Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 110 2014 June

Issue 110 June - July 2014

$5.95

Winter fis hing - well wor th the effort

Print Post approved; 100003074

Broadbill Trevally Garfish Boats Trout Tuna

Rex Miekle with a good silver trevally from Georges Bay

Over 1000 FISHING STORIES

Half Price

Mont Escape and Pioneer canvas Bushwalking Packs 20% off.

Lure Clearance

Hundreds of Rapala, Shimano, Tassie Devil, Nilsmaster Strada & Bolt lures to clear covering all species from Trout to Tuna

These tough and spacious packs are ideal for backcountry fishing trips.

All Berkley Powerbait Soft Plastics

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Just Arrived Shimano Waterproof Sport Camera $449

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Plano 3700 Tackle Box

Shimano Cazna 2500FA

Spacious easy to use tackle box for all your gear

$64.95 now $49.95

$89.95 (Was $119)

Sinking Rock Special

Penn Slammer 560 Reel / Penn Accord 10’ Carbon Composite Rod Combo

Hot Price $129

Electric reels

Why waste a calm winter’s day when you can target Stripey Trumpeter and Blue Eye. Make your life easier with one of these.

Daiwa Tanacom 1000 $699 Daiwa Tanacom Bull 1000 $879 Shimano Dendou-Maru Plays 9000 $999

Sherpa Polypropylene Thermals

Shimano Dendou-Maru Beastmaster 9000 $1749

Black Diamond Storm Headtorch

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Hydrowave Aust edition Sound Units

Tackleworld Thinsulate Beanies

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Mund Artic Socks

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Stoney Creek 2 pocket shirt Performance plus fleece $59.90 Small to XXL Bayleaf or Black

Stoney Creek Micro + fleece Shirt $39.90

The hydrowave is a patented sound device that emits the natural sounds of bait fish and predatory fish feeding on them.

By hearing the sounds and feeling the vibrations, fish are drawn in the direction of the hydrowave in a heightened feeding behaviour. This device is intended to give anglers a considerable advantage in the pursuit of fish. Available in Freshwater or Saltwater units.

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Fishing News - Page 2

Email: enquiries@tassietackle.com.au www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

DISCOUNTED SAGE & other

FLY RODS SAGE DISCOUNTED FLY RODS

ROSS RODS

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476-4 Essence FC

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990-3 RPLXI

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SAGE DISCOUNTED REELS

RIVERWORKS

1830 3-4wt were $180

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690-4 SPS Series

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1850 5-6wt were $180

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690-4 Precision Series

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1880 7-8wt were $180

now $120

4550CF 4-5wt were $375 now $295

GILLIES WILDFISH

4580CF 7-8wt were $375 now $295

476-4 Cascade

now $150

4540 3-4wt were $430

now $350

590-4 Cascade

now $150

4560 5-6wt were $430

now $350

690-4 Cascade

now $150

REDINGTON

VISION

3-4wt 7’6” 2 piece rod

now $95

370-3 GT Four

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376-4 Pursuit

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10’8” 3wt Cult Czech Nymph

590-4 Cross Water

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6’6” 4-5wt Fibre Cult

now $195

590-4 Pursuit

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470-4 Nite

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590-4 CPX

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890-4 Attack

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690-4 Redfly

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690-4 Link

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690-4 SS Super Sports

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XP9003 Czech Nymph

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Fly Fisher

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Fishing News - Page 3

Gars on George — Peter Hayes

8

Boats in profile

26

31 D

on’t stay indoors... Some of the best fishing in Tasmania is in Winter and I want you to think about spending a few days this Winter especially in the saltwater.

There are still plenty of bluefin around, some great striped trumpeter, ever present flathead, and some prime flounder fishing as well. We get some beautiful calm days without the strong sea breezes of Summer. The days are short - and I like that.

One of the clubs I am a member of (Van Dieman Fly Fishers) has had a St Helens Winter (June) weekend for a number of years and it attracts the most participants of any club outing.

It is a fly fishing club, and some take this as an opportunity to pursue other methods and go home with a good feed of table fish. That prime targets are garfish and calamari. This is fishing for food as much as fun, but it is a lot of fun and everyone goes home with a feed.

8 - 13

Winter trout — Leroy Tirant

15

Jan’s flies — Jan Spencer

17

How to maintain your inflatable PFD

18

Winter salmon — Craig Rist

22

St Helens trevally — Michal Rybka

26

Game fishing – Don’t stop! — Kelly Hunt

31

Marine fishing news

32

Fishing, boating and accommodation services directory

34

Most make a start Friday and put in a full day Saturday, and then there is a friendly competition on Sunday morning with the local Break O’Day fishing club and any other clubs that want.

It is a fun event with the length and number of species added to get a result. Only artificial lures and flies are allowed and fly caught species get a 50% bonus.

Last year the Break O’Day club won with either 10 or 11 species caught. This little comp. only goes for four hours and then we adjourn for lunch on the beach.

It demonstrates though how productive our estuaries and marine waters can be over Winter.

So watch the weather charts and if big frosts are predicted you can be pretty sure it will be a nice calm day following. So rug up and go and catch some of our prime fish.

All new hard body Yep Lures Suspending 5.5cm, 3 gram

KW Galaxia

Mike Stevens

Mike Stevens talks fishing with Chris Wisbey ABC Statewide

Red Nut

Saturday mornings 6.40 a.m.

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

Golden Seducer

For subscriptions go to www.tasfish.com or phone Mike 0418 129 949 One year $36 - two years $68 includes postage.

Fishing News - Page 4

5

At all good tackle stores. RRP $12.

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Gars on George Peter Hayes

a trout guide turns garfish addict

I

think ‘Gars on George’ would be a terrific name for a restaurant. In fact, I think that Georges Bay on Tasmania’s lovely east coast is one of the best seafood restaurants I have ever been to.

All the great fish are in the bay and they are ever so fresh if you are good enough to catch them. calamari, salmon, mullet, trevally, flathead, leather jackets, bream and whiting are more or less in abundance.

What more could you want? garfish - I say ! I just love them. Both the catching and the eating of them.

Gars have a delicate sweet flesh that eats superbly with a light salad a few lemon wedges and a bottle of Pinot Gris.

Could a feed of fish get any better than that?

I guess my past dictates that I am predominately a fly fishing trout fisherman and this makes me an automatic sucker for garfishing. Firstly, catching gars is best done in Georges Bay in winter when the trout season is closed. Secondly, with good polaroids and a sunny day the fish are obvious and with good berleying techniques and a little luck they are both prolific and visual.

Furthermore, whilst catching a few for a feed is more or less easy enough for

anyone to do - there is certainly a knack to catching sheds full of them anytime you want. A real life example of this happened to me recently when I fished with two keen, and competent, trout fishing mates.

The day started well when we arrived mid morning to find a sunny day with light winds. The clear water of the bay sparkled as we drove along the foreshore scanning for birds working schools of baitfish pushed upwards by schooling salmon.

We hit the water and searched for half an hour. Eyes scanning for nought, not even good binoculars could help us find birds, or fish. We searched a rocky outcrop here and a channel there with soft plastics to no avail. It was time to change the plan.

I was so keen to target the gars. There were already several boats anchored up on the edge of the channel markers.

The berley slicks were obvious as we anchored a respectable distance above them. A few fish were being caught - but not many. Maybe one every five minutes would come aboard one boat or another.

This was not record setting by any means but they were sweet gars none the less. It all looked good to go.

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Fishing News - Page 5

IMHO* (there’s a modern complication for my spell check) the 6’6” spin sticks matched with Shimano reels and the very best gel spun lines whilst being great for many of the other species were far from ideal tackle for the Gars.

I rigged one rod up with a small float, a 60 cm dropper and a long shanked # 8 hook that was held low in the water by a split shot. I tested the rig overboard and found that the float needed a further split shot to ballast the rig deeper.

The lower float offers less resistance is to the feeding gars when they take the bait and attempt to swim off with it – I am sure they hold the bait longer and are more likely to swallow it deeper with the decreased resistance.

Mike tethered a berley bucket over the transom and as soon as it hit the water he asked us to remind him to pull it inboard before we motored off.

Memories flooded back of me making this exact same mistake once and I wondered how many berley buckets have been munched up by outboard motors in Georges Bay. Within minutes we had schools of beautiful long, slender fish darting through the trail and I had an ear-to-ear grin.

The only bait we had was a loaf of bread and I soon had a piece wadded up and pressured onto the hook of the bend. The first four drops (it is best to drop the float overboard rather than cast it) resulted in stolen baits. The fifth attempt resulted in the first fish on board. It went straight into the fish bin, wiggling like mad. A cloth on the side of the bin is used to get them in a squirrel grip so you can remove the hook. The ice slurry in the insulated bin slows them down quickly; more bait and into it again.

