Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 131 2018 February

February – April 2018

TASMANIAN FISHING

Print Post approved 100003074

and BOATING NEWS — ISSUE 131

Is that a Tasmanian tiger disappearing? See page 7.

Tiger trout • Estuary Perch • Bluefin $5 Nymphing • Saltwater fly fishing Makos • Fly tying • and more .... .95

Australian Salmon on Poppers — Craig Rist

3

Tasmanian Tigers — Steve Starling

7

Fly Tying – Using Possum Tail — Shane Broadby

11

Game Fishing Tips — Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt

13

Nymphing Lakes — Dan Pursell

17

What a Champion Carries in His Vest — Christopher Bassano

21

Will Estuary Perch Disappear — Jamie Harris

28

Preparation is Everything — Jamie Harris

33

Mako Sharks for Dynamite Action — Matt Sherriff

37

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ou will notice quite a few political ads in this edition. I am excited by the interest and really hope whichever party takes power in March takes on board the concerns of recreational fishers and the opportunity recreational fishing gives to the community.

However, even though fishers spend a huge amount of money within the State on their sport and recreation, politicians know, or think, that even if the fishing drops off, the money will not go out of the economy it will just go in a different direction.

But there are several other factors to fishing I would like to point out. Fishing is socially robust and fish are not influenced by money or power, so the poor can participate and even feed themselves if they have access to a good fishery. Yes, the wealthier can fish in more places and have a boat and shinier gear, but the fish don’t know who has money and who hasn’t.

I started to write about the benefits to society and community, but there was a good study in 2012.

Aspiring, new and incumbent politicians should read that study in full. It is titled: Identifying the health and well-being benefits of recreational fishing by Prof. A. McManus, Dr W. Hunt, J. Storey, J. White.

It says: “……..The study found the strongest areas of evidence related to youth development, breast cancer recovery, positive mental health outcomes, recreation for the disabled and participation as a sport…..

Mike Stevens talks fishing with Chris Wisbey ABC Statewide 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

Fishing News - Page 2

In many cases, fishing was used as an incentive to deter antisocial behaviour with excellent results. Recreational fishing gave children who did not find classroom social dynamics easy, the opportunity to shine and to form friendships outside their own school. ……….. Of great interest are the findings that hyperactive children were seen to sit quietly by the water for long periods of time and uncommunicative children vocally expressed that they want to fish. ………..

Skills developed over a lifetime not only provided health benefits for seniors but put them in a unique position for intergenerational transfer of recreational fishing knowledge.

Also, children and adults with disabilities were able to partake in fishing ……….. In summary, this study found that considerable health and well-being benefits can be gained through involvement in recreational fishing.

Encouraging young children, youth, adults and families to fish offers a cost effective and healthful outdoor recreational activity that can be enjoyed throughout life. Benefits were evident for individuals and groups.

Recreational fishing was also noted to provide significant benefits to children and youth with behavioural and mental health issues.”

Wow! Imagine tr ying to design a community program that does all that. All you need is a good recreational fishery and it will look after itself.

Support recreational fishing - that’s my message to politicians.

Mike Stevens

For subscriptions go to www.tasfish.com, phone Mike 0418 129 949 or pay by Paypal to mike@tasfish.com - Two years $60

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AUSTRALIAN SALMON ON POPPERS DOWN AND DIRTY TOPWATER TACTICS Craig Rist with his tips

Watching an Australian salmon engulf your popper is really exciting.

B

oth Eastern and Western Australian salmon are a fantastic light tackle species to target around Tasmania’s inshore coastal waterways. These fish are usually a very accommodating fish to target with bait, lure, soft plastic or fly.

With that said, there are always exceptions to a statement like that.

At times these fish can be far from opportunistic feeders when they become focused on a certain food item. This is very true when the Eastern Australian salmon are feeding on tiny krill, or when the larger Western Australian salmon have locked onto specific size of baitfish.

Sometimes size, colour and type of bait, lure or fly really matters when you want to catch more than just one or two of these fish. The fact that you can retrieve a lure or fly through a school of Australian salmon in a feeding frenzy, without a hook up, defies belief sometimes.

Whenever I find a school of Australian salmon feeding at the surface I will almost certainly pick up the fly rod before anything else. There are two reasons for this, for one it’s a lot of fun to hook and fight these fish on fly and two, it’s a very productive way to catch these fish when they are feeding on krill or baitfish.

Fly poppers

If you want to up the fun factor even more and possibly improve your catch rate, try a small fly popper fished along the leading edge of a school of salmon feeding at the surface on baitfish.

I did this a few years ago while fishing to the big schools of Western Australian salmon that had showed up around Wrights Island located out from the Devonport airport.

We had caught a few of these fish on the more traditional salt-water flies like Clousers and Deceivers but at times even these were not getting eaten, hard to believe I know.

Like any fishing method, if the fish are there and you’re still not consistently catching fish, then it’s time for a rethink and try something different.

I just happened to have a couple of surf fishing fly poppers that are available at almost all tackle outlets in Tas. The baitfish they were feeding on were no more than 5cm long, so I trimmed the tail of the fly popper down to match their size. We repositioned the boat and switched the motor off to drift into the approaching school. I landed my fly

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Fishing News - Page 3

popper a metre into the school that was churning up the water. I gave the line a quick strip to take out the slack in my line. The popper blooped forward and within seconds my popper had disappeared in a flash of white water as it was eagerly taken. The line came up tight as I gave the fly line another strip to set the hook.

With a sudden burst of speed the loose fly line on the deck sprung into life. It didn’t take long for the line to come up tight against the drag of the reel and then for the line to start peeling off to the backing. These fish were much larger than the normal run of fish in these parts so they took some time to land even on an eight-weight fly rod. The fish finally tired and a fish of around 6 pounds was eventually boated and quickly released. This was repeated on the next school and both Jim and Steve managed to catch these salmon on the cheapo fly poppers.

Fly Presentation

The way a fly is presented and retrieved can make a big difference to your catch rate.

I like to avoid casting a fly line over the top of a school of feeding salmon as this can spook and put them down. This is especially true when they are not in a full blown feeding frenzy with a large bait ball at the surface.

A cast made to the front of the school is less likely to put the school down and have the whole school swim under the fly.

Get your fly in the bust-up and you will be ‘ON’.

Australian salmon are voracious fish and will attack poppers.

everything comes up tight. I always try and get out of the habit of lifting the rod to set the hook as I tend to do with a trout set. Because lifting the rod to set the hook has much less hooking power than a strip set.

If the hook pulls free on a ‘trout set’ the fly can leave the water just as it would on a back cast. However if a fish pulls free on a strip set the fly remains in the strike zone and more often than not another fish will seize the opportunity to eat the fly.

Once the fly popper is on the water I like a short slow to medium strip when using a fly such as surf popper; it has a short foam head chugs along into the strike zone.

This type of fly popper and presentation is used to mimic a wounded baitfish rather than a high speed-fleeing fly popper that would normal have a longer, more slender foam body to keep it tracking in the water. Both styles of poppers can work equally as well in the right conditions.

Whatever popper is used, when a fish takes the fly set the hook by continually stripping in the fly line until

Fly Lines

When it comes to fly lines a weight forward floating fly line works well with the small chugging poppers.

Match that with a fluorocarbon tapered leader to get the leader sinking quick and you’re set. Fly line technology has come a long way in the last 15 years, as we can now get our hands on fly lines with floating clear tips that allow a little more stealth in all forms of fly fishing. I’m currently using the Airflo Ridge Stealth line, which has a 12ft floating clear tip. This is a great line for this type of work and for our southern flats fishing.

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Fishing News - Page 5

For a faster retrieve with the long body foam poppers I like to use a floating fly line with a clear sink tip matched with a fluorocarbon leader. This combination of sink tip and leader keeps the popper in the water and stops it from bouncing out of the water. It also gives the fly a more pronounced blooping action that can be heard by fish much further away.

I like to use tapered leaders at least nine foot long with a 12 pound tippet or even heavier depending on the size of the fish and how close to a reef they are. If a 9-foot leader is too hard to cast simply shorten it up until you can get the job done. A clear tip fly line can really help here if you need to run a short leader to cast popper flies in the wind.

Once the school of salmon has gone down and any hooked fish have been landed. I like to restart the engine and take another wide run up wind as soon as I can, well up from where the school had first surfaced and then wait for the next sign of surface activity to begin. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye on where the sea birds are flying as they will often fly right above the school of bait fish being driven back up towards the surface by the salmon below. The reason I like to make this run up wind is because when the fish do come back up I can get into position much quicker and quieter in a following sea than I can punching the boat back into the wind and waves, which is much noisier and slower to get above the school for another drift.

An electric outboard is another useful tool to line the boat up on an approaching school after the main outboard is switched off. An electric outboard is particularly useful when there is only very light wind on the water and the fish are not staying up for very long.

Like most popper fishing scenarios, you really need the right conditions to make it all come together. Nine times out of ten a wet fly is going to get the job done more often than a popper fly. But when big salmon start devouring baitfish at the surface, a surface fly like a popper is hard to beat. Especially when you take into consideration the explosive and visual aspect that goes with it. Bloop bloop bloop bloop, gone.

Craig Rist

Boat Tactics

It pays to give some thought to the way a boat is driven and positioned to get a successful cast away at a school of feeding fish such as these. Done the right way and you can have every rod hooked up in the boat.

Do it badly and you not only put the fish down for your own boat but for every other boat on the water that is trying to fish the same school.

When a school of salmon are feeding in a particular area I find the best way to approach these fish is from upwind, give them an ultra-wide berth as to not put them down. Then drive the boat back towards them with the wind at your back. Watch where the school is heading and position the boat to intercept the feeding school.

