STLAA Trout 2007 by Norm Cribbin

Angling Report of the Southern Tasmanian Licensed Anglers Association

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Index Editorial ............................................................................. 2 Inland Fisheries Service ................................................... 3 Ministers Report on Inland Fisheries 2006/07................ 3 From the Director............................................................ 4 Hydro Tasmania Water Management Report ............... 7 Didymo; A Serious Risk To Tasmanian Waterways ...... 7 MAST Report .................................................................... 9 Anglers Alliance Tasmania (AAT) Report ................... 10 IFAC Report - Reflections Season 2006/2007............... 12 STLAA Reports............................................................... 14 STLAA Executive......................................................... 14 STLAA Presidents Report ............................................ 15 Club Reports ................................................................. 18 Australian Polish Anglers Club ................................ 18 Bothwell Angling Club ............................................. 21 Bridgewater Anglers Association ............................. 22 Clarence Licensed Anglers Club .............................. 24 Huon Licensed Anglers Association......................... 28 Kingborough Anglers Association............................ 30 Lake Pedder Anglers Club ........................................ 32 Maydena Anglers Club ............................................. 34 New Norfolk Licensed Anglers Association ............ 36 Tarraleah-Bronte Anglers Club................................. 37 Features & Special Reports............................................ 38 Cost Benefits Analysis of a Good Days Fishing........... 38 A Day At Penstock Lagoon .......................................... 40 Tasmanian Fly & Plug Casting Championships 2007 .. 41 Roos, Snakes & First Aid.............................................. 45 My Dreams Come True! ............................................... 47 Derwent River – Season 2006-2007 ............................. 49 The Buffalo Theory....................................................... 51 Fly Gear Maintenance................................................... 52 Season 2005-2006 Photo Gallery.................................. 54 Historic Angling Images ............................................... 65

Trout 2007 Tasmanian Angling Report of the Southern Tasmanian Licensed Anglers Association is published annually by the association and it’s affiliated Clubs.

Cover Photo: The winning brown for the New Norfolk Anglers Club competition. Beautiful markings and superb condition at 1.670kg caught by Justin Causby.

Historic Photos: The historic photos in this year’s Trout 2006 were kindly supplied by Hildi Reinhart of the Salmon Ponds Angling Museum

Report Committee: Bill Cornelius Lake Pedder Anglers Ph 0429 851 875 Norm Cribbin Clarence Licensed Anglers Ph 0408 144 587 Louis Molnar Bridgewater Anglers Ass. Ph 0419 309 932

Editorial

A new threat to our fishery has also appeared on the horizon. This threat is “Didymo” or “Rock Snot” as our Kiwi neighbours prefer to call it. As Australian anglers become more internationally mobile in their angling pursuits the risk of bringing this fresh water alga or diatom to our waters increases. Remember when fishing overseas where this debilitating pest is present, observe all wash down and decontamination procedures to ensure that you firstly you don’t spread it to other waters you visit on your trip and secondly to ensure you don’t bring it home with you. Remember on living cell is all it takes to get a foot hold.

eason 2006-2007 has seen the commencement of the practical implementation of the many changes proposed for our fishery. The most obvious sign of change has been the installation of new directional and information signage leading to and at our fisheries. This signage has assisted not only the visiting angler but also the less widely travelled local anglers as well. Over the coming seasons the angler access signage will be expanded and this will greatly assist all anglers in accessing waters they may have not considered in the past. However with this greater clarity of access comes greater responsibility, for if damage to property and live stock occurs it will be the anglers that will incur the rapid withdrawal of access privileges, even if anglers were not to blame. It is therefore the responsibility of all anglers to protect and respect the access we are afforded by land and property owners, if we do not we will loose it faster than we have been granted it.

The input to this the sixth Angling Report I have been involved in has been outstanding and I must once again commend all those who have contributed articles, photographs, comments and critic. A special thanks must go to the Report Committee and Club Delegates who have spent many hours arranging advertising sponsors, following up on reports and collecting the articles that appear with Trout 2007.

Possibly the greatest challenge to anglers is the changing weather patterns and the reduced amount of rainfall. Many lake catchments have recorded record low average rainfall figures resulting in corresponding record low water levels. Many of our best angling lakes are also primary hydro power storages and as such have the added burden of providing water for power generation. Anglers would by now have seen signage advising that certain popular boat ramps have been closed on a regular basis due to low lake levels. Lakes King William, Burbury and Great Lake come to mind immediately.

As in past years I would ask you to support our advertising sponsors. Without their support it would not be possible to publish this annual report. So next time you are making use of any of our sponsors services, take time to thank them for supporting Trout 2006. Norm Cribbin

Inland Fisheries Service Ministers Report on Inland Fisheries 2006/07

AAT, IFS, Hydro Tasmania, Local Government, Tourism Tasmania, and Trout Guides and Lodges Tasmania.

he 2006-07 season marked my first full year back as the Minister for Inland Fisheries. As such, I am pleased to highlight developments in the fishery and the progress made by the Inland Fisheries Service over the past 12 months.

During the year, several new appointments were made to the Inland Fisheries Advisory Council (IFAC). The new membership will provide vital energy for IFAC’s advisory role in the coming year, particularly on matters such as the State Recreational Inland Fishery Management Plan and the establishment of the Meander Dam fishery.

A key feature was the continued growth of participation in trout fishing, indicated by the fourth successive year of increasing angling licence sales. This demonstrates that the range of initiatives undertaken to improve the fishery have been successful. Further actions resulting from the Inland Fisheries Service Corporate Plan were implemented, resulting in significant advances for the fishery. The Service relocated its head office to New Norfolk, enabling the cost-effective construction of a modern hatchery system to complement the Salmon Ponds operation. The redevelopment was designed to increase production of quality wild trout stock to support Tasmania’s world class fishery. Anglers Alliance Tasmania (AAT) which was formed to provide more effective representation of recreational anglers across the State, completed its first full year of operation. It pursued several initiatives to benefit the fishery, including the Brumbys Creek Access project, the installation of a live webcam at Arthurs Lake and supported the implementation of Hydro Tasmania’s Recreational Plan for Penstock Lagoon. The Tasmanian Sport Fishing Tourism Development and Marketing Plan was released this year to help direct future growth of the fishery. It was an initiative of the Recreational Fishing Development Committee with representatives from the

The Friends of the Salmon Ponds Museum Preservation Group worked with the Tasmanian Angling Museum and Hall of Fame Board, of which I am a member, to promote the historic values of the fishery. The Hall of Fame Board inducted three more legends into the Hall of Fame this year.

The fishery has continued to flourish despite environmental challenges such as low rainfall, which resulted in drought conditions affecting many inland waters and the reduction in lake levels.

potentially contaminated fishing gear in Australian waters. There is good reason to feel optimistic about our fishery and I am confident in the ability of the Service, together with its stakeholders and industry partners, to achieve further gains in the coming year.

As well, the Government responded to the new threat of the introduction to Tasmania inland waters of the invasive pest alga, Didymo, which has become a major concern for fisheries managers in New Zealand. This resulted in more stringent quarantine controls at customs entry points and an awareness campaign to prevent anglers from re-using

All the best for the angling season ahead. Yours sincerely David Llewellyn Minister for Primary Industries & Water

From the Director

he Service continued its successful campaign in 2006-07 to improve the fishery and increase angler satisfaction through a comprehensive multi-species stocking program, its popular waters program and infrastructure developments at various locations around the State. This success can be measured overall by an increase in angling licence sales and the sustained rising trend since 2003-04.

short term licence this season. These licences continue to represent good value for anglers since there was no equivalent increase in price for the extra fishing period with the introduction of the 7 Day and 28 Day licence beyond the cost of the previous 3 Day and 14 Day licences, respectively. Popular wild trout waters fished well last season with creel survey results indicating the highest recorded catch rate at Arthurs Lake in the past five years. Popular stocked waters included Craigbourne Dam, Lake Meadowbank, Brushy Lagoon, Lake Barrington and Trevallyn Dam, as well as accessible waters in the Bradys chain and at Four Springs Lagoon, the Pet and Guide dams and Curries River Dam. Compliance Officers interviewed 3,058 anglers during the season, with the greatest number being at Arthurs Lake, Bradys Lake, Great Lake, River Derwent and Four Springs Lagoon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in descending order.

Licence sales for the 2006-07 season recorded to date total 28,690, which is up 2% on the previous seasonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s final total. Of these, 22,778 were sold to Tasmanian anglers and 5,912 licences were sold to anglers from interstate and overseas. The prominent feature is the continued rise in the sale of Full Season licences (Adults, Pensioners, Seniors and Juveniles), which is second to the highest recorded in 1990-91. This was the second season in which the Service offered short term licences for one week (7 Day) and one month (28 Day), as well as a one day period (24 Hour). Of these, the 7 Day licence was the most popular but many Tasmanian residents still opted for a 1 Day licence. A total of 5,937 anglers purchased a

The enhanced stocking program, which has been a focus of the Service over the past four years, is recognized as a significant contributing factor to the overall success of the fishery. The

to meet its objectives for improving the wild rainbow trout fishery at Great Lake.