The stolen bread issue really hampered the catch rate but I am guessing I caught one every fifth run which was substantially more than the frequency

Anywhere there are good garfish number you will find boats lined up. a static rod with a float cast back behind the boat and a closed bail resulted in a static bait swinging tethered in the current. This situation was lucky to yield just one bite every 10 minutes.

By simply floating the bait from beside the boat with an open bail it made the world of difference – the bait often being solidly scruffed within the first 20 feet of drift. On the odd occasion that you did not get a take if you then raised the rod – thereby drawing the float and bait toward you five metres then lowering the rod to allow slack and a free floating bit, you would be odds on to get lucky. Mike and I managed a bite a minute, or better, in this manner.

Even with the tee shirt bait.

In an hour or so of terrific fun my like minded mates and I shared stories about all aspects of life. The fishing was visual and it required certain skill and concentration. We messed with different methods all the time trying to refine the catch rate.

Learning something about this humble little fish that was so good on the table (plate?) and that punched way above his weight with head shaking and aerial acrobatic fighting qualities. Learning how to really catch out any fish species always teaches you something about how to catch other species too.

What a great day we had. Get out and have a crack yourself this winter.

Garfish are so much fun and superb table fish.

The secret

at which the other boats scored. Mike tried a strip of gar on the hook and caught enough to be happy but deep down he knew he too was behind the eight ball with his catch rate given the number of fish now swimming behind our boat.

Mike switched to a little white jig fly and I moved onto a piece of white tee shirt cotton material rubbed in fish slime. Whilst the fish could not get my bait off the hook at all, the takes were less frequent, half hearted tugs resulting in poor hook up rates. It was back to the bread for me.

Whilst Mike and I were catching plenty of fish our mate failed to master the situation and caught perhaps 1/10 the number of our fish. It was clear to us that whilst the fish were there in numbers they were not suckers and you needed to have a degree of finesse about how you went about catching them. The other boats certainly didn’t seem to have perfected a decent gar-catching technique either.

To start with I think the fish wanted the bait more or less at their depth. They also wanted it completely free drifting. If there was an ounce of unnatural drag they would simply let it pass them by. Put simply, Fishing News - Page 6

You want to know the secret , the real secret to successful Garfishing here? Listen up.

This is a pretty typical garfish float setup.

However adjust or change it to suit yourself.

Scan the QR Code for a video on filleting garfish.

The next time I go to St Helens garfishing I will have the ideal rig with me. I learnt long ago that a 9’ or preferably 10’ fly rod is best. Use a light one to increase the fun. Couple this with a floating line and a short leader of 5 feet of 4 pound mono. Use a long shank #10 hook for best results and bait it with a strip of chicken skin. Yep, that’s right, chicken skin. I buy a wing from the IGA and it will cost you 41 cents. There is no need to be embarrassed when you buy just one wing as I think the staff there are used to us nutters.

A 1 cm long and ½ cm wide strip of skin (no flesh) will last you all day and the fish simply cannot get it off the hook. Additionally, the fish like chicken skin more than I like Turkish Delight and that is saying something.

Make a roll cast beside the boat and mend line into the cast such that it all floats down current completely drag free. Run it back perhaps 30 feet as a maximum before repeating the process. All the while watch the flyline and as soon as a fish ‘draws it’ away you should SMOOTHLY draw back to set the hook. It is really important not to strike aggressively and I always wonder how a small circle hook would go for this situation. I bet that it would be better.

Cleaning and preparing Garfish I’ve heard all sorts of stories about the best way to prepare gars and I have tried most of them. I will stick to my method.

Behead and gut the gars as you go if you can.

Otherwise sitting down to do a trailer-load of them is a laborious job.

Use a scaling bag that you can buy affordably from Jamie Henderson at St Helens Bait and Tackle.

You simply toss the fish in this bag and tow them around for a few minutes shaking them occasionally to reset the bag and allow the loose scales to wash away.

Then have a look at the guy filleting them on Youtube. Go to the link http://bit.ly/1kB63Y9 or scan the qr code below. He uses a sharpened bone handled table knife to butterfly the fillets (this gives one fillet off two sides rather than 2 separate fillets. I go a step further and slice out the pin bones too.

You now have a beautifully prepared Garfish. No bones and no scales. Flour them lightly and do in a hot buttered pan.

Peter Hayes

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

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Fishing News - Page 7

Bar Crusher 730 Hard Top Bullet proof Practical Comfortable Safe - and gorgeous

Bar Crusher 730 Hard Top is a hardcore offshore fishing machine for bluewater anglers.

Whether charging the bar as you’re heading out fishing or punching into a messy sea on your way back to the ramp, Bar Crusher’s 730HT will get you there – quickly, safely and in comfort. Nothing beats a hard top boat for protection from the elements.

Constructed from heavy duty, high-tensile 5mm (bottom sides) and 4mm (top sides) marine grade plate aluminium, the 730HT measures 7.30m LOA with a 2.47m beam. Its high-tech Waveslicer™ nonpounding, deep-V hull delivers an ultra-smooth ride, the expertly-engineered Rigideck™ sub-floor system ensures maximum hull strength and Bar Crusher’s exclusive Quickflow™ water ballast technology ensures the boat is extremely stable at rest.

The innovative Quickflow system incorporates a cavity running the full length of the keel that quickly fills with water when the boat is stationary, which lowers the chines into the water for greater stability, and drains in seconds as the boat moves forward to allow it to leap effortlessly onto the plane. The optional Bar Flap™ system can be used to keep water out, to make the boat lighter in shallow-water applications; or to trap water in, to make the boat heavier when running in extreme rough-water situations.

The 730HT’s toughened safety glass windscreen and all-weather hard top allows full standing room and an unobstructed 360-degree view from the helm. Deluxe helm seats are mounted on top of heavy-duty seat boxes with convenient tackle storage, while the functional helm station allows for installation of the latest large-screen marine electronics. The comfortable bunk arrangement provides accommodation for overnight trips.

Interestingly, Bar Crusher’s design team has managed to build the new 730HT to have the largest cockpit fishing area of all Bar Crusher models – even larger than the flagship 780HT. This was possible through rearranging the sub-floor framing and moving the cabin forward, to achieve the best combination of usable bunk length and maximum cockpit space.

The massive cockpit fishing area is ready for serious action too – self-draining deck with scuppers, step-through transom, marlin board with berley bucket, rod holders, plumbed livebait tank, inFishing News - Page 8

floor fish storage tank and large-volume storage pockets which will easily accommodate tagpoles, gaffs and other essential equipment. The fully-welded checkerplate deck is extremely easy to clean after a solid day on the water.

Rocket launcher, hydraulic steering, dual battery system and Hella low-voltage coaming lights are fitted as standard, while Bar Crusher’s impressive options list for the 730HT includes lock-up cabin, deck wash, overhead LED lighting, Stress Free anchor winch, Sarca anchor, electric macerator toilet and more.

Rated to carry a 200-250hp outboard, the 730HT’s superior performance capabilities, 280L fuel capacity and all-weather protection are just a few reasons why this model will follow in the footsteps of other models in the Bar Crusher fleet to earn a reputation as one of the most versatile hard top trailerable sportfishing boats on the market.

Hull length (mm)

7300

Beam (mm) 2470 Internal Freeboard (mm)

690mm

Bottom Sides (mm) 5mm Top Sides (mm)

4mm

Transom Length (in) 25” Fuel Capacity (L)

280L

Tow Weight (Dry weight) (kg) 2250 Minimum Horsepower

200

Maximum Horsepower

250

Overall trailer length (mm)

8900

Overall trailer width (mm)

2470

Height on Trailer (mm)

3500

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

BIGGEST RECEIVE UP TO

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*Promotion starts 1st of June and ends 30th June 2014, or while stocks last. Offer applicable to selected Honda outboard models BF2.3, BF10 and BF20 and between BF60-BF250. The dollar amounts are as follows; receive $250 for the purchase a BF2.3; receive $800 for the purchase of a BF10; receive $1000 for the purchase of a BF20; receive $1250 for the purchase of a BF60; receive $1300 for the purchase of a BF75 or BF90; receive $2000 for the purchase of a BF115, BF135 or BF150; receive $2500 for the purchase of a BF175, BF200, BF225 or BF250. Amounts include GST. Offer must be redeemed in store at time of purchase on any product or service offered by the dealer from which the outboard is purchased. Offer can be deducted from the total purchase price of the Honda outboard or boat package. Offer is not redeemable for cash. Offer may not be used in conjunction with any other promotion. Offer only applicable to new units. Demo or used units do not apply. Honda Motorcycles and Power Equipment Australia P/L reserve the right to refuse claims that do not meet the terms and conditions or are deemed to be invalid.