Prior to reaching the school switch off the motor within a safe distance of the approaching school and allow them to come to the boat. This safe distance will vary with the weather conditions and ferocity of the feeding fish.

Now you can cast the fly with the fish literally boiling around the boat and they will stay up for a much longer period giving you and your fellow anglers multiple casts to hook up.

The worst possible thing you could do is drive the boat straight into the school for a one off quick shot that will almost certainly put the school down and make your boat and crew very unpopular among any other boat trying to catch these fish as well.

Fishing News - Page 6

A happy pair of anglers, but not so happy fish.

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Flashy streamers and other wet flies seem to appeal most strongly to the predatory tiger trout.

TASMANIAN TIGERS TAKE SOME TAMING Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling gets excited by a new fish.

M

ost anglers love catching a new species, and that thrill is magnified when it’s a rare or unusual variety, such as the stunningly-marked, hard-fighting tiger trout.

While I was in Tasmania last November shooting a couple of episodes of my new “A Fisherman’s Life” television series (exclusive to Fishflicks.tv), I was lucky enough to re-visit one of my favourite private trout fisheries: 28 Gates Luxury Farmstay, not too far out of Gretna, in the beautiful Derwent Valley.

I completely understand that people have mixed views about private, pay-to-fish establishments of this sort.

However, in my opinion, they have an important part to play in the bigger picture, right alongside completely “wild” fisheries, those supplemented by occasional restocking, and public put-and-take waters. Each has its own special charms and challenges.

Classy private fisheries such as 28 Gates and my other Tassie favourite — Currawong Lakes, south east of Campbell Town — closely resemble natural fisheries, but with limited access and controlled angling pressure.

Their resident fish behave very much like “wild” trout and are rarely a push-over to catch. As a result, these establishments offer an experience that’s far removed from shooting fish in a barrel. Frankly, they can be as tricky as any other venue.

The other attraction such private operations can potentially offer is access to fish that might not be widely available in public waters… such as tiger trout! I was very excited to hear that a small number of tigers

Starlo reckons tigers punch well above their weight.

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Fishing News - Page 7

The business end of a decent tiger trout. had been stocked into one of the lovely lakes at 28 Gates, and I secretly hoped that I might cross paths with one of these fascinating critters. Those who’ve seen the second episode of my “A Fisherman’s Life” series on Fishflicks will know that this dream eventually became a reality on that November visit.

Since then I’ve been lucky enough to return to 28 Gates in high summer and catch a handful more Tassie tigers. Each one has only served to further cement my fascination with this unusual hybrid salmonid.

What’s a tiger trout?

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Let’s face it: tiger trout are completely man-made beasts. A hybrid or cross-breed between a brown trout from Europe and a brook trout (which is actually a char!) from North America, they shouldn’t be able to exist at all! Their parents don’t even belong to the same genus, and without human intervention, would never have come within three thousand kilometres of each other (the distance across the North Atlantic). But of course, we humans can’t help ourselves, and we’ve been moving wildlife around the globe willy nilly for centuries. These days it’s called “translocation”, but when the first Australians brought dingoes to our mainland 5,000 years ago, or the Romans introduced carp to western Europe during the Middle Ages, it was more a matter of pragmatic convenience. Ditto the successful introduction of trout to Tasmania way back in 1864.

Similarly, those European brown trout have been widely and thoroughly introduced to the Americas and other parts of the world and, to a lesser extent, brook char have been translocated to Europe and Australia.

With both of these fish spawning in autumn and early winter, it was only a

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matter of time until they encountered each other on the gravel redds. However, so different is their genetic make-up that “natural” inter-breeding of brookies and brown trout has only been recorded on rare occasions in the “wild”. Reports of such isolated anomalies do stretch back at least as far as 1944, mostly coming from places like Wisconsin and Michigan in the USA, where the two species now live side-by-side in numbers throughout some catchments. Belonging as they do to completely separate genera, and actually possessing different numbers of chromosomes (84 in brookies compared to 80 in browns), this accidental interbreeding is a highly unusual occurrence at best, and the resulting fertilised eggs have a low survival rate; typically less than five per cent.

However, by deliberately mixing the eggs and milt of brown and brook trout in a hatchery, and then heat shocking the fertilized eggs to create an extra set of chromosomes, these survival rates can be boosted to as much as 80 per cent.

I believe that’s how Tasmania’s tigers are produced, and anyone who’s visited the wonderful Salmon Ponds hatchery facility at Plenty, near New Norfolk, will likely have marveled at the big, strikinglypatterned tiger trout on display in one of the ponds.

Hybrid vigour

Like many “inter-generic” hybrids (such as mules, which are produced by crossing horses and donkeys), tiger trout are normally regarded as being infertile and therefore unable to reproduce; either with each other or their parent species.

There are exceptionally rare instances overseas of very low levels of fertility being observed in some tigers (mostly males), but as far as I know, this has never been reported here in Australia.

While infertility in hatchery-produced hybrids may seem at first glance to represent a serious defect, it can actually become a positive, especially when producing fish for stocking into put-and-take systems, where natural reproduction is either impossible or extremely unlikely.

Infertile trout are also a handy option when stocking waterways potentially linked to areas with populations of sensitive native fauna. Should a decision be made at some future time to remove trout from these waterways, it’s simply a matter of not stocking any more and waiting for the existing population to die out, something that would generally occur in well under a decade.

Even more importantly for us as anglers, because tigers don’t devote physical and biological energy to the rigours of spawning, they tend to grow faster and maintain better condition throughout the year than their fertile cousins. This is the same phenomena displayed by triploided trout, such as the fat, fast-growing rainbows frequently stocked in many Tasmanian waters. Like tigers, these triploid rainbows are also infertile.

But man-made creations such as tiger trout potentially exhibit an additional advantage not seen in triploid rainbows. I’m referring to a phenomenon known to science as heterosis or “hybrid vigour”. This simply means that some hybrids not only grow faster and attain larger sizes than their parent species, but also tend to be stronger and more active.

While hybrid vigour is best understood in plants, it also occurs on occasion in the animal kingdom. A classic example of this is the so-called “liger”: the result of cross-breeding a lion with a tiger. Ligers are the largest and strongest big cats on earth today, reaching a significantly greater length and weight than either a lion or a tiger. Tiger trout may well be their fishy equivalent.

Although they rarely jump, tiger trout are strong, dogged battlers.

To catch a tiger

So, what are tiger trout like to catch, and how are they best targeted? While I can still count my personal tiger tally on two hands, I’ve also been fortunate enough to speak to others who’ve caught them, and I’ve done quite a lot of research in putting this article together.

One of the more common traits mentioned by most authors when discussing tiger trout is their highly piscivorous nature. In other words, they prefer to feed on small fish rather than invertebrates and terrestrial organisms. This certainly tallies closely with my personal experience. All my tiger encounters to date have occurred while stripping wet flies such as Woolly Buggers, Woolly Worms and various streamers, even

on days when brown and rainbow trout living in the same body of water were rising freely to insects. This is certainly not to say that tigers can’t be caught on dry flies, but it does seem that they’re much easier to target on wets or lures.

It’s also worth remembering that the tiger’s temperature tolerances lean more towards those of their brook char parents than the hardier and more adaptable brownie.

Like brookies, tigers prefer cold, well-oxygenated water.

As a result, they can tend to become sulky and lethargic in hot weather and will seek out deeper, cooler lies, often in close proximity to weed beds and other cover. When this happens, it pays to get your lures and flies down as deep as possible.

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Fishing News - Page 9

Once hooked, I’ve found tigers to be surprisingly strong for their size, but not great jumpers. They will thrash wildly on the surface at times, but rarely (in my experience) do they jump cleanly clear of the water. Overall, their fight can best be described as a mix between that of a brown and a rainbow, minus the aerobatics, but with lots of angry head shakes and dogged lunges back towards the depths where they were hooked. In almost every case, I’ve been surprised at just how hard they pull for their weight, sometimes taking twice as long to subdue as a brown or rainbow of a similar size. I’ve only caught them to about 1.5 kg so far.

I can only imagine how hard a really big one might pull!

Tracking tigers

Tasmanian anglers and visitors to the state hoping to add a tiger to their trout tally currently have rather limited options to pursue.

As mentioned, tiger trout are stocked in several of the state’s private fisheries, including 28 Gates and (I believe) Twin Lakes. According to an IFS fact sheet on the service’s website, relatively small numbers of tigers have also been sporadically released into a handful of public waters across the state. Historically, these have included Pet Dam (near Burnie), Lake Dulverton (at Oatlands) and Pawleena Lagoon. There were even isolated reports a decade or so back of a few stray tigers being caught from Great Lake, although the exact origin of those specimens remains unclear.

M o r e r e c e n t l y, a reasonable number of adult tiger trout escaped from a north eastern fish farm facility during the 2016 floods, ultimately ending up in the St Patricks River, with a few possibly finding their way as far afield as the North Esk. Those anglers lucky enough to tap into this unplanned bonanza reportedly hooked tigers to 4 kg and more in weight the following season, and spoke very highly of their fighting prowess, especially in faster water!

I can’t help but wonder Too if the deliberate stocking of a few more tiger trout into a couple of Tasmania’s put-and-take fisheries might not help to create a wave of intense interest amongst anglers: both locals and visitors. Certainly, hatchery productivity for the species is relatively low compared to browns and rainbows, resulting in higher costs per fingerling or adult. But isn’t it possible that the novelty value of a couple of waters containing reasonable numbers of trophy tigers might not repay that investment many times over in terms of

good to catch just once! the angler effort (and expenditure) generated? In my opinion, it’s certainly something worth thinking about.

