log book. Write down the weather and conditions. Put pen to paper when you caught a fish and log time and conditions. Keep it short and very specific. After a short while you will have some decent information that will suggest to you the better times to go out and raise the percentage of being successful. Then it can be used to plan future trips and better outcomes. It’s great to just fish with mates and be out in the elements, but coming home with a nice amount of freezer fodder keeps the cook happy
Outfits Overhead or egg beaters This question really depends on personal choice and the probability of entering any fishing competitions. The overhead reels are excellent for line holding capacity and ease of setting breaking strain parameters. The lever drag systems can be pre-set checked and you have the confidence that where you set the lever is the pre-determined drag tension. Overheads also have the added ability to attach a fighting harness should you come along that fish of a lifetime. Egg beaters or spinning reels are coming into favour and for good reason. The bigger jobbies in the 8500 series and above have enough line capacity and drag pressure to hold most Tuna an angler will encounter. It takes a bit of getting used to setting strike drag and ramping them up to fight tension, but it all comes from a little practice and you are good to go.
Caring for your catch Tuna destined for the table should be bleed immediately after capture.
Knifing in behind the pectoral fin 90 degree’s to the lateral line will allow this to be achieved. Getting the fish on ice is important in keeping the flesh in best condition. If not in a competition it is often best once the fish has been bled and rested to take off the edible flesh as soon as you can. This allows the fillets to be iced down in eskies a lot easier than whole fish. It also solves the issue of cleaning back at the ramp and looking for somewhere to dispose of the frames in a responsible manner.
Safety The technology we all have at arm’s length is amazing and there is no excuse for not being able to access an up to date weather forecast. When venturing offshore to target Tuna it is very important to have an understanding of the forecast wind, and what effect that will have on sea conditions. Depending on direction and strength, a nice looking morning on the water can turn very uncomfortable later in the day. In Tuna fishing you cover a lot of ground and can be quite some way from the boat ramp. Coming back home into nasty weather that is only getting worse IS NOT GOOD! The sometimes long hours between strikes can be a great time to show those on board where the safety gear is located and how to use it for those new to the sport. I like to have a bit of a “Half Time” tidy up as the day goes on as well. If you have been lucky enough to have hooked and caught a few that can leave the deck in a bit of disarray and with lure leaders, Teaser ropes and spare rods and Gaffs about it can get a bit hectic. Lunch is a good time to get everything back nicely stowed and reset for some more action. Not a lot worse than to lose a fish of a life time due to tripping over something or failing to get the rod out and around the back of the motor because you got caught up on the squid rod you had in the way. So there you go. A few tips and ideas that we hope will have you find some fish and get them to the table in good condition. Kelly Hunt
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Fishing News - Page 13
Barbless Hooks Joe Riley
Does it also mean fishless?
Competition angler, Ian Donnachy does not have a fly in his box with barbs on it.
T
here’s lots of different anglers out there, lure bait and fly. There’s those who like to put a fish on the table, those who only catch and release. We all catch fish and we all need to be able to release a few or a lot of fish with as little harm as possible, so we can hopefully return and meet again one day. As a group we are more aware of the need to conserve fish stocks and responsively harvest according to bag limits. Being a competition fly fishing angler, over the past decade I have seen catch rates amongst my peers soar, where once 3 fish would win a 3 hour session and a single fish in each of the 4 sessions would see you finish in the top 5. Now 6 fish a session is the norm and you need between 20 and 30 trout to win a competition. Catching the bag limit is often reached and releasing fish is an every outing occurrence. There is so much more information available to anglers including improvement in techniques and equipment, which is available to recreational and competition anglers alike and everyone has the ability to improve their overall catch rate. Bearing this in mind catch and release needs to be practiced where appropriate and knowing how to treat fish prior to release, minimising the harm caused in catching and handling prior to release is even more important. The use of barbless hooks is important in this process, either depressing barbs or purchasing factory made barbless hooks which will minimise the damage caused to a trout in capture. I started competition fishing about the time my son was born in 1998. I had never fished with barbless hooks and had to depress my barbs before tying on a fly in competition. For a while every time I hooked a fish I would be panicking and if I lost a fish the air around me would turn blue and the expletives about #%\!ing barbless hooks would come out. It was easier to blame a barbless hook than to look at how I played a fish and work out what went wrong. Also at this time buying barbless hooks was in itself no mean feat and involved either having to buy fine wire dry fly barbless hooks in a very limited range, hooks that were not suited to being tied as lures or nymphs for bigger fish so it was a case of getting the heavy hooks, depressing barbs and keep swearing every time I dropped a fish.
Fishing News - Page 14
By this time though I had begun to travel overseas to compete. We were able to find a better range of barbless hooks, heavier gauge nymph and wet fly hooks and hooks with fine, curved points. The more fish that were caught on barbless hooks, the more comfortable I would become and the less I would blame barbless hooks when the occasional fish came off.
Keep the trout in the water by avoiding pulling the trout to the surface. If you apply too much upward pressure the trout will either jump or roll on the surface, when a trout can flip or invert this can act as a lever and pull the hook free of the mouth. Having a trout splashing on the surface is the last thing you want to see, and is often the main explanation for fish being ‘dropped at the net’.
Analysing what was happening when a trout did come off, I also came to see that losing a fish is far more about one of two things, the initial hook up or playing the trout poorly.
Try to keep the same amount of pressure on the trout at all times while playing the fish. There are times when you will have to put the brakes on a fish and increase pressure to keep it away from an obstacle or to turn the fish in the direction you want to go, but other than this keeping an even pressure will keep the fish from panicking and acting erratically when differing pressures are applied throughout the fight.
Good hook set is important, to detect the take early and be able to set the hook on a trout in the tongue, top or bottom of the mouth will generally see the hook set into a fleshy area which holds well. Being in good contact with the flies results in seeing the take as soon as it occurs means that the trout will have the fly deep in its mouth this means that a prompt reaction by the angler will ensure that the hook will set well. If you are fishing with too much slack line the take will not be detected until late and the setting of the hook will occur as the fly is about to be rejected and will either end up just hooked on the edge of the mouth or the hook will strike the boney areas of the mouth around the scissors of the jaw, neither of which are ideal. The same happens on windy rough days where controlling the line is a problem, you end up with undue slack in the line and leader making quick take detection hard causing the same problems. Playing a trout with barbless hooks is really no different to how a trout should be played with barbed hooks, that is using smooth even pressure to control and direct the fish. The same principle applies to both lakes and rivers in general and when practiced results in far fewer fish being dropped.
Make the fish turn back on itself. A trick I was shown a number of years ago while fly fishing for Northern bluefin tuna is to make the fish turn back on itself. Apply pressure directly back over the top of the fish rather than letting the fish move in an arc, this makes the fish actually stop and turn and tires the fish sooner as it gets a disrupted flow of water (thus oxygen) over the gills. Practicing these principles when fishing barbless hooks or in general will result in less fish being lost.
Keeping in contact with the fly is most important when fishing barbless.