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Fishing News - Page 9

Stabicraft

1992: Thanetcraft Aluminium Boats are licensed to build Stabicraft in the UK where they’re sold and marketed under the Thanetcraft brand.

Stabicraft boats are first exported to a distributor in the USA. 1994: Stabicraft boats are first exported to Australia.

1996: Stabicraft unveils the 550XC - the forerunner for the XR Sport range. It is the first Stabi built for the family and recreational market.

Until then the range was aimed at fishermen, divers and commercial operators.

1997: The Generation II pontoon is launched.

The first major design change in a decade, it represents a turning point, allowing for more

streamlined silhouettes for boats that are more functional and have greater appeal in the recreational market.

Trans Tasman Marine is appointed as Stabicraft distributors in Australia. This opens the Australian 1987: In a back street workshop in Invercargill, market and introduces the brand to the United Paul Adams and Bruce Dickens build the Nations and aid relief agencies. first rigid hulled aluminium pontoon boat - a 1998: Stabicraft appoints its first Australian Stabicraft 3.5 Dinghy, called the “Ally Duck”. dealers.

Later that year the operation moves to leased The Stabicraft 630HT wins the best fishing premises at 345 Bluff Road, Invercargill. boat in show at the Auckland Boat Show.

1988: The first Stabicraft are exported to Stabicraft donate 4.3 metre and 5.15 metre British Columbia in Canada. The initial shipment cabin boats to the Free Willy Keiko Foundation is two dinghies and three runabouts. to help return the captured Orca to freedom in 1991: Stabicraft buy the premises at 345 Bluff Iceland waters.

Road, Invercargill.

1999: Stabicraft splits its range into distinct models launching the Fisher and XR Sport at its inaugural Sales Conference when 18 dealers turn up for a oneand-a-half day seminar to learn more about Stabicraft g n i v i Marine’s positive buoyancy™ Arr boats and revise marketing soon systems.

The Jean-Michel Cousteau Oceanographic Institute buys a 630HT for its research facility in California.

St Johns Ambulance take to the water at the America’s Cup in Auckland Harbour in a Stabicraft 703HT. 2001: The completion of the phase one factory upgrade doubles manufacturing capacity, raising it to 500 boats a year.

Stabicraft adopts the CPC compliance plate an independent quality control standard approved by the Coast Guard and MIA (Marine Industry Association).

2002: Stabicraft With the space and options to make overnighting easy and standard fishing focussed features, the 2400 Supercab takes the fight to the appoints Dan Lomax as its fish or while giving the freedom to explore your favourite inlet and islands.A 300L fuel tank and an efficient, predictable hull mean longer manufacturer’s representative journeys and further destinations are in reach. With smart live bait and seating arrangements, the ability to keep your lines in the water and work fish are improved.The industry leader since 1987 and exporting globally, you know you can trust reputation of strength, in the USA. reliability, innovation and safety Stabicraft carries.Standard with our heralded Game Chaser Transom and Arrow Pontoons, the 2400 Stabicraft staff numbers Supercab cuts through water without compromising on the safety and confidence found in all Stabicraft models. hit 50.

2003: A customised SPECIFICATIONS 14 metre Stabicraft, Delphenidae, built for Length Feet (Metres) 24' (7.3m) Max Adults 8 Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura Recommended HP 200hp Maximum HP 250hp and becomes the largest Maximum Engine Weight 537kg Leg Length 25in Stabicraft built. Too big for Fuel Tank 300L External Beam 2.30m the doors, the rear wall is Internal Beam 1.8m Deadrise 19 degrees taken off the factory to get Tube Thickness 4mm Hull Thickness 6mm the boat out.

Reserve Buoyancy (Approx) 1833L Dry Hull Weight (Approx) 1180kg Tow Weight (Approx) 2400kg Length on Trailer 8.5m 2004: Stabicraft registers Height on Trailer (Approx) 3.3m Arrow Pontoons Standard and complies with the Game Chaser Transom Standard Wing Coamings Standard Australian Builders Plate level flotation standards - it’s the first manufacturer to sign up for the standards that become mandatory in 2006.

Website: www.stabicraft.com Page 1 Drive, Ulverstone www.deeganmarine.com.au – Ph: 6425 2238 – 102 Eastlands Email: sales@stabicraft.com

Milestones in History

ADVENTURE WITH CONFIDENCE

2400 Supercab

Fishing News - Page 10

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

our innovative Game Chaser Transom and Arrow 2400 Supercab takes the fight to the fish or while Stabicraft 609HT wins best aluminium boat at Pontoons, the 2050 Supercab is more agile, more giving the freedom to explore your favourite inlet the Otago Boat and Outdoor Show. focused with better features the best fishers will and islands.

2005: Stabicraft appoints Leeon Johnston as its appreciate.

A 300L fuel tank and an efficient, predictable first Australian sales manager.

An extra-large, central live well and bait station hull mean longer journeys and further destinations come standard as does a quality Maxwell anchor are in reach. With smart live bait and seating New Caledonian dealer appointed. winch and single piece toughened glass screen. arrangements, the ability to keep your lines in the Stabicraft opens a $1 million building upgrade water and work fish are improved.

Still light enough to tow and launch easily, the which includes expanded workshop, office and 2050 Supercab has been designed tough with The industry leader since 1987 and exporting show room. The expansion marks an increase in safety as the foremost consideration. globally, you know you can trust reputation of production capacity to 1000 boats per year on a strength, reliability, innovation and safety Stabicraft Constructed out of marine grade alloys and carries. single shift. utilising our ‘life-ring’ pontoon design the 2050 is durable, stable, spacious and virtually unsinkable so Standard with our heralded Game Chaser Lindsay Deegan Marine of Tasmania wins you can adventure with confidence.

Transom and Arrow Pontoons, the 2400 Supercab the dealer award at Stabicraft’s biennial sales cuts through water without compromising on the conference.

2400 Supercab safety and confidence found in all Stabicraft models.

The Stabicraft 609HT wins Aluminium Boat of With the space and options to make overnighting easy and standard fishing focussed features, the the Show at the Christchurch Boat Show.

2006: Stabicraft Marine is recognised by the Southland Chamber of Commerce Export Forum as Exporter of the Year.

2007: Stabicraft Marine managing director Paul Adams is named a member Arriving of the NZ Order of Merit soon for services to business.

Stabicraft Marine builds a second factory (for larger, custom boats) and dedicated service centre on its Bluff Road site.

2008: The Stabicraft 759 SC Sport is launched with the revolutionary Gen 3 pontoon, which, coupled with slight hull modifications, gives improved on-water performance. It’s the first boat designed with multiple options that can be retrospectively fitted, added value to the second-hand market.

Today: Nowadays, Stabicraft boats are found in waters worldwide. We have standard models across The all-new 2050 Supercab is a keel-up redesign of one of our most popular models. Now featuring a longer hull, more ergonomic four ranges - the original cabin and our innovative Game Chaser Transom and Arrow Pontoons, the 2050 Supercab is more agile, more focused with better Fishers, the recreational features the best fishers will appreciate. An extra-large, central live well and bait station come standard as does a quality Maxwell winch and single piece toughened glass screen. Still light enough to tow and launch easily, the 2050 Supercab has been designed Sports XRs, the robust tough with safety as the foremost consideration. Constructed out of marine grade alloys and utilising our ‘life-ring’ pontoon design the Frontiers and our all-weather 2050 is durable, stable, spacious and virtually unsinkable so you can adventure with confidence.

Supercabs. Around 600 boats are turned out from our Invercargill (New Zealand) SPECIFICATIONS factory every year thanks to a dedicated staff of 70.

Length Feet (Metres) 20.5' (6.2m) Max Adults 7 Our global team features 16 Recommended HP 115hp Maximum HP 150hp Maximum Engine Weight 235kg Leg Length 25in dealers in New Zealand, 14 Fuel Tank 150 L External Beam 2.25m in Australia, three in the US, Internal Beam 1.65m Deadrise 17.5 degrees one in Canada and one in Tube Thickness 3mm Hull Thickness 5mm New Caledonia.

ADVENTURE WITH CONFIDENCE

2050 Supercab

Stabicraft new releases

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Fishing News - Page 11

SURTEES 6.7 Game fisher T

eam PENN have been fortunate to campaign a SURTEES BOATS 6.7 Game Fisher put together

by Deegan Marine this year. It has been the ultimate sea test and has clocked up well over 150 hours.