Service continued with this initiative, focusing on the large scale stocking of adult fish into priority waters close to major population centres, as well as enhanced stocking into previously under-performing waters.

The Whitebait Fisheries Management Plan was completed and released during 2006-07. It resulted in an extension of the recreational whitebait season by two weeks and rotational changes to the open rivers to ensure sustainability of the recreational fishery. The Penstock Lagoon Fisheries Management Plan was released and work continued on the State Recreational Inland Fishery Plan. The new Recovery Plans for Threatened species, for Tasmanian Galaxiidae and Giant Freshwater Lobster, was also released during the year.

As in previous years, commercial hatcheries were used to supply domestic rainbow and brook trout, and large Atlantic salmon. These fish were either purchased by the Service or donated by commercial hatcheries, while wild stocks were sourced from the Salmon Ponds hatchery, where the major focus was growing fish to a larger size than in previous years in order to improve survival rates.

Important work was begun by the Service, together with other agencies, including Hydro Tasmania, and the Quarantine and Biosecurity sections of the Dept of Primary Industries and Water, to prevent the introduction of the pest alga, Didymo from overseas. The alga was discovered in New Zealand in 2004 and has invaded a number of waterways in the South Island. The concern for its transfer from NZ by anglers on contaminated equipment lead to a strengthening of Quarantine procedures at Australian entry points, requiring that all anglers declare used fishing equipment for inspection.

A major undertaking this year for the Service was the relocation of its head office to New Norfolk and the development of the new hatchery which is designed to complement production from the Salmon Ponds. The new hatchery has been built using a modern recirculating water system that will improve production of juvenile fish. It commenced operation at the start of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spawning cycle. Completed infrastructure projects, such as the upgrade and improvement of the Woods Lake road and boat ramp, brought predicted benefits to anglers in the 2006-07 season. This project, which was completed with the support of Hydro Tasmania, Marine and Safety Tasmania and Gunns Ltd, dramatically improved access to the Woods Lake fishery and assisted in dispersing angler effort across the Highlands.

The carp control program at Lakes Sorell and Crescent remained a high priority. The carp population in Lake Crescent remained low with no juveniles detected since 2000. In Lake Sorell, following successful trials in previous years, habitat exclusion nets were extended to restrict carp access to all wetland areas in order to prevent spawning.

Similarly, the new IFS fish trap at Liawenee, which was built by Service staff, greatly assisted the collection of adult fish for transfer and for the harvesting of wild ova for on-growing during the May spawning this year. Use of the new trap also assisted the Service

Work continued on upgrading the Service website, with the presentation of a new look and style, as well as a complete overhaul of the previous information content. At the start of the

season, the Service launched a trial of on-line licence sales, which enabled the electronic purchase of new angling licences as well as the processing of renewals.

The Service supported the new peak angling body, Anglers Alliance Tasmania (AAT) in its first complete year of operation. Several AAT projects were implemented during the year included Brumbys Creek Access Project and Arthurs Lake Webcam, and joint input was given for the implementation of Hydro Tasmania’s Recreational Plan for Penstock Lagoon. The Tasmanian Sport Fishing Tourism Development and Marketing Plan was released during the year and endorsed by the Service. Five Tasmanian project applications were successful in attracting funding under the Australian Recreational Fishing Community Grants Program totalling $114,000, with equal funding provided by the Service through the Recreational Fishing Program. These include the production of angling signage and written information, development of infrastructure for disabled anglers at Risdon Brook Dam and the Plenty River, junior angling at Taylors Dam near Devonport and angling access on the Derwent River, and special fishery stocking in the lower reaches of the Flowerdale River. With the continued support of our stakeholders, industry partners and the angling community, I look forward to building on the past year’s success in managing and improving Tasmania’s inland fishery.

John Diggle Director of Inland Fisheries

Hydro Tasmania Water Management Report Didymo; A Serious Risk To Tasmanian Waterways Impacts Environmental Didymo poses a significant threat to the aquatic ecology of infested areas. The algae can form large mats that smother benthic substrates. There is an associated negative effect on aquatic insect that rely on stream beds for habitat. Studies by New Zealand's National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIW A) have shown that percentages of mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies were significantly lower in trial river reaches infested with Didymo. There is also evidence that persistent Didymo blooms have resulted in degraded recreational fisheries. Fisheries monitoring data from New Zealand's Waiau River shows significant decline in rainbow and brown trout abundance coincident with the discovery of the algae.

Background Didymo (Didymosphenia geminate) is a fresh water alga, or diatom, native to the northern hemisphere, which is commonly referred to as "rock snotâ&#x20AC;?. Established infestations form thick mats with flowing streamers, which resemble wet toilet paper, however the strength of the mat is more like cotton wool. The algae can spread quickly, completely carpeting river beds for up to 10-20 kilometres of stream reach. In one reported case mats have dominated a river reach for over 100 kilometres (USEP A). Where is it found? Native Didymo is native to Europe, Asia and North America, where its preferred habitat is cool, low nutrient flowing waters typically found in pristine streams and rivers. In the mid 1980' s Didymo appeared to change its growth strategy and form dense mats in the streams and rivers on Vancouver Island. This "variant" subsequently migrated to many rivers in North America and Europe.

Management Prevention The best strategy for managing Didymo is to prevent its introduction in the first place. Didymo is a declared A list pest under the Plant Quarantine Act 1997, and so it is illegal to deliberately or accidentally import it into Tasmania. People travelling from New Zealand to Tasmania who have been in or around waterways need to ensure that they follow strict hygiene procedures. Fishing gear, flies, waders, boats, kayaks or watersports gear used in or around New Zealand waterways must be disinfected prior to moving between waterways and prior to entry into Tasmania. Methods recommended by the Department of Primary Industry and Water are as follows;

Introduced Didymo was discovered in the Mararoa River in South Island of New Zealand in September 2004. This was the first reported discovery of algae outside of the northern hemisphere. It is likely that it was introduced via the contaminated fishing gear of visiting overseas anglers. The algae has since spread to multiple rivers of the South Island, probably by people moving between waterways. At the time of writing, Didymo had not been reported from the North Island of New Zealand.

Before leaving a river remove all obvious clumps of algae from your gear, then search gear thoroughly

and remove inconspicuous material. Algal material should be disinfected (see below) and disposed of in the rubbish. Gear should be thoroughly cleaned by soaking and scrubbing all gear for a minimum of 1 minute in hot water (60Â°C) with a 2% solution of household bleach, or a 5% solution of salt, nappy cleaner, antiseptic hand cleaner or dishwashing detergent. Used cleaning water should not be emptied into waterways. If cleaning is not practical, dry all gear completely and wait 48 hours prior to contact with another waterway. â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Control Currently, there is no known control measures capable of eradicating Didymo from waterways Collaboration Hyrdro Tasmania recognised the risk that Didymo poses to the ecology of Tasmanian waterways. Hydro Tasmania is planning to send representatives to New Zealand to attend a Didymo conference scheduled for late 2006. Information gained from this trip will be shared with the Inland Fisheries Service and DPIW with the aim of developing a co-ordinated Didymo risk management strategy for Tasmania. By David Ikedife, Hydro Tasmania

Photo courtesy of Barry Biggs, NIW A.

MAST Report

he past four years has seen a major upgrade of boat ramps on Great Lake and Arthurs Lake This year MAST in conjunction with Hydro Tasmania completed the extension of the ramp at the Dam Wall on Arthurs Lake and the formation of a navigation channel at Cameronâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Opening north of Cowpaddock Bay on Arthurs Lake. Water levels in Great Lake and in Arthurs Lake were low through much of the year and it was necessary, on occasion, to close the four main ramps on Great Lake. A new ramp and access road was constructed at Boundary Bay on the western side of Great Lake to provide access for boaters throughout the year even at very low lake levels. Further work was carried out to this facility recently as the lake levels dropped. MAST has carried out a number of upgrades to boat ramps at Tungatinah, Bronte Lagoon and Bradys Lake. MAST will shortly provide a walkway at Strathgordon and also a pontoon at Lake Barrington to help provide a safe access at these popular facilities. MAST has received proposals for a number of enhanced facilities from the 2008 recreational boating facilities fund so there will be more expenditure on Highland facilities in the coming year.

In March MAST conducted a survey of every recreational boat owner in the State. We would like to thank the nearly 4500 boaters who responded. 20% of boaters were freshwater anglers and the most popular lakes continue to be Great Lake and Arthurs Lake. You can see the survey results on our website www.mast.tas.gov.au. The survey has provided us with a huge amount of information that we will use to make boating better for all our clients in the months and years ahead.