A regular visitor to Tasmania, Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling is one of Australia’s best-known fishing writers and presenters. You can read his latest blogs at www. starlofishing.com and watch his new “A Fisherman’s Life” series exclusively on Fishflicks.tv, as well as following his Starlofishing pages on Facebook and Instagram.

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Fishing News - Page 10

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WHAT CAN YOU TIE? Over the next few issues commercial fly tier and guide, Shane Broadby takes a look at some common fly tying materials and what you can tie with it.

Possum Tail

The humble Tasmanian brushtail possum — a nuisance to many but to fly tiers its fur can be gold, especially the very versatile brushy tail.

I was introduced to possum tail as a tying material when reading my bible of my early fly fishing days, The Truth about Trout by Rob Sloane, where he described the tying of his Green Nymph. It had a tail and wing case of possum tail. I also started using it as a substitute for black squirrel tail for the tail on flies such as the Hairy Dog and the Mrs Simpson.

I developed a hot orange bodied streamer pattern with a long possum tail fibre wing on which a friend landed a magnificent ten pound brown from the rocks at Kermodes Bay, Lake Sorell before it closed due to carp. When tied in long, the possum tail fibres have a great mobile action.

If you can get hold of a tail from a young possum, the softer tail fur makes a more than decent substitute for black seals fur. My uncle has been tying his black nymphs with possum tail dubbing for years.

Possum tail got particularly popular when Andrew Scott from Victoria developed the Possum Emerger. It was taken to the next level and popularized by Murray ‘Muz’ Wilson.

This deadly pattern spawned a multitude of variations and keen tiers developed many different uses for this versatile material.

A selection of Possum Emergers.

As a material for dry flies and emergers it is superb and will float all day with just a touch of floatant. There have been some great innovations designed such the Possum Shaving Brush where the butt end the tail fibres, close to the skin are used for the wing instead of deer hair. These fibres also make a robust post for parachute duns and spinners. The soft under-fur plucked away from the guard hairs makes great dubbing and there is a good variance in the colouring of the tail with the butt end closer to the possums body being a much lighter and varied colour than further down the tail.

Commercial fly tier Brent Bowerman uses truckloads of the stuff, he bleaches the tail and dyes it in a multitude of colours.

In the summer and autumn months the orange caddis appears around the tussocky shores of Bronte Lagoon and it doesn’t take long for the fish to find them. Local guide Greg Beecroft developed his Bronte Caddis to represent the natural and it works very well on caddis feeders and chironomid feeders. I like the colour combination of the 50/50 mix of yellow and hot orange seals fur blended on the body of Greg’s fly.

I was tying a few one day when I started playing a bit with the combination of the seals fur mix and possum tail fibres, I came up with the fly I call the Bronte Caddis Variant. I don’t think it’s any more effective than the original Bronte Caddis but I catch fish on it. It’s a simple pattern and sells well, so it must be effective.

Method Wind a thread base on the hook from the eye to the bend and then back to the eye. Clip a tuft of possum tail fibres from the mid-section of a brush possum tail close to the skin and pluck out the soft under fur. You should be left with a bunch of long fibres with the lighter butt ends free of under fur, clip the lighter ends of the hair so there is a few millimetres of the lighter butts left. You should be holding the tuft of fibres in your thumb and forefinger, move your thumb and finger backwards and forwards a fraction couple of times to, this will create a more natural looking unclipped wing.

It may take a fly or two to get the correct amount of fibres required as the fibres in your hand will be used to create the wing of the fly, it doesn’t hurt to have a few sparser or fuller winged flies so don’t be too concerned.

Measure the fibres to the hook, the lighter butt ends need to be forward over the hook eye and the hair positioned in the fingers so that the lighter butts of the hair tuft to your fingertips is about the total length of the hook from the eye and protruding about 2-3 mm past the bend of the hook.

Tie the hair in firmly hard up against the hook eye, making sure the hair stays on top of the hook and doesn’t spin around the hook shank.

Bind the tip ends of the possum tail fibres back down the shank towards the bend and clip off above where the barb begins then bind over the clipped fibres and position the thread at the start of the bend. You should be left with the butt ends of the hair fibres protruding forward in front of the eye with your thread positioned at the normal tie in point at the bend. Now dub on a nice even, not too thick body using the 50/50 mix of seals fur right up to the eye, then reversing the thread in an open turn back from the eye for about two hook eye widths. Pull the hair protruding past the eye, back over the body and bind it down on top of the body with 3 -4 firm turns of thread making sure that the hair fibres are mostly positioned on the top of the body and don’t slip underneath the body. When it all looks good whip finish over the previous turns of thread, not at the hook eye to tie off. Apply head cement and get ready to tie another one!

Bronte Caddis Variant

Hook: Partridge Dry Fly Supreme (L5A) size 14 – 16 Thread: brown 8/0 Body: 50/50 mix of hot orange and yellow seals fur mixed Wing: Possum tail fibres

Possum Tail Streamer developed for Lake Sorell.

Bronte Caddis Variant.

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Fishing News - Page 11

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Janet is a keen angler and a hard worker. A teacher by profession, Northern Midlands Councillor and passionate community contributor.

Janet wants a fair go for all, and is especially interested in improving things for anglers and fishers in Tasmania.

If you want someone who will work to improve, both the Fresh and Salt water Fisheries -

VOTE ONE for Janet Lambert Rex Hunt said: “I love Tasmania, I love the people and the environment and especially the trout.

I have worked with Janet Lambert in establishing the Australian Fly Fishing Museum.

I found it a pleasure to be on a Committee with her and found her to be passionate and competent in her work for us. The bonus is that her and husband Todd have become my good friends.

She is a gun angler, which assists us attract more women to fishing.

Her skills in communicating and leading from the front make her a standout in my mind.

Recreational Angling, the Environment, family values and a good old fashioned fair go are what I like about this lady.

As they say, ‘You go girl.’

All the very best.

Yibbida Yibbida” - Rex Hunt

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Janet

LAMBERT FOR LYONS

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Authorised by Todd Lambert, 2 Devon Hills Rd, Devon Hills 7300 Fishing News - Page 12

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SIMPLE TIPS FOR BETTER GAME FISHING Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt shares a few ideas and experiences to help you get better results.

When to go, weather patterns, tides, moon and more

The game fishing season has never been more promising in Tasmania and the best time to go is NOW. The water current from the north and the quality of that water is the best I have seen for some time. Just to give you some idea in the last few weeks of January there was yellowfin tuna caught of St Helens and Bicheno, hammerhead sharks seen and also two separate sightings of manta rays. Yes that’s right, manta rays and I confirmed one sighting with a diver that has seen them around the world.

This sort of water is exciting as it holds other species that are very interesting to avid game fishers - marlin and dolphin fish. Dolphin fish are great fighters and superb eating so always a sought after species, but Marlin….

WHOAH!

Marlin are a whole new ball game. They have it all: power and speed, and don’t mind going airborne and tail walking. They are at the top of the bucket list in Tasmania. So whilst the moon and tides can play a part in percentage of success they don’t take into account work rosters and family commitment.

If you get a green light from the family and can get a few days off GO! Go like the shot out of a gun. Get your boat set up small, medium or large and get out there NOW!!

Where to go - small boat and big boat, in close - out wide?

St Helens has long been the area held in high regard as the mecca of Tasmanian game fishing, but over several seasons it has started to lose its hold on the title.

Places such as Eaglehawk Neck and Bicheno have been nipping at its heels. Even Swansea and Triabunna have been giving up some good catches of game fish to attract the first timer and seasoned angler alike.

St Helens still has a few feathers in its cap mind you. It’s the first place the current come close enough to access and the shelf off St Helens has some features that are of great interest. The upwellings and current runs around and through areas known as The Hill, The Bin Patch and The Cliffs. These are all well know now and worth a look and the envy of most other areas in the state. Structure is everything. Don’t forget it.

Then you have other productive grounds around The Plateau, Middle Ground and Merricks Reef. St Helens has always been a bigger boat sort of a fishery as other than Middle Ground and Merricks, the grounds are out wide, on the shelf or further.

Bicheno is like St Helens and when you commit to a run to the shelf you need to have studied the weather.

Not only just for the morning you leave but what it is likely to do at lunch and later in the day. The bigger boats can wear a little weather and come home comfortably.

However, if you are in a smaller boat, working out the swell direction and what weather, swell, wind and tide is going to be on in the afternoon you will need to plan your day. If it is slight wind in the morning but going to get up later in the day you can work to an area that has you fishing most of the day and come home with it at your stern dragging lures as you come.

Bicheno is an area that really comes alive at the 100m mark. This is the magical line where the birds start to really thicken up. Who knows why but they do and it is a good a place as any to start your spread of lures. Just recently we came out of Bicheno at a good steam, got to the 100 – 120 m line and saw the birds thicken right up. Shearwater and gannets in great numbers. That was good enough for us and in went the lures. No sooner had we gone two nautical miles and we were on with multiple hook ups of striped and Southern blue tuna. We then decided to steam to the edge of the shelf and look for some albacore. My preferred method is to zigzag across the shelf a nautical mile and try and locate them. This time we found them inside the shelf, but they can be anywhere the tricky blighters.

Swansea and Eaglehawk Neck are the small boat game fishing capitals of Australia. I can’t think of anywhere else in Australia apart from the Northern end of Fraser

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Fishing News - Page 13

The gold reel that still performs - Penn’s International.

Island that offers as good a small boat game fishing opportunity than these two Tasmanian destinations.