The Tasmanian marine environment will test a boat’s abilities with the best of them. Heavy swell with good seas on top, short sharp snot with no space between them and wind and squalls straight from the Antarctic.

These are the conditions we all know and secretly love in Tasmania. Team PENN also put the good ship, REEL GOLD, to test in some of the famous marlin fishing grounds off Port Stephens at this year’s interclub In a turn up for the books some of the conditions over the 2 weeks was every bit as snotty as Tasmanian can throw up. The Friday before the last weekend of competition was as heavy as you would want to fish.

The SURTEES BOATS 6.7 Game Fisher handled everything in its stride and is a significant vessel that punches well above its weight pound for pound. This is one of the significant strengths of the 6.7 Game Fisher. Weight or, of course, the lack there of.

Big fibreglass boats have always had the romantic upper hand of being the better sea boat.

This has often been acquired through their much heavier design and the need to have a deeper V hull to displace more water while traveling. This deeper V design can often lead to similar sized fibreglass boats being not quite as stable at rest. Less weight means less horse power needed to push an aluminium vessel and also to tow the pride and joy from A to B. Fuel economy in both instances are of course improved.

REEL GOLD is a special package. It has an engine that turns her into a jet. An electronic package that, not only sounds the depths, but allows

travel in any condition day or night. When it comes to a game fishing weapon, to fish four anglers, in speed and comfort you would be hard pressed to find better. There is no doubt that broken down to a single function there may be vessels that performs better in that particular area. The design brief was to put together a pocket game boat and to that end the Surtees 6.7 Game Fisher is a gem. When assessed against form and function in all areas the 6.7 is hard to top.

recreational sense you can lay off as you desire and adjust your speed according to your personal preference. In competition fishing when that radio cracks and “righto boys lets go fishing” comes over the air waves Team PENN and other teams like to get to the fishing grounds maximising any and all fishing time. You go, and you go as hard as you can.

Not for everyone, but this is an excellent test of any vessels ability in a head sea.

Competition game fishing will soon find any cracks in a vessels ability as an offshore fishing platform. In a competition sense it is nice to have four people on board. Each person has a designated role and they can rotate through each one. Driver, angler, trace man and support. The 6.7 has ample room on deck for all members to move around and do their job. Particularly when the angler steps back and trace man and support make that decision to either tag or gaff. The dance floor on the SURTEES 6.7 is fantastic.

The 6.7 Surtees Game fisher’s ability to cover ground in very ordinary conditions is amazing. The water ballast tank allows a new dimension to an alloy built vessel. Hatch shut with a touch of trim tab to pull the nose down, and in fetch and rubbish sea condition, the Surtees is as close to the ride of a big fibreglass hull as you will find. When the swells are a fair bit bigger and spaced well apart, drop the hatch emptying the ballast, take the trim tabs out and trim out the nose and she is a rocket! The soft riding hull never ceases to amaze when coming off the back of some serious water.

The ability to point into the teeth of swell and sea is a welcome feature in any hull design. In a

The soft riding hull and ballast design in these vessels are the brain child of Neil Surtees and have

www.pennFISHInG.COM.AU

LET THE BATTLE BEGIN...

Fishing News - Page 12

Built for lightweight performance, the Conflict reels

smooth drag under heavy loads.

feature an all-w frame and sideplate, stainless steel ball

From casting lures to dropping jigs or working

bearings that are sealed from salt and sand, and PENN’s

plastics, the Conflict was designed to perform and

proprietary greased HT-100 drag system that provides

engineered to last.

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been so successful to be copied by a number of manufacturers.

The fishing fixtures on a Surtees are well thought out and value add to the whole package. Simple inclusions like the sinker holders and the flush mounted storage lockers on the rear gunnel tops are extremely handy. The inclusion of a live bait tank is nothing new on a vessel of this class, but its large glass front possibly is. The ability to keep an eye on your bait stocks and their condition at any given time is obviously the first goal here, but what an awesome feature to keep the kids amused!

We all know that even the keenest kids can become a little bit over it and start to run the … “when are we going home Dad”.

The glass front on the large bait tank on the Surtees 6.7 can be your very own aquarium. Just add anything with fins. A spur dog shark or leather jacket. A parrot fish or flathead placed in the live well turns any bored child into a ball of wonder and amazement extending a fishing trip for ages. The kids even love the act of letting them go free when it is time to head for home.

There are enough rod holders on board to satisfy even the most tragic of tackle junkies. Storage is ample and on REEL GOLD the port side passenger seat doubles as a cavernous area for tackle and gear.

Often over looked and little mentioned are the grab rails on a vessel. On a game boat it is often handy to stand on the gunnel for a better look at something or get out around the cab to get to the fore deck and anchor. The grab rails and rocket launcher are in perfect position to get around the vessel with confidence.

The Game fisher is marketed as a chiselled down hard core fishing platform. To this end the cabin is solid and expansive, but also mindful of the dance floor at the rear for doing battle with big fish. Plenty of room for two up front and a third tucked in the middle level with the seats. When the number of fishers goes to 4 the seat storage box and position behind the driver is very comfortable in most

conditions. In competition situation in heavy seas and wind over 30 knots wet weather gear will be an option. In the Surtees range of boats the Sports Fisher has an extended cab that is more suited to general fishing and keeping a family dry for the entire day no matter the conditions.

Flat dash space is expansive and very handy for keeping competition information and grid maps on. Tag cards and small tag poles can be loaded and ready to roll in an instant.

Vision from the expansive glass windscreen is exceptional and helps in every situation. Spotting bait fleeing predators from underneath or finding birds gaining height from above. Covering a huge amount of ocean looking for any sign of activity and fish is very important and the 360 vision from the helm of the Surtees 6.7 is excellent. REEL GOLD has had a windscreen wiper fitted to the skipper’s side panel of screen. It is an absolute god send and one of the best additions to a boat you could have. Clear vision on demand in any sea or weather condition is not only comfortable but a significant safety advantage.

Waiting for Mozz to stop mucking about and reel his Marlin in so Hooch can tag it.

REEL GOLD has served well this last 8 months.

The SIMRAD NSS12 has put the lads onto a heap of fish. The RADAR has kept them safe in fog and darkness and on those rare occasions when no one has been at the helm the auto pilot has set a course perfectly. I say rare occasion as the EVINRUDE 250HO combines so well with the SURTEES hull that giving up the helm is like handing over the keys to a Ferrari.

Interested in this or another Surtees? Contact Hadley Deegan from Deegan Marine - Tasmania

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Fishing News - Page 13 8/04/14 8:59 AM

Winter trouting Leroy Tirant

....of course you can

W

inter fishing in Tasmania is a funny thing, and as we all know it’s been written about many times over about places to go and what to use. If we look back over the years we will find the fishing has changed greatly year by year because of different things like environmental factors, stocking rates, weather patterns etc. So it may be an apt time to look at Winter fishing again.

Tasmanian anglers from all walks can be a funny bunch and pull the pin on freshwater fishing once Easter passes or because of the closure of most waters, simply ignoring or forgetting about the waters which are open to them year round.

I find the fishing during winter albeit cold can be fantastic. Fishing from May to July can bring some fantastic blue sky days and if you rug up can be rewarded with hungry rainbows trying to fatten up before spawning or browns trying to put condition back on after they have contributed to their population growth. It’s just a matter of picking the right weather, which is something we probably do during the season anyway.

Great Lake My pick of the lakes open that are easy access from my home is Great Lake, usually before any great amounts of snow is on the ground. Just about

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Fishing News - Page 14

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anywhere in the lake can produce, but I really like Todds Corner, the shores leading into Lake Elizabeth and Cramps Bay and the weed bed off the area where boat launching occurs in Boundary Bay. Standard hard body lures with a slow retrieve with red or orange in the color pattern works well for me as a pre or post spawn color here. Plastics in the usual popular colors will always catch fish. I also find waiting until mid morning before fishing can help letting the margins warm slightly if it’s a blue sky day.

I like to sit off the edge about 30 metres or so and cast the plastic in towards the shore working it back to the boat, it wont take long and you’ll find fish are in a certain depth which then allows you to concentrate your efforts better. Trolling close to the bottom will catch fish using either lead line or diving lures appropriate to your depth. Watch your sounder and keep lures close to the bottom.

Slabby fish have been a problem in recent years but condition of the rainbows right now is awesome and the browns are being caught in better condition.

It’s definitely worth the effort for a winter trip.