MAST has continued with education nights around the State and in particular has held safety and flare demonstrations at a wide range of centres which have been very successful and well attended by both fresh and saltwater anglers. MAST also has continued its school education program with Staff visiting a number of schools state wide over the last 12 months.

Colin Finch â&#x20AC;&#x201C; August 2007

Anglers Alliance Tasmania (AAT) Report

Lagoon and the completion of the Brumbys Creek access Plan.

nglers Alliance (AAT) has had a wonderful year of progress with the ever widening support of the angling fraternity that we represent.

Projects now getting underway are access improvements for the Leven, Macquarie, Meander, Huon, Derwent and Tyenna Rivers and a signage and informational project for the sixteen most popular waters in the State.

AAT is built on partnerships and 2007 has seen a strengthening of these with State and local Governments and their various entities. On behalf of all anglers we are particularly indebted to the Inland Fisheries Service (IFS), Hydro Tasmania, Department of Infrastructure Energy and resources, Tourism Tasmania, Marine and Safety, Department of Primary Industries, Rivers and Water Supply and all the local Councils with whom we deal. These partnerships have enabled a year of extraordinary success in the winning of National Grants and we particularly thank AusIndustry and the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry. The Recreational Fishing Community Grants and Australian Tourism Development Grants have been instrumental in providing start up funds of close to $1 million and when added to the support of our partners we now have projects in hand of around $2.5 million. This is an amazing turn around for licensed anglers and when added to the outstanding performance of the IFS with their new head office and modern hatchery, together with their extensive stocking programme anglers can be confident of vastly improved and sustainable fishery. It is probably true to say that the last three years has seen more advancement than in the last thirty and AAT salutes all those involved including the support of anglers themselves.

In addition there are projects for junior anglers and Didymo awareness and November will see the start of Tasmaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three year rolling marketing

2007 has seen the installation of a web camera at Arthurs Lake, major improvements to facilities at Penstock

programme. We do receive some comment on the wisdom of inviting more anglers to enjoy our many waters but it should be remembered that each visitor supports the ongoing success of the IFS and makes a significant contribution to Tourism spending upon which Tasmania is very dependant. Visiting anglers spend around $2,700 whilst in Tasmania and this is distributed widely in purchasing accommodation, food and wine, fuel, supplies, tackle and many other items which add considerably to our Stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well being.

The Northern Tasmanian Fisheries Association recently decided to cease operations bringing a long history of angler support in the North to a close. AAT took immediate steps to ensure continuing representation and called a meeting of all Northern angling Clubs whether affiliated or not. A unanimous decision was made for all Northern Clubs to meet twice a year and elect two members to represent them on the AAT General Committee thereby ensuring the widest representation and a system through which any concern can be heard.

For those with concerns about an increase in visitation I suggest that you look at it this way:

AAT believes that the Northern structure is very democratic and enables clubs to concentrate on fishing matters and the building of membership and leaving political and lobbying matters to AAT as the peak State body.

x The recently announced grants for access projects on the six above rivers, identifies 236 access points. x The RFDP plan seeks to attract an extra 3000 local anglers and 2000 visitors. x IFS figures indicate that 30% of angling is carried out on rivers which equates to 1500 anglers. x Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s say that these 1500 fish ONLY the six rivers in question x Therefore 1500 anglers fishing for 7 days per annum (Angler postal survey) gives 10,500 days divided by 236 access spots = 44 additional visits at each location or approximately 1 angler per week over the season!

AAT is now firmly established and recognized by Government and anglers alike and thanks are due to all those who have toiled to achieve the amazing results of the last twelve months. We thank our various partners for their invaluable assistance and particularly thank those on the AAT executive and general committee for their time and effort in achieving these results for the good of Tasmania as a whole. Richard C. Dax (Consultant Executive Officer)

IFAC Report - Reflections Season 2006/2007

Programme were successful and although the program is due to end this year, we hope that the government will see the value of the program and continue it for a further term.

ppointments to IFAC were made by the Minister David Llewellyn in April and our first meeting was held the following month on the 4th May. The new membership of IFAC is John Cleary (Chairperson), Louis Molnar (Licensed Angler Southern Region), Ashley Artis (Ministerial appointment), Peter Moloney (Tourism relating to Inland Fisheries), Richard Dax (FACT), Les Monson (North West region), David Ikedife (Ministerial appointment), John Smith (Ministerial appointment), John Diggle (Director IFS).

The IFS has now completed the State Recreational Fishing Plan which will for the basis of a workshop for members of IFAC and staff of IFS to be held in August. The plan will be released as a public document and there will be an opportunity for input and public comment. Licence Sales for 2007-08 continue to increase with full season sales in May totalling 22,361.

The first meeting was an opportunity for the members to be briefed by the Director John Diggle on a number of issues and the present status of the fishery.

The past fishing season has seen many challenges for staff of IFS with the low rainfall and drought conditions affecting lake levels and many of the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rivers. The supply of water from Lakes Crescent and Sorell became an issue during the season and although the lower water levels have affected water quality, they have been of assistance to the Carp eradication program.

The relocation of the Inland Fisheries Staff to New Norfolk is now complete which provides more suitable accommodation for staff and the better utilisation of facilities. The new hatchery is operating and will have a capacity to produce 25 tonnes of fish a year which will be a great benefit for the IFS fish stocking programme. Fish produced in the hatchery will be grown to approx. six inches in size and will be available for stocking in November each year which will overcome many of the issues of fish size and survival rates of the past.

The Meander Dam project is nearing completion and when completed will provide a valuable fishing destination in the state. A management plan for the new fishery has been completed and is now available to the public. It is proposed that the fishery be closed for the 2007-08 season to allow the establishment of fish stocks and all indications are that it will develop into a top fishery.

During the year we saw the release of the Tasmanian Sports Fishing Tourism Development Plan by Minister Abetz which is the culmination of a tremendous effort by Neil Morrow and Richard Dax together with staff of the Inland Fisheries Service.

The new members of the Inland Fisheries Advisory Council look forward to working with the Minister, staff of the Inland Fisheries Service and the anglers of the state to protect and develop our magnificent trout fishery. We welcome

This year a large number of Tasmanian applications to the Commonwealth Recreational Fisheries Grants

any input and ideas from anyone and invite contact with our members. John Cleary - Chairman Inland Fisheries Advisory Council

Enterprising use of the rocks around the shoreline of Great Lake - Swan Bay Rock Towers

STLAA Reports STLAA Executive OFFICE BEARERS 2006-2007 POSTAL ADDRESS: GPO Box 159 Hobart 7001 PATRON: Mr Bob Ward PRESIDENT: Mr Terry Byard VICE PRESIDENT: Mr Norm Cribbin SECRETARY: Mr Louis Molnar HONORARY TREASURER: Mr Neil Pinkard HONORARY HISTORIAN: Mr Ray Aitchison AAT DELEGATES: Mr Terry Byard & Mr Louis Molnar EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE: Messers Terry Byard, Louis Molnar, Neil Pinkard, Norm Cribbin and Don Emery CLUB DELEGATES: Australian Polish John Stefankowski, Peter Downham Bothwell Anglers Shane Jones, Mark Whittaker Bridgewater Anglers Trevor Sutton, Robert Bradshaw Clarence Licensed Anglers Norm Cribbin, Neil Pinkard Huon Anglers Rob Chandler, David Roberts Kingborough Anglers Association Mal Reardon, N Atkinson Lake Pedder Anglers Bill Cornelius, Don Emery Maydena Anglers Club John Barratt New Norfolk Licensed Anglers Duncan Hughes, Justin Causby Tarraleah/Bronte Anglers Jenny Beard, Anthony Jones LIFE MEMBERS: E.T. Smith A. Maclaine Mrs J. Walker C. Smith R. Cairns K. Morley

1970 1979 1981 1983 1983 1983

D. Lynch R. Ryder C. Bourke L. Ward B. Creed P. Lowe

1983 1983 1985 1987 1992 1992

R. Aitchison K. Jones D. Cranfield R. Bradshaw T. Byard

1995 1999 1999 2002 2004

ANGLING CERTIFICATE AWARDS: R. Bradshaw P. Woods L. Datlen K. Hanson W. Knight N. Cribbin B. Sherriff D. Triffitt T. Sutton

2000 2000 2000 2000 2000 2001 2001 2001 2001

W. Seabrook N. Pinkard F. Johnson J. Bluett B. Jordan E. Aitchison K. Walker B. Johnston M. Sherriff

2002 2002 2002 2003 2004 2004 2004 2004 2004

R. Walker D. Cranfield D. Driver P. Richards K. Russell M. Russell M. Pinkard R. Aitchison

2004 2004 2005 2005 2005 2005 2006 2006

STLAA Presidents Report

were waters significantly impacted by the dry conditions. I am sure that all anglers sincerely hope that there is some serious recovery from the present situation in the not too distant future.

t is with much pleasure that I present my report for the 2006/07 angling year. The past year has seen another season of solid performance and contribution by the Association, ably backed by our member clubs. At a time when some other clubs across the State and our northern counterpart the NTF A, are struggling, we are indeed fortunate to enjoy the support that we have within the STLAA. I consider that this says a lot for the dedication of a large number of Association members who are committed to keeping their own clubs active and strong. For example, the New Norfolk club has recently won federal government funding to re-establish a popular angling site on the Derwent River including the provision of facilities for disabled anglers. Huon and Bothwell clubs are working to establish junior angler facilities in their areas and Clarence are now regularly involved with its food stall at the IPS Trout Weekend. These clubs are to be commended on their achievements and I would encourage other clubs to also consider ways of strengthening their club positions. Can I also say that the opportunity to source federal government funding for community/angling orientated projects etc has never been greater than it is has been over the last 6-8 months or so.