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Above: Another good reason to go ‘barbless’. Right and below right: Fishing barbless allows you to release fish more easily and I have not noticed a significant difference in lost fish. The move to sustainable fishing practices and competition requirements have seen more demand for barbless hooks and also shops stocking a suitable range. I prefer European brands like Hanak, Knapek and Dohiku. These are now readily available at good fly fishing shops. Check the brand and model to make sure they are heavy enough in gauge if you are fishing lures on lakes. For large flies I like the Knapek lake hook #6 or the Hanak H200 and for seriously heavy hooks the Hanak H900 in various sizes. There’s a lot of plusses fishing barbless hooks if you care about your favourite fisheries. There is also the bonus that when you inevitably bury a hook in your own flesh, it will pull out cleanly, something I do all too regularly. Joe Riley
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Fishing News - Page 15
Trout opportunites Late Season Craig Rist
T
he months of April and May can offer very good trout fishing opportunities. Brown trout are well aware of the need to put on weight leading up to their annual spawning cycle. Now that many of the hatches are coming to an end, they are becoming more opportunistic feeders, once again. As the brown trout season nears its end on the Sunday nearest to the 30th of April, male brown trout become very aggressive as they begin to pair up with potential females. Big wet flies, plastics and lures are often hit, just to get them out of their territory. Rainbows on the other hand, usually spawn later in the year with their closing season reflecting this by finishing one month later on the Sunday closest to the 31 st of May. So rainbows are mostly unaffected by the urge to spawn and continue to feed as normal right through to May.
occasional larger specimen. The Mersey River between these lakes holds mostly small juvenile rainbows that provide an entertaining alternative to chasing those elusive monsters swimming in Lake Meston. Junction Lake has a good stock of fish around the 1½ pound to 2 pound mark with an open grassy shore on the western shore of the Lake that makes it very easy to fish from the shore compared to the thick forest growing right down to the lake on the remaining shoreline. A float tube would be a great asset to fish Meston and Junction, that is, if you were keen enough to carry one up over the mountain.
The Mersey above Lake Rowallan.
Lake Skinner Rainbow Waters Meston, Youd and Junction Lakes These lakes are located in a visually spectacular area of the Walls Of Jerusalem National Park and sustain a truly wild rainbow trout fishery. The lakes are kept free of invading brown trout by the impassable waterfalls on the Mersery River flowing from these lakes. Access to these lakes isn’t easy, as it requires a lengthy walk (approximately 4 hours) up onto the plateau from numerous walking tracks down at Lake Rowallan. Lake Meston is a very deep lake with limited shore access around much of the lake. The shallow sandy shore at the northern end of the lake is a very popular place to fish due to its shallow, wadeable, sandy shore that gives easy access to some deeper water. This Lake holds the largest rainbows of the three lakes with many fish up to and no doubt, beyond the six pound mark. Lake Youd is a very small shallow lake located on the Mersey River between Lake Meston and Junction Lake. It holds many small rainbows and the Fishing News - Page 16
Lake Skinner in the Snowy Ranges is situated in the Southwest national Park and is another wilderness rainbow lake that is open until the Sunday closest to the 31st of May. Like the lakes in the upper Mersey Lake Skinner is accessed by foot on a hiking track that takes approximately 2 hours to reach the lake. Shore access is also limited, making the use of a float tube or similar craft a very helpful tool to reach rainbow that are often beyond your best cast.
Lake Rowallan and upper Mersey River Lake Rowallan and the upper Mersey River flowing into it, are also designated rainbow waters but unlike Meston and Junction Lakes, this lake holds brown trout as well. The lakeshore is easily accessible via the gravel forestry road running alongside the eastern shore of the lake, with a more challenging four wheel drive section on the road along the Western shore. There is one designated boat ramp located just past the dam wall on the
eastern shore and some opportunities to launch a small boat on some of the other tracks leading down to the lake if you have a four-wheel drive and the lake is full. Best to assess these possibilities with your own discretion after visiting the Lake. This lake is full of structure with a large area of the lake being covered by dead free standing and fallen timber. Boating through this maze of trees is done by following the old Mersey River bed that was flooded to create this hydro Lake. The rocky shores provide more structure and sight fishing opportunities from the shore. The Lake is open to all forms of fishing, including bait. One such bait that has proven deadly throughout the season on this Lake is the black cockroach, which can be found under loose flat stones and dry timber in the area. When fished under a bubble float or actively cast and retrieved, there is no denying the effectiveness of this bait in lakes such as this. For the fly fisher, the Lake can have a midge hatch and beetle falls to keep fish looking up late in the season.
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Fishing News - Page 17
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The last kilometre of the Mersey River flowing into the Lake holds a small population of brown and rainbows with the occasional sighting of a large spooky brown that has entered the river in May. Fishing the main body of the Lake is usually much more productive to fish, than the sometimes barren part of the river that enters the Lake.
Dee Lagoon Dee Lagoon holds both rainbows and browns and is highly regarded as a wind lane fishery with midge hatches and beetle falls. Jassids are always a chance late in the season if you strike it on the right day. Dee Lagoon is mostly fished from a boat to have easy access to all corners of the Lake. Pataon bay can be accessed by 2wd vehicle and is a good late season shore based destination.
Rainbow Rivers Apart from the upper Mersey, there are two other rivers in the state with the same name that are classified as rainbow waters. The Weld River in the South of the state and the Weld River in the North east. Both rivers are open until the end of rainbow season, just in case you want to squeeze in a little more river fishing.
Waters that never close For anyone who can’t get enough trout fishing, there is no need to stop with a handful of Lakes and sections of rivers that are open all year.
April things start to change and those fish that are normally hidden are often out and ready to feed on large protein rich food items such as small bait fish and any large terrestrial that finds its way onto the water. The Giant Stone fly is still present at this time of year, so a large foam fly is still a nice dry fly option during this time. The chance of a Jassid hatch is always possible so a small red and black Jassid pattern, which there are many, is one of my favourite go to dry flies late in the season, even when there are no Jassids present this little fly makes a great impression on these late season trout. When the weather turns wet and cold it’s time to revert back to those early season tactics and fish a nymph or big wet fly like a Woolly Bugger or fur fly. The fish are usually in close so I like to fish the edge first before searching further out over those large submerged rocks. It almost goes without saying that bibbed lures and soft plastics are going to get eaten at this time of year. Trout are looking for small fish to eat and that’s what these represent. The vibration from a lure or the scent, fishy profile and jigging action of a soft plastic make them a very efficient and productive
Large stoneflies are great trout food.
The lakes that are managed like this could be put into two categories. Lakes that are stocked “put and take fisheries” with no or very limited natural spawning facilities such as Brushy Lagoon, Meadowbank Lake and Craigbourne Dam. Then there are the other lakes, such as Great Lake (excluding Canal Bay), Lake Burbury, Lake Pedder and Huntsman Lake that are capable of maintaining a large head of fish that is naturally replenished each year by their own productive spawning rivers. The sections of rivers that have been put on the open all year lists to take trout, are limited to the lower tidal sections. These areas are down stream form a nominated bridge such as the Bridgewater Bridge in the Derwent, Lower Charles St Bridge on the North Esk, West Tamar Bridge on the South Esk and Allison Bridge on the Leven.
Western Lakes Come the month of April the water temperature has started to cool off again and we’ve usually had a bit of rain to lift the water levels up a bit in the Western Lakes. Many big fish that live in those shallow lakes are often hidden under rocks during the hottest part of the day in late summer. During
The northern end of Lake Meston offers some superb late season fishing. way to cover a lot of water in rough conditions. In the last few weeks’ trout can often be seen swimming in pairs as they begin to feel the erg to spawn. There are also times when you can see tails and fins in the shallows or boisterous bow waves rippling out from the shallows, as males jostle over the right to pair up with a female. This phenomenon is usually seen on lakes that have no spawning river for these fish to group and spawn. Because these fish are not feeding at this time, lures or flies may only be taken out of aggression in an attempt to remove it from their territory. With that said, I have had these fish sip down
an EWB (Emerging Woolly Bugger) like it was a dying or distressed bait fish, which it is intended to represent. So I think the need to eat is still there, it just needs to be worthwhile. If there was ever a time to catch and release, this is it, big pre-spawn Brown’s kept for the table this late in the season are never any good for the table, it really would be a waist. Smaller maiden fish that have not gone through the body changes of the adults are a much better option for the table. Of course, you could always fish a rainbow water to take one home for dinner, which is less likely to end up feeding the cat. Craig Rist
Releasing a Junction Lake rainbow.
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Fishing News - Page 19
a while things got quite hectic with bent rods and smiles all round. Every now and again we had to reposition the boat to keep in contact with the school as we drifted with the breeze and current, an easy job with the fish on the surface. By 2pm the north-east breeze returned causing the cloud cover to break up and the bright sun to shine through. Very quickly, fish on the surface became hard to find. With 16 Albacore in the cooler we decided to call it a day. The day had proved to be the best sight fishing for tuna I have ever encountered on the east coast of Tasmania, a day to remember and fire the enthusiasm for future trips. We made good time on the way back to the ramp with the long flat hull of my old Territory river boat making the most of the calm conditions.
