Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 109 2014 April by Tasmanian Fishing

Issue 109 April - May 2014

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World Record

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107.5 kg southern bluefin tuna

Cold Smoking 150 Years of Trout Late Season Trout Kingston Hotspots Liberal Party Promises Jonah Yick with his world record southern bluefin tuna taken on 15 kilogram line class.

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Liberal Party Election Promises

Late Season – North Esk — Michal Rybka

Cold Smoking — Mike Stevens

Late Season at Lake Leake — Todd Lambert

Jan’s Flies — Jan Spencer

150 Years of Trout

Late Season — Justin Causby

St Helens Fun Fish – Tips for Success — Jamie Henderson 27

14 31 W

World Record Bluefin — Jonah Yick

Fishing around Kingston — Jason Walker

Products and Reviews

Marine Fishing News

Fishing, boating and accommodation services directory

ordinating this area and should be congratulated.

orld records are not easy, and Jonah Yick was a pretty happy man when he landed the fish on the front cover. Normally he is found dealing with Tasmania’s biggest pest fish, carp, as an employee of the Inland Fisheries Service. Melissa Nelson, whom we had a story about recently, also took a womens world record for southern bluefin tuna last season as well, with a fish of almost identical size. The other fish that it is possible to catch as world records in Tasmania include brook trout and mako shark. As Jonah explains you don’t need to be a fishing club member to claim a world record, just follow the rules. Agfest is a big event for Tasmania and this year the boating precinct is bigger than ever. Situated in the same area as last year on 7th Avenue there will be some comprehensive displays.

You will see a diverse range of displays from a large range of boats, Marine Fisheries, kayaks, safety gear and more. Representatives from many manufacturers and boat builders will be there. MAST will have a focus on kayak safety and skills and will have a large range of kayaks from Tamar Marine on display. MAST will also have a couple of Ergo machines setup so you can test your rowing or paddling strength. On 4 May this year Tasmania celebrates 150 years since the first brown trout hatched in the southern hemisphere. If James Youl and others were not so vigilant we may never have had a trout fishery.

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Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Published by Mike Stevens: PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250. Mike Stevens – P: 0418 129 949 or E: mike@tasfish.com 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

Above: The ‘Eaglehawk’ lure made by Vallance that took the record.

World Record angler Jonah Yick and Daniel Vallance pose with their catch.

107.5 kg on 15 kg line

World Record Bluefin It wasn’t till January 2013 that I finally bit the bullet, and ended up purchasing a modest 5.5m fibreglass Savage Ensign named “Mustang Sally”. After taking ownership of her I considered changing the name at some point down the track. Little did I know at this point in time that after the season I’d have with her, this name would be staying with the boat forever. After the reports of numerous jumbo southern bluefin tuna (SBT) caught days before, during, and after the 2013 Tom Jenkins Memorial Bluefin Competition, the temptation to fish was too much. After checking the weather for the week, I applied for one day’s leave from work, and Tuesday was the day.

ishing has always been a big part of my life however, for most of it I was land based. I was content fishing from the shore for a very long time, and don’t get me wrong I still love fishing off jetties and beaches to this day. However after getting the tuna fishing bug about 5 years ago, I knew that the only way I could fish for these offshore speedsters whenever I wanted was to get my own boat.

Fishing News - Page 4

It started like any other day of tuna fishing off the Tasman Peninsula,…EARLY. A quick stop to pick up my crew member for the day - Daniel Vallance, and we were on our way down the Tasman Highway in darkness. We arrived at Pirates Bay boat ramp by 6:00 a.m and had all the rods in and trolling by 6:30 a.m. Our spread consisted of three 24 and two 15kg outfits with a range of pusher style skirted lures. Forecast for the day were light winds under 10 knots

and bright sunny conditions. Not exactly ideal tuna weather, however Daniel reassured me that big tuna would come up in all conditions. We made our way down the coastline, past the Lanterns and the Monument, into Munroe Bight, past Cape Pillar, and around the western side of Tasman Island. We did a few laps of the island, sweeping hard in against the shoreline and into the shadows but there were no signs of life. Hours passed, and apart from seeing a few schoolies (small SBT) busting out of the water but refusing the lures, there had been little to get excited about. We began to make our way back up the coastline, and decided that we would make a quick detour over to the Hippolyte Rocks, and if we didn’t do any good there we would call it a day. As we approached the western face of the big rock, we noticed a few terns and gannets soaring high in the air, but they didn’t give too much away about what was happening down below. On our second pass around the eastern side of the rock just in front of the seal colony, the Tiagra 15kg combo set in the shotgun position growled into gear and began howling, as line emptied from the spool at an

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alarming rate. I looked at Daniel and told him to grab the rod as he was first up. However prior to our trip, our arrangement was if the strike appeared to be a jumbo I would be up, as he already had a jumbo under his belt. He hesitated for a few seconds listening to the drag screaming then shook his head and calmly said “that’s not my fish”. I reached up and pulled the rod from the rocket launcher and pushed the drag lever up to strike, which had been set at 5kg. This just appeared to enrage the fish and the run began to intensify with even more line disappearing into the ocean. Daniel kept the boat in gear and began to clear the rest of the lures from the water. At this point our main worry was that we would draw the attention of a pack of seals sitting on the rocks just a couple hundred metres away, however for whatever reason our guardian angel was looking over us and we were left alone. Soon after I was harnessed up and settled into what would be the longest and most exciting fights of my life. We knew the fish was big when it charged towards the boat then proceeded to overtake the boat while we were pushing along in gear. The fish fought deep initially, but with Daniel’s exceptional skills behind the wheel, we were able to break the fish’s swimming pattern, forcing it to come closer to the surface (this was a stellar effort seeing as though this was the first time he had driven my boat, as well as the first time he had operated a boat with left-hand controls!).

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Fishing News - Page 5

This is what game fishers do most of the time - go forwards, but look backwards. Within the first 20 minutes of the fight I had the double back on the reel, however the fish was nowhere near done and suddenly surged back to the depths directly under the boat. I yanked the drag lever back to put the reel into free spool, while hanging as far over the edge of the gunnels as I dared. Meanwhile Daniel slammed the throttle into reverse, turning hard starboard in order to spin the boat away from the diving fish, and avoiding the line rubbing on the hull. Apart from having what seemed like a couple hundred litres of water pouring in over the transom, we avoided disaster on this occasion and continued with the battle. Fifteen minutes later the fish was within reach, and yet again it took another dive. At this point I was fighting the fish on sunset drag (10kg), and my legs were beginning to ache and burn. My drink bottle was near empty and I was beginning to dehydrate but I knew I had to push on. Once again due to some quick evasive action by both of us, we were able to stay connected. An hour and ten minutes we had our third shot at the fish. As the fish came closer, with each pump of the rod I held the spool to prevent line from ticking off the reel. Slowly but surely we had the big barrel swimming gently alongside the boat. As I struggled to pull the fish closer and get the final wraps of the wind-on leader onto the reel Daniel got the boat in to position, then at the chosen moment he left the wheel to grab a gaff and prepare to take the first shot. In what seemed like an eternity with white water and gaffs flying everywhere, the fish was firmly secured at the side of the boat. Even though at this point we were both exhausted, we somehow managed to find the strength to drag the beast into the boat. It hit the deck with a loud thud and we both collapsed on the deck. We sat in silence for a few seconds just staring at what we had landed, then came the high fives, handshakes, and photos. We could only estimate the size of the fish as being 100kg plus, but still didn’t realise the significance of a fish this size on the tackle we were using. Although we hooked up a few hundred metres east of the Hippolyte Rock, the fish had dragged us approximately seven kilometres further east by the end of the fight. On arriving back to the boat ramp, Daniel organised a set of electronic crane scales owned by local guru and game fishing charter operator Stuart Nichols. As the fish was hoisted up from the deck of the boat and hooked onto the scales, we watched in Fishing News - Page 6

anticipation as the numbers climbed into the three figure range, and stopped at 107.5kg. At this point I still didn’t know that it had beaten the state, national, and world 15kg SBT line class record by 1kg, nor did I care. Catching a jumbo tuna was the holy grail of tuna fishing since I had started fishing offshore, and being able to catch it out of my own boat was everything I’d ever dreamed of. What made this capture especially memorable for Daniel was that the lure the fish took was one made by him, and marketed as an “Eaglehawk Lure”. After the fish was weighed and more photos taken, the fish was cut up and packed into mine and Daniel’s freezers, as well as it being distributed to a few friends, family, and work colleagues. Various parts of the organs were also removed and collected by staff and students at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) for further research. A few days passed and I was just settling back into reality when I got a call from Dr. Sean Tracey (Project leader at IMAS on the study of Post-release survival of southern bluefin tuna from recreational fishing) asking me if I realised that the fish I caught was a 15kg line class world record. I had already written off the chance of claiming a state or national record as my Tuna Club of Tasmania membership had expired months ago (a requirement for claiming these records). The thought of claiming a world record hadn’t crossed my mind. After a few calls and a bit of searching on the International Game Fish Association (IGFA) website, I discovered that I did not have to be affiliated with any sort of fishing club to claim a world record. This then led to a frantic few days of filling out paper work, measurements made on a range of fishing equipment, ensuring the scales were certified, and statutory declarations written/ signed. After compiling everything and sending it off to the IGFA headquarters in Florida, we had a painstaking 6 month wait before being notified whether it was accepted. The original owner of the 15kg line class southern bluefin tuna world record originated from a catch made by Ian Cutler on the 8th of May, 1959 with a 78.02kg SBT caught off Cape Pillar. This record was beaten 19 years later on the 10th of June, 1978 by Stanley Gibbon with a 99.99kg SBT at Tasman Island. 20 years later Jim Allen, founder of

the Compleat Angler retail chain retired this record on the 11th of May, 1980 with a 106.5kg fish also caught off Tasman Island. Thirty three years later in early October 2013, I received a long awaited email from the IGFA world records coordinator Jack Vitek that my record claim had been approved. Words could not describe the sense of achievement I felt as I saw my name and the details of the capture slotted into the records page. Never did I think I would actually catch a world record fish, as regardless of the official status, that fish already meant the world to me. After speaking to Jim Allen shortly after it was accepted, he was very supportive and pleased that his record had finally been broken. It was also interesting hearing the details surrounding his capture and how the whole fight played out. In this current age with fishing boats, tackle, and electronics constantly evolving to becoming more resilient, efficient, and overall more powerful, I would be surprised if this record lasts even half as long as Jim’s. However when the day comes for an angler who manages to land an even bigger SBT on 15kg, either by pursuing the record or by accident, I would gladly congratulate them, as I know how much joy it brought me. My only hope is for the record to stay in Tasmanian waters, and illustrate how lucky we all are to have a world class game fishery on our door step.

Fishing for a world record One advantage of claiming world records is that any angler can do it, and being affiliated with a fishing club is not a requirement. I’d better clarify first off that I have never been nor am I currently a record chaser. Fishing for me has always been a pastime that allows me to relax and get away from the stresses of life, and having to follow set rules and regulations just didn’t appeal to me. However, since starting game fishing and joining GFAA affiliated fishing clubs I realised that it wasn’t quite as bad as I’d thought. Being able to crew with friends who took the sport very seriously (you guys know who you are), spent hours of preparation, and were meticulous with using quality fishing gear as well as the rigging of all tackle, illustrated that these were key elements in being successful. If you are chasing a particular record, the preparation stage is taken to an extra level, in that you need to know what your target is (i.e. the particular sized fish needed to beat

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Fishing News - Page 7

a particular line class or all tackle record!), and if you are lucky enough to hook and land this fish; how to make it count. On the other hand, many people (including me) may not be interested in a particular record, but want to put the odds in our favour if that one particular fish jumps on the line. An example of this scenario could be an angler who fishes every year for tuna (or any species for that matter) has only 15kg outfits and does not own any lighter/heavier gear. He/she manages to hook a jumbo SBT or yellowfin tuna, and is eligible to submit a claim to the IGFA, they want to give themselves the best chance of it getting accepted. You constantly hear of stories in social and mainstream media where world record fish are caught, however due to ignorance, inexperience, and/or a lack of familiarity with the associated IGFA regulations, they are rejected. In many cases these fish never even reach the submission process as the anglers don’t realise the significance of their catch. Realistically I will probably never come across another fish which will qualify as a world record, especially without having a particular target in mind. Nevertheless all my gear and fishing techniques still adhere to IGFA regulations just in case that fish comes along again!

want when fighting a fish of a lifetime is to lose it from gear failure

specific section of the IGFA regulations which goes into more detail on fish mutilation.

Fish by IGFA regulations- this can be found on the IGFA website and isn’t as hard as it looks. Once you get used to fishing to these standards it becomes second nature.

If you think you may have caught a record fish but you are unsure, take immediate action in contacting an IGFA representative or a knowledgeable member of a fishing club to confirm whether it is. There are time limits for claims which start from the time you have caught the fish, and you would want the associated photos, fish lengths, weight, and gear measurements to be taken ASAP before the fish gets cleaned and discarded.

Don’t share the rod once hooked up- this comes under a specific section of the IGFA regulations which goes into more detail than this. Avoid seals at all costs- obviously this is easier said than done, but there are a few tricks which can assist you in landing your fish unscathed. Turning your ratchet off when you hook up, continuing to drive forwards once hooked up, and free-spooling the reel if a seal is on your fish can all assist you in landing your prize without bite marks. The minute a seal bites your fish, it is instantly disqualified from any sort of record claim. This also comes under a

Lastly, when the fish are biting get out there ASAP- tuna can be very unpredictable, one day they are on, the next they are either off the bite or they’re gone. This season has already started with a bang with multiple jumbos, school SBT, and big albacore caught, so start planning a trip and get amongst them! Jonah Yick

The points listed below were just a few factors which helped me hook, land, and claim my record fish. Not only do these apply to record chasing and opportunistic anglers, but they can also assist any angler to gain a more consistent and successful catch rate. Game fishing is a team effort- ideally you want one person driving, one person fishing, and another person gaffing/tracing. Ensure that all of your crew know that they have a role to play. Use quality gear and check for any signs of wear routinely- the last thing you

The old record from Jim Allen. Fishing News - Page 8

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What the Liberal Party promised in its election campaign. Will they deliver? We will revisit this on a regular basis. The Labor-Green Government has cut this sector adrift by appropriating recreational license fees into the consolidated fund, and strangling the peak body through a lack of funds, and the inability preventing it from engaging in public debate. A majority Hodgman Liberal Government will set up the recreational fishing sector as a strong, mature and valued participant in the fisheries and seafood industry. We will stop the misappropriation of funds originally intended for the Fishwise Trust, and restore the Fishwise Trust to the previous method of funding from recreational licence fees, over a period, in order to fund research and development for recreational fisheries, as was originally intended. This will be achieved through an initial allocation of $200,000.