Lake Barrington My closest water to fish in winter is Lake Barrington. In my opinion it has become very difficult to catch decent fish consistently over the last few years. If I go there I do so knowing I’m likely to only catch little browns that average perhaps 400 grams and rainbows which aren’t much better. Yes it is possible to catch bigger fish but I find it a rarity to do so.

It’s not the lake it was 4 or 5 years ago and many people wait for IFS to stock it with Atlantic Salmon before fishing here. It’s a pity really, as it’s protected in most winds and is a picturesque place. It’s almost a waste of time fishing Barrington

in summer with the amount of skiing that goes on even up the river where it’s a 5 knot zone but there is rarely any authority here to police that so I don’t bother even trying to compete for water with a ski boat or Jet Ski. So winter and spring are the times to have a go.

I would like to see more stocking or a concerted effort from IFS on the brown fishery here as I remember it once used to be fantastic prior to Atlantic stockings. I still think there is an issue stocking Atlantics as I believe this water has suffered because of it.

I find drifting the edges using a Minn Kota electric motor to hold position whilst casting hard body lures to the edges the most productive way to fish here.

Plastics fished off points leading into bays can also produce, but be prepared to lose jigheads. I don’t like trolling here as I think most fish are concentrated hard on the edges and you’re not presenting lures to majority of fish by trolling. If that is the way you want to fish though I’d troll at 10-15 feet as this seems to be where the thermocline sits most of the time.

Blackfish can also be caught at Barrington and some big fish have been caught here in recent years. I did hear reliable reports of fish to 3kg but have not seen pictures to confirm as yet. They are easily caught using worms fished on or close to the bottom.

Bait fishing at Barrington is an under utilized method. Fishing with natural baits either on the bottom or under a float a varying depths works really well and even though Barrington is mainly a steep sided lake there are plenty of options for the land based angler at Kentish park and the rowing course.

Fish along the edges using an electric motor.

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Fishing News - Page 15

Lake Burbury It’s a bit of a drive from Devonport but worth it. I make the journey confident I can come home happy having caught plenty of fish to about 1.5kg. I don’t seem to catch a lot of Rainbows but when I do they are usually fat as mud even the little fellas.

I find the Northern end in all the shallow water up there to be very consistent for fish heading in towards the Eldon River. There are numerous stumps and sticks in the water here which I think the fish find attractive. Drift spinning with shallow lures and even fly fishing here is great fun.

It seems to fish better here with a slight bit of chop on the water but give it a go anytime.

Coming back down the lake fishing with plastics between

the islands can produce lots of fish as does trolling.

Stump Jumpers have worked this past season. I think the wide slow wobble has something to do with it. Most of my fishing at Burbury is down the bottom end fishing points and main lake edges casting to the lay downs. I don’t like fishing the backs of bays as I only seem to catch smaller fish there.

The Governor River and its bay I have found very tough in recent years so I rarely bother there for any length of time now. Not sure what’s happened there as it used to be awesome fishing.

A popular area for trolling is the large bay heading into the Nelson River, I fish the edges coming into the bay and plastics deep off the

It does get cold, but persistence and warm clothes help.

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points here in up to 30 feet of water. All the usual plastics work. Funnily enough I think most of the best fishing is probably all within a kilometre or less of the Thureau Hills boat ramp. If we could get a more consistent water height average here this place I believe would explode with monster fish. The potential is there as my average size is probably 800gms to 1kg with the odd larger fish. The amount of feed in Burbury is unreal, it’s just the constant draw down that I think upsets the fish — like any lake or river.

Lure colors are irrelevant. I have caught fish here on just about every brand of lure and color. Trolling is by far the most popular method here and I find it odd that most choose to troll very wide of the edges.

I’m not sure why but suspect people don’t like losing lures to the trees around the edges but this is where most go wrong as the bigger fish are on the edges not out in the middle of nowhere.

I realize there has been a long standing tradition amongst some Tasmanian anglers about having a closed season as it affords a build up of excitement waiting for the traditional opening etc. But I think times are changing and need to change. Anglers want more value for license fees and for their recreational dollar.

We all seem to be working harder or longer hours and want to maximize our time spent doing what we love so why not fish year round? Why wait for an open season?

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Get back to history. Get back to fun.

Get back to trout fishing.

In several mainland states all lakes are open year round with only spawning streams and rivers shut for a closed season. I suppose it begs a question if it works there would it here? I don’t know and won’t confess to having any answers but perhaps we all as anglers need to evolve and rethink what we see as traditional. Something to ponder on anyway.

We have nine lakes open year round. Burbury, Great, Huntsman, Meadowbank, Pedder, Craigbourne, Barrington, King William and Brushy.

Become familiar with a couple rug up and be amazed at what winter fishing in Tasmania can produce. It’ll stop you going stir crazy and you don’t have to stop fishing. In fact in my opinion we should have quite a few more lakes open and would like to see anglers petitioning Anglers Alliance and IFS to have other waters like Arthurs, Lake St Clair, Echo and Bradys just to name a few opened to year round fishing.

I’m not sure if there are more good arguments for or against it really. I’m just the devils advocate wanting to get people thinking about it as I could only see it benefit anglers, retailers, tourism etc.

Lets evolve as anglers and get fishing I don’t want to be a part time angler, do you?

Leroy Tirant

Fishing News - Page 16

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Jan’s Jan Spencer

W

inter is a time to reflect on the past season and contemplate the new one. In recent articles I mentioned what a hard season it was - especially for fishers of the dry fly. We had some good fishing to hatching stoneflies in November, but after that the best results were usually on wet flies with sinking lines.

I reckon this sort of fishing is hard work, but it certainly gave us some good results. Of course it makes sense, because as we all know eighty percent of a trout’s food is in the water, not on it. So with little surface activity it has been most important to find the depth the fish are at.

With all the gear we have at our service these days such as fish finders and lines to plumb any depth you can find the fish. Catching them might be a different story, but you know where they are.

Recently I was asked how to tied laid-back hackles for wet flies. This was for Woolly Buggers and English wets. I rarely use cock hackles, but favor the softer hen necks which give much more movement and life like action.

The fly I have chosen for this issue is a great little bob fly, which suits the fly from last issue (phantom).

The Kate McLaren was given to me by a friend from Scotland and I rate it very highly as a bob fly.

Flies

This can be used on both floating and sinking lines. On a floating line when there is a good wave pull it quickly. On a sinking line retrieve half way and then lift the rod high, bringing the Kate to the surface, and create a wake through the surface.

Kate McLaren Hook: Heavy gauge size 10-14 Thread: Black Tail: Bunch golden pheasant crest tips Body: Black seals fur Rib: Fine gold wire

hackle to bend and then wind gold rib forward through hackle. Bind rib in with thread and cut away tip of hen hackle at bend.

Body hackle: Black hen Head hackle: Brown hen The original uses cock hackle, but I like the hen much better.

4. With the brown head hackle tie in closely in front of the body hackle, wind forward to the eye and then back to where thread is hanging. Bring the thread through the hackle to the eye, cut away excess hackle.

Method 1. Take black thread full length of shank, tie in golden pheasant crest tips for tail, cut away excess feather and tie in gold rib.

2. Tie in rib firmly, dub on black seals fur and wind forward, finishing back a little from the eye.

5. With your fingers pull the hackle back and hold so you can form a nice head that pushes the hackle backwards. Whip finish and varnish.

3. Take black hen hackle and tie in so the curve of the feather is curl back towards the bend. Wind

You want a fly with hackles that looks similar to the photo.

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.

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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

Maintenance of Inflatable Life Jackets Inflatable life jackets are very popular and need special care.

These C02 inflated garments are lighter and less cumbersome than conventional foam life jackets and are quite versatile – they’re even made as wet weather jackets and windproof vests.

Australian Standards. This will be clearly marked on the jacket as conforming to Australian Standards AS 1512 (PFD Type 1) or the new standard AS 4758.

As our life jackets spend much time in a harsh environment (particularly with saltwater boaters), it is important that jackets are However boaters should be particularly serviced annually by an aware of the added maintenance requirements that come with this style of jacket as well as the accredited service centre or the original manufacturer. need for detailed crew and passenger briefing This will ensure that the on their operation. jacket is in good working Care should also be taken to ensure order. When they are inflatable jackets conforms to or exceeds serviced, checks will be carried out to ensure the bladder, reflective tapes, buckles and straps are in working order, and that the inflation system and oral inflation tube are operating correctly.

G Loomis Eastfork 7’ 3wt 3 piece $380 For safety sake, do this G Loomis GLX Max distance 9’ 6wt 4 piece $550 annually.

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Fishing News - Page 18

It is also important that boaters check jackets regularly, prior to wearing. Make a visual check for damage and unscrew the gas cylinder to ensure it has not been pierced. If it has been pierced then replace it immediately. Without this occurring the jacket will not inflate.