Great to eat fresh
Preserved Tuna
Albacore tuna are a fantastic eating fish with a good amount of oil in their flesh, they are an easy fish to cook and very versatile. The trouble is they are only really an option to catch for about three months a year at which time on a good day, you can fill the boat. However once the boat is full, what do you do with them? You stuff yourself with them for a couple of weeks, give them away to friends and family, freeze them and end up avoiding the frozen stuff because it tastes nowhere near as good as the fresh.
Preserve — don’t freeze them That’s where preserving comes in. Being a Home Dad these days I do most of the shopping and we eat a lot of small cans of tuna a week. At over $2 a can they add up really fast. Preserving your own is quite easy and it tastes better than the bought stuff and will last for a year in the cupboard.
First part of preserving is to catch your fish.
T
he day dawned overcast, grey and warm with just the hint of a northeaster wafting through. We delayed our arrival at the ramp to allow the post-competition flotilla to depart, launching the boat around 8:30. As we rounded St Helens Point we started to push into a moderate, south-east swell making our way out to the 100 metre line, the point we would start trawling. After dropping back a green and yellow skirt and a Mackbait on two old Penn 330s loaded with 15kg fireline, a third rod was a 6kg spinning outfit with a green and yellow feather jig set well back on the port side. With this spread we proceeded to trawl towards the shelf. The action was a bit slow until we hit the shelf with only two small, striped tuna hitting the skirts on the way. Things started to happen as the drop off appeared on the sounder. Schools of albacore could easily be seen feeding in the slicks and wind lanes, their sickle-like fins cutting the surface as they fed on krill. As we passed through the closest school first one, then both Penn reels growled in protest as fish hit the lures running closest to the boat, their ratchets continued to buzz as the hooked fish sounded. I kept the boat in gear trawling forward to give the 6kg spinning outfit set further back a chance to get into the school. Within a few seconds that rod also loaded up and the boat was knocked out of gear. I grabbed the spin rod first, holding on as the 6kg braid melted off the reel at an alarming rate. I resisted the temptation to increase the drag knowing it was pre-set for 3kg and with that amount of line in the water it should eventually take its toll. Craig made short work of a 3kg albacore on one of the Penn outfits, slipping it from the net to the kill tank before grabbing the last rod with fish still attached. Things slowly started to go in my favour as the fish’s first long run slowed to a stop and I was able to gradually win some line back but it still took some time to see colour on the fish as it started circling under the boat. With a few false starts I was able to slip the gaff into an Albacore around the 6kg mark,
Fishing News - Page 20
a heck of a lot of fun on lighter gear. The next few passes produced small fish between two and three kilograms landing in the kill tank to bleed out, a perfect size for the pot. Larger fish could be seen feeding in places but were being beaten to the punch by the smaller fish. The conditions continued to improve with the wind dropping out almost entirely and the overcast sky staying heavy and dark with the odd shower of rain to encourage the fish to stay on the surface to feed. With plenty of fish in the boat we changed tactics. After positioning the boat up drift from a likely looking school I started casting a soft plastic back into the action. Initially the jig head may have been a bit light as the fish closer to the boat tended to stay down a bit deeper, so after a few fruitless casts I changed to a much heavier one. The change met instant success with the soft plastic being taken on the sink by a small albacore. The fish was boated easily and the soft plastic returned to the fray. For
Pick the small fish, cook it slowly right through and it will pull apart easily. First I select the smallest fish for preserving as it is easier to fillet the larger fish for the table. Cut the tails and heads off and remove the guts with the head. Don’t worry about the fins, scales etc they will come off quite easily later on. Place the fish in a large pot such as a crayfish cooker and cover with water. The water should be as salty as the sea eg. 35 grams of salt per litre. DO THIS OUTSIDE !!!! Simmering tuna will stink the house out. Place the pot on a heat source and bring to the boil, then turn it down to a low simmer. If the fish is boiled too vigorously it may break up and you will have one hell of a mess. Depending on the size of the fish it should take between 45 min to 1.5 hours to cook through.
Cook it OUTSIDE.
Once the tuna has cooled I clean up the fillets using just a fork. The fish should fall into four parts exposing the bones and bloodlines. Using your hands rub off the skin, scales and remove most of the bones. With the help of the fork it is quite easy to remove the bloodlines and any remaining small bones. You can be as finicky as you like here
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Fishing News - Page 21
Once the jars are filled, thoroughly clean the rim to ensure a good seal, taking care to do this properly otherwise you will have wasted your time. Place the lids on ensuring that the seals on the lids are clean and dry. Screw them down nice and tight and stack them either in a Fowlers Vacola preserver or a large pot on the stove. Use the same pot you cooked the tuna in when it has been cleaned, fill with cold fresh water so the jars on top are covered by at least 2cm. Slowly bring the pot to the point of boiling 45min or so,then turn it off and leave it to cool down. Remove the jars and check the seals, the centre of the lids on the Ball Mason jars should be hard down and won’t click when pressed. The Vacola jars when cold should also be sucked down and won’t need the clips to hold them on. Just label them with name and date and stack them in a dark, cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
removing all the small blood vessels ending up with clean white meat if you like. It can be easier to do two passes on the fillets, removing the worst of it while your hands are covered in skin and scales, then a second go while packing the jars. I use wide mouth Ball Mason jars purchased from ozfarmer.com. They have a large range and the prices are good. These jars have screw top lids and are a tempered glass meant for preserving. The lids are in two parts with a reusable threaded ring and a flat, disposable seal plate. The jars with full lid sets cost about $20-30 a dozen depending on the size. Replacement lid seals are $2 a dozen.The jars have to be washed and sterilised just before you use them. I put mine on oven trays after washing and put them in the oven on 150C for 15 minutes.
SBT and Yellow Fin are also fantastic for preserving, you may need to cut them up a bit before cooking or get a very big pot! With a little bit of effort you can easily spread the abundance of the autumn tuna run over the whole year. I get a lot of satisfaction out of making the most out of my catch and it puts a smile on my face every time I go to the cupboard for another jar of double burn chilli tuna.
Another option is to use Fowlers Vacola jars, number 14 (350ml) or number 20 (600ml) both take size 3 lids, rings and seals. The number 20’s shape isn’t ideal but will do for a first go,are very easily found and will save a few dollars. Fowlers jars have been kicking around for generations and I would be surprised if somebody within your family didn’t have a couple of boxes of them under the house. Garage sales can also be a good place to look. New stainless lids, rubber rings and clips are available from most supermarkets.
Simon Hedditch
Packing the jars is up to you, either flake the meat and pack it in or you can cut the small triangular fillets to the depth of the jar and pack them in end on with four pieces producing a neat fit. To this I like to add some of my home grown Serrano chillies just to spice things up a bit. But at this stage the world is you oyster. Leave the tuna unflavoured or add anything you like to flavour the meat. A good start is to think about what flavours of tuna are on offer at the supermarket and add your own twist. To finish off, just cover the tuna with good quality olive oil, you shouldn’t need too much if the tuna is well packed. DON’T OVERFILL THE JARS. The Ball Masons have a line just below the thread, don’t fill past this line. With the Vacola jars it is 1cm clearance from the lid. The sound of the bottom blowing out of your new tempered glass jars is not a pleasant one.
Tasmanians don’t seem to take on preserving their fish. However with great catches of tuna over autumn you can be eating fish all year round. A little experimenting and some favorite condiments will give great variety and flavours.
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Fishing News - Page 22
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Fishing News - Page 23
Australian Fly Fishing Museum clarendon There is no fly fishing museum anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere until now. There are fishing museums, and there is a trout fishing museum at Plenty in Tasmania, but no fly fishing museum. The Australian Fly Fishing Museum opens at Clarendon in Northern Tasmania 4 May.