Socio-economic study A majority Hodgman Liberal Government will provide $50,000 to fund a major independent socioeconomic study into the Tasmanian recreational fishing sector to ensure that it receives recognition as an industry in its own right by all levels of government and industry.

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TARFish, the peak body for recreational fishing, has been deliberately held back from developing into a mature and professional representative body of all recreational fishing interests. It has been held back by the Labor-Green Government. It has not been allowed to contribute strongly to public debates in defence of the recreational fishing sector. A majority Hodgman Liberal Government will work with TARFish to develop a sustainable business plan for the new-look peak body. A new constitution, which provides for contemporary democracy along the lines of other fisheries sector peak bodies, will be developed, allowing anyone involved in recreational fishing in Tasmania the ability to be elected to positions. We will also examine the arrangements for representation on government and industry panels to ensure that the peak body shares influence with the commercial sector in these areas. The Plan to build a modern economy, to create jobs

No saltwater rod and line licence The Labor-Green Government is actively considering establishing licensing regimes for saltwater rod and line recreational fishing in Tasmania. A majority Hodgman Liberal Government will not implement a licence fee for saltwater rod and line recreational fishing in Tasmania.

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Fishing News - Page 9

Lake Season Launceston’s North Esk By Michal Rybka

ith cold weather and rain just around the corner, it is almost time to say goodbye to another trout season. Many of you will agree with me that the last month of the trout season in Tasmania is generally very productive. For me, April is an exciting time. I spend most of it targeting places like Arthurs Lake and Great Lake. I also concentrate on Four Springs Lake, which is only 30 minutes away from my home in Launceston. While these are all great fishing spots, there is also another option that is even closer to home. It fishes well at this time of the year and is a spot that should not be overlooked. The North Esk River is the place I am referring to. Launcestonians are often put off by the mere appearance of the very ‘silted up’ North Esk River. If you cross the Lower Charles Street Bridge on a daily basis, you will know what I am talking about. This is the end of the North Esk, one of the Tamar River tributaries. Without a doubt, this section of water does have its problems and can appear unsightly at times. I have never seen anyone fish there, but have heard many stories about large sea-run trout being taken there in the past. To bypass the dirty water, take a drive out to the St Leonards Picnic Ground. This location is within 10 minutes drive of the city, and a great starting point for your late season trout adventure. There is plenty of good parking at this location,

and the dropping temperatures should see the summer swimmers all but gone. The river above the picnic ground weir is very clean and not subject to any tidal influence. The condition of the river here is in complete contrast to the conditions at the Charles Street or Hoblers Bridge locations.

The author, Michal Rybka with a good brownie.

In my opinion, fish taken above the weir are perfectly safe to eat; however, I am not so sure whether I would be game enough to try eating something out of the city end of the river! I imagine that most would agree with me. From St Leonards, the North Esk extends towards Upper Blessington and passes through Corra Linn. There are remnants of an old trout hatchery at this location, which I am sure many of you are familiar with. Fresh water is fed into the river by the surrounding mountains. The water usually flows crystal clear, but can be slightly tannin stained at a few locations. At Christmas time, huge sea-run trout can often be caught at St Leonards. At this time of the year, well-conditioned brown trout are in abundance, with the occasional small redfin perch thrown in the mix. Provided there has not been too much rain, and the river is not in flood, it is a great area to target these fish species. Which lures work best? Soft plastics My favourite soft plastics to use are the local Tasmanian brand Strike Tiger 2” hawgs in ‘black n gold’ and also the 4” Strike Tiger curl tail worms in this colour.

The worms in particular, can resemble elvers or baby eels. Elvers are a large part of the trout’s diet in the North Esk and should never be overlooked in my view. You can also use American brand ‘Berkley’ sand worms or turtle back worms. Just make sure you choose darker colours; olive or dark green work well. Whichever brand you choose, I suggest that you rig the plastic on a jighead of at least 1/12 in weight. This is especially important if you are fishing the deep water above the St Leonards weir. A light plastic will soon get swept away by the current. Don’t forget to experiment with your soft plastics. You will find that most can be cut down in size, or that it may be possible to modify the appearance by pulling bits off with your fingers. I often chop and change my plastics in order to better imitate the natural food sources in the area. Hard bodies The key to choosing hard bodies, especially in the shallows at Corra Linn, is to select small, natural coloured lures. Any of the well-known bream lure brands, including Cranka, Daiwa and Ecogear all produce suitable lures that are small enough for the local river/stream brown trout. My personal favourites are the small floating F03 and F05 model Rapala hard bodies. I have found that the best performing Rapala colours have been ‘Brown Trout’ and ‘Rainbow Trout’ – especially when fishing for smaller browns at Corra Linn. There are a couple of good reasons why I like to use floating hard bodies, but the main one is that the river at this location can be quite shallow and snaggy, and these lures have the ability to float over underwater obstacles. All one has to do is pause

The North Esk above the weir at St Leonards picnic ground. Fishing News - Page 10

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for a second and the lure magically floats back up to the surface - well, most of the time! I find that by doing this, I can access many holes that often hold good fish. The added bonus with floating lures, like the ones I have suggested, is obvious - less snagged lures = less frustration! When fishing the St Leonards end of the river, I tend to use larger diving lures such as the Daiwa double clutch in ‘Black and Gold’. The resident browns are bigger at this end of the North Esk and, in my experience; do need a larger, more resilient lure. Another good lure for fishing St Leonards is the ‘Golden Seducer’ diver produced by local brand YEP Tassie Tackle, with the red spots on this lure triggering some good strikes. Spinners Although I haven’t used a celta spinner since I was a kid, they still remain a very effective lure for fishing small rivers and streams. You could consider using a small celta in the ‘green’ or ‘red perch’ pattern instead of a hard body or soft plastic. I am sure that it would be just as effective. If this takes your fancy, then Adrian Webb (Mepps fishing guru), who often writes in this publication, is a good source of information. His in-depth articles often feature good choices of spinner makes, models and colours, and I am sure that any of his choices would also be good for fishing in the North Esk.

Where to fish: St Leonards Picnic Ground This location can hold some bigger than average fish. I have even managed to catch Atlantic salmon here, which I presume were escapees from nearby Old Mac’s Farm and Fishery. You don’t have to walk far from your car to the best location here, which in my opinion is the St Leonards weir. Great trout fishing exists immediately above and below it. My favourite spot is to fish right above the weir, in the deep water. If the water is flowing over the weir, a pressure effect is created against the weir’s retaining wall. I have found that trout seem to be attracted to this pressure effect, often congregating deep along the length of the wall. I sometimes use a deep diving hard body lure to get down to where the action is. But more often, I use a well-weighted soft plastic lure to do this. Creature baits and soft plastic worms are great to use here. I cast a little upstream so that I can get the lure ahead of the weir. This gives the lure time to sink to its running depth before reaching the weir. I use a variety of soft plastic retrieves, but usually start off with the simple ‘lift and drop’. It is exactly what it sounds like; cast your plastic, let it sink then lift and drop. Wind slowly as you drop to take up the slack line, and then repeat. It is as simple as that! If I get no interest using this technique, then I incorporate some fast and slow twitches into the lift part of the retrieve. The key here is to only move your rod tip an inch or two either way. If you move it any further, your soft plastic may not look as if it is swimming naturally. If I have exhausted the water above the weir, then I move directly below it. Smaller plastics work well in the shallow riffles below the weir, but so do floating hard bodies. I target the slack water created by any protruding obstacles I find, such as large rocks. Trout will often sit behind these as away of conserving energy. They also use this opportunity to find an easy meal that might float past in the current. Place your lure of choice in this location and you should be able to bring one of them unstuck! In-between While there are official sign-posted IFS anglers’ access points around Blessington (above Corra Linn), the section of river between St Leonards and Corra Linn is surrounded by private farmland. If you are planning on accessing the river here, you should seek permission from the landowners before making your way across their property. They are usually more than happy to accommodate.

Corra Linn This is the famous old trout hatchery. It is a 10 minute drive from St Leonards and can be accessed from Blessington Road as you travel towards Ben Lomond. Again, access doesn’t get any easier than driving down into the park like grounds and parking your car. The section of river towards St Leonards is a good choice, but I like to walk upstream toward the Corra Linn bridge.

Rolling green hills below St Leonards.

If you choose to do this, then definitely take a pair of waders with you. Some good felt soled wading boots will also be of benefit as this section of the North Esk is shallow and quite rocky. The underwater rocks are also very slippery, so take care!

some. This location is a great alternative to the cold and sometimes adverse weather conditions often encountered in the Central Highlands during late trout season.

As I walk towards the bridge here, I tend to target the deeper looking pools in the river, using floating Rapala hard body lures. I make a cast into a ‘likely’ looking pool and immediately start to retrieve the lure. I use a basic flat retrieve (just a constant wind of the reel), but I throw in some subtle twitches to make the lure look more attractive to the trout. If things are slow, I try ‘ripping’ the lure and pausing. Most takes will occur on the pause. I also use Strike Tiger 1” nymphs rigged on a very light jighead when the hard body lures aren’t working. Regardless of what lure you are using (soft plastic or hard body), make sure that you use a fine leader. The clear water and spooky nature of the trout in this location doesn’t make it easy. I find that using a fluorocarbon leader of between 3lb to 4lb (maximum) tends to increase my catch rate, and, in my opinion, at least a good rod length of leader is required. Match it with a good quality braided main line of the same breaking strain for the best sensitivity and feel.

Conclusion The North Esk River is a great late season trout option that should not be overlooked. It is also very close to home for many anglers living around Launceston. It may even be so convenient, that the ‘lunch time’ trout fishing trip could be a possibility for

In writing this article, and regardless of where you live, I hope that I have inspired you to explore your own doorstep for good fishing spots. As I have found out recently, good fish sometimes lie closer to home than you may think. Mic Rybka Final Tips Use the most sensitive and lightest weight rod you have. Match your rod with the lightest spinning reel you have. Use a fine diameter braided main line for maximum sensitivity – no more than 4lb breaking strain is ideal. Match the main line with a fine diameter leader of equal breaking strain. Use at least a rod length of good quality fluorocarbon leader and a leader knot you can trust. At St Leonards, use lures that resemble elvers or baby eels – some plastics can be modified to look like elvers by pulling bits off with your fingers. Target the deep water immediately above the St Leonards weir – get your lure right down against the weir wall. Target any slack water behind obstacles that break the flow of the river – i.e. look for big rocks and boulders sticking out of the river. Target the deeper pools in the shallow sections of the river toward the Corra Linn Bridge. Use floating hard bodies to float over and prevent snags.

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Fishing News - Page 11

Cold smoking Gourmet delights made easy

t is that time of the year when there is a freezer full of trout. For some that is true, others not. Arthurs anglers have caught plenty, but often they are small, however the condition has been great and the colour of the flesh is extraordinary. Many other lakes have seen the fish in excellent condition. Woods, Tooms, Leake and any lake with good shrimp populations have these lovely coloured fish. So you might like to eat them slowly - or perhaps you can smoke a few. Everyone seems to know about hot smoking and you can do that in a number of ways. BBQs, Webers, portable smokers are everwhere these days and if it isn’t a dedicated smoker it will have an accessory that will. Then there are the specialist smokers such as Bradleys etc. and these do a fantastic job - often of both hot and cold smoking.

Ross Pullin Ross owns the Essential Fly Fisher and has a shack at Great Lake. Most weekends has Ross on the water and having a mechanical background has seen Ross develop his own system. We will only give the basics here and if you want to know more from Ross call in and see him at the shop.

A few anglers in the Central Highlands have taken cold smoking to a new level with underground piping, remote cabinets, electric fans and secret recipes for brining. The results are fantastic and I have tried a few different versions and this includes variations in both brining and smoking time.

‘I only use salt with no sugar or liquid. Cover fillet with flesh side up for one hour then wash off and hang to dry and glaze. The fatter the fish the better and the more orange fish flesh is the better I like them. Freezing beforehand does not affect the fish. I never smoke pale fish.

Cold smoked trout looks like cold smoked salmon and, to me, taste just as good as the commercially available Atlantic salmon.

‘If I can my choice is a cold dry night. I don’t smoke if it’s raining and I keep the temperature in the smoke box under 30 degrees.

Cold and hot smoking are completely different as the name implies. Hot smoking cooks the food and brine does not need to be used - although some do brine or marinade as well. Cold smoking does not cook or preserve. All cold smoked fish should be brined (salted) first and this kills bacteria, reduces the moisture content and adds flavour. Three people recently shared their methods; John Fox, Ross Pullin and Jim Allen.

John Fox converted a wooden box to a smoker. So let’s have a look at the three different recipes.

John Fox A retired trout guide - mostly at Arthurs and still fishes there quite a lot. ‘I vacuum seal and freeze all my fish if I don’t intend to eat it straight away. That applies to sea fish as well as trout. ‘From my experience the freezing of trout prior to smoking probably improves them. I use equal parts of sugar and salt to brine the trout and I don’t use any water. I cover the fish then stack another layer on top and make sure I keep the sugar and salt covering everything.