It is also important that you ensure that the cartridge is screwed in firmly. Cartridges will often loosen from continual vibration whilst stowed in a car or boat. If a cylinder is loose, gas can escape through the thread upon activation.

It is also worthwhile to periodically manually inflate your jacket with the oral inflation tube, and leave it overnight. This will determine whether there are any leaks in the bladder.

Remember that if the temperature in the room decreases overnight, this will affect the pressure in the bladder, so take this into consideration when assessing the air in the jacket the next morning. You can leave a couple of books or similar on the pfd to put a light pressure on it.

Inflatable jackets are certainly very convenient but remember to be diligent with your checks and undertake regular servicing to ensure it will work when you need it.

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Fishing News - Page 19

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Fishing4/06/2014 News 12:28:55 - Page PM 21

Winter salmon Craig Rist

Fun estuary fishing

W

inter is a time when we tend to slow down, the days are shorter and the weather is predictably cold, wet and windy. Some of us stop fishing all together and are happy to wait out the winter while others eagerly await the winter run of juvenile Australian Salmon. These fish often sneak into the quiet estuaries that are now free of summer anglers, skiers and jet skiers. They come into these estuaries to feed on the scattered bait schools, worms and prawns that live over the sea grass and shallow rocky shorelines.

Salmon schools will often move in and out of an estuary without any sign of them even being there.

One way to find them is to get out on the water with a sounder or simply troll a white or green 3 inch soft plastic around on an incoming tide. Of course you could always wait until you hear the whispers of their arrival through word of mouth or social media.

But sometimes that can be too late as Salmon have a tendency to be in the estuary one day and gone the next. Winter salmon are a great excuse to get the boat back on the water to see if they have returned. Besides, someone has to be the first to discover they are back.

Finding winter salmon Because salmon are often feeding close to the bottom at this time of year I like to target relatively shallow water from 1 to 3 metres in depth where I know they will see and respond to a lure. A reliable time to find salmon is on an incoming tide from half tide to full tide. Trolling a lure over shallow rocky reefs or sea grass that have sand or

No crowds, light winds and plenty of fish make estuaries fun. muddy channels nearby is a good place to start.

Sometimes they can be found inside the estuary while on other days they will stay at the river mouth or along the coastal shoreline. Trolling a lure in along the rocky shallows and beaches is still a good idea when they are staying outside the estuary.

Other anglers trolling or casting are obvious telltale signs of the presence of salmon in an area and a quick drive along the coast on an incoming tide will soon show where the fish are being caught.

A friendly chat at the boat ramp never hurts either.

Tides and estuaries An incoming tide is an obvious time to start fishing any estuary as it exposes the food rich tidal flats to an array of fish species. Typically, when the salmon move into an estuary the most productive stages of the tide will be when it has the most movement. From half tide to full is a very good time to be on the water. Then action will often slow or stop for a period at the top of the tide. If you can wait that period out, then the outgoing tide can also produce another chance to catch fish as they leave

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Fishing4/06/2014 News 12:51:17 - Page PM23

the estuary. When the tide is on its way out I like to fish the edge of the flats closer to the channels.

That way I can intercept those fish that have already dropped back in the channel from further up the estuary. This can be a good time to be on the water because many of the boats have given up and the salmon are on the look out for any baitfish dropping back into the channels. This is a great way to maximize your chances of boating a few more fish.

Tactics Trolling lures over shallow water with a petrol or diesel engine is a very counter productive method.

So as soon as I have caught one fish on a trolled lure I like to circle back around stop the motor and start casting lures or flies down the same location.

Even starting up the boat after each drift can spook these fish so an even better way to increase my chances is to anchor the boat in a location where I‘ve had multiple hook ups and allow the schools od salmon to come to me. If I arrive a bit late and see anchored boats catching salmon there is really no need for me to start trolling to find fish because it

Soft plastics are the ‘go to’ lure.

has already been done. All I have to do is give them a wide berth and anchor up below them and wait.

Then the boat with bent rods and jumping fish above you becomes a very good indicator of when a school is pushing through.

One of the big tactical advantages of fishing from an anchored boat is the down and across swing you get when casting across the current. By doing this it allows the lure or fly to sink down to where the fish are and then swing up and across as it is retrieved the back of the boat. Salmon really respond well to this method, which can see 4 or 5 fish chasing the lure up towards the surface before one finally finds the hook. Incidentally this is the time for your fishing companions to cast a lure towards these already fired up fish before they move off and regroup with the passing school. Double hook ups are a regular occurrence when you’re fishing in stealth mode such as this.

Another really effective way of increase your catch rate from a stationary boat is to hold the passing school with a constant trail of fresh fish berley.

A silver spoon wobbler still works well.

Lures Australian salmon are more than willing to take a variety of lures be it hard body lures, metal slices, soft plastics or flies. So these fish are there to please all the different favored styles of lure angling.

Interestingly someone preferred method of catching fish is not always the most productive. Many anglers are more than happy to catch less fish if they can continue to use their preferred method of fishing.

For these Juvenile Australian salmon small 2 to 3 inch lures in silver, white or green work well to replicate the small baitfish that are found in our estuaries. Lures that can be fished deep and close to the bottom are obviously going to have an advantage, which is why heavy metal lures, weighted soft plastics and flies work extremely well on these winter fish.

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Salmon fever is something that surfaces in boating anglers who throw all angling edict out the window. Their uncontrollable need to catch a Salmon can have them motoring straight through a feeding school of salmon, putting the whole school down, while there were other boats trolling around the outer edge of the feeding school or boats drift downwind onto the school with their motors switched off. This same condition can be seen when boats troll too close to a stationary or drifting boat simply because these anglers are seen to be catching more fish. So the assumption is that this is the only place the school of salmon are. The reality is that many schools of salmon are continually moving in and out with the tide and it is the noise and the movement of boats trolling over shallow water that is scaring these fish away from their lures.

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Please don’t get me wrong, sometimes trolling is the best method, particularly when it is done in deep water where the noise and movement of the boat has fare less of an effect on a school of salmon.

When fish are threatened from a boat in deep water they can simply swim deeper to a level where they feel less vulnerable and in many instances they remain catchable down deep.

I’m afraid salmon fever is something that is just part of salmon fishing and in a way it’s quite understandable when you consider new anglers to the game are still learning the does and don’ts of catching these exciting fish for the first time.

Personally, when I’m struggling to catch fish I like to take a moment to watch and learn from those who are more successful than I and then try to introduce that technique into my own fishing. I believe you are never too young or old to learn something new in fishing, especially if you can keep an open mind and are willing to try something a little different to make your time on the water a little more successful and ultimately more enjoyable.

Craig Rist

Ironcliffe Rd

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Fishing News - Page 25

St Helens trevally Michal Rybka

A soft plastic approach

W

ith the arrival of winter, the trout season has, once again, come to an end in Tasmania.

If you are still keen to chase trout, there are still a few options. Some inland waters, such as the Great Lake, remain open and, when the weather is good, can provide wintertime fun. Many anglers will take advantage of this, but just as many won’t!

It is the time of year when trout spawn and, to a lot of anglers, catching these fish is less challenging – the fish are more likely to be in poor condition and therefore do not put up as much of a fight.

If winter freshwater fishing is not your thing, and you are looking for a challenge, then saltwater estuaries are a fabulous option. Georges Bay at St Helens is probably my favourite estuary for this time of the year. Huge Australian salmon come into the bay and provide fantastic sport on light gear. There is also those tasty garfish! Some people refer to them as ‘mini-marlin’ due to the fact that they like to put up a considerable fight, despite their small size.

They are also very tasty!

Although these two fish are good options, I have found the silver trevally gives these two a very good run for their money. Put plain and simple, these fish go hard. They are great fighters and are a fantastic sport fish option. From the moment that you hook up to one of these silver bullets, you can expect your line to be peeling off the reel at blistering speeds!

When these fish get close to the surface, they also

like to put on a bit of a display, turning on their sides and swimming in circles. They really are a fish that likes to fight to the very end, so be prepared!

There are many effective fishing methods that can be used to take these fish. Hard-bodied lures work very well, as does fresh bait used in conjunction with a bit of berley. When using berley to attract garfish, I will almost always catch trevally as well. In saying that, I prefer to use soft plastics when I am targeting silver trevally. Plastics can be fished shallow or deep, and rigged using many methods. Best of all, they are a cheaper alternative to losing a $25 hard body lure to the brutes in Georges Bay!

Where to find silver trevally?