The Australian Fly Fishing Museum’s Mission To preserve, protect and celebrate the art, the craft and the joy of fly fishing.
- tasmania
Why the Museum is at Clarendon Clarendon House is one of the most important properties of the National Trust (Tasmania). It was built by James Cox in the 1830s and is an architectural and heritage icon with many unique features. Situated in Tasmania’s northern Midlands, a few minutes south of Evandale, the western side of the property is flanked by the South Esk River and across the river can be seen Symmons Plains. What has this got to do with a fly fishing museum? Fly fishing in Australia is predominately fly fishing for trout and it was James Arndell Youl* from across the river at Symmons Plains who was primarily responsible for the successful acclimatisation of trout in the southern hemisphere. After many attempts the first little trout hatched in Tasmania in 1864. The same James Youl had married Eliza Cox, sister of James Cox, at Clarendon in 1839 and this was an association that two keen fly fishers, Mike Stevens and Ron Dennis, had firmly in their minds when they were looking for a place to house a fly fishing museum. Discussions took place with the National Trust’s (Tasmania) managing director, Chris Tassell, and accommodation for the museum was suggested in the shepherd’s cottage at Clarendon. Clarendon was now to become home for Australia’s first fly fishing museum. There is a Museum of Trout Fishing at Plenty, near Hobart, but this is all
methods and trout fishing only. The Australian Fly Fishing Museum will enhance the Plenty museum by encouraging anglers to also visit there. The AFFM is passionate about building a relevant, outstanding and lasting legacy focussed on fly fishing in both fresh and saltwater in Australia. Tasmania has a long and rich heritage of fly fishing and although trout were not the first target, it was in March 1833 that fly fishing was first mentioned in print in Australia. Thomas Richards published ‘A Day’s Fishing in the Plenty’ in the Hobart Town Magazine thirty years before the acclimatisation of trout. Richards writes about catching mullet on a ‘red hackle’ or ‘fern fly’, but it is certain the fish were Australian grayling. He goes on to say they filled their baskets, stopped to lunch on ‘broiled fish, new potatoes, and bottled porter’ and then continued ‘to the river side, to renew our murderous sport, which we pursued with unrelenting vigour, till our baskets [would] positively contain no more’. However, the first fly fishing was probably NSW in the 1820s, but as mentioned the first article was 1833. A Day’s Fishing in the Plenty was on the Redlands property and this has recently opened to the public. So you can visit the site - enjoy the bread baked daily on site and perhaps partake we dram of whisky from one of only two ‘Paddock to bottle’ distilleries in the world. It was the acclimatisation of trout that really progressed fly fishing in both Tasmania and Australia. R.H. (Dick) Wigram was, in later life, well known for his fly fishing writing and commercially tied flies. Dick came to Tasmania in 1921 with his brother John (Jack) and they were direct descendants of Money Wigram who donated space on the ship Norfolk which brought the first trout ova to successfully hatch in Tasmania. Wigram wrote several keenly sought and collectable books on fly fishing and he is just a small part of the history which will be captured at the Australian Fly Fishing Museum.
Some items that will be on display. Fishing News - Page 24
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Red Hackle
History Compiled by Deanna Lee Birkholm
Dick Wigram landing a nice fish. He was one of Australia’s best known fly fishers and lived in Northern Tasmania.
Why the National Trust is involved Whilst Clarendon seemed like a perfect fit for somewhere to house a fly fishing museum there is much more to running anything open to the public than just having a collection of old things. A strong acquisitions policy was important, as were charitable donations, grants, insurance, liabilities, curating, conservation, financial controls and more. Starting a museum from scratch and trying to ensure all necessary things were covered seemed impossible, but it was realised that the National Trust do all these things, and have successfully done so for many years. Most of the challenges were the same. After some soul searching it was realised that being part of the National Trust brought huge benefits and reinventing the wheel was not necessary. The museum was proposed to operate in a similar way to other ‘Friends of the National Trust’ groups. This largely gives control to the Australian Fly Fishing Museum committee, but with all the guidance, knowledge and benefits of the National Trust. The Trust covers all the on ground property costs, plus the committee’s costs for insurance, financial auditing, stationery, etc. and will provide the committee with its systems and
Red Hackle Why it is used in the Australian Fly Fishing Museum logo. The first flies mentioned in an article on fly fishing in Australia are the Red Hackle and Fern Fly. This article was in the The Hobart Town Magazine – Volume 1. 2 April 1833 and a selected part is shown below. Fly fishing was mentioned as early as 1827 by Ship’s surgeon, Peter
protocols to run the museum. And that’s how the Australian Fly Fishing Museum will operate. A committee was formed and includes: David Grisold, Tony Wright, Jennie Chapman, Michael Youl, Rex Hunt, Chris Tassell, Mike Stevens, Todd Lambert, Janet Lambert, Ron Dennis, Hugh Maltby, Greg Peart, Peter Boag and Stuart Cottrell. The committee has developed a Strategic Plan, Action Plan and a Business Plan, brochures and more. The Museum through the National Trust has been successful with a $25,000 grant and more than $180,000 of private money donated and pledged.
The Australian Fly Fishing Museum opens 4 May A grand opening dinner is being held 3 May 2013. Tickets are $200 each and there may be some left. A cocktail party and auction is on 4 May. For tickets or enquiries phone National Trust on 03 6344 6233.
Opening Displays The opening displays will be the start of a long term vision and will show just a small part of Australia’s fly fishing history. The displays will change regularly during the year. Cunningham in Two Years in New South Wales, but it was scant, but when Thomas Richards (Piscator) wrote ‘A Day’s Fishing in the Plenty’ it was a comprehensive account and included the flies they used. Remember this was 1833 – thirty one years before trout were acclimatised in 1864. The Red Hackle was used for many years before that as well, so it seems likely it was one of – if not the first fly used to take fish in Australia. A similar fly – the Red Spinner is still a popular and common contemporary fly. The Committee thought it appropriate to use this early fly that gives a link to fly fishing from the earliest days to the present day. A short history of the Red Hackle is also shown following.
Favorite Flies and Their Histories by Mary Orvis Marbury, has a very complete history of the Red Hackle, which may be the very first recorded fly. What follows are just a few of the selected passages from that history. “Fly-fishing is a most ancient, and, as the ever-moderate Walton claims for it, “a most virtous pastime.” We find suggestions of its pursuance by men of all stations in all times, and it may be interesting to some to know how one little fly has held its name and form from century to century. “Empires have risen and fallen; cities been built, lived in, and crumbled to dust; continents discovered, populated, and grown old in wealth and culture; human ingenuity has conquered space, and the knowledge of new inventions has sped round the world to the aid of all men; unknown forces have been made familiar, and now light our ways, warm, feed, speak for us, and convey us where we will; but in all these strides we who fish have carried with us, and handed on and on down through the ages, the tiny “bonny red heckle.” Over two hundred years before Christ, theocritus wrote of fishing with “the bait of fallacious suspended from the rod,” but failed to tell of its color or method of construction. Who first thought to substitute feathers for the delicate gauzelike wings of insects, and bind them to hooks, outlining in shape the ephemera of the streams, we do not know; but in the third century after Christ AElian writes as follows....They fasten red (crimson red) wool round a hook, and fit on to the wool two feathers which grew under a cock’s wattles, and which in color are like wax... This is our first recorded description of the “canny red heckle” so often after to be tossed with eager watchfulness into “the current’s quick ripple.” The fly shows up again in the writings of a Benedictine nun described as: “In the begynning of Maye a good flye, the body of roddyd wull and lappid abowte wyth blacke silke; the wynges of the drake of the redde capons hakyll.” “So again we record of the Red Hackle of the Macedonian fishermen. The knowledge of the old, peaceful pastime drifts on for two centuries more, and then Izaak Walton. Walton instructs his pupil Viator in the use of twelve special flies. The fourth, or the “ruddy fly,” is to
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be used “in the beginning of May.” “The body made of red wool wrapt about with black silk, and the feathers are the wings of the drake; with the feathers of the red capon also, which hang dangling on its sides next to the tail.” “Twenty-two years later, Charles Bottom wrote his treatise on “The Art of Flyfishing,” submitted it to his “Father” Izaak Walton, who affectionately approved the discourse of his adopted son.” Cotton wrote the second part of the Complete Angler, with detailed explanations regarding the making of artificial flies... and the bonny red hackle appears again, under the name of Plain or Palmer Hackle and the Great Hackle. “Times were more peaceful now, and books more frequent. The little fly held its own until two hundred years more had rolled by, and then we are given beautiful engravings of it, many of them colored by hand, and later exquisitely lithographed. In one book - A Quaint Treatyse on Flies and the Art of Artificiale Flee Making - we may see the fly itself on medallions inserted in the pages, with the materials for its construction, so that today we need not fear losing the formula. The original materials, “redde wulle and a capon’s hackle,” are yet used. Sometimes all the hackle is wound in at the head of the fly, when it is called simply a Red Hackle; but when the hackle is wound the entire length of the body it is “a palmer.” The red coat or body of the fly suggested the distinction of soldier palmer,” but either fly, the “bonny red hackle” or the “soldier palmer,” can boast the oldest record of any fly known and used today.” Red Hackle - as dressed by Mary Orvis Marbury Body: Red Floss. Rib: Oval gold tinsel. Hackle: Brown. Credits: Red Hackle history text from Favorite Flies and Their Histories, published by Lyons Press. Fly dressing from Forgotten Flies, published by Complete Sportsman. Fly sketch by Trevor Hawkins.