The Association welcomes the IFS's new hatchery development at its new base in New Norfolk. It is considered that this addition will have a very positive effect on future stocking programmes and our Association members along with other anglers, look forward to the benefits of the hatchery flowing on to fisheries right across the State. The Association is pleased to see that the new peak body Anglers Alliance Tasmania is beginning to make some real inroads towards improving the fishery for the benefit of all anglers. New and improved directional and information signage right across the State will begin to be rolled out SOOt1~ a web cam at Arthurs Lake and improved angler facilities at Brumbys Creek and Penstock Lagoon are but just a few of the projects currently being implemented by AAT. I strongly encourage anglers to support this new body and to keep abreast of it activities through its website at www.anglersalliance.org.au The STLAA will continue to support AAT in achieving its goals. Whilst the Association welcomed the Government's approval of the Sorell/Crescent and River Clyde Water Management Plans over a year ago, it is concerning that there are still claims that the plans are flawed and do not deliver a fair outcome. This is despite the exhaustive and highly rigorous process that the Plans went through. Anglers have been extremely patient in waiting for a recovery in this once famous fishery and I am sure that I speak for all

On the fishing front, I think many would agree that the season had its ups and downs. We saw some good early season activity but then the hotter weather and low levels of many waters took their toll resulting in inconsistent hatches and returns. Surprisingly, there was some good dry fly fishing very late in the season, particularly on some of the lakes and midland rivers. Tooms Lake, Lake Leake and Woods Lake to name a few

stronger relationships not only with anglers and clubs from within our Association but also those from elsewhere in the State.

anglers when I say that ongoing adoption of the Water Management Plans is fundamental to this outcome. The Association calls on the Minister to reassure anglers that the Plans will continue to be implemented as approved for the benefit of all water users and the environment.

The STLAA's social events, namely our 06 AGM and dinner and our family BBQ day at Tolosa Park were again very well attended and reflect members acceptance of these events. I thank members for their support and interest in these activities. The Executive Committee will continue to work towards ensuring that they meet member expectations.

In May, the Association ran another extremely successful casting competition at the Salmon Ponds. This day built on the success of last year's event by including plug casting as well as fly. As with last year, the day was generously supported by the Salmon Ponds Overall, ~e had 66 casters registered and I have feedback that this achievement surpasses any other similar event conducted in Australia. The STLAA is proud of this success and will continue to support the event with the aim of building better and

In closing can I say that I am indebted to the people who make my role in trying to guide the Association an enjoyable one. Without the great support of Executive Committee members, Delegates, clubs and sponsors the Association would not be in the position it is in today, so again I say thankyou. The STLAA has some great sponsors who support us year in and year out. Whether it is for our annual publication Trout, our AGM or our BBQ Day, particular thanks goes to Hydro Tasmania, Stormy Australia, J Boag and Sons, Bridges Bros. and Spot On Fishing Connection for your continued support. I would also like to say thankyou to our Patron Mr Bob Ward and our Honary Historian Mr Ray Aitchison for your continued belief in the Association. I wish all members and their families a good season to come and lets we hope we get a filthy wet winter/spring. Terry Byard â&#x20AC;&#x201C; President

ALLGOODS Launceston – 71-79 York Street, Launceston. Ph 03 6331 3644 Tent City – 60 Elizabeth Street, Launceston. Ph 03 6331 3644 ALLGOODS Hobart - 93 Harrington Street, Hobart. Ph 0 3 6236 9969 Outdoor Clearance Centre – 15/352 Main Rd, Glenorchy. Ph 03 6272 1122 ALLGOODS Devonport – 6 Formby Road, Devonport. Ph 03 6424 7099

President: John Lewis Secretary: Mrs Christine Doyle Treasurer: Rodney Haigh Postal Address: 486 Lachlan Rd Lachlan 7140 Contact: Ph 6261 3711 Meetings: 2nd Wednesday Monthly

Club Reports Australian Polish Anglers Club

ell here we are again with another season come and gone, it only seems like last week since I wrote the last report. I hope everyone enjoyed their fishing this season as much as I have. With some nice fish being weighed in.

On the club scene although the comps werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t well attended we had some good fishing trips. We held six competitions over the season, two on the River Derwent, one at Lake Binney, and open waters and Two at Arthurs.

Here are the stats for the 2006-07 Season Location Derwent River Derwent River Lake Binney Arthurs Lake Open Waters Arthurs Lake Total for season Total Weight (kg)

Number of Fish Caught 22 31 34 116 11 10 224 118.745

Average Weight 629 470 515 545 335 582

We held our salt water trip again this year on the Australia Day long weekend not much can be said about that one as the weather let us down miserably. (What do they say wet A### no Fish)

Number of Fishermen 16 14 11 16 5 8

This year all our competitions were sponsored by local businesses and a keen fisherman and lure maker here at New Norfolk, I would personally like to thank them for their financial sponsorship this season in this report, they are:

We held both our Christmas BBQ and AGM at Tolosa St Park, both functions were well attended. Big thanks to all who was involved in organising both functions. The committee and I decided to try something different this season and move our AGM from the polish club to Tolosa St Park for a BBQ and presentation day, rather than a sit down type of meal in the evening. The day was a total success and so we have decided to do it again this year.

Tony & Margaret Blackwell T&M MECHANICAL SERVICES

Gill & Peter Cooper COOPERS HARDWARE

Martin Evans NEW NORFOLK DRY CLEANERS

John Spaulding JOHN SPAULDING lic-no 1856

Andrew Watson DERWENT VALLEY HYDRAULICS

Again we were given the task of catering for the STLAA annual dinner which was held at the Polish club. I must thank all those people who helped out on the night a great team effort. Well Done!

ELECTRICAL

DIESEL

Mike Clarke (KEEN FISHERMAN AND LURE MAKER).

to them anonymously with a new background on it. We are going to have a line up to find out who the bare backside belongs to aren’t we Richard

Also I would like to thank Ross Heddle from Rod & Range for personally donating a complete lead line and lures for our major prize draw, Steve Bax from Spot on The Fishing Connection for a spinning reel, Mike Clarke for Donating Three Trophies and Tony Raspin/Ross Heddle for donating a trophy and prize for consistent angler’s award. The club greatly appreciates your generosity and support THANK YOU.

Although this wasn’t at a fishing comp it is worth mentioning. At one of our committee meetings we had a certain female who pleaded not to be named so I wont mention Sue’s name start to stir Blackey up for nearly slipping over in the doorway only to do it herself, before she could get the words out (I would of loved to have seen that Tony).What’s the old saying he who laughs first laughs last.G

Also I would like to thank our unofficial club photographer Tracey Miller for all the photos she takes at our comps. Thanks heap Tracey.

I was fishing with Blackey and Rod in Rods boat when Rod lost his hat over board we went back and picked it up only to see Rod throw it back in the water. He meant to throw it in the landing net to dry out, he clean missed the net, and he was only standing two foot from it. We didn’t say anything to him; the look from him said it all.

This year we had a change of treasurer; Rodney Haigh took over from ken Tubb, Rod has fitted into his role quite well and doing a great job. Each year we have an award called the “looser’s spoon” it is awarded to a member who has said or done something dumb or funny throughout the season. We have a few this year (One of these has won the spoon this year).

I would like to thank our hard working committee we had another successful season. Thank you all.

Starting on opening weekend with two members whom I won’t name for fear I might embarrass (Rod & Pete) fishing together for the first time and running aground near the lime kilns.

That’s about it from our club for the 06/07 season so best of luck for the upcoming season. Cheers John Lewis President

Someone found a mobile phone belonging to one of our member’s friends that they had lost, it was returned

Some photos from 2006-2007 Australian Polish Anglers Season

Rodney Haigh deciding whether to go fishing

Richard Jurek John Lewis (Nice mate)

Trout from Arthurs Lake

Arthurs Lake boat ramp

Kiwi holding his brown trout at Binny

President: Mr Harold Chivers Secretary: Mr Bob Wilton Treasurer: Mrs Pam Jones P.O. Box 44 Bothwell 7030 Ph 03 6259 8373

Bothwell Angling Club

their selves even though not a lot of fish were weighed in.

ith another fishing season ended (except for those brave, or silly enough to endure our winter to fish our waters open all year) it is time to write my first report for many years.