Jim Allen’s rule # 1: First catch your fish. Both Jim and Ross use fish boxes some distance from the smoke source using what is essentially a home made arrangement. John Fox or the other hand showed me the most simple, yet effective cold smoker I have ever seen. It looks like a simple stainless tube of about one litre with a tube that connects to a smoke box, but more on that later. Fishing News - Page 12

‘After 6 hours I wash the fish down in fresh water and air dry. The fish get a nice glaze on them and this is what seems to accept the smoke. My smoking arrangement is a unit from NZ connected to a wooden box I had in my workshop. I paid $190 for mine and built the box myself. ‘I am amazed at how well my little unit works. I simply fill it up with chips, turn the little air pump on and light the chips with a BBQ lighter. The unit works on a venturi effect and the smoke comes out cold. ‘That’s about it and after 4 hours or so the job is done. You can then vacuum pack your fish as separate portions and it will keep well. If you are like me though it goes pretty quickly.’

Nice orange fillets both look good and taste fantastic.

Jim Allen Another one who has taken to cold smoking with a vengeance. Some say Jim is going to take Tassal on with the amount he smokes. A visit to Jim’s almost certainly comes with an offer of a fillet or two of his finest. ‘I brine in a wet mix and this consists of 2 cups of brown sugar (cooking) and 1 1/4 cups of salt combined with one litre of water. This does about 25 fillets of medium size. I make this mix up with hot water to dissolve the sugar and salt and put in the fridge to cool. ‘I put the fillets in for up to ten hours and give them a good turn and massage to allow the mix to

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penetrate. I don’t worry too much about the time frame though as it has to suit my day. ‘After a reasonable time I remove the fillets onto a towel, skin side down, pat dry and leave for an hour or so to air dry on a rack. I like to do this later in the day when the blowflies have gone to bed. ‘Then it is in to the cold smoker for 10-12 hours and they are ready to be taken out in the morning. I don’t smoke fish on damp or rainy nights and use eucalypt or red gum chips. Although I don’t think the variety of wood makes much difference. ‘Some think my fish is more intensely smoke flavoured than others if you don’t like it this way cut back the time. However if you are using the fish in pasta etc it is fabulous. ‘Most of my smoked fish ends up as a treat on a biscuit with philadelphia cream cheese and a caper or two.’

UFO cold smokers These are a similar design to what John Fox uses from New Zealand. The Kiwis love cooking fish and game and the UFO group have developed a range of smokers and cookers.

How the UFO cold smoker works. Simply put this smoker produces cold smoke using a venturi effect and it is attached to any container that will hold smoke.

Wood chip/ sawdust holder

That can be a wooden box, cardboard box, hooded BBQ, old fridge or even your hot smoker box etc. The container doesn’t matter. In fact you can combine the cold smoker with heat and have a hot smoker as well.

Tube that carries smoke to smoking box

A vertical stainless tube holds the chips. A 6mm tube passes through the chips and a small air pump is used to blow air through this 6mm pipe and this drags air through the chips and into a larger outlet pipe which goes directly to the smoke box. The wood chips are ignited with a BBQ lighter and the venturi effect sucks air through the chips and keeps them smouldering or several hours.

Air inlet pipe connects to air pump.

New Zealand designed UFO Cold Smoker.

It sounds too simple, and it is. Because the chips only smoulder there is very little heat. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/1dGedw9 or scan the QR Code to watch the video.

If you want a UFO Cold Smoker I have a few available at $180. Phone me on 0418129949 or email mike@tasfish.com Mike Stevens

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Fishing News - Page 13

Lake Leake

Big fish NOW — Next season - even bigger

ituated approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from Launceston is a water that flies under the radar of many…Lake Leake. Although a fair bit has been written about it over the years, this water remain largely underutilised and doesn’t receive the amount of attention from anglers as it deserves. Both browns and rainbows inhabit this water and they can be quite a size. They are perhaps the best average size of any water in Tasmania. The fishing here can be very hard, which perhaps, in turn, puts paid to many follow up visits. That said, if you do strike it at the right time, the rewards can be great as Mark Tapsell and Todd Lambert found out recently. Todd explains...

Leaving home at 5.30 armed with both fly and soft plastic rods has been a matter of course for me this season, time is in short supply and when I head out, I like to catch fish. A fly rod has always been my preferred method of trout fishing and I would like to think I go alright with it. I tie my own fly patterns and although not a “Peter Hayes” cast by a long stretch, I have learned to improvise, especially when fishing in a boat. I have found that those same fish that can be caught with a thirty foot line cast with deadly accuracy, can also be caught by “setting a trap”. I cut my teeth on this sort of fishing here at Lake Leake.

Late season wind lanes Wind lane fishing in March and April can be sensational at Lake Leake, although it can also be very localised and spasmodic.

If the planets align and the fish are spotted — generally heading upwind in one of these lanes I like to get down as low as I can and sidle up as close as I dare. My little tinny keeps quite a low profile, but keep as low as you can. Often the only fly that is needed is a nymph hung 150mm under a dry… It is not often refused. Cast about three metres in front of your quarry and wait. Sometimes the fish will take the nymph, dry or ignore it all completely. The rainbows are a bit more erratic, it seems, and travel a good bit faster than the browns. It can be very exciting fishing.

Mark Tapsell showing his style.

An electric motor is a “must have” for this type of fishing and sometimes you can sneak up on the fish, but you might also never get closer than 25 metres. Being a good caster is no disadvantage.

Plan B But what happens when there is no fly life on the water and there are no fish to be spotted? Time to bring out my plan “B” — the soft plastics. There is little doubt that soft plastic fishing has revolutionised the way many fish for trout nowadays and “Plan B” worked well for Mark and I on a recent trip here.

After searching the water for the tell-tale signs of a fish sipping off the surface and with little hope of Sometimes you can be on the water at daylight spotting a dorsal and tail fin, our enthusiasm started and find yourself in a quandary as to which fish to to wane. cast to, whilst on other occasions not an insect is to be found - and no rising fish. Fishing News - Page 14 www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the

Not a sign of life was spotted, no insect life, the water cloudy and it became quickly apparent that we were on “a hiding to nothing” should we persevere on this path. Perhaps and we were both too cunning, lazy or old (take your pick) to strip wet flies? Regardless of that, “for better or for worse” out came the soft plastic rods. Casting around submerged structure we landed eight fantastically conditioned trout between us that ranged anywhere between 2.5 to 5 pounds, all caught in the space of a couple of hours. These fish are deep orange fleshed and prime condition, with small heads and big bodies.

fish.

LOCATION

LAUNCESTON

LAKE LEAKE TOOMS LAKE

Snowy R

PRIVATE PROPERTY

beth

Big Timber Shore

Elia

STATE FOREST Spencers Point

Dam Wall

Slaters Bay Coughlans Point

Lake Leake

Cutting Grass Bay

Bellevue Island

Gallows Point

Lake Leake

Clarks Point

STATE FOREST

PRIVATE PROPERTY

O’Briens Point

Re d

Hardings Bay

To Campbell Town

PUBLIC RESERVE

Kalangadoo Bay

PRIVATE PROPERTY

LAK

LEAK

Rawlinna

ROAD

Dam Wall

STATE FORES

To East Coast

HOBART

FOREST RESERVE

PUBLIC RESERVE

B34 STATE FOREST

Lake Yalleena (private fishery)

Dam Wall

2km

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Fishing News - Page 15

Obviously the improved rainfall and raised water levels witnessed in recent seasons has increased the abundance of food here and it’s hard to believe the difference in fish quality from last year. I have heard of double figure fish being landed this season and firmly believe that many leviathans remain in its depths.

Soft plastic tips Fishing the right depth is paramount in importance as is the use a fish finder. Look for weed beds coming up off the bottom. Mid March it had an average depth of around three to four metres and, a 1 1/2th jig head seemed to be the best weight to use. Retrieves need to be quite slow as is the flick of the rod tip when imparting movement. Mark fishes very light with three pound tippet and leader. I am not as forgiving and use four pound fire line braid and a six pound leader with a length of around 2 1/2 metres. Favourite plastics are the Yep Tassie Tackle Black n Gold Flappers and Berkley T Tails.

Best Places to fish. Anywhere along the Big Timber shoreline and up to the mouth of the Snowy river entrance. Stumps Bay and Kalangadoo Bay and behind the island is also very productive. I don’t believe it matters much, just look for structure and weed on your sounder and you’re in with a good chance.

Author, Todd Lambert puts great faith in fishing amongst the trees.

Launching Facilities There is a boat launch ramp in at the Lake Leake campground, behind the Hotel, also Kalangadoo bay has an informal site wherein you launch off the lakes edge. Wind direction plays a big part in where you should launch on the day. I understand MAST is about to upgrade the Campground ramp over the winter time. As a final note, if you haven’t fished here before, please be aware of the many submerged stumps and trees, and observe the 5 knot limit, if you don’t, you do so at your peril. Lake Leake, it’s worth the effort, for the quality of fish alone. Todd Lambert

Lake Leake Angling Regulations To fish in any open public inland water in Tasmania you must hold a current Inland Angling Licence unless you are under 14 years of age. A summary of the regulations are contained within the Tasmanian Inland Recreational Fishing Code. Lake Leake Regulations: • Waters flowing into Lake Leake and for a radius of 50 metres below the point where that water flows into the lake are closed to fishing at all times. Species

Minimum size

Bag limit

300 mm

Brown trout, Rainbow trout, Brook trout

* Combined daily bag limit of 5 fish can only include 2 fish over 600 mm in length. Method Fly fishing Artificial lures

W. Jim McKenna lands another fine late season brownie from Lake Leake. Fishing News - Page 16

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Season From the first Saturday in August to the Sunday nearest the 30th April.

Jan’s Jan Spencer

Flies

his year’s fishing has certainly sorted the men from the boys - so to speak. The fly fishing sector has seen a tough year, but if the hard work is put in the rewards have come. Dry fly fishing has been tough in most areas - apart from small creeks, shark fishing on Great Lake and Western Lakes.

I, like so many others, love to take fish on a dry fly, but if you want to catch trout you need to look at the whole water column. If fishing from a boat a fish finder will give you a pretty good idea of the different lines and weights of flies you need to be effective. I usually start on top and work my way down. I use a floating line with two or three nymphs. I like the top fly to have a bushy hackle so it creates a wake and attracts attention when lifting the flies, the middle fly will be slim and the point fly almost always a weighted size 10 of several designs. Three flies that I often start with are a Claret Bits on top, gold ribbed Dawl Bach and a Hares Ear on the point. If I need to go deeper I opt for two flies and a weighted fly line with a Peter Ross on top and my own weighted Phantom on the point. I don’t stick to just these flies though and change until I find the right recipe, often going up and down in size as well as different patterns.

The Phantom

Method

Hook: Heavy size 8-10 long shank. Thread: Brown. Tail: Olive gizzle marabou. Rib: Bronze wire. Body: Olive and firey brown chenille. Hackle: Brown hen.

1. This is weighted with lead wire along it full length. I coat the hook in head cement first. 2. Take the thread down the hook and tie in a nice bunch of marabou for the tail. 3. Tie in the chenille and rib, wind chenille forwards to the eye. Tie off firmly and cut off excess. 4. Tie in a brown hen hackle, make four turns at the front and then wind to tail; wind rib forwards through the hackle, tie off firmly and build a well shaped head. Whip finish, cut thread away and varnish.

The fly described would be the most popular fly in our boat and it is rare for either Bill or I to not have one on. It has even been successful in World Championships. It seems to work best in 8 and 10 as it can represent many small aquatic animals.

What’s the best way to test waders? Outfitting anglers since 1986

Get someone who practically lives in waders to give ‘em heaps! We asked Trout guide, Commonwealth Gold Medallist and competition angler, Christopher Bassano to try them for a season.

Christopher wears waders for about 250 days a year and he gave Aquaz the big thumbs up. ‘Right up there, and in fact better than some of the highly priced brands used by some snobs and greenhorns. ‘Love the fit and comfort, great belt and gravel guards, and reinforced knees. And when I learned the price I couldn’t believe it’. We are so confident in Aquaz waders we offer a three year seam warranty. If the seams leak within three years we will repair or replace your waders — no questions asked. However, to be fair, if you roll down a forest of black berries, have the crotch eaten out by a Tassie Devil, or lose a fight with a barbed wire fence, we will gladly sell you a repair kit to keep the water out. Worn by Christopher - Aquaz Trinity chest, stocking foot waders and Aquaz Trinity wading jacket. Breathable Waders from $229 to $299 Breathable Jackets from $229 to $299 Visit your local specialist retail outlet to view the full range of Aquaz products from thermals, wading boots, softshell jackets, gloves.

Contact 03 9899 0034 for your stockist.

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Fishing News - Page 17

Celebrate The Trout

Origins of the Tasmanian Trout

150 years in Tasmania First born - 4 May 1864

An excerpt from Origins of the Tasmanian Trout JEAN WALKER, Honorary Historian to the Southern Tasmanian Licensed Anglers’ Association produced an accurate and concise account of the fascinating story of the first introduction of trout to Tasmania in 1988. Tasmania’s Inland Fisheries Service has just republished the booklet to celebrate the sesquicentenary (150 years) since the first tiny trout hatched in the Southern Hemisphere. Here are a few snippets from the booklet Origins of the Tasmanian Trout. Contact IFS on 6261 8050 to find a stockist.

Fishing News - Page 18

Jean Walker

ASMANIA’S early settlers were disappointed by the lack of freshwater angling. The only fish native to the inland waters were Australian grayling, small galaxias and in some rivers blackfish. None offered anglers a challenge in fighting qualities. Bringing trout from England, 12,000 miles away, s seemed an impossible dream. That the dream, became a reality with perseverance, despite failures and setbacks, in 1864.

The First Attempt The first recorded suggestion of an attempt to transport ova took place in 1841. And later, in 1847,

Origins of the Tasmanian Trout has been reprinted. James Burnett, a young Hobart man and son of a former Colonial Secretary, became interested in the transportation of salmon and trout ova to Tasmania. In 1852 space was obtained in the 454 ton barque Columbus, Hobart-bound with cargo and passengers the Columbus sailed direct to Tasmania. 50,000 ova of salmon and trout were placed in a large oval tub slung in the fore hatchway of the ship.