Rock walls Rock walls can be real hot spots. One such area can be found directly opposite the Steiglitz boat ramp. The big boulders that form the wall along this shore make for fantastic underwater habitats for many fish, including silver trevally. The tidal flow is also a significant factor in making this a great spot to target. Baitfish will often be carried along the length of the wall by the tidal current, giving silver trevally easy access to an abundant supply of food.

Just keep in mind that, although these fish can

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easily handle the strong currents, holding your location can sometimes be a challenge.

To be successful, you need to target the right areas of the wall, and do so at the right times. I have found that the best time to fish for silver trevally is on the run-out tide, and the best area is at the base of the rock wall. Aim to get your plastic right down and hard up against the spot where the rocks meet the sand. This is where they often are, waiting for the passing prey.

Another option is to target the areas at the end of the rock wall that may have swirling areas of water. These are commonly referred to as a ‘back-eddy’.

The baitfish tend to be more concentrated in these areas due to the flow of water and therefore are good spots to find fish.

A third option is to target the same area during the slack tide, which is when the tide is turning. One of the obvious advantages of fishing at this time is that it will be much easier to hold your position in your boat or kayak. It will also be easier to get a plastic down to the bottom due to the fact there is no tidal current.

Channel edges The channel in Georges Bay also holds good numbers of silver trevally, and big ones at that! In my experience, the fish will hold in the current flow on the channel edges and also around the pylon markers located there. The area where the shallow water drops off into much deeper water that makes up the channel is much like a highway for fish. You don’t need a sounder to find it, just look for the channel markers.

You see a clear difference in the water’s appearance. There is normally an obvious line between the light and dark coloured water, with the dark part being the drop-off.

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Fishing News - Page 27

The water surrounding the oyster leases is usually very shallow and weedy and, because of this, I have found the incoming tide to be of benefit when fishing this area. You can catch some very nice trevally in areas where the weed opens up to a sandy or broken bottom, and areas that certainly should not be overlooked.

Something to consider While most oyster farmers are tolerant of anglers, please respect their property by not damaging it.

Retrieve your lure and jigs. Minimise your boat’s prop wash or use an electric motor if you have one. Even better, get in there with your kayak!

Kayaks are stealthy and will work to your advantage in such locations. Be careful not to run over anything and you should do just fine. Remember, a little bit of care and common sense will go a long way for all of us in the future.

Which soft plastics and how to fish them?

MIc Rybka with a very nice silver trevally.

Again, food is the reason for trevally holding in this area. On the outgoing tide, the water retreating off the shallower flats brings a lot of food over the channel edge. For this reason, the outgoing tide is my preferred time for targeting silver trevally in this area.

The very start of the incoming tide can also sometimes be good to fish.

Oyster racks Any type of structure will attract silver trevally, and many other species for that matter. The oyster leases at Akaroa in St Helens would have to be my favourite structures. Casting plastics close in to these can be very effective, but it is a dangerous tactic, with the racks claiming many lures!

Ask any bream tournament angler and I am sure that they could share many a sad story!

My favourite soft plastics to use are the local Tasmanian brand Strike Tiger 3 inch curl tail grubs and 4 inch worms. Natural looking colours in this range, such as the ‘olive pepper’ colour, work very well, as do the ‘blue steel’ and ‘whitebait pearl’. I use a jighead minimum weight of 1/12 with a hook gape of 1/0 to rig up these lures. I go up to a 1/8 weight when it is windy or if the current is strong. I use a good rod length of fine diameter 8 lb fluorocarbon leader to fish these plastics. I beef up the leader a little due to the fighting skills of this species, and it also gives better abrasion resistance if your line comes into contact with sharp rocks or oysters.

Both the curl tail grubs and worms will swim naturally to the bottom as soon as you cast. I have found that the natural tail action of these lures is very attractive to silver trevally. It is therefore important to anticipate any takes as your lure sinks. Watching for any movement in your line will help you. Also make sure that there is not too much slack in your line – it will help you to keep in touch with your plastic.

Once your plastic hits the bottom, you can start off by just ‘slow-rolling’ (winding it in very slowly without

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The popular ‘lift and drop’ also works very well and is easy to get the hang of. To use this method, simply let the plastic sink – just like in the technique described previously. Once it hits the bottom, simply lift your rod-tip to swim the plastic up off the bottom.

As you lower the rod-tip, wind in the slack line slowly, and then repeat.

Stick baits will also work, but a little bit more user input is required in order to give them the desired action. Local brand YEP make some good stick baits in the 3 inch size. Colours that work well on silver trevally in this range include ‘Salt n Peppa’, ‘Pearl White’ and ‘Whitebait’. You can use the same techniques that I have described to fish these, but be sure to throw in a few twitches as the lure sinks and also when it is retrieved. This will give it more of a life-like appearance.

Whichever brand you choose; don’t forget to experiment with your soft plastics. You will find that most can be cut down in size, or possibly modified to alter their appearance. I also like to modify the appearance of the jig head to suit the plastic. A simple coat of nail polish in a colour that matches your plastic and some stick on lure eyes can do wonders. By doing this, your soft plastic will look more realistic.

Conclusion When I first started hunting for these fish at Georges Bay a few years ago, I had very little idea as to where to start. A lot of my trips with my fishing buddy Ando were purely trial and error. After getting a few tips from some of the locals, I soon discovered that the tide is the single most important influence on fishing in the bay. The hard part was then trying to figure out where the fish might be!

By targeting features in the bay such as the channel edges, rock walls and oyster racks – I can definitely say that my success rate improved dramatically. I also feel that using natural looking soft plastic colours and fishing them deep and slow has been a big part of my success.

Hopefully this article may have inspired a few of you to take the opportunity to visit the bay and try your luck with soft plastics. Once you have hooked onto that first silver bullet, I guarantee you won’t want to stop!

Final Tips Target rock walls - fish your plastics deep and as close to the base of the wall as you can.

Target the channel edges – fish plastics deep on the drop offs.

Target the oyster racks – fish close to the structure, also look for areas of clear/broken ground amongst the weed.

Fish the outgoing tide and also try the very start of the incoming tide.

Use a good quality fluorocarbon leader that is matched to braided main line of equal breaking strength - 6lb to 8lb fluorocarbon leader is good.

Don’t be afraid to experiment with the presentation of your soft plastics – colour and eyes can easily be added to your jigheads to help with this.

If you are fishing for garfish and using berley – try casting a soft plastic into the berley trail. Silver trevally can often be caught this way.

For local knowledge, head to St Helens Bait and Tackle and talk to Jamie Henderson.

Salmon are a common bycatch.

Silver Trevally - As a Table Fish I have found that the very large silver trevally can have a very strong ‘fishy’ taste. The best thing to do with them is to take a quick photo and release them.

The smaller to medium sized specimens certainly seem to be better eating for me.

Dispatch them quickly and bleed them as soon as possible. The next step is to quickly stick them into an ice-slurry. To cook, coat them in a little seasoned flour and pan-fry them in butter - they will taste fantastic. Trevally is best if eaten fresh (within 2 days) and, in my option, prepared simply.

Silver Trevally - Smoked & Peppered Try this: 6 litres of cold water 2 cups of table salt (non-iodised) 2 cups of brown sugar Use only silver trevally fillets for this smoking recipe.

Submerge them in a brine made of the above ingredients.

Refrigerate the fillets in the brine for no less than 24 hours.

Place them flesh side up on a chopping board and coat with a good even sprinkle of coarsely crushed peppercorn mix. I use ‘HOYTS’ brand 4 colour peppercorn mix (available at most supermarkets).

The peppercorns are the perfect finishing touch to smoked silver trevally fillets.

Enjoy with some biscuits and cheese Mic Rybka

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pause) it to the surface. There is nothing special about this technique and it is very easy to master.

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Don’t stop just yet Kelly Hunt

The game fishing season keeps going

Tuna and offshore The tail end of May and June saw Eagle Hawk Neck firing. The school sized fish were anywhere you cared to mention and if you found them when they came on to feed you were bound to have success.

July will be no exception with the added hope the big jumbos have thickened up with the cooler weather. We are exceptionally spoilt in regard to the distance we can travel to find fish in Tasmania. You will drive over a lot of fish if you think you have to bee line to the Hippolyte rocks and Tasman Island to get fish. Areas just outside Pirates Bay have been holding good bait and in turn good numbers of Southern bluefin tuna.

When the fish are on all lures will work well and it is important to get the trolling speed right for the sea conditions. Keep a good eye on the spread while traveling into the conditions and get the skirts to pull a smoke trail and look active. This speed will differ when you are travelling down sea and with the wind.