Our trophy list has remained the same with 7 competition weekends and numerous other prizes to be won in the club. Our competitions had good entries with our 1st having 30 members nominated.

I would sincerely like to thank all our Executive office bearers, Patron, Delegates, Weigh-in stewards, all who attended meetings, competitions and helped out in many different ways when needed. A club is not a club without support such as this.

Our membership has remained stable over the past couple of seasons this includes a large number of juniors. We have gone to bi- monthly meetings this season as we have a wide membership area.

At our AGM Pam Jones resigned as Treasurer and took the position of Secretary, we also welcomed Mathew Haney to our executive committee as Treasurer. During the season Mathew resigned due to work and other commitments, we thank him for his help in this position and we give a special thank you to Pam for stepping back into this position as our Secretary/Treasurer.

The club has once again supported our local school through sponsoring a book/s for their library for Anzac day. This donation was laid at the cenotaph at the Anzac Day service. Weare also organising a juvenile water with a property owner and the Inland Fisheries. A thank you must also go to all property owners who allow anglers to cross their land to access some of the best fishing in the world.

Our Annual Dinner was held last July with an enjoyable night had by all. This evening would not be the success that it is without our many sponsors some of whom have supported the club for many years. A very special thank you goes to them, their support is greatly appreciated. Our dinner was catered by our local C.W.A. members and was enjoyed by all and they have been asked to cater for this year's dinner.

It will be interesting when all our information is put together on fish sizes, catches and locations due to the waters levels in all our lakes and rivers. Personally I have caught more fish this season than I have for a very long time, but I think I also went fishing more so you can't catch them if your line's not wet. I hope every one has a great and safe season for 07/08.

We held our annual Fun Fish on Saturday the 3rd of February with a day of fishing at Arthurs Lake ending in a family barbecue, weigh in and drawing of our raftle at Jonah Bay. The weather was very good and everyone enjoyed

Tight Lines Leanne Datlen

President: David Goss Secretary: Gary Chaffey Treasurer: Royce Jessup STLAA Delegates – Trevor Sutton Rob Bradshaw Meetings: Last Tuesday of each month except January & June

Bridgewater Anglers Association

The new 7000 litre water tank is in place and will be plumbed into the new toilet as funds become available. This large tank will supplement the three aging smaller water tanks and it has a larger outlet which could help in case of fire as the proposed fire tank has never been installed by the Central Highland Council under the State Government Shack Land Purchase Scheme.

he ongoing drought conditions have had a detrimental effect on some waters. One exception was the Great Lake in certain conditions with old weed beds becoming exposed. The new access road to Woods Lake put additional pressure on this water which produced good catches of well conditioned trout. But the catch rate declined after the Christmas break.

Our hopes that Lake Sorell would return to the great fishery of 20 years ago is very unlikely. Many older members have bemoaned the fact that the Club worries too much about money. Well I wish we were a group of fishermen out for some fun and fish as in the past. However these members voted to buy and retain the Club shack with yearly fixed costs of $2000/$3000 which needs to be funded?

Eight (8) field competitions were again conducted at Western Lakes, Derwent River, Huon River, Arthur Lake, Craigbourne Dam, Bronte Lagoon, with 120 trout weighing 79 kilo recorded. General meetings were held at Glenorchy Library on last Tuesday monthly with guest speaker Plinio Taurino covering soft plastics and Australian Bream Championships and Norm Cribbin, the Clarence Club President speaking on his recent New Zealand fishing trip and the danger of Didymo weed spreading to Tasmania.

We have a 3 unit shack with 22 beds and associated infrastructure. Is this an asset or a liability? Please give some thought and constructive input to what will happen in the future! The shack upkeep costs exceed our yearly membership income at $50 per person. We cannot keep increasing the membership fee if we are to maintain or increase membership.

The S.T.L.A.A. Tasmanian Casting Championship at the Salmon Ponds on Sunday 17th May was a great success. Approximately 60 competitors from around Tasmania competed in fly and plug casting events. Bridgewater members (best 3 scores) won first prize for club plug casting. Well done, especially Rick Wiggins who won Champion Plug Caster. Our fly fishermen were out of the money in 4th place, practice needed for future entrants.

The associated fund raising and shack maintenance falls upon a few and reduced usage will continue to place pressure on members who do not use the shack and also reduce funds for junior development, trophies, Christmas barbeque, field events etc. We are one of the oldest angling clubs in Australia with an interesting history and wealth of knowledge and skills within our members. Please do not sit back and expect the Government or other people

The “Back to Sorell Social Weekend” in January at the Club shack was again enjoyed by 20 members and 2 New Zealand guests.

to do the work and fund the club. It is up to all of us.

bees, the committee and especially our secretary Gary Chaffey.

Thankyou to members who have helped at the fundraising events and working

David Goss, President.

President: Norm Cribbin Secretary: Neil Pinkard Treasurer: Ron Stow Postal Address: PO Box 281 Rosny Park 7018 Contact: 0408 144 587 Email: norm.cribbin@hydro.com.au

Clarence Licensed Anglers Club

fair share. It should be noted however that those Members that did attend those field trips came away with fond memories of good time and a few fish as well.

eason 2006-2007 has been a very active season for the Clarence Anglers Club. The opening of the season was commenced with our traditional Club day at Pawleena Dam and was then followed up during the season with 11 field trips to various waters. Attendance at field trips was down a little from past years and this was largely due to the ever increasing cost of fuel and the uncanny timing of field trips with inclement weather. Several field trips that really suffered with the wrong sort of weather come to mind. The first was the Tooms Lake trip where it snowed that hard the whole area was in â&#x20AC;&#x153;white outâ&#x20AC;? condition.

Membership has increased slightly through out the season. The Clubs efforts in recruiting new members through active participation at events such as the Free Fish Day and the Liawenee Open Days has resulted in non Club anglers seeing the benefits of joining a Club. The Club welcomes the new Members and hope that they enjoy the benefits of being part of an organised angling club. On the fisheries management side of things the Club has been very active with the positions of STLAA Treasurer, Vice President and Delegate to the Executive all coming from within the Clubs membership. These roles impact on the individuals angling time personally but without their efforts our fishery would be worse off. In addition many Members have taken time out to complete surveys and respond to various fisheries and related issues that have occurred during the past season.

Next was our annual trip to Lake Burbury. The weather started out fine on the first day but then rapidly deteriorated with increasing rain over the remaining 3 days. The last example of planning field trips to coincide with bad weather was the Dee Lagoon trip. The weather started out fairly fine on the Saturday but rapidly changed to increasing gale force winds which continued overnight. Just to add some flavour the rain also increased in intensity and continued until departure on Sunday afternoon.

The Club has continued with two very popular competitions this season, these being the Consistent Angler Award and the One Fly/Lure Shield. In the

Whilst angling, one does expect the odd trip with bad weather, but this season we seemed to have received more than our

kind and the Open Days were well attended by Anglers and the General Public alike. Thanks must go to Neil & Ron Stow for supplying the organising and logistical support to make the event possible for the Club. A special thankyou to Margaret Pinkard, Rick Franklin and Christine Cribbin for making vast quantities of tasty soup which has proven to be a winner with the customers. Thankyou to Tim Holloway, David Driver, Greg Brown and Alex Smith who assisted during the weekend.

Consistent Angler Award club members are awarded 5 points for attendance and gain additional catch points based on the length of each fish caught at the rate of one point per centimetre. Catch and release is catered for by the use of digital photos. The second award was created by two active Club Members with the aim of creating a perpetual Trophy based around the “One Fly” or “One Lure” concept. Alex Smith and Charlie Harris created two beautiful shields, both adorned with a leaping Trout fashioned out of copper in the centre and either a Lure or Fly to signify the angling method. This season the event was held at Lake Meadowbank rather than the traditional Craigbourne Dam due to low water levels. Attendance was once again excellent and the weather was great as well. Well done Alex & Charlie.