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Under natural conditions the ova could take up to five months to hatch, but it was realised that they would hatch much earlier due to the rise in water temperature in the tub as the ship passed through the tropics. The Columbus left England in February 1852. It was expected that the ova would begin to hatch around 15 April. However, on 1 March the hatch commenced. As the water in the tub became warmer it became cloudy and tepid and when the water cleared again in colder latitudes, nothing could be seen, not a trace of either fish or ova. The experiment failed. In 1854 the chain of events commenced which would lead later to success. James Youl of “Symmons Plains” in Northern Tasmania was a successful pastoralist. He had at that time recently retired to live in England. His father, Rev. John Youl, had first settled in New South Wales where James was born in 1810. In 1819 the family had arrived in Tasmania. When Rev. Youl died in 1827, the 17 year old James had taken over the management of “Symmons Plains” and the family’s other pastoral properties. Youl was a member of the Australian Association in London. This body concerned itself with furthering the interests of the Colony in areas including the acclimatisation of flora and fauna. Prominent in the Australian Association was Edward Wilson, an Englishman who spent some years in Australia, owned the Melbourne Argus and was later to found the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria. Wilson was keen to promote the successful acclimatisation of salmon and trout in Australia. The two men were to become closely associated in the project. Youl carried out experiments at the Crystal Palace, London, and his conclusion was that a means of retarding the development of the ova was necessary. His experiments showed that hatching may take place at any time between 35 and 140 days depending on temperature. He also believed that actual freezing was probably fatal. At that time, all the experts proclaimed that transportation to the Antipodes was impossible. The Australian Association in London raised six hundred pounds by private subscription and in 1860 under Youl’s supervision, an attempt was made. Robert Ramsbottom collected 30,000 Atlantic salmon ova and arrangements were made to ship these in the American clipper S. Curling sailing direct to Melbourne. An icehouse holding some 15 tons of ice was built between decks. The ova were laid on gravel in swinging trays which were given a constant flow of water from the run-off of the ice. The S. Curling left Liverpool on 25 February 1860. Hopes were high and Youl and Robert Ramsbottom sailed some 30 miles in the clipper, returning with the pilot. Unhappily, the ice melted rapidly and when the ship was 59 days out, all the ova had died. A Salmon Commission was formed in 1861 under the chairmanship of Dr Robert Officer. Another member of the original Salmon Commission was the young Hobart barrister, Morton Allport.

The early Minutes of the Commission’s meetings tell how the Commissioners, after visiting the Derwent above New Norfolk, decided the Plenty as a suitable place to construct the “Salmon Ponds” and a site was selected on its banks on the property of Mr Robert Read of “Redlands”. The Plenty was isolated, fed by cold, clear water and was connected to the sea. The Salmon Ponds were constructed in 1862 and based on the famous Stormontfield Ponds on the River Tay in Scotland. In 1861, Youl, in preparation for the next attempt, proceeded to Scotland and Ireland, to France and to Belgium, to study fish culture. In Paris he learnt of a method of sending ova on long journeys in wet moss in earthenware jars. The steamer Beautiful Star, was chartered and Youl insisted the journey The clipper ‘Norfolk’ - owned by Money Wigram and be made under canvas. An icehouse Sons who donated space enabling the first successful was built to contain 25 tons of ice, importation of live salmon and trout ova to Tasmania. and some 50,000 Atlantic salmon ova (National Maritime Museum. England) were laid on trays. Youl packed a few hundred ova in a small box with living moss and One hundred and sixty four of these boxes were placed this box in the icehouse. The voyage was placed in the bottom of the icehouse. A solid mass of ill-fated. The ship cleared London on 4 March 1862, ice was piled to a height of nine feet on top so that was delayed by bad weather and then had to put as long as any ice remained, the ova would derive back for repairs. The ice gave out and by the 74th benefit from it. The remainder of the boxes were day all the ova were dead. However, the ova in the placed in other parts of the icehouse. little box hatched and survived some eight hours longer than the rest. Shortly before the Norfolk sailed, three separate gifts of trout ova were delivered to Youl. Francis Youl started planning once more. The experiment Francis, naturalist and angling writer, sent two lots, had been a costly one. Besides the expenditure in some 2,000 ova and from Admiral Keppel’s waters, England, ponds had been prepared in Tasmania Frank Buckland sent about 1,000. at a total cost of two thousand, three hundred and nineteen pounds. Youl had not intended that trout ova would be included in the shipment. He had made up his mind The Final Success not to send trout ova with the salmon because he believed that as the trout grow faster; they would eat THE SALMON Commissioners persuaded all his little salmon before they got to salt water, but the Tasmanian Government to authorise when the trout eggs came to him at the dock he put another shipment under Youl’s supervision. Youl them on board. The trout ova, Youl decided, would experimented including tests to ascertain the vitality go as a gift to Edward Wilson, President of the of salmon ova at low temperatures. He found a Acclimatisation Society of Victoria in Melbourne. continuous supply of water was not necessary, and the partial absence of air was not fatal. On the evening of 20 January all was completed and the icehouse, containing about 100,000 Atlantic The best results were obtained by placing ova in salmon and 3,000 trout ova, was sealed. a box in the ice compartment and renewing the ice as it melted - in this way the melting ice percolated On 21 January 1864 the Norfolk sailed from through the box. Ova from this test produced 99% London. The voyage was happily uneventful. healthy fish after 90 days of treatment. From this, On Saturday 16 April, 85 days later, Norfolk Youl was able to deduce that the retardation could berthed at Station Pier in Victoria. The icehouse was be extended to 100 days and the moss would unlocked and Ramsbottom opened one of the small continue to grow. If the moss died, decomposition boxes containing salmon ova and it was found that would spread and kill the ova. the ova were in a sound and promising condition. Youl now knew that with one more attempt he could succeed - provided that the ice lasted.

After years of trial and failure, living salmon ova had been landed in Australia!

Messrs Money Wigram and Sons, shipowners of London, offered 50 tons of space in their clipper Norfolk due to sail to Melbourne 20 January 1864.

Eleven of the small boxes containing Atlantic salmon ova were left in Melbourne with the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria - this was to afford an additional guarantee against the failure of the undertaking.

Norfolk, a square-rigged, three masted wooden vessel of 953 tons was built for the emigrant trade, with accommodation for around 70 passengers and was considered one of the fastest ships.

The boxes in which the ova were to be packed were made of inch pine, 11¾” long, 8¾” wide and 5¼” deep, perforated with holes, top, bottom and sides to allow the water from the ice, as it melted, to flow into the boxes and percolate through the moss and ova inside.

An icehouse, to contain 25 tons of ice, was built on the lowest deck. Close to the ship were stacked the 181 small pine boxes which Youl had specially made. Robert Ramsbottom was despatched to collect the Atlantic salmon ova. Youl received a message from Ramsbottom that every salmon he caught had already shed its ova. Youl appealed through The Times newspaper for help with obtaining unspawned salmon so that he would not lose the chance of getting “. . . this noble fish” to Australia. It was not until 18 January, two days before the ship was to sail, that the ova began to arrive at the dock. Money Wigram and Sons delayed the sailing date by a day to complete preparation and packing.

William Ramsbottom, however, refused to leave the boxes of trout ova in Melbourne despite Youl’s instructions. Edward Wilson had arranged for the Victorian Navy’s warship, the Victoria, to deliver the ova to Hobart. Eleven large wooden packing cases with holes bored in their bottoms had been prepared. Into each of these packing cases approximately 15 of the small pine boxes were carefully packed with broken ice on top (170 of the original 181 small pine boxes of ova remained - 11 were left with the Acclimatisation Society of Victoria). The large packing cases were put aboard and covered with the remainder of the ice from the Norfolk -some 12 tons of the 25 tons loaded in London still remained. The cold water from the

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Fishing News - Page 19

melting ice ice would would keep keep the the moss moss saturated saturated in in melting the small pine boxes. Finally, bags of sawdust the small pine boxes. Finally, bags of sawdust and blankets blankets were were piled piled on on top top and and stuffed stuffed pads pads and wedged between between the the packing packing cases. cases. wedged On Monday 18 April, Victoria left for for Hobart Hobart and and On Monday 18 April, Victoria left at 3pm 3pm on on Wednesday Wednesday 20 20 April April she she arrived arrived in in the the at Derwent. Derwent.

Ramsbottom had had brought brought with with him him from from Ramsbottom Melbourne some some 50 50 Atlantic Atlantic salmon salmon ova; ova; these these Melbourne he had placed in saucers with moss and ice. Only he had placed in saucers with moss and ice. Only one or two had died during the crossing and this one or two had died during the crossing and this “wonder” was was examined examined with with great great interest interest by by the the “wonder” visitors to the ship. visitors to the ship. The small small river-steamer river-steamer Emu Emu was was waiting waiting with with The the barge “which she was to tow 20 miles up the the barge “which she was to tow 20 miles up the Derwent River to New Norfolk”. Eleven packing Derwent River to New Norfolk”. Eleven packing cases were were placed placed on on the the barge barge with with the the remaining remaining cases ice and and straw straw on on top. top. ice It was was 1.00am 1.00am on on Thursday Thursday 21 21 April April the the Emu Emu It reached the the Steam Steam Wharf Wharf at at New New Norfolk. Norfolk. At At reached daylight the barge was taken in tow by two rowdaylight the barge was taken in tow by two rowboats. The destination was “The Falls”, a further boats. The destination was “The Falls”, a further three miles miles up up river. river. Forty Forty to to fifty fifty men men waited waited to to three carry the cases of ova to the Salmon Ponds and carry the cases of ova to the Salmon Ponds and carts were were ready ready to to transport transport the the remaining remaining ice. ice. carts

Five of of the the packing packing cases cases were were landed. landed. Bearers Bearers Five were split up into teams of eight men to each were split up into teams of eight men to each packing case, case, four four men men to to carry carry the the cases cases and and four four packing men to to walk walk with with them them as as relays. relays. The The carts carts were were men loaded with with the the ice ice and and straw straw and and dispatched dispatched to to the the loaded Ponds. Ponds. The ova ova had had travelled travelled over over 12,000 12,000 miles miles by by The sailing ship, crossed Bass Strait, endured two tows sailing ship, crossed Bass Strait, endured two tows up the Derwent. up the Derwent. Around midday midday they they arrived arrived at at the the Ponds. Ponds. ItIt was was Around 91 days since the ova had been placed on board 91 days since the ova had been placed on board the Norfolk Norfolk in in England. England. the Later that that day day the the bearers bearers brought brought up up another another Later fi ve packing cases and, on the next day, the five packing cases and, on the next day, the remainder remainder

Ramsbottom had had hurried hurried ahead ahead of of the the bearers bearers Ramsbottom to prepare the gravel beds. He found they needed to prepare the gravel beds. He found they needed a thorough cleansing and it was late afternoon a thorough cleansing and it was late afternoon when satisfied satisfied the the nursery nursery was was ready ready to to receive receivehis his when precious charges. precious charges.

The time time had had now now come come for for the the small small pine pineboxes boxes The to be be opened! opened! Ramsbottom Ramsbottom carefully carefully removed removedthe the to screws from the fi rst box and lifted the lid. To the screws from the first box and lifted the lid. To the horrified dismay dismay of of the the little little crowd crowd gathered gatheredunder under horrified the tent, it was seen that most of the ova were the tent, it was seen that most of the ova were dead. In In the the second second and and third third box box conditions conditionslooked looked dead. more hopeful and by the time a dozen boxes had more hopeful and by the time a dozen boxes had been unpacked, it was clear that a large proportion been unpacked, it was clear that a large proportion of the the ova ova would would be be saved. saved. Where Where the the moss mosswas was of green and living, the ova were living and healthy green and living, the ova were living and healthy but where where the the moss moss was was dead dead there there was was aaheavy heavy but mortality. mortality. Ramsbottom and and Morton MortonAllport Allport removed removedthe the Ramsbottom top layer of moss, then lifted out the lower layer top layer of moss, then lifted out the lower layer of moss moss with with the the ova ova and and gently gently turned turned itit upside upside of down into the cool water running over the gravel down into the cool water running over the gravel beds. The ova soon separated from the moss and beds. The ova soon separated from the moss and distributed themselves themselves amongst amongst the the gravel. gravel.By Bythe the distributed following evening the last of the small pine boxes following evening the last of the small pine boxes had been been unpacked. unpacked. Ramsbottom Ramsbottom estimated estimatedthat that had about 30,000 living and healthy ova were safely about 30,000 living and healthy ova were safely deposited. Of Of these these only only about about 300 300 were were trout. trout. deposited. On 44 May May 1864, 1864, the the first first young young trout trout emerged, emerged, On and on the following day the fi rst Atlantic salmon. and on the following day the first Atlantic salmon. By 8 June 300 healthy trout and several thousand By 8 June 300 healthy trout and several thousand salmon commenced commenced their their new new lives lives in in aa new new salmon hemisphere. hemisphere.

In the the following followingApril, April, Ramsbottom Ramsbottom counted countedthe the In small family family of of brown brown trout trout in in the the circular circular pond. pond.He He small was hopeful hopeful that that there there might might be be 150 150 of of those thosereared reared was from the the Norfolk Norfolk shipment. shipment. To To his his great great delight delight from many fi sh which had been hiding amongst the many fish which had been hiding amongst the pebbles and in crevices suddenly appeared andhis his pebbles and in crevices suddenly appeared and fi nal count was near 300. He carefully lowered the final count was near 300. He carefully lowered the water in in the the pond pond and and let let 40 40 small small fish fish make maketheir their water joyous escape escape into into the the Plenty. Plenty. The The remainder remainderhe he joyous

retainedas asbrood broodstock, stock,and andthe thetrout, trout,which whichhad had retained only been included in the Norfolk shipment as an only been included in the Norfolk shipment as an afterthought, grew, prospered and multiplied. afterthought, grew, prospered and multiplied. Unfortunatelythe theattempt attempttotointroduce introduceAtlantic Atlantic Unfortunately salmon was a failure, but by 1872 the distribution salmon was a failure, but by 1872 the distribution ofof troutova ovaand andfry fryfrom fromthe theSalmon SalmonPonds Pondswas waswell well trout advanced.Ova Ovahad hadbeen beensent senttotoNew NewSouth SouthWales, Wales, advanced. Victoria and New Zealand. In Tasmania the fry were Victoria and New Zealand. In Tasmania the fry were transported in cans by coach, horse and cart and, transported in cans by coach, horse and cart and, inremote remoteand andinaccessible inaccessibleareas, areas,carried carriedininbackbackin packs. packs. GreatLake Lakewas wasstocked stockedinin1870 1870by byChief Chief Great Constable James Wilson. It is believed thathe hewas was Constable James Wilson. It is believed that accompanied by Constable Ryan and that they accompanied by Constable Ryan and that they rode25 25miles milesover overaabridle-track bridle-trackwith withbillycans billycans rode containingsome some130 130young youngtrout troutstrapped strappedtototheir their containing saddle-bags. saddle-bags.