The right weather report at Swansea and you can steam across the bay and pop out between the mainland and Schouten Island through what is known as The Passage. This is where the action often starts. I have caught good sized Southern bluefin right there on top water lures. Bluefin can be right up the eastern edge of the island right down to the southern tip pushing bait against the many rock ledges and island shore. If the wind gets up you can then use the landfall to get back to cover and run for home. It’s a great place for the smaller vessel.

Eaglehawk neck is very similar with many points and bays to fish during most weather conditions. On the very best of days you can come out of Pirates Bay, or if it is a little rugged launch in safety of Fortescue Bay. The gravel road into Fortescue is a small pain offset by the amazing scenery and protection from both bluffs on the port and starboard as you head out. From the mouth of the bay you can make a decision on the conditions and head to where ever you want to try your luck. If the weather is testing you, fish the mouth of the bay and

Glenn Saltmarsh found this yellowfin at St Helens Fishing News - Page 14

venture out to where you feel comfortable and come back in again in a wide arc. Plenty of tuna have been caught in such a manner.

What gear? 15kg, 37kg, egg beaters, expensive game reels - or budget?

Big gold overhead reels have often been the domain of the game fishing set and for good reason. They hold plenty of line, have strong drags and the drags are pre-set via a lever system. This allows for a precise and quick adjustment that is a constant known weight of drag. In a competition sense or when playing very big fish this is crucial. If you think you are going to one day join a club or want to battle a Jumbo tuna or big mako shark then an overhead reel may be the choice for you.

I have been lucky enough to be a brand ambassador for Penn for a few years now. This is a great honour for me as when I was a kid growing up I would race my mates to the library and read with eyes wide open the men catching the massive Black marlin on big PENN stand up gear. Fast track to a couple of years ago and it was like a dream to be involved in the pre-production testing of the new series of PENN reels. PENN has a significant proud history of manufacturing overhead game reels that many have followed concept or copied design. It was a very special moment for me to see the new series VI hit the market towards the end of 2017.

So if you are looking for a super smooth overhead game reel backed with history and tradition check them out for sure.

You don’t have to grab a top of the line game reel though, there are some great options in mid-range offerings these days. I have used a Squall 2 speed range for a number of years with good success. These reels will handle the biggest of tuna and mako sharks and with a full spool of braid and mono top shot even a big Broadbill.

If the overheads are not your thing and you are after something that has some multiple use on your boat then the egg beater or big spinning reels might be for you. If

A nice little Bicheno bluefin. you combine some good quality braid with a big 8000 or even bigger size spinning reel you have enough line capacity to tame most things in the deep blue ocean.

You can always chase a fish down. My experience is again in the tough as nails PENN line up and there is something to cater for everyone. Shimano and Diawa also have a full range of outstanding reels from the top of the market to budget prices. These reels can not only tame the big tuna and mako sharks but are equally at home deep dropping for Striped Trumpeter and big tiger flathead… WINNING !!

The advent of braided lines has really made the big spinning reel a viable option and all you need to do is put on a mono leader and you are away. There are many options in doing so. A simple swivel attached to the braid after a bimini or plaited double is tied and a leader material of 80lb -120lb can be attached.

What to pull - where and when - and does speed make a difference?

There are a million and one types of lures and they all have some relevance in some way shape or form. I can only offer my advice from experience I have had first hand. The first thing is to get your head around what you are trying to do and that is fool a fish into thinking what you are dragging is food. Lures can be professed by others as to be the BEST lure and this and that, but when all said and done it has to be dragged within the eyesight of a fish to do any good. Then it’s up to the quality of the lure to increase the probability of that fish to incite the spark in its brain to attack and strike.

Ebay junk lures are too light and their skirts are rubbish.

In this little section we will talk about 3 lures that will increase your catch rates ten-fold. Zacatak soft skirts or a quality lure of similar specification, Zuker style feather lures and Halcos Max and Laser Pro ranges.

Lure action in the water, and the lure staying in the water is the key to getting more hook ups more often.

Some lures might look good, but if they are popping out of the water all the time look for something else.

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Zacataks are a favourite and hand made in Australia, weighted heads are shaped perfectly to stay in the water and create great bubble trails. The skirts are of great quality and combine with head design to give a great waggle action.

Zukers are in a world of their own and will catch albacore and school bluefin like no other. Other than the Halco max range. These lures are phenomenal and in what I call the sub-suface class of lures. They run under the surface with a wiggle that spooky fish find irresistible. When it is bright and a bit flat the sub surface Max and the Halco Laser pro really come into their own. Tuna have massive eyes and with no ripple or wave to refract the light on a sunny day they go deeper for some respite. Try this: Get two matches and jamb your eyes open and go outside and look at the sun. That is a tuna on the surface on a sunny day! Aint nobody got time for that !

So on a sunny day don’t be scared to get two deep divers in your spread and if you are running skirts over the top of them at skirt speeds they are really only sub surface. If it is really really bright knock the speed right back and let the divers out a bit longer and they will get right down. Don’t worry about the skirts when it’s crazy sunny.

I know it will drive you mad because its “NOT WHAT WE DO”. The slow speed will freak you out because its “NOT WHAT WE DO”

Structure is one of the most important considerations in game fishing.

What you normally do is troll around in the sun for 14 hours burning fuel and at the end of the day go “Oh it was too sunny and bright. That’s why we didn’t catch”. Well one of these 6-8 hour no fish on “sunny day” days why not give it a go. Don’t lose your mind after 30 minutes or an hour of not getting a bite change back to “WHAT WE ALWAYS DO” persevere, dig deep and think. Where is the bait? Where is some structure to drag these divers over a few times? Give it a real good go and see how it pans out.

We mentioned speed and this can be crucial. The general rule of thumb is 13 – 15 kmh for tuna species and this equates to 7-8 knots respectively. If you come onto some albacore you can be at the slower end of the scale as they tend to like a lure that’s loping a bit and if you are on a search mission to locate some fish and cover some ground you can go a little faster. Do not for one second think a tuna if hungry won’t get hold of your lure if it goes past at 9-10 knots. Be mindful of what your lures are doing if trolling a little quicker than normal. Particularly down sea or in a cross wind. You do not want your lures hopping out of the water or tumbling across swells. They must be in the water and swimming at all times.

How do I find the right spot?

A Zacataks lure worked on this jumbo bluefin.

A few quick tips on where to concentrate your efforts once you are out on the big blue ocean. I have said a hundred times birds are your friends. Gannets feeding hard are what you really can get excited about. When they are forming up and gaining height that is the time to head over to their patch. They have

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remarkable eyesight and a six sense for a bait ball so always watch them with a keen eye.

Any bird activity is worth a look and a bird feed is an exciting scene when you have been trolling for hours with no result. I often see people head over madly to a bird feed and see seals involved and head straight off not interested? The more involved in a bird feed on a bait ball the merrier I get. Dolphins, seals, birds, the lot get them all involved. While they are busting up the bait the tuna may be there already or they will be on the way. The noise of a bait ball being smashed must travel under water and I just bet the tuna are tuned to it.

Not to mention the actual act of the animal and bird life eating and munching up the bait is actual causing a massive berley event!

Be prepared to work over a bird feed from all angles and for a fair bit of time. To just head off because there are seals are involved is ridiculous. I suppose the thought is well if I catch a fish it will get “sealed”, but that is not a 100% certainty at all. There is a lot of variables that could mean that you could catch that fish in spite of the seals being involved. Driving past is a lot like driving past McDonalds to the park on the off chance you find a burger down the back corner near the swings!

So there you have it. Some general tips on what you can do to maximise your game fishing results in Tasmania.

It looks like an outstanding season that will carry through until well into Winter.

Till next time, tight lines and stay safe.

Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt Fishing News - Page 15

Cast one at Essential Flyfisher — Launceston Fishing News - Page 16

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NYMPH STRATEGIES FOR LAKES From nymphs magnificent mayflies emerge. Dan Pursell discusses his ideas.

I

t’s said that most trout eat over 90% of their food under water so early in the season we tend to pull big wet flies like Shreks and woolly bugger type patterns around on a variety of different sink rate lines — and it’s a successful way of landing a lot of fish. But how do we combat this time of year successfully when we have hatches on our more populated lakes like Woods Lake, Penstock Lagoon, Little Pine and Arthurs. As fly fisherman there is nothing better than dry fly fishing, however prior to the hatch commencing and during and after these are important times, we need different strategies to fool these wary fish when the dry fly is being overlooked. Let’s take a look at some flies, leaders and ways to fish some nymphs too improve your chances on the lakes.

Rods, lines and tippet

Okay, regardless of being boat or shore based my rod, line and leader setups will remain similar. I’ve said in previous publications I hold a 10 foot fly rod in the highest of regard so much that I hardly fish or own a 9 foot fly rod for fishing the lakes these days. However it’s a personal preference and any fly rod from a 4 through too a 6 weight in a 9’, 9’6 or 10 foot fly rod will be fine. The real difference being the longer rod aids with casting and enables you too hang the nymphs further away from you, which we will cover later on.

Fly line wise too — successfully nymph fish requires an intermediate and a floating fly line in the appropriate line and rod weight, For my nymph fishing the two lines I like are Scientific Angler – Sharkwave taper and a Airflo camo clear intermediate fast fly line. As for our tippet material its fluorocarbon all the way for this exercise and my personal favourite being Hanak, however I have used many other brands.

Hanak’s durability and strength to line diameter is second to none for me. We all have our favourite brands, but my advice is most fluorocarbon in 6 pound is fine.

Fluorocarbon sinks faster than mono, and is less visible.