Fishing News - Page 25
An initial chronology of fly fishing’s important dates, events and people has been developed and from this an acquisitions and displays plan has been developed. Two of the displays will include artefacts from R.H. (Dick) Wigram and J.M. (Malcom) Gillies. These were both giants in fly fishing in Australia. Acquisitions, restoration and display of museum pieces has been completed. The museum is starting with a clean slate and this will allow something really special to take place where every display will be planned from the start, rather than put together from a haphazard collection of existing material.
Future Exhibits If you have suggestions on exhibits, people, places or events that you think warrant inclusion in displays in the future, please forward them to Mike Stevens mike@tasfish.com or the Curator, Rhonda Hamilton Rhonda.Hamilton@nationaltrusttas.org.au Also, if you have or know of interesting fly fishing material please contact Mike Stevens on 0418 129949 or mike@tasfish.com or Jennie Chapman at Clarendon.
Australian Fly Fishing Museum Foundation Membership Contribute $2,500 to $50,000 before the museum opens on 4 May 2013 and you or your organisation will become a Foundation Member. Your name, or name of your organisation, will be part of the museum in perpetuity. Your generosity will be permanently acknowledged on a panel on the Foundation Members wall.
Become a Member Members will get a regular newsletter and information on what’s going on or coming up. You will get free entry to both Clarendon and the Museum on an ongoing basis. Your membership will also help
Fishing News - Page 26
support the Museum. Single membership will be $30 per year and Family $50 per year.
Become a Volunteer Imagine spending your day surrounded by fly fishing memorabilia and talking to other anglers. At the Australian Fly Fishing Museum that’s exactly what you can do. No matter whether you have a spare day once a week, once a month or even a couple of days a year when you visit Tasmania you can help. You might help with some research and there is plenty to read. This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of fly fishing history. The Museum will be open 10am to 4pm seven days a week. Closed July and August. If you can help phone Jennie Chapman on 03 6398 6220.
Artefacts the Museum would like to acquire • Anything related to fly fishing in Australia from 1833 to current. • Fresh and salt water – all species. • Photos, slides, postcards or newspaper cuttings. • Fly fishing tackle and ephemera from 1830s to present. The earliest tackle would have been manufactured in England. May include bags, scales, line winders, lines, casts, creels, jackets, hats etc. If it has known history available even better. • Fly rods – earliest would be English, such as Hardy, Farlows etc. • Fly rods – Australian. These may include Southam, Gillies, Turville, JR Green, Slazenger, Robert Cox, Butterworth etc. • Australian fly rods by Suffrein – from 1872. • Landing nets by Hardy, Streamcraft and others. • Fly reels - English up to 1960s. • Fly reels – Australian such as Gillies, Hartleys, Dawson, Rainbow, Hartsport, Southam, Goulburn,
Spalding, Atlas, Derwent, Austin, Streamcraft and more. • Catalogues from Mick Simmons, Hartleys, MSD (Melbourne Sports Depot), Gillies, Sydney Fishing Tackle Supply, Hordern, Eastways and other various stores and often hardware suppliers. • Flies from earliest times – especially those in boxes, or owned by someone of renown. • Diaries – especially from 1800s and to mid 1900s. • Books on fly fishing – especially Australian or with Australian content. • Old magazines and papers with Australian fly fishing content. • Books, booklets and newsletters from fishing and fly fishing clubs with fly fishing content. • Tourism posters featuring fishing. • Old film footage of fly fishing or fly fishers. • Branded boxes and ephemera from Eastways, Mick Simmons, Bridges Bros, Charles Davis, Allen and Slater, Wigram and Ross etc. • Annual reports from fly fishing clubs, or reports with fly fishing content. • Fly fishing clothing from the past. • Items the Museum can auction or sell to raise funds. *James Youl was born at Caddai, near Windsor, NSW, on 28 December 1810. He was called ‘Arndell’ after Thomas Arndell, assistant surgeon to the new settlement in Australia, who sailed with the First Fleet in 1787. James was at school in England when news reached him of his father’s death in 1827. He promptly assumed the position of head of the family at the property in Van Diemen’s Land that had been acquired from 1819. He was granted 500 acres of land at Symmons Plains in 1827. His male siblings also received similar land grants from the Crown. By 1828 James had purchased several other grants from the families of Bostock, Lucas, McNab, and Smith. James was appointed JP (1837) and a magistrate, and was keenly interested in public affairs. He married Eliza Cox on 9 July 1839 at Clarendon, Evandale, Tasmania. Eliza was born 25 August 1817 at Richmond, NSW, the second daughter of Lieut William Cox (1789–1850) and Elizabeth Piper (1792–1872) of Hobartville, Richmond, NSW. William Cox Jnr, eldest son of William Cox Snr, is now best remembered for building the first road over the Blue Mountains. James and Eliza had five boys and eight girls. [From the Friends of the West Norwood Cemetery Newsletter, September 2008, by Bob Flanagan.]
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Jan’s Jan Spencer
R
ecently I fished with a friend on Arthurs Lake. It is always interesting fishing with other people — not only to have some different company, but to learn some new techniques. I fish a nine foot, six weight for dries and if there are no fish moving off come the dries and I change to semi-wets or full wets with a sinking line. A DI3 is my favourite on a ten foot, six weight rod. I like the longer rod when lifting the flies to the surface on the retrieve — especially if using 2-3 flies and a long leader. Back to fishing with my friend though - who happens to be a dry fly purist for some reason. It was pleasant looking for fish, but there was not much moving so we were prospecting as much as anything. I used this chance to try some new buggy looking flies I had tied up. They weren’t particularly representative of anything, but looked good to me. We fished along some likely shores and the holes in the weedbeds with two dries. It is surprising and rewarding to see an unseen fish come up and sip down your offering. Good boat techniques and control is a must in these instances. A few fish were caught and while my friend stuck with the same patterns most of the day I changed with every fish caught. By day’s end we had both caught a similar number of fish.
Flies
He asked why I bothered to change flies so often.
My answer was that if trout are feeding really well they will take most well presented flies. So I think that a well tied fly that looks buggy will get an inspection at least. The following pattern has given me lots of fish. It is mostly fished as part of a two fly setup. If there are moving fish I use it on its own. It could represent many different insects, so if the fish are on the chew, it is usually taken with vigour. I like that it is a little different and so, it seems, do the fish.