ThePonds Pondssoon soonbecame becameaatourist touristattraction attractionfor for The visitors from the mainland as well as local people. visitors from the mainland as well as local people. Allwere werecurious curiousto tosee seethe theyoung youngfish fishfrom fromthe the“Old “Old All Country” the latest immigrants to the Island. Country” - the latest immigrants to the Island.

InJune June1866, 1866,the theNorfolk Norfolkbrown browntrout troutshed shed In their fi rst spawn and the Salmon Commissioners their first spawn and the Salmon Commissioners reportedthat thatsome somethousands thousandsofofova ovahad hadbeen beenlaid laid reported down in hatching boxes. Beaver rats threatened the down in hatching boxes. Beaver rats threatened the small fi sh and ova and Ramsbottom had to patrol small fish and ova and Ramsbottom had to patrol thegrounds groundsat atnight nightwith withgun gunand andterrier terrierdogs. dogs.InIn the Augustthe thefirst firstbrown browntrout troutova ovawere weresent senttotothe the August Acclimatisation Society of Victoria in Melbourne. Acclimatisation Society of Victoria in Melbourne.

TheAtlantic Atlanticsalmon salmonproject projectwas wasaafailure failuredespite despite The further shipments of ova sent from England. The further shipments of ova sent from England. The ova could be hatched here and the young fi sh ova could be hatched here and the young fish rearedsuccessfully, successfully,but butonce oncereleased releasedthey theyfailed failedtoto reared return from the sea as adults. return from the sea as adults. TheSalmon SalmonPonds Pondsisisthe theoldest oldestcontinuing continuing The trout hatchery in the Southern Hemisphere. Here trout hatchery in the Southern Hemisphere. Here the work continues of Youl, Allport, Ramsbottom, the work continues of Youl, Allport, Ramsbottom, Officerand andall allthe theunnamed unnamedvolunteers volunteerswho who Officer assistedininstocking stockingthe thetrout troutininthe therivers riversand andlakes lakes assisted ofTasmania. Tasmania. of

Get back to trout fishing Image credit: Tourism Tasmania and Inland Fisheries Service Museum of Trout Fishing.

and celebrate where it all began.

Join us at the Salmon Ponds to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first hatching of trout in Tasmania. Get your own piece of history

The Hatchery

• • • • • • •

Free entry and family entertainment Specialty food stalls, Lions Club BBQ and traditional Devonshire teas Cooking demonstrations Free guided tours of the Salmon Ponds museum and grounds Free Lions train rides between the Salmon Ponds and Redlands Distillery Launch of the 2014-15 licence season and ‘Win a Ford Ranger’ competition Fishing questions answered by Inland Fisheries staff

Available to purchase on the day or online www.ifs.tas.gov.au

0015

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Ponds n o m l a S

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The end is near Late season trout tactics

ost-Christmas has me focussed on the Derwent’s big black bream more often than not these days and given my proximity to the river its little wonder that is the case. In a busy time poor world the ease one can achieve a few hours at the drop of a hat it’s a quick release to clear the mind. But come April the true trout angler inside always sees me looking to the highlands for a couple of late season fixes on the trout. Blessed we are in Tassie to be never much more than an hour or so from many of our highland lakes

from our major population centres, we have many choices if the lakes and impoundments are on the radar. Late season trouting is generally targeting prespawn fish. So as a rule they ‘should’ be hungry, feeding up prior to heading up the streams, creeks and rivers to do their bit in the life cycle of the wild Tassie trout. How do we maximise our chances? Two things leap right out for me; running water and bright orange. The later we get to the close of the season

the closer to these creeks one should be fishing. Keep in mind local rules and regulations as they can vary vastly from water to water. The INFISH app released by the Inland Fisheries Service is a great little tool to check on local regs. Most of us carry a smart phone of one variety or another in today’s world so I’d suggest taking a look at it. In this article we will focus on our lakes. River and stream fishing can be vastly different although similar tactics can be utilised given the cormorant decimation over the past twelve months I think

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Fishing News - Page 21 30/12/13 1:29 PM

they could do with a bit of a rest. Great to see them bouncing back as they are. DAYS GONE BY: I remember vividly as a high school boy fishing Lake Sorell around the Easter long weekend. Trolling around the waters on the eastern Hatchery Shore as it was known. You could look out from the small open dinghy and see literally hundreds of trout free leaping from the water. Now these were, and given the tremendous fishery Sorell was, not small trout. They averaged close to 3lb up there out of the water and probably around 1.2kg cleaned. When these fish were ‘on the fly’ so to speak they weren’t all that easy to catch. In the early days we probably landed more rainbows on the gum beetle patterns and alexadria’s as the browns we thought were preoccupied. It may have been by chance that the bright lure scenario was discovered in our younger years as we would have always had green and gold drummed in to us by the old timers ‘that knew best’. Hot pink certainly wasn’t a colour used in Tassie for a long long time and has only just become popular locally in the last two or three seasons. There were a couple of lures that we found would catch these fish more regularly than many others. We used a Tassie Devil now discontinued, #17 ‘Spot Lights’. It was an orangy red with 7 yellow circular dots on it. The other was an old Nilsmaster, frosty green on the back with the sides again bright red, and yellow. They were our go to lures. We would of course catch fish on other colours but always had these swimming over the side. In the 25 years since those days I guess you could say we have revised and improved our tactics targeting these trout. LURE CHOICE: I’ll cover this first as for me it’s something that doesn’t really change regardless of location anywhere in the state. At the end of the season the first thing I tie on is black, gold and orange. It doesn’t matter what brand or style that’s my weapon of choice. That said I don’t think

Fishing News - Page 22

A Woolly Bugger fly fish in the trees brought this fish undone. it matters what’s on the lure with the orange, I believe that is the key. So much so I’ve used all orange Tassie Devils to great effect right through the season. Stick fluoro orange under an ultraviolet light and perhaps that’s a clue to the reason why. Not only is it bright to our eyes, the UV glow out of a fluoro orange is astounding. It’s long been accepted that UV signatures can be a big factor in stimulating fish to attacks a lure. Keeping it local look no further than Cranka Lures with their minnows; Salmon Guts, BBQ Prawn, Fire Trout and Golden Trout will all get the job done. Another gun colour for end of season, and right through the year, is the Spotted Dog variations. YEP Tassie Tackle has a gem in the Golden Seducer. While I’ll fish this out of the box through the year I

love to tinker with lures and this gets a pimping job with a blast of you guessed it fluoro orange right along its belly for late season trout. The Hawk Snipers also fitting the bill with a black and gold and also from their new custom range the Ghost Prawn should fool more than a few silly trout up top. For those trolling or throwing heavier lures the Tassie Devil Range has some standouts colour wise; #102 Bengal Tiger, #110 Perch and #56 Fireball all great choices. The #PP Phosphorus Pearl also excellent particularly fished deep on lead line. When fishing soft plastics again I’m headed straight for the Pumpkinseed colours. I like the orange ok. Local manufacturer Strike Tiger has a

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great colour in the Vodka n Orange and in darker water the Toffee Apple has a good contrast being somewhat denser in colour. I also find that the translucent greens also stand out extremely well with their UV signatures but that’s a colour I’ll fish earlier in the year. Strike Tiger, Z-man and the old school Wasabi Wriggler all winners on that front. TODAY’S TACTICS: I guess the main thing that has changes the way we fish is the electric motor. While I have been drift spinning in the trees at Lake Echo for as long as I can remember and well before anyone cared to join us we can do it now days with a fair but more control. There are days where trolling around the tree lines and inflows while land you big bags of trout but 99 times out of 100 drift spinning will win you the day. Sure a trolling boat will cover more water but from the drifting boat you can cover all of the water around you. Lake Echo was my favourite trouting destination in Tassie. I personally believe it has been the victim of some overzealous stocking in recent years but the good fish are still there and late season sees them congregate to a certain extent. The northern end of the lake sees many sheltered bays all with inflowing creeks on the western shore. There is also the Monpeelyata Canal which enters the lake on the left of the northern ‘beach’ as we call it in my boat.

The Bradys whitewater always holds fish. Keep good contact with your lure or fly.

The trout don’t just mill about in a foot or two of water right outside the creek but they are starting to think about the call of nature. Not all trout will spawn every year or so I believe. You will find them far and wide but to maximise your chances target these bays and using Lake Echo as an example and reference. Teal Bay sees a predominant creek with good flows. It enters the lake off centre in a shallow marsh which gently slopes out in to the lake. The marsh flats hold lots of fish, but only at first light, you’re wasting your time fishing 50m from the creek in shallow water all day long. Instead target the shorelines either side of the bay for several hundred metres either way. The trout patrol the trees, perhaps feeling safe with the abundance of structure around them. Long searching casts pay dividends, another reason for quality light gear. The further you cast the longer that lure is in the water. The more time it spends in the air the less time you are presenting it to prospective fish. 40m casts compared to 30m casts give you 25% more time in the water. I’m not one to simply just wind a lure back to the boat. Constant twitches off the rod tip and a few pauses along the way will amp up your retrieve making it irresistible to a hungry aggressive trout. I’ve found that more and more in the past few years a perfectly placed pause fools the trout as equally effectively as it does the native bream.

Drifting the riffled fastwater on the Derwent brings results.

Most boats are equipped with a reasonable sounder these days. Out the front of the bays look for drop offs or the edge of weed lines of which this bay has both. This is prime water for throwing those plastics around. Fish them deep and slow with a few added aggressive lifts of the rod in the retrieve. North of the top ramp Large Bay extends over a flat and at moderate levels holds 1-2m meters of water. This floor here holds good weed growth after being submerged in the spring. Provided the day is overcast fish will hold in here all day long. If they aren’t here again look deeper, the tree line marks a steep drop off and the stand in mid water is good with excellent weed growth. The good fishing continues north along the shore and both lures and plastics will catch. Surveyors holds a great fishing depth regardless of water levels and is probably the best water in the lake late season. Weed beds abound from the marsh right out following the tree spur pointing south in the main lake. It doesn’t matter how much water is holding behind the dam face, there are always fish in this bay. Find a depth that suits your lure and just keep plugging away. You can drift it in any wind and the creek line runs down the middle of

A typically ‘dark’ spawning brownie taken on a Rapala.

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Fishing News - Page 23

the bay. Casting lures and plastics here will land you many trout. On the point entering the bay look for drop offs that also holds fish deep. On to the Monpeelyata Canal area and this info can be applied to most waters state-wide. A strong inflow creating a good current that extends a long way out in to the lake. The more often than not prevailing westerlies will push this current east and it runs down the eastern shore for some way. This is a magnet to fish nearing the seasons end. This region of the lake can be fished all day long, targeting water from less than a metre deep out to around 5m. You will find both pre-spawn browns and feeding rainbows. Over the sandy bottom here I find lures out fish plastics by a fair way. But further along the shore they seem to make a bit of a comeback particularly where the rocky bottom starts to take over. The open water extending out to the Bullbank (islands) is another great trolling circuit, again the current from the canal lending a lot to do with this. It is here also that a dawn patrol on the midging fish can return a good brace of very solid fish. Hundreds of rising fish can be seen. I’ve found this fish to be accepting towards a hardbody lure and not just the fly; a rip- rip-pause style retrieve bringing them undone when they are on the chew.

After dark Another very successful tactic that can be employed is the use of surface lures after night falls. It is in these hours where you can find the big fish. And we are often talking those trophy sized trout we all desire. Running water is once again the key. Trout of all sizes have the desire to spawn once they reach maturity. Some of these large trout will prey on that very fact. A fish in excess of 10lb in the old scale can make pretty light work of even a 450gr fish. They seemingly also can’t resist a surface lure pooping across the top of the water. Mistaking it for a frog or mouse or whatever it may be but see it as an easy meal they do. Warmer nights seem to be a key here perhaps the extra insect life and surface action promoting a need for the fish to keep looking up for that feeding opportunity. Again check the local regulations for where and when you cannot fish.

Autumn terrestrials It’s not all bright lures and fast water in April and May. Hot sunny days with a nice northerly to boot can see some great gum beetle falls. Dee Lagoon is a favourite of mine in such conditions. Find a day or

It can snow in the Central Highlands any month. April and May really start to cool down though so be well prepared. two just as described following some slightly cooler weather and the proverbial pot of gold can be found. One particular day springs to mind where we had just the day. A warm start after a hot night already had a fair bit of life on the water. The odd fish was rising but we still were struggling. Then up sprung a hot northerly, very strong breeze and the temp rose to mid 30’s in an instant. It last about an hour and in that time we landed a fish on a hopper pattern. The wind then dropped as quickly as it started to a nice breeze and the beetles began to fall out of the trees. In the bright sun we could see trout after trout cruise up the shore line sipping down gum beetles as they fell. In stark contrast to the famously tough trout on the Dee we had fish virtually fighting over our flies that day. A day at Penstock also a highlight when a warm day saw a late season hatch and fish were starting to sip from the surface. Only one or two at first and again they were hard to target. One fish was sighted and covered with a big old woolley bugger with a flash of tinsel. Soon boated after a aerobatic fight was a true Tasmanian trout as beautifully marked as I have ever seen. Before long the whole lake was covered in rising fish and an amazing hour or so of fishing was had before it stopped as quickly as it started.