Leaders

Slow nymphs worked for the author.

Two or three flies doesn’t really matter to me — it’s really up to the individual. I run 15 - 16 feet of straight-through 6 pound .18mm Hanak fluorocarbon attached straight to the end of the fly line.

Then 5 feet from the end of the fly line I attach a dropper with a 3 turn surgeons knot of around 10-12 inches. I then run another

dropper as above 5 feet below the first fly and then onto the point fly.

For those new to this type of rig we have a point fly which is on the end a middle dropper and top dropper.

These will also be mentioned frequently.

If I was fishing with just two flies my nymph leader will be shorter — around 12 feet in length with my first fly around 5-6 feet away from fly line on a small dropper, then a point fly. The straight through leader system is less complicated and turnover is fine as your flies propel the line forward and if fishing from a boat the wind is mostly behind you. I have also used an older shortened tapered leader and attached my regular nymph leader. It casts as well, it is just extra long and that can be a advantage.

Obviously if we are fishing nymph under dry we can look at different options again — such as a tapered leader to our dry then a length of fluorocarbon as long as necessary off the bend of the hook then our nymph attached. Many people use this setup it is simple and effective. Or we can setup competition legal and create a tapered monofilament leader, or purchase one of around 9 to 12 feet in length. You can then attach a micro ring to the end of tippet and add a 6 to 12 inch dropper off the side of the micro ring for your dry fly and then add an additional piece of fluorocarbon to the micro ring of desired length and add your nymph this way.

You can experiment with various leader systems and devise a system that works for you. The above is how I fish, but change it to suit you. A couple of good friends who are trout guides have been kind enough to share their knowledge and I hope you will pick up some additional skills and techniques and put it to good use.

Finding where the fish are on the day.

Where are the fish if there is only the occasional, or no rising fish? .We know they are out there somewhere. Are they sitting on the bottom, swimming around filtering through food, are they just subsurface eating nymphs or holding mid water?

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Fishing News - Page 17

With modern fish finders we can often hone in on the fish and give ourselves an advantage. Understanding a quality fish finder will enable you to identify weed beds and where the fish are sitting and help your identify the depth they are at.

We know the fish are there somewhere and it’s our job to outsmart them that’s the challenge. Don’t despair if your fish finder skills are not outstanding or your boat is not equipped or you are fishing from the shore. There are ways we can target fish through the water column and cover all the depths. Let’s look at a few techniques .

By fishing three flies on a floating line we can setup our flies either weighted to fish the deeper water or unweighted too hold the nymphs high in the water column. For example; with a floating line we can setup three flies — the point fly could be a 2.8mm or 2.4mm tungsten bead — on the middle dropper you can use a 2mm bead fly — and on the top dropper you can fish either and unweighted or a lighter bead. Or you can use two or three unweighted nymphs if you’re seeing a few any surface activity.

This signals the trout are high in the water feeding and this is exactly how I fish to these trout.

With the intermediate line setup I generally fish with three unweighted nymphs and if I feel the need to fish a little deeper I may add a weighted nymph.

By casting the team of nymphs out and counting in lots of five we can count the flies down, experimenting with depth until you find fish.

After casting keep the rod tip low to the water. Vary the speed of the retrieve, and as the fly line approaches you can slowly start lifting the rod tip up very slowly — picture the nymphs slowly ascending from the bottom up through the water column. The fish will often respond as the flies rise towards the surface and a savage strike can be the result. Once I see the end of the fly line coming out of the water I slow things down and hang the flies at the boat static for a short amount of time — then lift flies out slowly one at a time.

If the fish are taking a few mayfly — or mayfly hatches are the order of the day’s fishing and you see any fish high up you can fish shallower. Rig up three flies all unweighted — or say one weighted nymph on the point if need be in a 2mm bead. Try either an intermediate or floating line.

The great thing about the straight through leader system is if you are fishing an intermediate fly line without success and you decide to fish higher in the water column you can wind the leader right up to the reel, clip the leader off on the end of fly line and simply change reels or spools and attach the same leader and your back in the game.

I normally run two rods in my boat — a floater with dry flies and an intermediate sinking line on the second rod as a starting point. I change as necessary.

Retrieve rates can, and should, vary greatly from super slow figure of 8, up to ripping the flies like your arm is about to fall off. Speed kills and I’ve found this to be true if you think back to spin fisherman and their retrieve or trollers with a constant medium-fast retrieve.

Most of the time I like to keep the flies moving along fairly well, again varying it up depending on what the day brings.

Don’t be frightened to really pull the flies fast. Trout are predators and on the right day they will all but take the rod out of your hands. These takes are something else when there doing this. Other times the takes are subtle and you will feel a weight like your dragging through the weed only to find it’s a fish .

Another successful method I use is to use a Bibio Hopper in my team or a small Claret Dabbler and grease it up and fish it in the middle of the team of three flies on a floating line. Seems strange when we are nymphing, but changes like this can be successful quite often. Even a possum emerger could be used, or any favourtie dry. This method gives an added bonus of a dry fly sitting low in the water and this setup keeps the flies high up and extra action. This might be the difference between fish or no fish. Again — nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Flies

Choice of flies is important. I hold a preference for smaller profile nymphs in sizes 12, 14, 16 and in a variety of different beads and colours. I hold quite a few nymphs in high regard, but for now let’s just go straight to my top three nymphs.

Ostrich Herl Nymph

Three nymphs that work: Ostrich Herl, Claret and Squirrel nymphs.

Fishing News - Page 18

A old nymph but a good one. This fly is my number one. It has subtle movement in the material and when wet it looks great. If I’m fishing a team of nymphs and they are taking this they rarely take

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any other nymph. It can be tied in a variety of colours including tans, black, grey and browns. They are all good my favourite and how to tie is below.

Materials Ostrich herl in black Copper wire medium Hanak 230 # 14 Tail - dark pardo Thorax - claret seal fur Speckled hen wingcase Brown uni thread 8/0

First up lay thread on hook, tie in 6 to 8 fibres of pardo in for the tail keep the tail short around three quarters the length of hook shank. Next tie in copper wire and add two strands of Herl twist and wrap up the shank too within about 4mm of the hook eye wind copper wire through four to five turns and secure. Add in wing case I use speckled hen and material is fine then add a thorax of claret seals fur and finish fly off.

Claret nymph.

A common generic nymph, and almost everybody has some in there box of some sort. One of the versions I use is as below.

Materials Hanak 230 # 14 Hanak metallic orange bead 2.5mm Seal fur claret Copper wire medium Hends number 46 dubbing Tail - Dark pardo Uni thread 8/0 of choice Bead goes on first, tie in thread and add tail. I like this one to be about the length of the hook shank, add in copper wire and dub in a small tapered seal fur claret body then, behind the bead, add a small amount of the hends number 46 dubbing and whip finish.

Squirrel Nymph

This fly is a spikier take on a Hares Ear Nymph and like the Ostrich Herl I like that subtle movement the squirrel has. This nymph I tie in a bead and non-bead version.

This version below has a foam wing case something I love using as in holds the fly up that little bit higher Materials Hanak 230 # 14 Foam - black 1mm Squirrel dubbing Copper wire medium Tail - dark pardo Claret seal fur and Hends 46 dubbing blended Uni thread black Tie in pardo tail. I like this longer — at least the length of the hook shank. Add in copper wire and dub squirrel in a tapered body shape and leave about 4mm to hook eye. Cut a strip of 1mm foam for a wing case add it in and then apply thorax of 75%

claret mixed with 25% Hends 46 dubbing. Pull over foam wingcase and whip finish.

The above ties can be altered. Try different beads, hooks etc. I generally use 2.5, 3 and 3.5 mm beads on hooks in the 12-16 range I hope this article improves your chances on the lakes tight lines for the rest of summer might see you on the water cheers.

Dan Pursell

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Fishing News - Page 19

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SHACK ATTACK nian

a Tasm

0 0 0 $3, x a t Don’t let Labor DESTROY a Tasmanian tradition Shack owners right around the state will be smashed by Labor’s new vacant property tax, which is really a “shack tax”.

In Victoria, you pay 1% of shack value unless you spend a minimum of 4 weeks per year at your shack.* On a Tasmanian shack valued at $300,000, this would be a $3,000 slug, every year!

Many shacks have been used by Tasmanian families for generations.

”…because there are provisions in Victoria for example, where they have a vacant property tax … we can see whether or not we could apply the same regime here to Tasmania.”

Putting their shack on long-term rental is simply not an option.

THIS IS ALREADY GREENS POLICY.

Leader of the Opposition ABC Local Radio 22/1/18

AVOID THE LABOR-GREEN SHACK TAX

VOTE LIBERAL

*Labor are basing this tax on the Victorian model.

Fishing News - Page 20

Authorised by C McQuestin, Suite 4C, Level 3/33 Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000.

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STUFF IN MY VEST Australian champion, Christopher Bassano gives you a tour on what is in his vest.

M

ike Stevens recently went through Christopher’s vest as he changed from his old Simms G3 vest to a new G3. Christopher reckons the old one had served over a thousand day of fishing and was starting to show its age, but it was so good he got another the same.

Australian Fly Fishing Champion, Christopher Bassano, wants to be a minimalist when it comes to fishing. So he reduces his kit to the necessary items only. Here they are.

‘I will start with the vest itself. I can get a lot in my G3, and when loaded it is the most comfortable I can find. It has good sized pockets for the fly boxes I like to use and plenty of storage for all the items I want to carry with me. I can’t think how it could be better.

‘It gets thrown in the car daily and I don’t know of anyone who would be harder on a vest than me. It gets exposed to all the elements and has travelled around the World many times.