The Club is now in the process of developing the Arthurs Lake block. By summer the block will be cleared and levelled, have two risers connected to the sewer and be ready for final surface filling. The next step will be to decide on the size and type of shack to be built and how the Club will fund the construction phase. Thanks must go to the dedicated members that form the Club Committee. Without their help and support it would not be possible to organise the number of events that are available to the Members of the Clarence Anglers throughout the season. Special thanks also go to the members that have worked behind the scenes to assist the Club in many small ways. As in past years the Club hosted a stall at the IFS Liawenee Open Weekend as part of the Clubs major fund raising activities. This year the weather was

At the STLAA Annual Dinner the Club received two awards. The first of these was the coveted Bridges Bros Trophy. This is now the sixth time the Clarence

Anglers have been bestowed with this honour. The second was the Services to Angling Award, which was presented to Alex Smith. Alex has done much for the Club and the Fishery in general and is a worthy recipient of the award.

x x x x x x

In closing I would like to that the following suppliers for their support of the Clarence Anglers throughout Season 2006-2007:

Spot On â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Fishing Connection Easternshore Fishing & Tackle Rod & Range Sports Glenorchy Bridges Bros. Mastercast McPherson Auto & Marine Trimmers Pro-Angler

Norm Cribbin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; President

Season Statistics from the Log Book Average Cleaned Species Count Weight Atlantic 7 2,024 g Brown 82 591 g Brook 1 100 g Rainbow 65 513 g Overall 155 636

Season Awards Trophy Heaviest Fish for Season - Senior (Trout) Heaviest Fish for Season - Junior (Trout) Heaviest Fish Field Trip (AC Walker Memorial Trophy) Club Member Award "ACE" Award One Fly Perpetual Trophy One Lure Perpetual Trophy Heaviest Atlantic Salmon for Season

Released 0 31 1 5 37

% Released 38 100 10 24

Location Huon River

Angler Stephen Granger

Fish Brown

Lake Burbury

Michel Granger

Rainbow Lure

0.147 kg

Arthurs Lake

Paul Millhouse

Brown

Fly

1.665 kg

Lake Meadowbank Lake Meadowbank Bradys Lake

Vince Coyte TBA Norm Cribbin Atlantic

Fly

0.345 kg

Lure

Bruce Andrew

Atlantic Salmon

Lure

8.900 kg

Method Weight Lure 2.575 kg

Field Trip Awards Date Location 10-Aug-06 17-Sep-06 17-Sep-06

Pawleena Dam Huon River Huon River

07-Oct-06 26-Nov-06

Dover Tungatinah Lagoon 09-Dec-06 Arthurs Lake 26-Jan-07 Lake Burbury 10-Feb-07 Bronte Lagoon 10-Mar-07 Arthurs Lake 15-Apr-07 Lake Meadowbank 05-May-07 Dee Lagoon 09-Jun-07 Lake Burbury

Angler

Fish

Method Weight

Ron Stow Peter Molony Stephen Granger Vince Coyte Vince Coyte

Brown Atlantic Brown

Fly Lure Lure

0.750 kg 1.072 kg 2.575 kg

Brown Rainbow

Lure Fly

0.682 kg 0.549 kg

Paul Millhouse Norm Cribbin Bruce Andrew Neil Pinkard Norm Cribbin

Brown Brown Atlantic Brown Atlantic

Fly Fly Lure Fly Fly

1.665 kg 0.905 kg 8.900 kg 1.190 kg 0.345 kg

Bruce Andrew Gary Davy

Atlantic Brown

Lure Lure

1.030 kg 0.820 kg

W igstons

SPORTS

W ayne & Sue Perkins

6 3 H ig h S tre e t N e w N o rfo lk T as 7 1 4 0 Ph / F a x (0 3 ) 6 2 6 1 2 7 3 3 M o b ile 0 4 0 7 8 3 6 3 2 9

F ISH IN G

G O LF A LL S P O R TS

H U N TIN G

President: Leigh Martin Secretary: Patricia Woolley Postal Address: 29 Tunbridge Rd Glen Huon Contact: Ph 0428 660 130 Meetings: Monthly

Huon Licensed Anglers Association

plenty of fish were weighed in. Approximately 80 fish by our members.

ell it’s the end of the 2007 fishing season and as I sit here its getting dark too early and my feet are feeling the cold under the desk.

Our last trip of the year to lake Pedder saw approximately 44 fish weighed in.

I am thinking of the highlights for the season for me this year, and rather than the actual fishing trips there are a couple of other standouts. Our annual dinner was changed to off season time (July) for the first time in many years and it proved to be a big success. It was a great night and we had the biggest turnout for many years. I hope we can repeat that again this year.

The Huon Club also held its inaugural casting competition recently. It proved to be a very popular and fun day. So much fun in fact it is to be an annual event. The day was held at member Rob Chandlers lovely property in Crabtree. It involved fly casting and lure casting at targets to test our skills and casting accuracy. Just like fishing…without the fish…..although some of us caught just as many fish in the paddock as we do on the water!!

This is something I would like to further in the coming year, try and get more members out and about enjoying the club and activities.

An early morning breeze proved to be a good friend or enemy depending on which way you looked at it. Quite a few club members tried their hand at fly casting and I have to say they did very well considering their experience. Proving that it is not nearly as hard as you think to get started in fly fishing.

This year members weighed in a total of 729 fish, majority of those coming from the Huon River. A noticeable decline in the size of fish and the number caught was particularly evident this year. A marked increase in the catch of Atlantic Salmon was also very evident. Members ventured out for our fishing weekends during the year and our trip to Arthurs Lake was very memorable in September. It snowed on the Saturday and the temperature didn’t rise ABOVE 2o all day. It certainly didn’t deter the fish they were biting as much as the wind!! Fishing from a dinghy consisted of fishing for about an hour or so….lose all feeling from the shoulders down….limp back to the fire, warm up for a couple of hours and go and do it all over again!!

The lure casting also proved to be harder than you think. It was not too far a stretch to get near the targets but to get in them was another matter. The targets were hoops of .75m diameter. I know a

The club trip to the Lake Burbury competition was fun as always and

stayed in our club shack on my own for a full 7 days in May this year. ( I did survive – only caught myself talking to the walls a couple of times). Due to a huge input by many members our shack is very much in a “finished” condition. It was a pleasure staying there for the week and it made me really appreciate the work that has gone into it – and the subsequent benefit and enjoyment now available to our club members.

fair amount of skill (cough….luck) was involved with some casting (mine!). Thanks to our sponsors who helped make it a great day, Rod and Range of Glenorchy, Aurora Energy and Griggs Butchers of Huonville. Results: Open Fly: 1st David Roberts, 2nd Larry Paul, 3rd Leigh Martin

Lastly I would like to thank our committee for their fantastic work throughout the year and our sponsors again for there support again this year. Griggs butchers of Huonville, Aurora Energy and Rod and Range of Glenorchy.

Amatuer Fly: 1st Lena Riley, 2nd Roger Woolley, 3rd Craig Woolley Open Lure: 1st Leigh Martin, 2nd Rob Chandler, 3rd Roger Woolley Amatuer Lure: 1st Brooke Woolley, 2nd Tammy Woolley, 3rd Carol Howard

Thankyou Leigh Martin - President.

I must also make mention of our club shack. Due to a training course I attended at Golden Valley this year, I

Bothwell Grange Bed & Breakfast

Licensed Dining Room 15 Alexander Street - Bothwell – Tasmania 7030 Phone 03 6259 5556 Fax 03 6259 5534

Your Hosts - John & Moya Falk

President: Scott Marston Secretary: Wayne Seabrook Postal Address: GPO Box 242 Kingston 7050 Contact: Ph 62 672 556 Meetings: Last Thursday of month.

Kingborough Anglers Association

efforts in coordination this in such a professional manner as well as all others who assisted. Special thanks to all our sponsors who made the auction possible through their generosity.

t gives me great pleasure to report that the last year has been another extremely successful one for the club. We have overcome the initial joy of shack ownership and have now settled into the familiar pattern of mortgage repayment on our prime asset at Bronte Lagoon. We have been able to do this with the benefit steadily growing membership and sound financial management. I would like to thank all members for their contribution to this and particularly all members of the committee. In particular, Wayne Seabrook, our secretary and James McIlhenny, our treasurer of the past four years who is about to hand over that role. I would like to point out that unlike some other well known treasurers he has been invited to dinner at my house during that time.

Last, but by no means least, the fishing. Congratulations to David Drysdale on winning the overall (Mick Fleming) trophy for the season and the masters trophy. It’s amazing how young children can get you out fishing more. David also led a Kingborough team to victory in the Bronte One fly to cap off a great season. Congratulations monthly events,

winners

the

“Icebreaker” Bronte chain – Mal Reardon Woods Lake – Graham Davis Bronte area – Steve Paul Open Area – Frank Hussey Arthurs Lake – David Drysdale Bronte Lagoon (EC Lowe) – Tom Kruiswick Dee Lagoon – Steve Paul Tups Trophy – Peter Thompson Masters Trophy – David Drysdale

Back to the shack though. Not only have we managed to buy it, we have also enhanced its value through many improvements during the course of the year. It is now better, warmer and has a much brighter outlook than ever before. This has been due to the unpaid efforts and donation of time and materials of our membership.