Summary You can apply this info to any still water in the state. Arthurs has some very similar bays and creeks where similar tactics are used. The Great Lake’s Canal Bay, while off limits at certain times of the year can most certainly be fished successfully outside the markers. Todds Corner is no longer closed and when the pipe is running, make hay while the sun shines. There are many other smaller but no less significant inflows around the lake. Bright orange is the key in my book. It’s a trend that has appeared every season. Some associate it to the colour matching egg roe and that may be the case. Glo Bugs in fluoro orange or red certainly are deadly in the streams and rivers around the world where they are allowed to be used. It probably correct, and also the UV signature it puts out. One thing is for sure it’s effective and worth adding to your tackle boxes and memory banks. The best lure in the box is confidence and it works for me. CLOSING: I hope these general tactics that I’ve applied over the years help you to find a few trout as the season draws to a close. Before too long I’ll be back chasing those Derwent sea-runners, the best fishing our state offers at the opposite end of the season at opening weekend. Justin Causby

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Fishing News - Page 25 7/04/2014 9:25:49 AM

St Helens

Saturday April 26th 2014

St Helens Foreshore

Registrations 7am-9am Fishing 9am-2pm Weigh in 2pm-4pm. Presentations at 5pm Fish from a jetty or a boat in Georges Bay.........anyone can enter with lots of fantastic prizes, including a boat, motor up for grabs Entry: Adults $20 - Kids: u/16 $10 All entrants must be present to be eligible for the prizes. For more information contact: Garry Pannan: 0418 158 299 Jamie Henderson: 0418 476 437

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St Helens April and Autumn

April is an exciting month in Tasmania, the weather becomes much more stable with less wind and as far as our estuaries are concerned there is an abundance of fish species on offer and Georges Bay in St Helens is one of the best. This year will see the annual Tasmanian Family Fishing Festival happening again on the waters of St Helens on Saturday April the 26th. To help budding anglers along I have put together a few hints and tips on where to fish and what to use for the species that you will be targeting. This certainly applies for Georges Bay in April and May, so even if you can’t make the Fishing Festival come down for a few days anyway. Jamie Henderson

he shore based species for this years Tasmanian Family Fishing Festival are 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 jetties 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. 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. 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.

Yes, you can still catch bream. Kerwins 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 O’Conner’s Beach jetty out along the road to St Helens Point. All of these jetties produce good fish on a regular basis.

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

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 Z-Man 2.5” grubs. 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,

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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.

Plenty of salmon are found in the bay.

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. I mix 2 handfuls of the berley mix and half a cupful of tuna oil to a berley pot and lower 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 leading out to the barway next to the shallow sandbank.

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, 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.

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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 in the bay to do this 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.

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. 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 best. 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 Trevally and Mullet will come right up on the edges and the Leatherjacket will stay just down over the edge of the drop off just on the edge of the weed beds.

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.

For the boat based anglers this year the species being targeted are Black Bream, Australian Salmon, Flathead and Garfish.

I have had some great success lately using both Squidy Whip Baits as well as the Z-Man 4.75” Streakz soft plastics, both of these resemble the small baitfish that the Salmon have been feeding on almost prefectly.

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 twitchand-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.

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Also unweighted baits drifted down the berley trail will not be refused by a hungry little bream. 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.

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.

Area’s to concentrate are around any structure, wharfs, jetties, pylons, oyster racks, moored boats and shallow rocky points.

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 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 style hook in sizes #6 through to #2 to match the bait being used.

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

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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Around Kingston Fun fishing and a good feed Jason Walker

he lower Derwent River and North West Bay can be great places to catch a feed from the shoreline throughout the year. The bays in South Eastern Tasmania boast an impressive head of cockie salmon, sand flathead, squid, wrasse, barracouta well as the odd shark or two, all available to the keen landbased angler. As you move further along the headlands, the species become larger and competent anglers can often take good bags of black-back salmon and nice sized flathead, great fun for the family while catching a feed, all within thirty minutes of home. While this article focus’ on spots thirty minutes from the Kingborough district, the techniques and lures discussed will prove effective all over the state for an array of species.

Techniques For those looking to catch bigger fish more consistently throughout the year, it’s time to move beyond the fateful paternoster rig and onto more effective and enjoyable methods. While the simple paternoster rig can occasionally yield good results throughout the year from the shore, spinning with a soft plastic or a metal slice is a far more effective means of landing a feed. Spinning using a variety of lures for bread and butter species doesn’t have to be an expensive affair. However, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. A simple graphite rod coupled with a solid spinning reel, spooled up with line will set an angler back around $150-200 dollars and will be a joy to fish with throughout the year, not only for the stock standard flathead and salmon. Also for big, beautiful brown trout in the highlands, strong southern black bream in the eastern estuaries as well as the elusive estuary perch in the north west of the state, all from the shore. Local tackle shops will be able to guide you in your choices of rods, reels and lines based on how often you intend to use the combo. Normally a rod rated around 2-4kg will be more than enough for spinning off rocks, jetties, wharfs and the banks of local rivers. If you fancy a challenge, a lighter 1-3kg rod will be ideal. For getting the fish to the shore fast for the table a slightly ‘beefier’ rod will be more suitable. As for line, simple monofilament will land almost as many fish as any other line. That said, braided line will lead to more hook ups. ‘Mono’ stretches, meaning that the angler can’t always feel the subtle bites of that wary big fish they’ve been chasing. Braid on the other hand, has almost zero stretch allowing you to always stay ‘in touch’ with your lure or bait so that you feel those little hits and nibbles and set the hooks in more wary, big fish. Being able to feel what’s going on with your lure is incredibly beneficial when spinning or bait fishing. For the adamant bait angler, a simple running sinker rig will be a cheap means of catching a feed of fish. There are a number of baits and pre-made rigs offered by local tackle shops and even some service stations. It often pays to ask the locals to find out which baits are getting the most attention from the fish while casting from the often busy jetties and rock walls.

Check out your local jetties for black ink - a sure sign the squid are about.

Lures All common species can be caught using soft plastics rigged up on 1/12 – 1/8 ounce jig heads. Then again, in order to keep catching fish an enjoyable and fulfilling pass time, it pays to change up tactics and strategies every once in a while. Halco’s popular metal slices (or similar) are a great way to get stuck into Australian salmon casting off the local rocks and are an incredibly simple lure to use. Cast out a 10-20g slice, let it sink for a few seconds, then crank it in with the rod tip pointing down to the water. The schooling salmon will mistake the lure as a fleeing baitfish and smash it, sometimes in a very dramatic way! When targeting the humble flathead a nice wavy soft plastic works best. Patterns like Berkley Gulp! Turtle Back Worm, Sand Worm and Fry are all legal dynamite when targeting flathead. Rig the plastic through the head, popping the hook out of the top and you’re ready to fish. Flathead can’t resist the smell and look of these lures, all the angler needs to do is slowly wind the lure back with the occasional flick of the rod tip to give that long tail a bit of action as the lure drifts back down to the bottom. This method will catch an array of species including flathead, salmon, barracouta, whiting, wrasse and maybe even a yellow tail kingfish if you’re really lucky! When targeting squid around the grassy flats along the edges of rock ledges and jetties, it pays to have a good range of colours. Through hundreds of hours squid fishing, dark green, bright pink, purple and white have always been favorites of mine and I’ve always had great success using Ikuza and

Flathead are a great fish - fun, easy to catch, plentiful and great to eat. Black Magic squid jigs. Often six or so squid jigs will cover the weekend angler for whatever the squid are chasing. If one colour isn’t working for the squid, swap to a much lighter or darker colour and change your jigs that way. When fishing from the shore 2.5 to 3 size jigs are ideal for a range of hot spots. Due to the impressive eye sight of the squid they can easily see your monofilament line, which is why it’s so important to use good quality fluorocarbon leader. This line is invisible in the water so even wary squid will fall victim to your jigs. A small spool of fluorocarbon leader will cost you around $15-20 dollars and will last a very long time! Leaders around 100cm-150cm are ideal. Squid are aggressive feeder and will chase your lures a long way in order to grab them. Cast the jig out and allow it to sink for a few seconds, then retrieve the jig while occasionally flicking and lifting the rod tip in any direction. Always remember to pause once in a while allowing the jig to slowly drift down to the

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Fishing News - Page 31

bottom, this when the squid grab the lure. Before you lift your jig out of the water for the next cast, have a good look in the water around your squid jig for any wary squid, waiting to strike. There will often be a few followers on a good cast so it pays to wait a few seconds for them to reveal themselves from the shadows. Simply jigging the lure meters off the platform will more than likely result in another squid for the table.

Hot spots If its flathead you’re chasing, hotspots include the southern rocks of Kingston Beach, Boronia Beach, Tinder Box

jetty and the Margate Wharf. Soft plastics are ideal in these areas and legal sized flathead can be found in good numbers. If you enjoy succulent squid rings, just to either side of Margate Wharf produces incredible numbers of squid at times due to the permanently stationed street light just above the water. The rocks around Kingston Beach also produce good numbers and good sized calamari through to the end of autumn. Using the techniques described previously, casting straight out towards the center of the bay off of the breakwall at the southern end of the beach has proven to be a very productive spot for squid

and an easily accessible place to take the whole family. For an even quieter spot Dru Point jetty is surrounded by long sea-grass and terrific buckets of squid can be taken by novice anglers during this time of the year. This spot is very quiet a lot of the time and a fantastic place to get the kids along and fishing during the longer daylight hours. A rod each and a tackle box full of good squid jigs is a great way to introduce children to fishing for squid as well as catching a feed of calamari to share. As for the salmon, they can be found in incredible numbers just about anywhere locally. There are consistent numbers caught off of Nutgrove Beach running along the edge of Sandy Bay using metal slices. These salmon are always legal size and are so easy to catch, it’s a wonderful place to take the kids on a hot day as when they get tired of catching salmon hand over fist they can play on the beach. If its biggun’s you’re chasing, you’re going to have to find them each day, as these fish tend to move a fair distance every day. The end of any headland is a great place to start the search. Sea birds are fantastic indicators of schools of Australian salmon. If seagulls and other birds can be seen diving into the water, the salmon are beneath them. As the salmon smash the baitfish beneath the surface, the birds pick up the leftover fish. You’ll

be there, rod in hand to pick up the salmon willing to smash you’re slices, of which there will be many willing takers. The Derwent estuary is one of the most diverse and productive fisheries in Southern Tasmania and a pleasure to fish, however anglers are reminded that due to the concentration of heavy metals in the river they are advised to limit their consumption of scalefish* to two fish a week.

While traveling around the state in search of fish is a great way to spend a few days off with the mates, fishing locally can yield surprisingly good results putting a smile on our faces and fish on our plates. *This excludes southern black bream, which should never be eaten from the Derwent Estuary. Jason Walker – Tackle Us Kingston

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The The Top Top End’s End’s newest newest fishing fishing tourism tourism operation, Dhipirri Barra operation, Dhipirri Barra & & Sportfishing Sportfishing Lodge Lodge Arnhemland, Arnhemland, has has taken taken delivery delivery of of four four custom-built custom-built Bar Bar Crusher Crusher 615XS 615XS Guide series boats. Guide series boats. Built Built on on Bar Bar Crusher’s Crusher’s popular popular 615 615 Gen2™ hull to 2D marine survey, Gen2™ hull to 2D marine survey, each each boat boat incorporates incorporates six six watertight watertight buoyancy buoyancy compartments, compartments, which which makes makes the the deep-V deep-V hull virtually unsinkable, while hull virtually unsinkable, while retaining retaining its its unique unique Quickflow™ Quickflow™ water water ballast ballast system system for for superior superior stability stability at at rest. rest. Bar Crusher director Peter Cleland Bar Crusher director Peter Cleland said said the the team team worked worked closely closely with with proprietors proprietors Darren Darren and and Sharon Nickolls to ensure the the 615XS 615XS Guide series met their stringent stringent requirements requirements and expectations. “Having “Having operated operated Darren’s Northern Territory Territory Barra Barra Safaris for over 15 years, Darren Darren knows knows what he wants and needs in a boat,” in a boat,” Mr Cleland said. “Bar “Bar Crusher’s Crusher’s strength, performance and premium and premium construction were a good base base to to start start from, with the custom fit-out including including more inter-changeable seating for for clients, clients, bow-mounted electric motor,

multiple batteries batteries and and an an multiple independent onboard independent onboard charging system. system. charging “The centre centre console console “The was also moved as far far was also moved as aft as possible, with the aft as possible, with the helm seat positioned on helm seat positioned on the transom, while the the transom, while the centrally-located fuel fuel centrally-located tank ensures ensures even even weight weight distribution distribution for for tank running in all conditions.” running in all conditions.” Powered by by reliable reliable and and fuel-efficient fuel-efficient Powered Suzuki DF150 four-stroke outboards, Suzuki DF150 four-stroke outboards, testing of the Bar Crusher 615XS Guide Guide testing of the Bar Crusher 615XS series fleet delivered fully-loaded top series fleet delivered fully-loaded top speeds of of over over 40kt. 40kt. speeds “The performance performance and and efficiency efficiency of of these these “The rigs will serve Darren, his guides and his rigs will serve Darren, his guides and his clients very well,” Mr Cleland said. clients very well,” Mr Cleland said. “Packaged on on custom-built custom-built Bar Bar Crusher Crusher “Packaged // Easytow Easytow trailers, trailers, the the 615XS 615XS Guide Guide series will will ensure ensure hassle-free hassle-free launching/ launching/ series retrieving and and travelling travelling on on the the retrieving unforgiving roads roads in in this this remote remote Top Top End End unforgiving location.” location.” dhipirribarra. For more information, visit: dhipirribarra. com.au Boats –– Further information: Bar Crusher Boats www.barcrusher. (03) 9792 2999 or visit: www.barcrusher. com.au 615 Built on Bar Crusher’s popular 615 each Gen2™ hull to 2D marine survey, each 615XS Guide series boat incorporates incorporates six watertight buoyancy compartments, compartments, virtually which makes the deep-V hull virtually unsinkable,.