Longevity is great and that is why, when I needed a new vest I stayed with the best.

‘Now for a guided tour of the vest and its contents.

Boxes and how they hang.

‘I have two large C&F nymph boxes with centre flaps. I like to carry a lot of flies.

The nymph boxes sit in my bottom pockets horizontally, with one on each side. So I have the heaviest boxes at the bottom and it is not so critical if these get wet. All my boxes have O-ring seals, but that is and extra insurance against getting wet.

Christopher loves C&F fly boxes and organises them neatly.

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Fishing News - Page 21

ADVERTIS

Recreational Fishing & A re-elected Hodgman majority Liberal Government will take recreational fishing and boating in Tasmania to the next level!

“The Hodgman Liberal Government understands that recreational fishing and boating is a way of life for many Tasmanians. This activity has formed an industry sector in its own right and it now makes a significant contribution to Tasmania’s growing economy and jobs.

“Almost one in four Tasmanians take to the water to fish every year and a huge number enjoy boating, so we want to make it easier for all Tasmanians to go fishing - whether that be from the shore or on a boat.”

Easier to park your boat and trailer

Easier for all Tasmanians to go fishing from the shore.

We want to make it easier for all Tasmanians to wet a line by providing better shore-based facilities that allow for safer and easier access for families, seniors and Tasmanians with disability. We will: • provide $700,000 in local government grants to improve access to jetties and other structures; • provide $685,000 to replace derelict jetties around the very popular Georges Bay in St Helens which will also provide safer access and facilities for children, seniors and Tasmanians with disability.

• A new Bridport Pier will be considered in a $250,000 community-led Masterplan for Bridport’s waterfront, beach and recreational fishing facilities, as well as port access.

TARfish

We will continue to strongly support TARFish as the independent body representing Tasmania’s recreational, saltwater marine fishers and provide them with extra funding over four years.

For more detail on these and other initiatives please visit: www.tas.liberal.org.au/policy Fishing News - Page 22

We will work with local councils to expand and enhance parking facilities for boats and trailers at key boat ramps by providing $2.2 million over three years for better boat and trailer parking including: • Burns Bay, St Helens - expansion and surfacing; • Pirates Bay, Eaglehawk Neck - expansion; • Coles Bay - new parking development including relocated public toilet facilities; and • Swansea - new central boat ramp.

Improving off-shore catches

We will: • consult with anglers and commit $1 million to construct two artificial reef structures - one likely off the NorthWest Coast and the second in Southern waters; • increase offshore fishing opportunities closer to the coast and commit $450,000 to purchase and manage the installation of four new Fish Aggregation Devices (FADs).

• (FA Authorised by C McQuestin Suite 4C, Level 3/33 Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000

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SEMENT

Boating in Tasmania Stronger safety support for all boat owners We will increase funding for Volunteer Marine Rescue Units who provide a safety service for boaters around the State.

We will also establish a funding pool that Volunteer Marine Rescue units will be able to access for vessel replacement.

Better boating infrastructure We will work with MAST on a range of projects to provide better breakwaters and boating infrastructure for recreational fishers and boaters including: • $500,000 towards an extension to the Coles Bay breakwater with the project being referred to MAST for funding consideration; • $100,000 towards the Binalong Bay Gulch boat ramp breakwater; • floating pontoons and boating facilities following the removal of the old Scamander Bridge; and • $200,000 for an extension to the Nubeena jetty.

VOTE

In Lyons

1 Rene Hidding Minister for Infrastructure

Supporting our worldclass trout fishery We will make it cheaper to go trout fishing by freezing the existing inland trout fishing licences at 2017/18 prices for four years!

There is no doubt Tasmania’s trout fishery is worldclass and we will continue to maintain a strong and independent Inland Fisheries Service that supports our inland fisheries and waterways including: • $215,000 to Anglers Alliance Tasmania to support its work and support anglers; • $30,000 to market and promote angling tourism and the Trout Expo; • $200,000 to expand the Inland Fisheries Service’s Anglers Access Program in partnership with Anglers Alliance Tasmania; • $300,000 to build and upgrade existing and new community amenities, including toilets and refuse sites to support high-visitation fishing locations.

“Thanks to the many fishing and boating stakeholders who assisted us in the formation of this policy.”

VOTE

In Braddon

1 Jeremy Rockliff

Minister for Primary Industry, Water & Fisheries

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Fishing News - Page 23

‘In my two top pocket I carry dry flies in two medium size C&F boxes. Mayfly patterns and in the left box, Caddis and bettles in the right. I do a similar things with nymphs light one side and dark the other.

‘Also at the bottom left inside my vest I have two clear fronted slimline boxes with spiders in one and streamers in the other.

Tippet

‘Now, let’s look at tippet; I carry a lot of tippet, both mono and fluorocarbon and it must be in easy reach, organised by size and have backup if needed. I use the small front pockets on the outside bottom of the vest and progress from my right to left in sizes from .10mm, .12mm, .14mm and then .16mm. There is both mono and fluorocarbon of the same size in each pocket. Inside the jacket in zips up pockets I have spare spools of the popular sizes should I need it, and also heavier material, which is used less often. And I also carry coloured and bi-colour mono for making or repairing/modifying euro-nymph leaders.

‘Some people like tippet spool holders, but for me they don’t work. By using the pockets I have less stuff hanging on the outside of my vest – and that is better for me. In competition fishing I don’t want anything to get tangled – and if something can go wrong it usually does.

‘This way I always know exactly what I have and where it is.

‘I have used almost every known mono and fluorocarbon and am confident in what I use now.

‘For river fishing fluorocarbon I only use Hanak. It is slightly larger than what is stated on the spool, but I know that and accept it. Trout Hunter is also very good and is true to diameter. Hanak is very strong and slightly stiffer than Trout Hunter.

‘In monofilament I like Scientific Angler and also Rio Suppleflex, but mostly it is the SA I use.

‘In relation to leaders I also carry tippet rings which have become a terrific addition in leader construction and allow for easy modification of leaders – both river and lake. If you don’t use these it is time you did. I like the Hanak tippet rings.

Stomach pump

‘I have a stomach pump and it is not an item many anglers carry. If I am not sure what fish have been eating I can use to quickly check the most recently eaten items in a trout’s stomach without harming the fish at all. I keep this in the lower right hand side of the vest – in a small zipped pocket – along with a white petri dish.

They are an under-rated item in your kit – they can tell you so much in a small amount of time. Get one.

Floatants

‘Floatants are many in my jacket. I have regular Gink, Tiemco Fly Kerchief, Desiccant powder, Fluro leader grease and others. I have most of these easily accessible and carry spares inside my jacket.

‘Let me explain how I float flies: ‘If I can I treat my flies with a liquid silicone when I tie it – straight out of the vice. I then leave them to dry for a day or two before using them. You often have to fluff the flies up again, but this work very well. I also do this with CDC flies. You can buy this in any good fly shop.

Fishing News - Page 24

Christopher Bassano loves his Simms G3 vest.

‘Once the fly is tied on I use a tiny amount of Gink. I rub it on with my fingers. I also do this with CDC flies.

It is essential to apply just a very small amount though and back against the lay of the hackles etc. Put it on all the parts of the fly you want to float.

‘As I just pointed out Gink is my regular floatant and it is upside down on a retractor. There are two desiccant powders – a white and a grey. I use the white on light coloured flies and the grey on darker flies.

‘The Tiemco Fly Kerchief is my ‘go to’ product for drying flies. I did use the natural product Amadou, but the Tiemco product is much better. I use this once the fly gets soaked – I give the fly a few good squeezes and it is often all that is needed to get my flies floating again without any other treatment.

‘I never re-Gink a fly. If the Fly Kerchief and a good shake in the desiccant powder won’t revive it I tie on a new fly.

‘Line cleaner is not part of my kit, but I do carry Mucilin to help float my line or leader.

Rig keeper

‘In one of my top outside pockets I have a Smith Creek Rig Keeper. I keep premade leaders wrapped around this. So if I am in a hurry I can quickly put on a three fly spider rig, nymph under dry or a double nymph rig as they are all ready to go. Everyone should have one of these.

Leather fly wallet

‘My leather fly wallet is not something you will normally find in a store. It is basically a piece of leather folder over with a piece of neoprene on the inside and a Velcro closure. Because I only use barbless hooks they go in and out of the neoprene easily. I put all the flies I am going to use for a session (comp fishing) in this

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Fishing News - Page 25

Every pocket has a purpose. patch. It means I rarely have to get a box out and search for flies. Everything is sorted in size, colour, weight etc and I know all the flies I want are ready. This is on a retractor on my LH side. I also put my used flies here.

Nippers - or scissors?

‘My RH retractor has Gink and nippers. I have explained Gink and floatants, but nippers are an interesting one. I don’t think there are many good ones.

They all seem to work well in the shop, but soon wear, become blunt and useless. I have some Abel nippers that I love. They were very expensive, but the jaws can be replaced easily. I also have a spare pair. My advice is buy an expensive pair with replaceable jaws. I know Orvis, Simms, Hatch and others also make very good nippers with replaceable cutters. It is false economy buying cheap nippers.

‘Nippers are my preference over scissors or even scissor clamps. For me I can be more precise with nippers and get in close when cutting line. With scissors you will often cut some hackle. They take up less space, will hide away in the Simms retractor pocket and if there are less things to tangle I like that.