Throttling the engine speed back accordingly will make a huge difference. This allows for the boat and lures to speed up and settle a touch in the wave trough. Zacatak’s range of skirts are a great starting point. Hand made in Australia and of a quality that will sit down in the waves and swell when the traditional Tassie seas are a bit angry.

Sub surface lures are a great option and you just cannot go past a Halco Max or for a deeper presentation Halco’s range of Laser Pro’s.

The fish will be about this time of year it is just a matter of where?

Where are they The trick is finding the bait, sounding the Tuna and working the area over. Should you get a fish strike, nail a waypoint down strait away, then when you have boated the fish get back over the area again quickly? No need to get your full 4 or 5 rod spread back out again, running perfect. Once you are back over the area have the lure that caught out and be circling the area and tracking back over the waypoint as you get the other lures back in the water.

Bird, bird, bird is the word!

The Species of bird, how they are reacting and height in the sky will give you a really good indication of what is going on underneath them.

When fishing with a good crew one person needs to be designated bird spotter and take the role seriously. On a slow day when the fish are hard to come across the feathered brigade are your best friend. None more so than the Australian Gannet. If you spot 3 or four of them gaining height off into the distance, this is excuse enough to give them better attention.

As soon as they start to stall in the air and try and maintain position you know they are very interested. It is amazing how the other birds in the area can spot this activity and before long a “FEED” will start.

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The holy grail for Tasmanian gamefishing is surely the broadbill swordfish. Many have tried and failed and occasionally one is caught incidentally.

Leo Millar has put a lot of time and effort into targeting this species and this season has boated two.

Fishing News - Page 31

Take it easy It may have been a quiet day and things have been slow, but now is not the time to charge in ripping and tearing. If you have been on the ball and got to a feed as it is starting to form the worst thing you can do is motor straight over the top of them. Ideally work out which way you are going to roll around them and aim to drag your spread down one side and as you turn fairly hard around the feed you will pull your longer lures right through the middle of it and have them exit out the other side.

on their usual haunts waiting for you to get a bait in front of them.

Those of you still using Alvey reels or big egg beaters to haul these tasty fish will welcome the cooler conditions. Winding up a 4 hook rig fully loaded with fish from 400m is hard work. Good weather and sea conditions and some movement either side of the tide change will have you in good stead to find some of the world’s best eating fish flesh. Fresh bait and some perseverance and there is no telling what you will pull up….

Deep drops

Broadbill

July as mentioned can have some bright, clear, still days and watching the weather forecast can pay dividends. Striped trumpeter and blue eye trevalla will be out

Hadley Deegan with a bluefin at the end of May

The big news in Tasmania in this space is Leo Millar and his crew. Leo is a local angler that has been putting in some serious time and effort into cracking the

RECREATIONAL SEA FISHERIES NEWS June/July 2014

Shark Refuge Areas An increasing number of enquiries about the legality of targeting sharks in Shark Refuge Areas are being received by Wild Fisheries Management staff. Questions from fishers have been about the whether they can catch and release sharks, the use of burley and what are the rules about the accidental take of shark. Popular fishing areas that are Shark Refuge Areas include Frederick Henry Bay, Norfolk Bay, the D’Entrecasteaux Channel, George’s Bay and Mercury Passage.

Why are there Shark Refuge Areas?

Shark refuge areas are officially designated nursery areas, important habitat critical to the breeding of school and gummy sharks, skates and rays. Sharks can be vulnerable to overfishing because they are long-lived, slow to mature and produce few offspring compared with other fish.

Accidental taking of shark There is a section in legislation that covers the accidental taking of fish (Living Marine Resources Management Act 1995 - section 209). If a person is targeting shark it is not accidental the defence provision provided may not be applied.

Example: How this applies for recreational fishers is if you caught a small shark while fishing for flathead and immediately released it in the spot from where it come with the least possible injury, you have a likely defence. If, however you were fishing with shark type gear eg. large hooks in a Shark Refuge Area, then posting your happy snaps of shark catches on forums then you may not.

What’s wrong with catching and releasing sharks?

Even catch and release may disturb sharks and rays including juveniles.

Breeding and pregnant sharks may be affected even to the extent that they abort their young. Sharks that are released may not survive and will have an increased danger of being predated upon by larger shark species. Not targeting sharks in the first place is the best way to ensure the least disturbance to shark species.

Fishing News - Page 32

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

broadbill code in our waters. He and his crew have found fish consistently and have boated two, narrowly missing Tasmania and Australian game fishing records due to slight regulation issues.

New fisheries and new techniques are a great way to excite anglers and Leo’s enthusiasm is infectious. A number of keen anglers are following and trying to replicate Leo and his gang of super keen fisho’s.

This is one type of fishing that needs considerable technique and planning. Very exciting stuff indeed.

So rug up, get into a tackle store for the good oil and get out in some of the most spectacular marine environments in the world.

Kelly Hunt

Can I use burley?

Using burley to attract fish is not illegal, but be aware that using it will increase the possibility of interaction with shark species. Use burley that is specific to the species that you are targeting to avoid this. Note using mammal blood or byproducts is illegal in Tasmania

More information on Shark Refuge Areas Interactive maps of Shark Refuge Areas are available on the Tas Fish Guide phone app so you can check boundaries while you are on the water fishing. They are also available in the printed Recreational Sea Fishing Guide. A poster of “Sharks, Skates and Rays of Tasmania” is available as part of the Fishes of Tasmania four poster set which can be purchased from Service Tasmania shops for a low $20.

Which flathead is that?

Patrons at the AgFest recreational fisheries display showed particular interest in our filleting and dehooking demos which also included how to distinguish between flathead species. A guide is reproduced below.

Southern sand flathead: - Sandy brownish colour covered in spots that vary from white to black with occasional reddish brown spots along the sides.

May also have dark bands across the body and a distinctive large black blotch on the tail fin. There are two prominent spines on the gill cover, the lower spine being longer than the upper spine.

Tiger flathead: - A light brown or pinkish grey colour on the body with orange-brown spots. Dark bands of colour may also be present on the body and the lower rear part of the tail has no markings.

Has a rounder body shape and larger canine teeth than the sand flathead. The lower spine on the gill cover is longer than the upper spine.

Southern bluespotted flathead: - Lighter sandy brown body with scattered small blue to white spots intermingled with dark blotches. The tail fin has dark spots surrounded by white. The two spines on the gill cover are of a similar length.

AgFest – thanks to our Fishcare Volunteers At the AgFest recreational fishing display this year, staff were kept consistently busy educating fishers young and old. The hands-on activities included the ever popular kid’s fishing pool, the Fishcare display trailer, fish handling demonstrations and live rock lobster in the aquarium The Wild Fisheries Branch was well supported by the ever keen Fishcare volunteers at AgFest spreading the word about sustainable fishing. With National Volunteer Week only recently behind us, it’s a good opportunity to say thanks to our volunteers who provide their time and practical expertise to educate the fishing public.

It was all hands on deck at Agfest.

One of the main displays of interest at AgFest was the hands-on flathead filleting and dehooking demonstrations.

Topics discussed included fish handling techniques such as using a wet cloth or wet hands, how to distinguish between flathead species and how to get the best meat recovery. Staff and volunteers demonstrated their prowess (or not) at producing a boneless and skinless flattie fillet.

DPIPWE Wild Fisheries has received very positive feedback about the Recreational Fisheries Section doing displays at AgFest. If you have any comments or constructive feedback, please feel free to contact us using the details below.

Re-Power and Service Specialists

Need more information?

Get a copy of the Recreational Sea Fishing Guide from Service Tasmania; Download the Tasmanian Sea Fishing Guide app for iPhone or Android;

Qualified service staff

visit www.fishing.tas. gov.au; or www.facebook. com/FisheriesTasmania

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Phone: 1300 720 647 (local call cost) or 03 6165 3233 Email: fishing. enquiries@dpipwe.tas. gov.au

Rock flathead: - Has a dark mottled appearance including a greenish to pale brown rounded body and several rows of dark spots on the rays of the yellowish tail. Two prominent spines on the gill cover with the lower spine shorter than the upper spine.

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Flathead brochures including “Meet the Flatheads” and “How to De-Hook Your Catch” can be downloaded at:

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www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/sea-fishing-aquaculture/ sustainable-fisheries-management/fish-facts/ flathead

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Fishing News - Page 33

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Fishing News - Page 34

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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.

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Issue 110 June - July 2014

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Broadbill Trevally Garfish Boats Trout Tuna

Winter f i s h i n g - well w o r t h th e e f f o r t

Rex Miekle with a good silver trevally from Georges Bay

Over 1000 FISHING STORIES

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