Fishpond Nomad Nomad landing landing Fishpond nets nets

Fishpond USA, USA, the the creator creator of of high high quality quality Fishpond fly fishing and outdoor travel gear and fly fishing and outdoor travel gear and accessories has has expanded expanded its its product product accessories line to include a range of high-quality line to include a range of high-quality landing nets. nets. landing The Nomad Nomad Nets Nets are are made made from from The a composite of carbon fibre and a composite of carbon fibre and fibreglass making them extremely strong, fibreglass making them extremely strong, lightweight and and durable; durable; in in addition addition to to lightweight being waterproof, waterproof, weatherproof weatherproof and and being buoyant. buoyant. Two styles styles will will appeal appeal to to the the trout trout and and Two freshwater angler: the Nomad Hand Net freshwater angler: the Nomad Hand Net is 26” long with a 13”W x 18”L head is 26” long with a 13”W x 18”L head dimension. This This short-handled short-handled style style with with dimension. a cord and clip will suit attachment to the a cord and clip will suit attachment to the back of a fly vest. back of a fly vest. The Nomad Nomad Mid-Length Mid-Length Net Net has has the the The same head dimension as the Hand same head dimension as the Hand Net but but isis 37” 37” long. long. This This length length gives gives Net the angler angler greater greater reach reach and and though though the seemingly long long to to carry carry conveniently, conveniently, seemingly favoured size size for for many many anglers anglers isis aa favoured particularly among US professional trout particularly among US professional trout guides. The guides’ practice of carrying guides. The guides’ practice of carrying the net net with with handle handle shoved shoved down down the between the the back back and and the the lumbar lumbar (Bum) (Bum) between bag may may seem seem ungainly ungainly but but Fishpond Fishpond say say bag that this this method method of of stowing stowing when when not not in in that use isis both both comfortable comfortable and and convenient convenient use and does does not not impede impede the the guide/angler guide/angler and when fishing fishing or or walking. walking. when The Nomad Nomad nets nets feature feature aa clear, clear, soft soft The rubber mesh bag which has proven to rubber mesh bag which has proven to be far less damaging to fish through be far less damaging to fish through

notabsorbing absorbingtheir theirprotective protectiveslime; slime;an an not important feature where fish are to be important feature where fish are to be released.Replacement Replacementrubber rubbermesh meshbags bags released. willalso alsobe beavailable. available. will Thenets netsare arefinished finishedininaaspecial special The “RiverKoat”finish, finish,aarubberized rubberizedpaint paint “RiverKoat” whichprovides providesexcellent excellentwet wetgrip, grip,which which which willbe beavailable availableinintwo twocolour colourstyles: styles: will RiffleCamo Camoand andTailwater Tailwater(Brown (BrownTrout Trout Riffle pattern). pattern). TheNomad NomadHand HandNet Netand andMid-Length Mid-Length The Netwill willsell sellfor foraround around$219 $219and and$269, $269, Net respectively. respectively. Foryour yourclosest closeststockist stockistcontact contactMayfly Mayfly For Tackle on (03) 9899 0034 Tackle on (03) 9899 0034

Get back to trout fishing at the

Trout Weekend at Liawenee. See hundreds of brown trout on their annual spawning migration in Tasmania’s Central Highlands. ipped at Liawenee Trout waiting to be str

• • • • • • •

ke a L t a e Gr 8 1 – 7 1 MAY – SUN SATM – 3PM 10A

Win a Ford Ranger

Free entry and parking Watch wild trout being stripped of their eggs for the hatchery Kids can try their luck in the fishpond and maybe catch a trout Lots of great food plus cooking demonstrations New layout and exhibits Competitions and giveaways Talk with trout fishing experts

To find out more go to www.ifs.tas.gov.au

0014

e Liawene

Buy a full or five-season licence for your chance to win.

Get back to history. Get back to fun. Get back to trout fishing. www.tasfish.com www.tasfish.com -- Get Get the the knowledge knowledge -- Get Get the the fish. fish.

Fishing FishingNews News- -Page Page33 33

The best new products G Free Body means the reel’s centre of gravity has been moved closer to the rod by positioning the worm shaft oscillation mechanism at the top of the reel body for less winding fatigue.

Stella FI spin reels If last year’s flagship Stella SW series were designed to take on the bash and crash of the bluewater world, then the Stella FI series is more about finesse, making them perfect for light line applications in both fresh and salt water, from inland lakes to the coast. Like all Stellas, there’s a heap of new technology poured into this most recent release. Micromodule Gear Technology delivers a new level of smoothness and reduced vibration for easier winding and better contact with the lure being retrieved. This is brought about by superior gear design and alignment, yet with the same strength and durability we’ve come to expect from Stellas. S-Direct Gear means more precise gear component alignment, reducing movement of critical parts within the reel. Coreprotect involves a sealed bail arm line roller, rotor and roller clutch, so the Stella FIs can be fished in a variety of environments without being affected by sand, dirt or water.

As befitting a reel series like this, to keep everything moving smoothly, each Stella has 13 SA-RB bearings and an all-new design anti-reverse bearing, which generates less friction and lighter handle rotation. Additionally, there’s a Titanium Bail Arm, a larger, ergonomically shaped drag knob for adjusting the new Coil Wave Spring Drag, a longer spool shape for greater casting distance, and a re-designed line clip for when the reel is not in use. These are quite simply unparalleled light line reels. If you fish trout streams, impoundments, estuaries, and inshore along the coast, the 1000, 2500, 3000 or 4000 Stella FI spin reel belongs in your hands. www.shimanofish.com.au

Mercury celebrates 75 years and you can save up to $1,075 on fantastic fourStrokes! Mercury Marine is holding one massive FourStroke event to help mark the company’s 75th Anniversary. Decades of marine innovation have ensured Mercury has the most advanced FourStroke range on the market, and those engines are now available at huge savings.

Celebrating

75 YEARS

OF MARINE INNOVATION

From March 14, 2014, you can save up to $1,075 on Mercury FourStrokes from 2.5hp to 115hp. The bigger the engine, the more you can save, with these great deals available for both recreational and commercial uses. Even better, you can also take advantage of exclusive Mercury Finance and Mercury Insurance packages available at very competitive rates. Mercury FourStrokes lead the way thanks to their instant starts, extreme reliability, extended durability and smooth quiet performance in virtually any conditions. These engines deliver superior performance because they have been designed and built to do just that... not to compete, but to beat. For example, the marine electronic fuel injection (EFI) which Mercury pioneered and patented has now been integrated into our FourStroke range to provide a previously unheard of level of reliability. Combine that with the fact that Mercury FourStrokes have more stainless steel, hard anodizing and an exclusive multi-step paint process, and it’s easy to understand why they enjoy the industry’s one-and-only 3-Year Corrosion Warranty for outboards. This is your chance to get your hands on the best technology on the water at great prices. To find your nearest participating Mercury FourStroke dealer, visit mercurymarine.com.au

Channel Marine Services Lot 10 Gemalla Rd, Margate Ph: 03 6267 1456 C.J. Marine Pty Ltd 8 Legana Park Drv, Legana Ph: 03 6330 2277 Fishing News - Page 34

OFFER ENDS 31 MAY 2014 visit mercurymarine.com.au for details

Shimano Exage monofilament

COMPETITIVE MERCURY FINANCE RATES

Exage monofilament is an extra strong, high quality Japanese line, which is perfect for many Aussie fishing conditions and species as well.

*Terms & conditions apply.**To approved purchasers. Terms & conditions apply. Participating dealers only.

A clear blue in colour, it features low memory, so it lies on reel spools neatly, and exhibits high knot strength. It is perfect for anything from fine line breaming with bait, float fishing for blackfish, but also more robust situations such as floater fishing for snapper and other offshore species where a tough, supple line is an advantage. Exage is available in 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 30 and 35 pound breaking strains on handy 300 metre spools.

www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

The new F175A is the outboard many boaters have been waiting for. It delivers a great mix of power and fuel economy in a proven lightweight design.

Yamaha Introduces New Four Stroke Models Yamaha Motor Australia is thrilled to announce the release of two new models in Australia, the all new F175A and F115B. The new F175 is an important addition to Yamaha’s product line up and fills a gap in the current range of inline four-cylinder outboards. The all-new F115B will replace the existing F115A, a motor already considered to be class leading. The upgrade of an already top selling motor along with the introduction of a whole new horsepower category is a good illustration of the depth and quality of the four-stroke product line up Yamaha is offering Australian customers. The new F175A is a long awaited motor that fills the gap between Yamaha’s powerful F150A and the recently released and hugely popular four-cylinder F200. The F175 is based on the award winning 2.8L F200 platform, sharing the same displacement and four-cylinder, 16-valve Double Overhead Camshaft design. The new outboard not only offers the utmost in weight saving innovation, it packs in plenty of performance. Like the 2.8-litre F200, the F175A is highly responsive, with a sophisticated valve train design that’s been proven by millions of hours of use. The F175 also uses a single-throttle intake valve that both reduces weight and increases efficiency. A knock sensor allows the engine to run at peak efficiency and performance at high RPM regardless of the conditions. With electrical output of 50 AMPS, the F175 provides plenty of power to keep up with today’s electronic accessories and is compatible with Yamaha’s Command Link gauges and hardware, as well as the Y-COP® theft deterrent system. The outboard also includes Yamaha’s Variable Trolling function when fitted with Yamaha’s Command Link gauges. The F175 is compatible with Yamaha’s Shift Dampening System (SDS) range of propellers. This system utilises a splined rubber hub designed to absorb the force created when an outboard is shifted into gear. The result is smooth, virtually noise free shifting in and out of gear for greater durability and more pleasant operation. The F175 is mechanically controlled for ease of use in both new boat and repower applications. The introduction of the new F115B is very exciting for both Yamaha and the Australian market as a whole. The 115 horsepower engine category is very popular among Australian boaters and powers a diverse range of boats, from serious offshore fishing set ups to weekend ski boats and everything in between. The new F115B is not only powerful and compact, but is now also the lightest outboard in the four-stroke class. At 171Kg, the new F115B is 15Kg lighter than the previous generation F115A and 11Kg lighter than the nearest four stroke competitor. Weight savings are derived from a variety of new materials, such as a composite cowling, a single ram power trim and tilt mechanism, and a new lightweight mounting bracket. The F115B provides increased cubic capacity, which

Specifications

Yamaha’s new F115B – More compact and powerful. Now the lightest outboard in the 115 horsepower four stroke class. now measures 1.8 litres. The outboard’s Double-Overhead Cam (DOHC) four-cylinder design now has larger intake and exhaust valves for easier breathing, more power and better midrange torque. The compression ratio has been increased, and so has the fullthrottle RPM range – now up to 6,300 RPM. A knock sensor allows the engine to operate reliably at peak output. The result is great response throughout the RPM range and terrific acceleration.

The new F115 model is mechanically controlled and compatible with Yamaha’s Command Link gauges and hardware as well as the Y-COP theft deterrent system. The outboard also includes Yamaha’s Variable Trolling function when fitted with Yamaha’s Command Link gauges or Multi-function Tiller Handle. The new F175A is available now and the F115B will be available from the early May. More information: www.yamaha-motor.com.au

F115B

F175A

Model name Shaft length Dry weight Engine type Displacement Bore × stroke Compression ratio Full throttle operating range Fuel induction system Engine oil capacity Ignition system Alternator Cooling system Exhaust system Emission rating Recommended fuel

F115LB, F115XB, LF115XB L, X L: 171kg, X: 176kg (dry, no prop weight) Four-Stroke, 16-Valve, DOHC, In-line 4 1832cc 81.0 × 88.9 10:1 5300-6300 rpm Electronic fuel injection 3.2 L/3.0 L *with/without oil filter exchange TCI Microcomputer 35 Amp (Battery charge: 28 Amp) Raw-water, thermostatically controlled Through propeller hub 3 Star Ultra Low Emission Regular unleaded

F175LA, F175XA L, X L: 219kg, X: 220kg (dry, no prop weight) Four-Stroke, 16-Valve, DOHC, In-line 4 2785cc 96 x 96.2 10.3:1 5000-6000 rpm Electronic fuel injection 4.5 L/4.3 L *with/without oil filter exchange TCI Microcomputer 50 Amp (Battery charge: 42 Amp) Raw-water, thermostatically controlled Through propeller hub 3 Star Ultra Low Emission Regular unleaded

Warranty

4 Years Recreational (conditional)

www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Fishing News - Page 35

Scallops The scallop season for State waters is open from the Saturday before Easter (12th April) until the end of July. A closure for scallop fishing remains in place for the D’Entrecasteaux Channel season for 2014 to protect scallop stocks.

RECREATIONAL SEA FISHERIES NEWS April/May 2014

The World’s First Triple Textured Fly Line

Rock Lobster Season 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.

Rubbish a concern for the emerging family fishery at Lake Kara During a routine check of access facilities, IFS staff recently removed five garbage bags of rubbish from numerous campsites around Lake Kara. Items included large amounts of nappies and human faecal matter as well as fishing line and bait packaging. The amount of rubbish left behind indicates this behaviour is not limited to just a few uncaring individuals and appears to unfortunately be widespread amongst anglers at this lake. The future of this potentially exciting fishery is firmly in the hands of the angling public.

Re-Power and Service Specialists

Qualified service staff New workshop Comprehensive range of parts for all major brands Authorised sales/service dealer for SeaDoo Jet Skis and Jet Boats

6 Effingham St, Moonah

Phone: 6214 9999

www.maynesmarine.com.au sales@maynesmarine.com.au Fishing News - Page 36

is the time to get out there to latch onto one of these monsters. Fish up to 8 kg in weight were seen earlier this year in another survey and the chances are that there are even bigger fish swimming about in this highly productive system. Lake Crescent is open an hour before sunrise to an hour after sunset, and the use of artificial lures and flies are permitted. The minimum size limit is 220mm and a total maximum daily bag limit of 5 fish.