Black and Orange Bug
Method 1. Wind black thread the full length of hook shank, tie in a small bunch of cock fibres for tail and then tie in fine copper wire for rib. 2. Bring thread no more than two thirds of the way back towards the eye. Now tie in the palmer hackle solidly with at least four turns of thread and cut away excess stem. 3. Wind the palmer hackle back towards the tail stopping where the rib is tied in. Now tie the rib forwards securing the palmer hackle. Secure the rib with a few turns of thread and cut away excess hackle tip and rib.
Thread: Black.
4. Take two small golden pheasant feathers and tie one in each side of the body and cut away excess stems of each.
Tail:
Small bunch of cock fibres.
5. Tie in peacock herl and leave hanging.
Rib:
Fine copper wire.
6. Place front black hackle in and cut away excess stem. Wind hackle in nice tight turns towards the eye. Bring the thread through carefully and make sure you do not crowd the eye of the hook. Cut away excess hackle.
Hook: Light guage, size 10-14.
Body: One small black cock hackle. Wing: Two small golden pheasant feathers. Thorax: One peacock herl. Front Hackle: One black cock hackle. It is important to keep both body and front hackles small.
7. Bring the peacock herl gently through the front hackle and tie down in front. Cut away excess and whip finish the fly.
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Fishing News - Page 27
Fishing News - Page 28
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A small berley pot with a couple of handfuls of berley pellets and a capful or two of tuna oil is all that is needed and dropped down a foot or two under the surface.
A
fter a very successful first year the annual Tasmanian Family Fishing Festival will be on again on Saturday the 27th of April. The waters of Georges Bay, St Helens will be host to this great family event and what follows is a quick overview of the fish species to target this year as well as a few tips and hints on where and how to catch them.
Tips on catching the target species Shore based species Leatherjacket, yellow eyed mullet and silver trevally. These species can be caught all throughout Georges Bay from both the jetties and sections of shoreline. Georges Bay has a good variety of shore fishing options from sandy flats to rocky shores as well as the many small jetty’s around the bay and these offer a great place to start. To ensure a successful outing on a wharf or jetty the use of berley is paramount, this will attract fish from a wide area to your fishing position and keep them there for your session.
Try not to introduce large amounts of berley to the water column at once as this will only serve to feed the fish and they will soon move on, the effect you are looking for is a constant, steady stream of particles floating down to the bottom — a little bit often is better than a lot at once, a few handfuls tossed liberally around the general area will also serve to attract fish from a wider environment. Once the berley has attracted schools of fish to your area then a standard paternoster rig, small bomb sinker on the bottom with two hooks above, dropped to the bottom is by far the best all-purpose rig to use. Place a piece of bait on each hook such as prawn flesh, S.A. Pippies or King Bait squid strips and the action should come thick and fast. As many of the fish feed on the small bait fish that frequent Georges Bay, at times the water around the jetty’s can be black with bait fish, the use of small baitfish imitation lures and soft plastics can be very effective. Just a simple cast and retrieve with an erratic motion will be all that’s needed. Some great plastics to try are the Yep Tassie Tackle 3” flick baits as well as the Strike Tiger 3” grubs.
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Fishing News - Page 29
The trevally and mullet will come right up on the edges and the leatherjacket will stay just over the edge of the drop off, on the edge of the weed beds.
Some areas to concentrate on are the main wharf area towards the main township, the small T-Bar shaped jetty in Beauty Bay just along the waterfront, Kirwans jetty along the shoreline a little further from Beauty Bay (both of these can be seen from the road driving into St Helens) and both the Parkside and Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connors Beach jetty out along the road to St Helens Point. All of these jetties produce good fish on a regular basis.
Boat based species For the boat based anglers this year the species being targeted are black bream, Australian Salmon, flathead and garfish. One of the most important factors to successful garfishing is the use of berley to attract the fish and keep them in the immediate vicinity of your boat.
If a jetty or wharf is not your thing then there is plenty of good wadable shoreline to concentrate on. Starting in the township a quick wander along the foreshore and around the main wharf along the rocks can produce good fish, I find that a small soft plastic outfit is an ideal way to target these areas and flicking small bait fish imitations up along the pylons and along the rock walls will produce fish as well as unweighted baits being let drift about naturally. As you move over the bridge on your way out of the town there is a small oyster encrusted rock wall that you can climb down to at low tide, this gives casting access to the pylons under the bridge and the rock wall itself can quite often hold good numbers of fish. From this point almost all the way around the waterfront is a walking/bike track and from here you can access quite a lot of good fishable shoreline with a good mixture of rocky bottom, sandy shore and muddy flats. Here the same soft plastic outfits and lures will work well or a simple running sinker rig of a small ball sinker down to a #6-#2 long shank style hook,
By far the most effective and lethal berley I have come across is a premixed berley that is in a fine particle form that resembles breadcrumbs but has some added attractants mixed in for good measure.
baits such as those mentioned above will be ideal for these areas as well. When looking for a likely spot to target with the baits I prefer the shorelines that have some shallow mud or sand flats close by that have plenty of small crab and nipper holes in them as this is where the fish will feed as the tide rises over them. Target the drop offs on the edges of these flats when the tide is low and fish up on the shallows as the tide rises over them. One of my favourite areas is the Stockyard Flats near Akaroa. It is easily accessible by car, has a good little parking area and is easy to wade, just being careful to keep your eye on the tide when it rushes in over the mudflats.
I mix about 2 handfuls of the berley mix and half a cupful of tuna oil to a berley pot and lower into the water over the side of the boat; this creates a cloud of fine particles in the water as well as an oil slick on the surface. As there are no large food items for the garfish to feed on they tend to swim around getting a good whiff of the berley and oil and become quite agitated and enter into a feeding frenzy. Provided you keep a continuous stream of this berley mixture in the water the fish will stay attracted to the area for long enough to catch your feed. A small size10-12 long shank hook under a small quill or ball float with a small piece of squid. Garfish tend to favour areas that are shallow and have good seagrass beds, in Georges Bay the hot spot seems to be along the red channel markers
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Squidgy Bloodworm
Squidgy Evil Minnow
Squidgy Wasabi The author’s favourite soft plastics for Georges Bay are Squidgy Wrigglers in a variety of colours.
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. With the many sand flat and mud flat areas around Georges Bay it is of no surprise that good numbers of flathead can be caught. As the tide rises the fish will move up onto the flats feeding on all manner of items such as small crabs and crustaceans, prawns, shrimps, sandworms, nippers and small baitfish all being dispersed as the water floods the new ground. As the tide recedes the flathead will sit on the drop offs and gutters on the outer edges of the flats
Coastal Marine & Shimano Tasmanian Family Fishing Festival - St Helens Saturday April 27th 2013 Adults $20 - Kids u/16 $10 St Helens Foreshore Registrations 7am-8am Fishing 8am-2pm Weigh in 2pm-4pm. Presentations at 5pm All entrants must be present to be eligible for the prizes. Fish off a jetty or a boat…..anyone can enter with lots of fantastic prizes up for grabs.
For more information contact: Garry Pannan-63763298 or Jamie Henderson-63762244 or like us on Facebook
leading out to the barway next to the shallow sandbank. Here you have shallow water, plenty of seagrass and on the incoming tide some good current to carry your berley trail and keep the fish swimming behind your boat.
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I have found that the incoming tide from about half in to full tide is about the best time to chase the gars. The garfish can often be seen swimming right up on the shallow sand flats also and large schools of fish will jump out of the water as if they are being chased by something larger. Australian salmon respond well to a number of different baits such as bluebait, whitebait, squid, pippies and prawns but “matching the hatch” is always your best option and if the fish are chasing bait schools then the smaller fish bait is the best option.