Scholes trophy for contribution to the Club – James McIlhenny Presidents Shield for ongoing commitment to the Club – Tony Chambers

Meetings have been well attended with a range of guest speakers. This has included fly tying, rod building and fisheries management. The annual casting championships at the Salmon Ponds were again a highlight and we managed to move up one place to second from last year. We were a long way behind the winners but at least it gives us a goal for next year.

Special thanks to Hayden Spencer for his work as weighmaster and Steve Long for calculating all the weights and points for the season. As the number of sleeps to the new season gets to a very small number and the excitement grows I would encourage all members to get out on the water and up to the shack whenever possible.

The annual dinner and auction was again a highlight and raise vital revenue for the club. Thanks to Frank Hussey for his

Having been fortunate enough to see some of the best fishing areas in Europe and the UK last season I can honestly say that none of them were as good as what we have here in terms of the

quality of the fishing and the low cost of doing it. Scott Marston - President

KINGBOROUGH ANGLERS ASSOCIATION

Kingborough Anglers would like to thank all their sponsors for their generous contributions towards the Clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Annual Dinner held at the Pear Ridge â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Gardens and Restaurant, Margate.

Club meetings are held at 7.30pm on the last Thursday of each month (except December), at the Welcome Inn Function Centre, View Drive, Kingston, Tasmania

President: Lester Curtis Secretary: Mrs T Curtis Treasurer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Don Camm Postal Address: 63 Giblin Street Lenah Valley 7008 Contact: 6278 1454 Meetings: 2nd Wednesday of month

Lake Pedder Anglers Club

Unfortunately there has been considerable retirement from Committee so the workload has now fallen onto very few shoulders. The Club meets every second Thursday of each month at the Polish Club, located at the corner of Main Road and Augusta Road, New Town, New faces would be very welcome.

he genesis of the Lake Pedder Anglers Club is Strathgordon. Strathgordon was formed as a village, for the workers engaged in the construction of the Lake Pedder/Lake Gordon hydro electric power system, in the early 1970's. There was much political activity associated with the power system project. An extremely valuable asset was created, but at the cost of the old Lake Pedder, seen by many to have been a unique world feature. However the new asset has many features that make the trade worthwhile, in particular the increased accessibility and recreational capability.

Lake Pedder was renowned for big fish during the 1970's and 1980's. It was during this time that the lake filled with water and feed must have abounded. There are still many fish in the lake, but they are relatively small (but very well conditioned and sized as a good eating fish). They are also hard to catch, but very rewarding if you get amongst them. The fly fishermen say casting from a boat into weeds and sticks can be most exciting.

It is in recognition of the recreational capability that the Lake Pedder Anglers Club holds the annual fishing competition known as 'Back to Pedder'. Fishing competitions at Lake Pedder have been a feature ever since residents existed at Strathgordon. The Club was initially known as Strathgordon Licences Anglers Club (SLAC), but later changed its name to the Lake Pedder Anglers Club (for obvious reasons?). There are many stories of the fish weighed in during early competitions. Modern day fish would have been laughed at in those days. In recent years the 'Back to Pedder' event has been held over five days straddling the Australia Day weekend, The Club has been fortunate to attract more than 200 entrants each year.

A feature of the past two 'Back to Pedder' events has been the adoption of a charity for the event. In this instance, adoption means providing a fishing opportunity to members of the charity and also engaging in fundraising. The first charity engaged was CanTeen. Last year, and again for the 2008 event, the charity is Camp Quality. The support from Hydro Tasmania, in enabling the adoption through generous donation of accommodation and other benefits, is acknowledged with extreme gratitude. Regular Club events have recommenced after a few years layoff, but so far have not been well attended. While Club membership is high, involvement with the Club is limited to participation at 'Back to Pedder' events. While this support is much appreciated, increased involvement with the Club would engender more Club based competitions. and would strengthen the ability to

The January 2007 event was plagued with poor weather for fishing, but more than 400 fish were weighed in and many prizes were won, not least of which was the boat, trailer and motor package. The organising for the January 2008 'Back to Pedder' event is progressing.

organise 'Back to Pedder' events. We are told the low-key involvement of members is common among clubs, to the extend that many clubs may now be considering folding. It is hoped that the Lake Pedder Anglers Club does not succumb to this fate, but right at this

moment, as this column is being written, support is at an all-time low. The key message for this year must be 'join a club and be active'. Don Camm - Treasurer

Phone: 03 6289 11143 Mobile: 0438 725 562 lakeboathire@bigpond.com www.boathiretasmania.com 33

President: John Barratt Treasurer â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Carolyne Mapley Postal Address: C/O Post Office Maydena 7140 Contact: 6288 2234 Meetings: 2nd Tuesday of month

Maydena Anglers Club

s the 2006/07 season came to an en~ we are pleased to announce that we have had a great fundraising year, nearly tripling our finances.

still good with a few new members all the way from Melbourne. We appreciate all the support from our locals who continue to make this club a success.

Many thanks to everybody who enjoyed the Cabaret. We would also like to thank Neil and Robin from the National Park Hotel who kindly donated $700 dollars towards the club.

We look forward to another successful season and plenty offish. Brad Kemmler - President

There wasn't as many fish weighed in this year but our member numbers are

Great Lake Hotel

x x x

Situated on the shores of the Great Lake in the heart of Tasmania’s premier trout fishing territory. Ideally situated to take advantage of the famous Western Lakes polaroiding fishery. Fish Tasmania’s world famous mayfly waters just 10 minutes away or pursue tailing trout in shallow water at your doorstep Warm country style hotel offers a range of affordable accommodation including ensuite and family rooms, fisherman’s cabins, powered caravan sites and camping facilities. Enjoy lake views and large open log fires while enjoying hearty lunches and dinners 7 days a week including a select menu available all day everyday. Central to the North and South of the state. Ask us about your conference, meeting and function needs.

Discover an oasis in the middle of paradise. Present this advertisement and receive a ½ price meal. (Limit - 1 meal per person per day)

New Norfolk Licensed Anglers Association

President: Tim Lowe Secretary: Elaine Aitchison Treasurer: Ray Aitchison Post: 14 Warner Ave. New Norfolk 7140 Contact: Elaine Aitchison â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Phone 6261 4083 Meetings: 3rd Wednesday of each month at the IFS Offices

Next year the club is also going to run a BBQ in conjunction with the junior plug casting competition so we may need a few more volunteers from our club members which would be greatly appreciated. The club also held a couple of fund raising BBQs at a Hobart hardware store which were very successful & all club members should thank these people who go & give up their time to run these BBQs as all the profits go toward keeping membership costs down.

s another season has come to an end I hope all you anglers out there have had a good time in chasing the wily old trout in various waters & using various methods across the state of Tasmania. This is a significant year for our club as it is our 80th year as the New Norfolk Licensed Anglers Association. Club historian Ray Aitchison has been gathering as much information as he possibly can from when the club started to current day so he can produce a book about our history. Ray has to be congratulated for this out standing effort & I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for the end result.

Another thank you goes to Ken & Mavis Russell & Wayne Perkins for conducting the weigh in at the Eddie Wigston Memorial Competition, & to the few members who went & cleaned up the Millbrook Rise boat ramp area during the course of the season.

The club has been involved with a group known as Greening Australia this year & this was to involve a clean up & beautification of a chosen area of the Derwent River. After much consultation the area known as Windsors corner was the chosen site, so a draft plan & cost was drawn up & sent off to the Community Grants Program, which was successful as a grant has been received by the club. This project will be discussed by the committee at future meetings to get an idea of a commencement date & information will be passed onto members to see if we can organise a few working bees as many hands make light work.

Meetings have again been well attended by our committee members this year & our Christmas BBQ was also well attended with about 50 past & present members coming along. During the course of the season the club held 9 rostered competitions with 135 senior & 27 juniors entries, weighing in a total of 243 fish at a total weight of 156.55kg at an average weight of 644g. The number of anglers entering the rostered competitions was up on last season but number of fish caught & the average weight slightly down but still a good season had by our members.

The club once again held a junior plug casting competition during the Derwent Valley Autumn Festival which was a huge hit with about 80 kids of all different ages 6 to 15 year olds having a go. The winner in each age group received a gift voucher & a pack of lures with the overall winner receiving a spinning rod combo. All kids that had a go also received a lure for competing.

Once again I would like to thank the committee for their support during the season & I hope we will keep moving the club in the right direction for it to be enjoyed by everyone. Tim Lowe - President

President: John Jago Secretary: Bob Horton Treasurer: Peter Cornish Postal Address: C/O P.O. Bronte Park Tas 7140 Contact: Phone 6289 3333 Meetings: Bi-Monthly

Tarraleah-Bronte Anglers Club

During February 2007 the Club held a BBQ at Jago's Chateau at Bradys Lake and this was followed up with a combined meeting and BBQ at Frank Temple's residence at Bronte Park Caravan Park. February was topped off with a superb catch by Junior Daniel Hean of a Brown Trout weighing 4.5 kg from Bradys Lake.

he 2006- 2007 season started off fishing well. There was good fish caught in the first couple of months up till Christmas, then the hot weather sent them to the bottom so there was not a lot recorded in our club so better luck this coming season. The IFS have been restocking the Dee Lagoon, Bradys Chain and Bronte Lagoon so there should be plenty for everyone.