Fishing News - Page 26

Net arrangement

‘I carry my net off the D loop on the back of my vest and use a strong retractor attached to the handle. That means the net bag hangs down and the handle is at the top. I have tried every incarnation of net carrying. This is the best one I can find. I have tried magnets and lanyards, but in competition fishing it all needs to go smoothly. I found using the magnet system difficult if the fish had another run and I had to drop the net. It gave another item to tangle and I would sometimes have difficulty in fast water getting the net and fish under control. With the strong retractor the net is always under control.

Rod Holders

‘I must mention the Smith Creek rod holder. In a competition, or if I am fishing a river that has space to allow it I carry three rods. You might not all want to do this. Most fly vest have a loop near the centre zip at the bottom. This is to hook your rod into this. Then also on many vest there will be a Velcro tab at the top.

You can put your rod under this to hold it while you change flies or if you want to carry and extra rod. Now if carrying two rods – or you prefer the rod across the other shoulder you will want a Smith Creek rod holder.

Other things

‘You might also spy a thermometer. It is pretty useless, I rarely use it, because the water temperature will not affect if I am going to fish or not. It was used in my daughter’s mouth once, but rarely when fishing. For some, they will be interested in weather, temperature etc, but I don’t get it out.

‘Food is important, and perhaps more so to me, as I am diabetic. I have museli bars, jelly beans etc.

‘Other items are sunscreen, insect repellent, toilet paper, bungy cord and cable ties. Bungy cord can be adapted for a number of things and cable ties can repair a holed net or other things. There are also spare boot laces, pain killers and anti-inflammatories.

‘In the top inside mesh pockets are all my spares – such as Gink etc and plenty of pre-made leaders in several different styles.

‘I carry a small Olympus waterproof camera which can be used quickly.

‘The last item to mention are mitten clamps which are used for removing hooks from fish or people or debarbing hooks if needed. They can be attached anywhere handy and are very easy to use.

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Fishing News - Page 27

WILL ESTUARY PERCH DISAPPEAR? Tasmanian estuary perch are rare and vulnerable. Jamie Harris has a passion for them.

Q

Estuary Perch — the holy grail

environment changes, climate change, river flows and other factors have played a big part in the reduction to a miniscule remnant population. If nothing is done to rebuild the population they may disappear completely.

I had heard stories and rumours that there were still EP present in the Arthur River on the NW coast and Ansons River on the NE and every now and then you would hear reports in fishing circles like “oh yeah, old mate’s brother’s son caught one last week” I was always a bit sceptical until I saw my first actual photo of one caught in the Arthur River around 10 years ago. Seeing actual proof that these almost mythical fish were in fact still here really got my attention and since that day I have been on a quest to catch one for myself.

After many trips to the Arthur exploring just about every snag in the river I mostly went home still doubting their existence.

But about 5 years ago after having an extremely slow day, while trolling a hardbody lure, I hooked what I thought was a small trout. My lure was a long way back and this small fish came straight to the top and it wasn’t till I cranked it to the boat that I realised that it was in fact, the holy grail, the myth, the legend, my first Tassie estuary perch!! To say I was beside myself with joy and emotion was an understatement! After hugs, high fives and a few quick pics, this very cool little fish of only around 28cm was happily released.

EPs are not rare, but they are at risk.

uite a few years ago down in Tassie, there were stories, almost legendary, about estuary perch and how they once thrived in some of the northern river systems. The old timers used to call them razor fish due to their extremely sharp gill plate. In the old days when netting in rivers was permitted, there were hundreds, perhaps thousands taken in gillnets and due to their poor eating qualities, many of these were simply tossed up the bank to feed the crows. This, the construction of weirs,

Fishing News - Page 28

Almost before the fish had swam off I had the motor in gear and was racing back to where we thought I had first hooked it. To our excitement it only took about 10 minutes of casting in tight to the shore and bang! We had found them! They were smashing our soft plastics almost every cast! After catching five or six in almost as many casts, I rang my mate who was further up river in his boat. I barely got the words out and he was racing around the corner to come and join the party. Between us we caught around a dozen before they slowed right up and we called it a day, and what a memorable and rewarding one it was.

Since that day we have learnt a whole lot more about these amazing natives and found them consistently in six or seven different spots in the river. Once they are located, they are super aggressive and will readily smack a lightly weighted soft plastic on the drop. They do seem to hold in tight in any particular spot and often it will be only in an area of about two metres square and if you cast even a metre outside of that zone then you won’t get the bite. The old faithful 100mm Squidgies wriggler has been my go-to lure. Colours don’t seem to matter much but that said, once you have caught a few they sometimes get finicky but then a quick colour change will often fire them up again.

In Tassie estuary perch are a protected species so a strict ‘no take’ law applies and rightly so. As far as we know, EP are confined to just one river — Arthur River.

A couple of years ago there was a netting/tagging study conducted by the AMC on the EP in the Arthur river. I was surprised to hear there is quite a healthy population in the river. Just recently we recaptured some of these

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tagged fish and all of the relevant info passed on to the AMC to continue their studies.

Previous to that some had been netted from Arthur River and kept at the Marine Resources facility at Taroona. Nothing came of that project.

Being a native fish and a quite a rare one, in Tasmania at least, I think it’s high time we did something about saving these iconic fish. Myself and a few others have been lobbying both politicians and Inland Fisheries about getting a re-stocking program going and potentially seeing these cool fish back in at least some other systems where they once thrived.

It ticks the boxes for restablishment.

It is a native fish; it is vulnerable; funding should be availabe (as it is a native fish at risk); it has been recorded in other systems; it is easily bred (they do it in Victoria); it is a great sport fish; it could be a great addition to coastal lagoons.

They are captured and reside in ‘Inland Waters’ and according to the IFS website the role of IFS is:

“IFS Core Functions The Inland Fisheries Service has primary responsibility for administering the Inland Fisheries Act 1995 and its subordinate legislation. Original copies of this legislation are available at www.thelaw.tas.gov.au . The Act provides that the Director of Inland Fisheries is a corporation, responsible for the following functions: Manage, control, protect, develop, improve, maintain and regulate salmon fisheries, fisheries in inland waters and freshwater fish; Stock inland waters with fish; Create, improve and maintain access to inland waters; Provide facilities in respect of access to inland waters; Carry out research and investigation into matters relating to salmon fisheries and fisheries in inland waters; and Collect, publish and disseminate information relating to freshwater fish and inland waters.

IFS Jurisdiction Under the Inland Fisheries Act 1995, the Service has jurisdiction over all inland waters ‘to protect’............”

Above all it is a native fish at risk.

Will IFS and the State take up the challenge and do something? I hope so.

Jamie Harris

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Fishing News - Page 29

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Fishing News - Page 31

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Fishing News - Page 32

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PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING Results depend on good preparation. Jamie Harris explains his process.

I

n the last few years I’ve fished a whole lot and in the process, mostly through dedication, trial and error I’ve learnt some valuable lessons along the way. And I have also made a lot of new friends thanks to fishing. Some being as mad keen as I am and others who have just started out and are keen to learn as much as they can.

Having most of my fishing adventures up on social media pages these days, I get asked a lot of questions and always happy to help out where I can. I was asked the other day ‘how I prepare for a day’s fishing’. While that is a very broad question, I did my best to answer and it went something like this…

Prior preparation prevents piss poor performance

That’s the six Ps. The key word is really preparation itself. I ask myself what am I going to need? Not only for plan A but for plans B, C, D and so on. The beauty of fishing in Tassie is that there are plenty of options so you need to prepare for every possible option on the day. Sometimes the fish you want to catch just aren’t on. That’s where you need your backup plans in place.

For instance if I’m heading out for a bottom bash to catch a few flathead, I’ll generally still throw in three or four different combos ranging from a light spin stick for throwing small lures at salmon or squid, to a medium spin combo that will cast bigger lures and be able to stop the ever increasing kingfish and even a heavy spin

or overhead combo just in case I were to come across a mako or even tuna.

You way well laugh but Murphy’s Law says the day you don’t take it will be the day that you do see something huge but you won’t be geared up enough to stop it!

So along with my extra rods I’ll throw in some minnow style soft plastics from 3 – 7 inch along with varying weight jigheads from 1/4 - 1.5 ounce to cater for any pelagics I may encounter.

Maybe a couple of squid jigs Rods, reels, leaders, pliers and spares of everything, and a landing net to deal with them. Obviously you don’t want to take the whole tackle it due to saying “ah she’ll be right” Sharp hooks! I always store out with you so just take a handful of each. I always carry a small diamond stone and If my hook is even throw in a surface popper and a knife jig or two. A couple slightly dull, I’ll either sharpen it or change it! Again, It of trolling lures like Rapala X-raps or even Tuna skirts. might be the difference!

Knots and leader – always take spare line and leader Obviously my particular location will determine what and I always tie fresh leader knots (usually FG knots I am likely to come across and therefore what to pack. these days) the night before every trip. The difference If I’m going more offshore then I’ll also throw the gaff between being thorough or some might say “anal” could and a gimbal belt in. I always carry a tail rope in my boat be the difference between landing that new PB or losing too as they can also come in handy if you need to tie

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Fishing News - Page 33

Add a small tool kit with some basic tools and I can tell you it has saved me more than once!

Add cable ties, check trailer bearings and tyre pressures.

Then, if I’m going for a few days then I’ll write a detailed list so I don’t forget anything.

So keep in mind that the old “she’ll be right” saying will only get you so far and you may have a whole lot more enjoyable experiences if you take the extra time to prepare yourself for anything!

Jamie Harris

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Fishing News - Page 34

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A good check list will ensure your preparation process is perfect.