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While the salmon are focused on the bait schools it is prime time to target the fish with artificial means such as metal lures and soft plastics. When the salmon schools are boiling on the surface a few different techniques can be employed, by far the most common is trolling lures behind a boat, whilst this seems an easy method it is by far not the most effective as the noise from the outboard motors tends to put the schools down and move them around too much. A far more deadly and effective method is drift spinning, by this I mean motoring up wind or up current of the school of fish switching the motor off and drifting down onto the fish casting lures or soft plastics ahead of you, this keeps the school up on top and quite often you end up right in the middle of the school with fish all around you. The boat itself can also act as a large F.A.D. (fish attracting device) as it casts a large shadow in the water and the baitfish quite often try and find refuge underneath keeping the school of salmon all around your boat. The salmon tend to roam the bay following the bait 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.
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waiting in ambush of any tasty morsel moving past them. It is at this stage that the angler has the best chance of capture as the fish will attack nearly anything that moves past it, baits such as King Bait squid strips, S.A. pippies and prawns are all good. Flathead respond well to bait that is moving so a slow drift over the flats or a slow retrieve sliding the bait across the bottom will be very effective. The flathead are also a prime species for targeting with soft plastics and from my experience this technique results in much larger than average fish most of the time. My favourite plastics lures for this method are #2 and #3 Squidgy Fish in Gary Glitter, Killer Tomato and Mint Jelly or #3 and #4 Squidgy Wriggler in Wasabi and Gary Glitter. Sitting up on the mud and sand flats in 2-5 metres of water is ideal and the technique involves casting out as far as possible and letting the lure fall to the bottom, then a quick lift and drop hopping it all the way back to the boat, every now and then throwing in an aggressive whip into the retrieve to get the attention of any interested fish nearby.
Bream move around all over the bay, hanging around wharfs, jetty’s, moored boats, oyster racks feeding and all over 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. Once again effective use of berley will attract schools of fish to your area, baits such as peeled prawn flesh and S.A. pippies work well as do freshly pumped nippers and small black crabs. A standard running ball sinker rig is ideal combined with an octopus
Australian salmon are a lot of fun and a soft plastic will bring them undone. style hook in sizes #6 through to #2 to match the bait being used.
It is hard to go past the excellent and universal running sinker rig.
Also unweighted baits drifted down the berley trail will not be refused by a hungry little bream.
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Small bream are abundant all around the bay near any sort of structure and will keep the kids occupied all day, however if its larger specimens you are after than targeting them with soft plastics and hard body bibbed lures is for you. Plastics such as 80mm & 100mm Pro Range Squidgy Wrigglers in Wasabi, Bloodworm and Evil Minnow are all dynamite on Georges Bay Bream. Area’s to concentrate are around any structure, wharfs, jetties, pylons, oyster racks, moored boats and shallow rocky points. One of my favourite areas for bream is the extensive sand flats and mudflats throughout the bay, some of the biggest schools and largest bream come from up on the shallow sand and mudflats in less than 1 metre of water. One of my favourite techniques for this area, so long as there is very little weed, is the use of hard body lures. Lures worthy of a cast are Strike Pro Smelta, Bass-X and Pygmy styles all in various colours as well as the new Cranka Minnow in both shallow and deep models. I start with a basic long cast and slow winding retrieve back letting the lure just bounce its bib across the sand. If this does not bring a strike from a fish then a pause every now and then and small twitches in the retrieve may trigger the bream to attack the lure, once hooked on the shallows the bream will peel line off your reel and carve up the flats testing the light tackle to its limits. Hopefully the information above helps you land a few good fish on the day and we hope to see you there with rod in hand ready for a great day’s family fun on the water. Jamie Henderson
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PFLUEGER® PURIST® SPINNING REELS The Pflueger® Purist® spinning reels create more fun for amateur and avid anglers alike. With specialized components, anglers have the ability to take the Purist spinning reels fishing all day without worry of failure from their favorite reel. Built with a unique hybrid body, the Purist spinning reels use both aluminum and graphite components to form a rugged yet light-weight fishing reel. Available with a carbon hybrid fiber drag, the Purist spinning reels also feature nine plus one stainless steel ball bearings, double anodized aluminum spool and aluminum handle.
For a rod and reel combo package, the Purist spinning reels are a perfect match to the Trion series. Cosmetically pleasing finished in silver and grey the Purist is a fine choice for anglers looking for amazing performance at a reasonable cost. Purist spinning reels come in 25, 30, 35 and 40 sizes, ideal for light to medium lure fishing. Hybrid aluminum and graphite body Double anodized aluminum spool Carbon hybrid drag Aluminum handle Nine stainless steel ball bearings plus one roller bearing Mono Line Capacity 110 yards/14-pound test (20)
iPilot Link Minn Kota® and Humminbird® have now joined forces, offering direct communication between your Humminbird® fishfinder and Minn Kota® i-Pilot™ through ethernet link – opening up a new universe of navigation capabilities. The integrated system delivers automatic boat control and the ability to store and revisit your best fishing spots. New i-Pilot platform that interacts with Ethernet equipped Humminbird® units including 700 HD, 800, 900 & 1100 series. Compatible with PowerDrive V2, Riptide® ST, and Riptide® SP motors Has all the same functions as current i-Pilot, plus additional features
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TROUT TACTICS
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Mercury VesselView Long recognised as a premier engineinformation display system for recreational boating – is now even better with the introduction of VesselView 4 and VesselView 7. Designed exclusively for Mercury engines, these new and highlyi n t u i t i v e Ve s s e l V i e w models have integrated a range of additional features including ECOS c r e e n , S m a r t To w, NMEA gateway and Troll Control. Both models also display more than 30 engine parameters including fuel level and range, oil temperature and pressure, battery voltage, water depth, generator monitoring, HVAC and more.
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Fishing News - Page 34
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VesselView 4 and VesselView 7 will take your boating experience to a new level. ECO-Screen provides recommendations for optimal trim and rpm adjustments to improve fuel efficiency by up to 20 percent on selected 75hp models and above. Boaters who enjoy waterskiing, tubing or wakeboarding will love the SmartTow feature available which produces the perfect launch every
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time thanks to userselectable profiles that control launch and cruising speed on Digital Throttle and Shift Models. And anglers will appreciate Troll Control which lets the driver set and control engine trolling speed without using the throttle, maintaining steady speeds which can be increased or decreased in 10 rpm increments. For safety and peace of mind, VesselView 4 and VesselView 7 perform a diagnostic scan every time the engine is started and monitor performance constantly while underway, using simple icons and built-in intelligence to ensure the user is made aware of any necessary information. VesselView 7, which can monitor up to four engines, may also double as a chart plotter and can support accessories such as radar and sonar, when paired with a Lowrance or Simrad chart plotter or Mercury NMEA 2000 GPS antenna. A video input provides an option to install a backup camera for improved vision during docking or while reversing. Both are fully compatible with wide range of engines: • SmartCraft-ready Mercury outboards (40hp and above) • MerCruiser engines • Mercury Racing engines and • Mercury QSD Diesel engines.
Australian Fly Fishing Conclave ‘Hayes on Brumbys’ Cressy April 20/21
TARRALEAH TACKLE STORE End of Season Run Out
Cost: $230/day The dictionary definition of conclave is a ‘confidential or secretive meeting’. Whilst there is nothing confidential or secretive about our Tasmanian Fly Fishing Conclave this is the name we have chosen to give this two day event celebrating all things fly fishing.
Workshop Programs
During each day there are a variety of two x 2 hour workshop programs of your choice to attend. All aspects of fly casting are covered including spey casting, fly tying, lake and river fishing techniques, knots and rigs, and much more. Additionally,included each day are two x 1 hour group discussions/ demonstrations and tutorials on topics that your Instructors consider of vital importance to all fly fishers. Lunch morning and afternoon tea is provided each day. Come for the day or even both days and fast track your fishing skills by learning from ‘The Best of The Best’.
Special Guest Presenter
Carl McNeil, New Zealand Master Casting Instructor and film maker (Once in a Blue Moon, Itu’s Bones and Casts that Catch Fish) will be with us for the event. Carl has a wealth of fly fishing knowledge to pass on. Don’t miss this opportunity to spend time with Carl.