Please make sure you take your rubbish with you when you leave. If you see a littering offense being committed call the Litter Hotline on 1300 135 513 or fill in a report form on the EPA website www.epa. tas.gov.au/regulation/ report-littering

Big trout caught in Lake Crescent survey IFS’ Chris Bowen shows off a healthy brown trout caght at Lake Crescent during the recent survey for juvenile carp. The recent juvenile carp surveys conducted at Lake Crescent resulted in large, well-conditioned brown and rainbow trout being caught. Brown and rainbow trout up to 10 and 6 pound were caught along the marsh edges in small fyke nets. These trout were in top condition and well within the range of both land-based and boat fishermen looking to bag a trophy. With the trout season drawing to an end, now

In 2007, Scientific Anglers introduced the Sharkskin family of fly lines. These ground-breaking lines employed 3M’s Micro-replication technology to apply a surface-structure - a texture to the fly line surface. The benefits of surface texturing are numerous: increased surface area enables lines to sit higher in the water, offering less drag, easier mending, less water spray and easier pick-ups; the micro-textured surface traps air to provide increases in both shootability and floatation – all while decreasing friction; and the micro-replicated pattern increases the durability of the lines, allowing them to last up to twice as long. The success of Sharkskin lines soon led to the development of the Mastery Textured series of lines. While the surface structure of the Sharkskin lines comprises a diamond pattern of peaks and valleys, the Textured series employs a surface-structure similar to the divots found on a golf ball, resulting in a line that performs like a Sharkskin, but feels smoother to the touch. Combining the best elements of the Sharkskin with the Mastery Textured series was the obvious next stage in fly line development. The result? The Sharkwave, the world’s first triple-textured fly line. Featuring Sharkskin texture on the tip section, Mastery Textured divots for the belly and running line, a smooth tactile reference point at the AFTMA 30-foot mark, the SharkWave is unlike any fly line ever produced. The SharkWave lines will be available in the Ultimate Trout and GPX and Saltwater tapers. The freshwater lines will be available in two colours, a Stealth and a Bright version. SharkWave Ultimate Trout - Stealth, WF3F - WF8F colour: Dk Willow/Willow/Mist Green SharkWave Ultimate Trout - Bright, WF3F – WF8F colour: Willow/Optic Green/Ivory SharkWave GPX – Stealth, WF3F – WF9F colour: Willow/Dk Willow/Chartreuse SharkWave GPX – Bright, WF3F – WF9F colour: Optic Green/Ultra Blue/Buckskin SharkWave Saltwater, WF6F – WF12F colour: Horizon/ Turtle Grass/Yellow Contact Mayfly Tackle Pty Ltd for your closest stockist on (03) 9899 0034.

www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Sufix NanoBraid

Fishin

World class fishing in the heart of the central highlands

Stay in a luxury art deco 3 bedroom cottage

Get ready for the new level of Nano line feel and performance with Sufix NanoBraid. By utilising their innovative Wide Angle Braiding Technology, Sufix has been able to produce a tighter braiding weave that is super strong and silky smooth.

Atmospheric Highlander Arms tavern on the doorstep 3 course meal provided each night Catch your own salmon in Tarraleah lake and learn how to prepare it with expert chef 18 lakes within 30 minutes drive

(03) 6289 0111 info @tarraleah.com www.tarraleah.com

Four densely braided Dyneema fibers have combined expertly to deliver a high pitch-count that produces consistent quality, a uniform diameter and increased abrasion resistance; significantly enhancing the line’s performance and longevity. Sufix NanoBraid is up to 3x stronger than other lines in its category and features superior knot and shock strength. The silky soft feel of NanoBriad line is extremely sensitive, enabling the angler to detect the slightest of bites; whilst its ultrathin diameter promotes pinpoint casts and remains silent as it runs through the guides.

cosy wood fires

wine & whisky tasting

guided fishing trips

great pub

Sufix NanoBraid is available in pink 6lb, 7lb, 8lb, 11lb and 16lb spools of 125yds.

Alvey auto retract cord holder Lure retriever and Kayak anchor Your fishing time is precious! Now you can catch more fish by using an ‘Auto-retract’ cord holder and eliminate the annoying tangles of cord on the deck of your boat when using lure retrievers. The auto retract cord holder stores your lure retriever cord neatly and safely and keeps your boat deck free of loose coils, thereby avoiding tangles or tripping over cord. To use the cord retriever, attach your lure recovery device to the end of the cord. To deploy the cord and recovery device to free the snagged lure release the cord by pressing the large black button. When lure is captured pull on the cord to release your lure, then wind your lure and retriever up with your reel, the auto retract holder will retrieve the cord leaving your deck free of obstacles. Stainless steel spring for long life. Handy clip to use retriever hands free. 7.5 meters of 40 kg cord. Kayak fishers will also love this unit for light anchoring. Keeps your kayak neat and tidy. Suitable for salt and freshwater use.

Want a ride this smooth?

With a Quintrex Millennium Hull, the ride is always smooth. Choppy becomes calm. How do we do it? By stretch-forming aluminium we create a variable dead rise hull with a deep V design that slices through water. It’s an award winning process unique to Quintrex Withoffers a Quintrex Millennium Hull, the ride is aluminium always smooth. Choppy calm. How do we it?easy By stretch-forming that the softest, quietest, driest riding hull your hardbecomes earned money can buy! It’sdothe way to enjoy thealuminium water… we create a variable dead rise hull with a deep V design that slices through water. It’s an award winning process unique to Quintrex that offers the softest, quietest, driest riding aluminium hull your hard earned money can buy! It’s the easy way to enjoy the water…

273 Kennedy Dr, Cambridge www.lewismarine.com.au

Ph: 6248 3222

Boating Made easy. Quintrex. www.quintrex.com.au or phone 1300 727 188 for your nearest dealer.

www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Fishing News - Page 37

Fishing and Boating Directory Advertise here for $77. Contact Mike Stevens 0418 129949

Boat trailer wheel and tyre Dunbier and early Holden pattern

Outboard Servicing Mobile service, saves you time, money and convenience. • Launceston, east, northeast coast and central highlands. • Latest computer diagnostic equipment to suit most models. • Quality work guaranteed. Grant Garwood: 0428 382 130 Email: ggarwood1@hotmail.com

around $90ea

62 Hopkins St, Moonah 6228 0274

Outboard Technology

Quality Service and repairs to all Outboard Motors. Southern Region. David Gillespie 6248 9080 or 0417 562 859 96 Clifton Beach Rd Sandford Tas 7020

BURNIE MARINE Services

HIGHL AND LAKES

Tasmanian maps for any

Map & Angling For the lat

est inform ation vis www.ifs it: .tas.gov .au www.tas map.tas .gov.au

• Over 30 years experience on all types of motors • Approved insurance repairer to boats and motors • Propellor rebuild and refurbishing • Repairs of all types - including skegs etc. • Contact: Cyril Stevens Phone 6431 3082

Notes

A DV E N T U R E

Launceston’s Only Authorised Dealer and Service Centre 8 Legana Park Drive Legana Industrial Estate, Ph: 6330 2277 Email: chris@ cjmarineandkarts.com

TASMAP’s Highland Lakes Map and Angling Notes is an invaluable guide to the world class trout fishing in the thousands of lakes and tarns located throughout the region. It covers most of the Central Plateau, shows all of the lakes, how to get there along with launching facilities, accommodation, camping and caravan areas, fuel supplies and services.

5.1 Metre Badman Tournament

The reverse side features detailed notes and maps covering the prime fishing lakes. The notes are packed with valuable information on regulations, fish types and the best fishing locations and methods. It is available online, along with TASMAP’s full range of maps, books and historic charts, at:

Maps may also be purchased from Service Tasmania outlets and TASMAP agents statewide.

Depar tment of Pr imar y Industr ies, Par ks, Water and Environment Fishing News - Page 38

BL10621

www.tasmap.tas.gov.au

This is an awesome boat that has been designed in Tasmania by a Naval Architect. It is built from 4mm plate and has huge casting area, with lockers underneath. Superb seats for comfort and a 75HP Yamaha propells it to 90KPH+. Ideal trout or bream boat with performance that will amaze you. Custom built galvanized trailer, 55lb Minn Kota bowmount electric and Humminbird fishfinder. Ready to rock and roll now. Any modifications you want can be done by the builder, Mark Tapsell. A fantastic buy at $20,850. Will trade.

Aluman Engineering

Mark Tapsell 424 Hobart Road, L’ton Ph 6343 3341

www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Fishing and Boating Directory

Experience: You obviously need strong Advertise here for $77. Contact Mike Stevens 0418 129949 paddling skills including a reliable brace and Eskimo roll, and a good handle on how sea conditions are influenced by the wind, tides and Your every need catered for • East coast estuary and bay currents. Offshore from • Eight en-suite cabins the Tasman Peninsula is • Whiting, Bream, Salmon, • Convenience store not a place for novice Garfish, Flathead, Squid and more kayakers. • Hot takeaways OKUMA TITUS GOLD and Mini Market • Newspapers 0.00 15S $33 S• a fGroceries ety gear: A • Soft 0.00plastics, lures, fly and bait 20S $35 Boat parking • Fuel marine • VHF radio is 100 Chimney Heights Rd. • 5.8 metre sportfishing boat. • Bait and and tackle especially handy, St Helens 6376 3298 I routinely car r yand an car wash • Boat EPIRB, flares, whistle, SHIMANO TLD50 FULL ROLLER 24KG ROD paddle float, strobe light $50419 75.00353 041 (for my own epileptic Michael Haley marine disco), map, mhaleycharters@bigpond.com compass and a GPS. OpI en www.breamfishing.com.au 7 Da barely ever use them, y s but its comforting to know they are all there. Fishing gear: A handline is much cheaper SHIMANO TYRONU S 50 than a rod and reel and ROLLER TIP 37KG Full fishing and cray store ROD seems to work fine for $779.95 gear and bait this type of+game fishing A dream fulfilled and thankful to be on hard ground again. BULK MONO LINE providingAll youboating have a gear Handline trolling for bluefin from a kayak is not easy, but is PRICE PER METRE way to securely attach it, 10KG $0.04 achievable as the author shows. Drive parking with boat 15KG $0.06 and plenty in of line (I use 24KG $0.08 Endurance: You might need to stockpile some patience, about 300m of 37 kilo mono). Don’t forget your gloves. Include 37KG $0.10 Ph:6266 3768 a couple of lures that swim well at kayaking speeds, ideally fitted since the reality is you’ll be slow and with only one lure out STORMY SEAS YES!! WE CAN with long heavy mono traces. A gaff, knife and club to pacify your chances are low compared to other boats. But when MARINA WET SPOOL YOUR the fish are all potentially useful. You’ll need plenty of water your time finally arrives.... its hard to imagine any other WEATHER SET YOU FOR REELS fishing experience coming close. Best of luck out there. and high energy food to keep paddling for hours. $39.90 Bluefin tuna from a kayak, it is indeed possible. JACKET & PANTS Nick Gust

St Helens

Hillcrest Tourist Park

GAME FISHING Gone Fishing Charters SPECIALS ASE SCOOP PURCH

Gone Fishing Charters St Helens

FRANKLIN MARINE

Stay and Fish the Peninsula - Advertorial Feature

Call in for all your fishing tackle including full range rods, reels, lures, landing nets and bait. Also life jackets plus diving gear and STO RMY sports. stuff for all water ZIP OUT SLEEVE Scott, 53 King St. JAC Scottsdale.Ph. 6352 2357 KET NETT PRICE Julie-Anne, 41 Quail St. 5.0 St Helens. Ph. 6376 1390 $30 0

Top Service –CE Top Price HOT PRI

SURE CATCH ALUMINIUM GIMBAL BELT

SMALL BAIT BOARD

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

The Lufra - close to all the (fishing) action

It is no exaggeration to say the Tasman Peninsula is truly remarkable with possibly the best sport fishing, highest sea cliffs, outstanding diving in giant underwater kelp forests, renowned fine food producers, Australia’s leading convict site and some of country’s best bush walks. Situated at Eaglehawk Neck, and just one hour from Hobart, The Lufra provides relaxed affordable accommodation close to Port Arthur and natural attractions and is ideally located as the base for you to enjoy many activities, sitting as it does at the narrow isthmus which connects the Forestier and Tasman Peninsulas. Visit the Lufra and you’ll share more than a stunning view because the area abounds in many attractions — both natural and made-made — all within easy driving or walking distance. Close to the hotel are several amazing rock formations and attractions - The Blowhole, Tasman Arch, the Devil’s

Kitchen and the Tessellated (or tiled) Pavement. You will be impressed by the drama of these geological wonders, sculpted by Mother Nature over millions of years. A mere 15 minutes south by car the history of Tasmania’s convict past comes alive at the former penal settlement of Port Arthur and other historical sites on the Tasman Peninsula. Nearby you can also indulge in sports and pastimes like deep sea fishing, surfing, and bushwalking, or visit other nearby attractions like wildlife parks and wineries. $59 pp twin share incl. The Lufra Hotel offers comfortable accommodation continental breakfast in a range of rooms and self-catering units or as well as a limited number of “fishermen’s rooms” at very affordable $65 pp with hot breakfast. rates. Additional car parking development allows substantial · 66 Stylish Rooms car and boat parking. Our licensed restaurant and bistro · CBD Location by a games/recreation restaurant are complemented room, ·TV/lounge area with open fireplace, café/coffee Affordable Rates shop and two bars. · Conference Rooms Australian aviation pioneer and tourism entrepreneur · FREE Parking Moviesthe Lufra Sir Reginald Ansett is reputed·toFREE have described Hotel as “the hotel with the best view in · FREE Fitness Room the world.” No wonder there has been an accommodation house on · Wireless Broadband the same site for more than 150 years. Three The ·Lufra HotelSteps on George380Heritage Pirates Bay Drive Bar - Restaurant Eaglehawk Neck www.colonialinn.com.au Toll free 1800 639 532 (03) 6250 3262 www.lufrahotel.com or info@lufrahotel.com

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6-8 WEST TAMAR ROAD, LAUNCESTON, TASMANIA 7250 PHONE (03) 6331 6188 FAX (03) 63342681

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Fishing News - Page 11

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Issue 109 April - May 2014

World Record

107.5 kg southern bluefin tuna

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Jonah Yick with his world record southern blueďŹ n tuna taken on 15 kilogram line class.

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