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up. Berley! Not that I do baitfish a whole lot these days but anytime I do, I will use berley and I can’t stress it enough how important it is and any berley is better than none! If I’m only fishing inshore or even trout fishing on inland waters then I’ll downsize my gear and lures to suit. But again I never just take my favourite lures with me and that’s it. I’ll take a whole range of soft plastics, jigheads and hardbodies to cover the shallow, deep and everything in between.

Before any trip I’m constantly checking the latest weather forecasts and to be honest you would be mad not to here in Tassie as often that alone determines how good the fishing will be.

Once I know what the weather is doing for sure, only then will I make a plan. If I’m boating then it goes without saying that all relevant and up to date safety gear goes in first, then: Sounder, Wet weather and or spare clothing, Sunscreen, Old rags (the ones you wipe your hands on), Fuel, Spare trailer bearings, Boat bungs, Water/food, Attomic PRINT.pdf 1 31/08/2017 3:03:53 PM First aid kit,

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Fishing News - Page 35

Get a fisherman’s perspective of the new F25 with Australian fishing legend Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling.

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Fishing News - Page 36

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MAKO SHARKS – DYNAMITE ACTION Matt Sherriff adds another game experience to his list.

T

he Shortfin Mako Shark (Isurus oxyrinchus) also known as a Blue Pointer or Blue Dynamite is on record as being the fastest swimming shark in the ocean, capable of bursts of speed over 70kph! These bursts of speed allow it to jump to heights of up to 30 feet out of the water which is a characteristic that makes the Mako a highly sought after gamefish worldwide.

Ever since I was a young fella, I have always wanted the opportunity to tangle with a Mako and I didn’t need to be asked twice when Josh Hammersley invited me to fish with his crew on the mighty Black Magic at the recent Tamar Marine Shark Competition which took place at St Helens.

W i t h t h e wa t e r temperature on the East Coast rising, plenty of bait and Tuna about as well as reports of several sharks being caught in the preceding weeks, the anticipation was high. Arriving in St Helens the day before gave us a chance to drop a few Craypots out around the point before returning to the caravan park and preparing the gear.

When powerful fish like Makos are on the cards your equipment needs to be spot on!

Plans were to run a couple of 60kg set-ups and a new Crucis 37kg

rod I had brought down to test. New doubles were tied, wind on leaders and traces were measured (leaders and traces have to fall within specified lengths when fishing competitions) and drags were set with scales…we planned on giving ourselves every opportunity to tame one of these beasts!

We arose early the next morning, wanting to beat the rush of boats to the ramp and also duck out to check the pots prior to the competition kicking off. This paid off and we managed to score ourselves a couple of good crays to start off the day…hopefully this was a sign of things to come! With all the boats in the water (over 30 of them) the competition got underway. We motored out to the shelf opting to head south east which with the north easterly wind would make for a slower trip home but at the same time gave us some distance between the majority of other competitors. Once we arrived at our destination, around 25kms from St Helens Point, the first thing to happen was for the burley to hit the water.

Good quality burley is key for consistently raising Makos.

The burley we were using was minced up fish which Josh had prepared and frozen in 10 litre buckets. Preparing burley takes time and is a messy job and for some it may be easier to purchase burley logs from their local tackle store; regardless, ensure you have an adequate supply to maintain a consistent trail throughout the day.

The waiting game had begun. For anyone that has done this before, it’s amazing how your eyes can play tricks on you whilst staring across the water looking for the first sign of a shark. It’s surprising how much a

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Fishing News - Page 37

Advertisement

Recently the Tasmanian recreational fishing campaign “Rec Fishers Bite Back” was launched.

This is to remind ALL our politicians of recreational fishing’s social and economic worth to our state.

As a collective, recreational fishers should never be taken for granted, and this should serve as a reminder that political parties risk a major backlash at the ballot box should they ignore us.

Support this initiative and place these stickers on your car and boat to serve as a constant reminder of just how passionate we are about protecting this pastime for future generations to enjoy.

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Fishing News - Page 38

Achievements

Rec fishers have thwarted plans for foreign owned freezer factory trawling to get established in our Small Pelagic Fisheries and continue to advocate and lobby for a complete ban in Commonwealth waters, not only State waters - as the Liberal party spin is put forth.

Put politicians under pressure to consider our standing as a political voting block.

Shown the major parties that we will not just accept political spin without question or protest if needed.

Highlighted Recreational Fishers’ collective worth to Tasmania’s economy.

Questioned our current recreational salt water fishing representation and lobbied for a review.

Highlighted what salt water Rec Fishers can achieve as a collective voice .

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mutton bird’s wing can look like a fin as it disappears behind a swell after an hour of waiting for some action.

After going through several blocks of burley with no signs of sharks, the decision was made to drift a bait out under a balloon. Within half an hour we spotted a shark swimming around the bait and before long the balloon took off sideways at pace before detaching from the line. Chloe grabbed the rod, placed it in the harness, and pushed the drag up to strike…we were onto our first shark. It didn’t take long on the 60kg gear before we had our first Mako of around 80 odd kilos to the side of the boat. This fish was tagged and cut free, swimming away like nothing had happened. We were off the mark!

From this point forward things got busy and now it was my turn on the rod. Off the balloon went again!

Clipping the rod into the harness and pushing up the drag we soon knew this was a bigger fish. I’m not sure how many of you have fished 60kg stand up tackle, but with 18-20kg of drag at strike if it wasn’t for the fact I was pulled into the bait board I would have been water skiing!! This Mako cut loose and as soon as the line tightened the acrobatics started. Seeing a Mako of around 150kg cartwheeling up to 20 feet clear of the water is pretty wild and it makes you appreciate just how powerful these fish are! The fight however was short-lived with the fish landing on the wind-on leader and breaking the line where it attached to the double.

Changing the rod and re-setting the bait, it was only 10 or 15 minutes later we were on again…it was the same shark! This beast had attitude, jumping several times before running deep. After around 10 minutes on the line the hook pulled and it wasn’t looking good for me to get my first Mako to the boat. Another bait was floated out the back and before too long it was taken with this shark ignoring the fact it was hooked and charging in hard at the burley cage. Around 20 minutes later we had a tag in a Blue Shark of around 100kg which had put up a spirited fight which is uncharacteristic of this species.

Happy to have caught my first Blue, I was still on rod duty and still searching for that first Mako. I didn’t

Tagging a blue shark. have to wait long, with another bait being taken soon after and several good runs later I was having my picture taken with my maiden Mako…the pressure was off and I was as happy as a pig in mud. I’m guessing the Mako was pretty happy too, swimming off happily with nothing but a little yellow tag and some lip jewellery to remind him of the experience.

Glad I could now take a rest from the rod, Dylan put the harness on and almost like clockwork the balloon shot off again! This fish had some mumbo…stripping line from the reel like there was no tomorrow and heading deep! Unfortunately the braid snapped and the fish was gone. Dylan, luckily escaped unscathed, with the rod hitting the peak of his hat rather than his face as the line snapped…a close call. With both the 60kg outfits requiring to be re-rigged, the decision was made to give the 37kg gear a run. I had brought a new 37kg fully rollered Crucis bent butt rod with me that had yet to be released on the market and figured it would be a

good chance to put it to the test. Putting it to the test would be an understatement. The next shark was the one we’d been chasing all day and certainly gave a good account for itself ripping the 150m mono top shot off the reel several times during the almost hour long fight.

Getting the fish boat side, it was decided that we would take this beast in to weigh as we believed this one was big enough to give us a good chance of taking out the comp. The gaff shot was taken and a tail rope secured and once we were certain it was safe to do so the shark was brought on board. Just to give you a sense of the size of this fish, it took five of us nearly an hour to pull on board, and in the end, without the pulley system we set up it would have been near impossible.

Pretty chuffed with such an amazing day, it was high fives all round as we packed up the gear and pointed the boat east for the trip home. When we arrived at the weigh in we quickly realised we weren’t the only ones who’d had a good day. There were a handful of sharks

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Fishing News - Page 39

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Fishing News - Page 40

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213 kilos of mako. to be weighed as well as around 30 that were tagged and released (this is why I can’t bring myself to swim in the ocean). The fishing gods were with us however with our Mako pulling the scales down to 213kg (cleaned) and taking out the prize for the heaviest fish of the day!

What a day…raising 7 sharks, tagging three and keeping one. That wasn’t all; everyone got to take home a good feed of delicious Mako (including many onlookers at the caravan park), the crays were a bonus and we even had a ball the next day catching Yellowtail Kingfish on jigs…but that’s another story…

What do you need for chasing Makos?

• 4-5 metre steel trace and suitably strong hook (readymade traces available from tackle stores).

• Super heavy duty flying gaff – we choose GaffMann products which are Australian designed and made.

• 24kg tackle is a good size for the majority of Mako shark fishing however they can be landed on 15kg tackle which is great for fish that are 80kg and under. Make sure drags are set correctly and knots are up to the task.

• A decent sized boat and experienced crew is recommended.

STRAIGHT TO THE

• Just remember that these are powerful fish with a mouthful of razor sharp teeth that can jump up to 30 feet clear of the water and they must be treated with the utmost of respect!

Last but not least, a big thankyou to Josh, Chloe and Molly Hammersley, Jason Probert and Dylan Loh for a day that will be hard to beat…we can always try again next year!!

Matt Sherriff

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Fishing News - Page 41

The Leven

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Fishing News - Page 42

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Fishing News - Page 43

Know your lifejacket

Better safety and facilities for Tasmanian boaters

Incorrectly worn or fitted lifejackets may not work effectively Make sure yours; • Fits • Is serviced regularly • You know how to use it • If it is inflatable - is it auto or manual inflate? Explain that to the crew

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Incorrectly worn or fitted lifejackets may not work effectively

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