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Fishing News - Page 35
Rock Lobster A reminder that the season for female rock lobster finishes at the end of April in time for the breeding season. Although male rock lobster can still be taken until 31 August, all female rock lobster should be carefully returned to the water in the area they were caught. Female rock lobster can be distinguished from males by the large pleopods (red flap-like structure) under their tails, which are used to hold the eggs, and the small nipper claw on their rear legs. Male rock lobsters have much smaller pleopods and no nipper claw on their rear legs.
RECREATIONAL SEA FISHERIES NEWS April/May 2013
Banded Morwong
Open and Closed Seasons Fishing season information is available in the Recreational Sea Fishing Guide or on the web at www.fishing.tas.gov.au so you can plan fishing holidays and weekends.
The banded morwong season is currently closed and will re-open on 1st May. Banded morwong is the only scalefish that has a closed season, which is designed to provide protection for this territorial rocky reef species at the peak spawning period.
Scallops The scallop season for State waters is open from the Saturday before Easter (23rd March) until the end of July. The D’Entrecasteaux Channel season is closed for 2013 to protect scallop stocks and reduce the likelihood of long term closures.
Join Fishcare on the North West Coast Fishcare is looking for new recruits on the North West Coast. Becoming a volunteer is a great way to do your bit for Tasmania’s fisheries and to meet other like-minded people. Fishcare volunteers attending fishing events around the State and have the satisfaction of knowing they’ve made a difference. Ring the North West Fishcare Regional Coordinator, Damian Heran on (03) 6443 8624 or email fishcarenw@dpipwe.tas.gov.au. More information at www.fishing.tas.gov.au/fishcare.
Fishcare is now on Facebook Fishcare Tasmania has made the leap to using social media. If you’re on Facebook like our page at www. facebook.com/FishcareTasmania to hear news of recent Fishcare events and receive educational tips on how to fish in a responsible manner.
Visit Fishcare at an Event Near You!
A reminder that you should follow any public health alerts relating to eating wild shellfish. More information can be found at the Department of Health and Human Services www. publichealthalerts. tas.gov.au or phone their hotline on 1800 671 738.
Our hardworking Fishcare coordinators and volunteers from the north, north-west and southern regions attend fishing and community events around the state. Check the calendar below to find when they’ll be talking responsible fishing at a fishing show or community event near you.
Fishcare Events Saturday, 13 April Tasmanian Family Fishing Festival, St Helen
l
l e S st u M
Thursday, 14 April Nubeena Father and Son Fishing Clinic, Nubeena Saturday, 20 April - Sunday, 21 April Swimcart Beach Fishing Competition, Binalong Bay Thursday, 2 May - Saturday 4 May AgFest 2013, Quercus Park, Carrick Saturday, 18-19 May Inland Fisheries Trout Weekend, Liawenee
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Central Highlands. A walking route does not mean that a formed track exists for the entirety of the walk therefore experienced walkers only should attempt this route. The signs provide information for anglers and walkers including permitted and prohibited activities, recommended and maximum group sizes, distances, estimated walking times and hazard warnings. Also included at the commencement of the route at Little Pine Lagoon Dam Wall car park is a map of the route.
RECREATIONAL INLAND FISHERIES NEWS Efforts of Carp Management Program on display at Hamilton Show The IFS attended the Hamilton Show on Saturday 23 March with a trailer display focused on the work being undertaken further up the Clyde River catchment to protect the environmental values of lakes Sorell and Crescent from European carp. With carp successfully eradicated from Lake Crescent the Carp Management Program has been focusing on blocking carp spawning while reducing carp numbers with the aim of eradication in Lake Sorell. The increased effort has been enabled by funding over the past two through the Federal Government Caring for Our Country program. The work protects the threatened golden galaxias and the important wetlands that would be severely impacted upon if carp were left uncontrolled.
A fact sheet and map for the route is available on the IFS website on the Angler Access brochure page. Significant interest and support was shown from not only local and interstate anglers, but also members of the public who were aware of the carp issue just half an hour away in Lake Sorell. Even groups of young school children recognized that carp were a pest fish species in Tasmania. Many interstate visitors expressed their surprise at having successfully eradicated carp from Lake Crescent, and the efforts going in to achieving the same result in Lake Sorell. This is an enormous contrast to the carp situation on the mainland, where eradication is not possible, and management/containment is the only option. There were giveaways of stickers, rulers, magnets, angler access brochures, as well as the current angling code for this season which was received well by the public. Many people who approached the stalls were either keen trout fishers, had friends or family members who fished. The impact the IFS has on the community of Bothwell was evident, with many people recognising the work done in managing commercial and recreational freshwater fisheries
Arthurs Lake Pumphouse Bay works progressing on schedule Transend advise that contractors have completed the major works outside the yard at Pumphouse Bay boat ramp. The carpark / boat ramp area has been tidied up and contractors will monitor the reinstated area for any settling and rectify where required. Overall the results has been a bonus for boat ramp users as some embankment on the back of the yard has been reclaimed improving access and the turning circle for trailers. Works are scheduled to continue until June 2013 however there shouldn’t be any further major restrictions to the boat ramp / car park area.
The 2013 35th Bothwell International Highland Spin-In and Fiber Festival On Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of March the Inland Fisheries Service, supported by Caring For Our Country attended the 35th Bothwell International Highland Spin-In and Fiber Festival. The event attracted a range of people from all over the globe, who all shared an interest in the crafts and skills associated with Tasmania’s superfine wool industry. Although the festival was not focused on freshwater fishing, the small rural town of Bothwell based in the Central Highlands hosts a significant community of anglers.
Huon River Anglers Access maintenance The IFS has recently completed maintenance to Anglers Access infrastructure on the Huon River around Judbury. Stiles have been relocated and realigned to address recent changes in land tenure and fencing. These changes will provide improved access to the Huon River particularly downstream from the bridge at Judbury and from North Huon Road. Summer flow levels in the Huon River are providing ideal angling conditions in this area and further upstream at present.
Little Pine Lagoon to Lake Fergus walking route information and entry conditions The Inland Fisheries Service and Parks and Wildlife Service have recently completed installation of signs and track markers on the Little Pine Lagoon to Lake Fergus walking route in Tasmania’s rugged
Walkers are reminded: 9.5 km walking route approximately 2.5 – 3 hours each way Recommended group size 4 (maximum 6) Lake Fergus is within the Central Plateau Conservation Area (Part of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area) The CPCA is a fuel stove only area – no fires are permitted Horses, pets, vehicles and firearms are prohibited Please follow ‘Leave no trace’ guidelines The CPCA area is exposed to wind and weather. Appropriate wet weather gear and other essential bushwalking equipment are required. Navigational skills are required.
March long weekend 2013 compliance report During the long weekend period commencing Friday 8 March 2013 until Monday 11 March 2013 general fishery compliance patrols were conducted across the Central Highlands by Fisheries Officers in conjunction with Tasmania Police (Liawenee) and Wildlife Rangers. Whilst there was a focus on fisheries activities, wildlife, trespass and traffic offenses were also investigated. Waters patrolled included the 19 Lagoons area, Great Lake, Pine Tier Lagoon, Bronte Lagoon, Lake Binney, Bradys Lake, Tungatinah Lagoon, Lake St. Clair, Dee Lagoon, Lake Echo, Penstock Lagoon, Brushy Lagoon, Brumbys Creek, Four Springs Lake, South Esk River and the Macquarie River. Boat patrols were also undertaken on Arthurs Lake, Woods Lake and Lake Crescent. A total of 156 angling licences were inspected with 11 offenses detected with infringement notices issued, these were 4 x fishing without an angling licence, 4 x fishing with unattended set rod, 2 x failure to wear PFD in vessel under 6 meters and 1 x fishing with more than one rod and line at a time.
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Se e th b eM o a ti AST p r e ci ng AG nct at 7th FEST A ve n u e
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Game Fishing Preserving Tuna Striped Trumpeter Late Season Trout
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