On 24th March 2007 the Club held a Kid's day at Pine Tier Lagoon. This event was well attended and four (4) fish were caught despite it being a bleak cold day. It is hoped we will pick a better day this coming season.

On the club scene I would like to thank our Secretary and Treasurer for their efforts throughout the year and Jenny Beard and Tony Jones our STLAA Delegates for representing the TarraleahBronte Club.

In closing I would encourage more of our Club Anglers to participate by weighing their fish in to make it more competitive. Sadly as in past years rubbish is still being left about our shorelines by a few undesirable characters, however there have been signs of some improvement, remember if you can bring it then you can take it out.

On the 4th November 2006 we held our Trophy Luncheon at Bronte Park Chalet our Guest speakers were Ray Aitcheson and Dick Adams. Thanks to both for their input - well done and thanks to our Trophy donors and raffle donors including the Spot-on Fishing Connection, a good time was had by all.

John Jago -President

Features & Special Reports Cost Benefits Analysis of a Good Days Fishing by Rob Chandler reasonable point to start an examination of the cost benefits analysis of a good days fishing is to define what constitutes a good days fishing.

were lifted from Little Pine in a couple of hours after lunch and two more fought their way out of the Great Lake the same evening. Really just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

A good days fishing (GDF) might be measured by the number of fish caught, the quality of the company, the pleasantness of the weather, the beauty of the environment, or even a good laugh over the fish your mate lost!

From this we gather three important pieces of numerical data: 1. The catch rate of a good day fishing will be 5 2. The total catch for four days is 6 3. The average catch rate per day is.1.5

The intention of this exercise is to numerically value a good days fishing. Best we keep it simple and assume it to be a day when one catches more than is the norm. Most days I would be happy landing a couple of trout. Unfortunately this does not happen most days particularly in the highlands, where we can curse the falling barometer or rising wind for our lack of luck.

Time to consider the secret men’s business of the equation…the costs! These costings don’t include assets such as boats, rods, and sundry fishing equipment for a couple of important reasons: 1. I’m giving your other half a fair bit of ammunition for an argument and don’t want to be shot as a traitor! ….wait for the final analysis 2. Asset values will vary dependent on the gear an individual may choose. For example Mr. Jones’s new boat and four wheel drive are worth heaps more than a little tinny and a second hand (Holden) ute.

Luck….an interesting thought ….yes on occasion one can randomly drop a cast in, just the right place, but in general your luck will increase proportional to the time you spend fishing. So go to the Lakes for longer and more often! (You’ll be doing the economy a favour).

I wouldn’t even consider dividing the cost of a slick new boat and Range Rover with the number of trout you could catch in a life time! But the operating expenses of either boat or car will be basically similar whatever the brand.

It is well known we must take the good with the bad and the ugly. In the case of the bad mine started with two fishless days on a highlands trip last January. The ugly occurred on day four when an unlucky Penstock Brownie swatted a late evening mudeye and ended up fowl hooked… No bragging rights, but a hell of a fight….thought I’d caught “Nessie”! With a total of three miserable days fishing crowing time happened in the middle of this drought when three fish

We will therefore limit our measure of expenses to what comes out of the wallet before and during a fishing holiday and a percentage of the unavoidable fees related to fishing. Vehicle registration is not included because most of this cost is

consumed on other, less palatable activities like work, shopping or taxiing children.

The cost per fish of three bad days fishing is:

Operational costs: (Proportional costs of annual fees) Annual fees Percentage of Total annual usage Trailer 33% of $44 $15 registration Boat 33% of $60 $20 registration IFS License 10% of $60 $6 Boat insurance varies greatly depending on the craft and has not been included in the interest of family harmony.

$195 1

or $195/trout (double sshhh)

With the creativity of an accountant cunning and the skill of a chef it’s time to put some spin on these numbers to make them a little more understandable and digestible to the trouble & strife. Arriving home I prepared a banquet from my hard won catch. Just one of the better fish was brined and hot smoked to provide four meals of a standard unattainable in a restaurant (they can not source wild trout). Accompanied with a fresh salad and chips made from home grown produce the restaurant option remained a small and distant second. A similar restaurant main course might cost around $25-30. Four meals would therefore value a 1.2kg brown trout in the region of one hundred dollars.

Operating Expenses: (The wallet bit) Food $60 Liquid refreshments $40 Vehicle fuel (diesel) $80 Boat fuel (15hp - $15 unleaded) Accommodation (Club $20 shack)

To arrive at a number easily explainable to your better half, multiply the restaurant value of a fish by the number caught on a good day. We can argue that a GDF is worth around Five Hundred Dollars yet might cost only sixty five dollars. That’s a Price to Earnings ratio of over eight to one…great value!

If we add the Operational Costs and the Operating Expenses together the cost of a four day trip could therefore be in the order of (sshhh) $260 Now we can apply some simple equations: (Yes I said simple) The cost of any days fishing is =

Total Cost $ No. of Days Fished

$260

A value to consider If the twenty six plus thousand adult anglers who held licenses last season fished for a day in the highlands and spent $65 dollars, almost $1.7 million would turn over in the Tasmanian economy. Three days would be $5million and that doesn’t include boats, tackle, clothing or even sunscreen! Don’t lose sight of the fact that we add significantly to the states economy and most of us, barring a few mainlanders and internationals, vote!

$65

Note: The cost remains the same whether it was a good or a bad day.

The cost per fish of a GDF (good days fishing) is: =

Cost/day

$65

= only $13/trout! No. Fish/day 5 Now if you really want to squirm

A Day At Penstock Lagoon by Woolly Bugger

beautiful day’ coming from the back ground.

t was a Sunday morning in late February when my fishing partner & I were wondering where to go fishing on such a nice day. After a few minutes of discussion it was decided that we would head to Penstock Lagoon for the day.

After landing this impressive fish which ended up tipping the scales at 1.655kg, the wind had started to die down & the mayflies started to arrive, which led to the fish, starting to rise to the surface. As I was changing back to a floating line & a mayfly pattern my fishing partner was lining the fish up with his mayfly patterns already on the water in anticipation of a fish striking. After a couple of minutes he had a strike & was on for a few seconds before the fish got away, this happened a couple to times to him before he finally landed a nice brown trout around the kilo mark.

After a couple of hours driving we arrived at our desired destination with high hopes of a successful day on the water as it was an ideal day for fly fishing with sunny conditions and a light breeze blowing. Once out on the water the wind decided to pick up a bit more from the south which blows straight up Penstock causing the water to start getting a bit choppy on top. We started fishing at the north wall with nymphs & emerger patterns as the fish seemed to be just cruising underneath the surface without much success, so we decided to move down to the dam wall at the southern end of Penstock & try our luck. With not much happening down by the dam wall with the dry fly I decided a change of tactics was in order (much to the disgust of my fishing partner), I decided to put on a sinking line & a couple of wet flies & try my luck. Well what do you know, after about 6 casts I was on to a nice brown trout with my fishing partner muttering something like ‘you should not be allowed to catch fish on a wet fly in the middle of February on such a

With trout rising for the rest of the day I landed another brown trout of about 1.2kg & a few more fish were released through out the day, some voluntary & some were not. Penstock is a place when conditions are right the fishing can be very rewarding with the trout always in good condition & putting up a pretty good fight when hooked. Last of all don’t be scared to try different methods if things seem to be a little slow as indicated in this story even if someone starts to heckle you as you may have the last laugh as a did.

Tasmanian Fly & Plug Casting Championships 2007 by Norm Cribbin

the STLAA”. Well I thought to myself that will be OK as we will still have enough Club members to form a separate Fly and Plug Casting Team. So I replied to Neil, “No problems we should have sufficient Club members, I will see you up at the Salmon Ponds about 9 am.”

nitially when raised at a Club General meeting several months ago, the response to getting a couple of teams together for the Tasmanian Fly & Plug Casting Championships was not all that enthusiastic to say the least. Maybe it was the thought of putting ones skills on display in front of all un-sundry or the fact that it was to be held on Mothers Day, or was it that the fickle Tasmanian weather had not revealed its hand. What ever the reason it looked like it was going to be a tad bit difficult to get a team for each event to represent the Club.

The next call I received was from Charlie asking if I still needed a lift up to the Salmon Ponds. I replied in the affirmative and we made final arrangements for our better halves to meet us at “Ponds” around 12.30 pm for lunch, it was Mothers Day after all.

Sunday morning came around in due course and the weather as I looked out my bedroom window was just fabulous. Clear skies, no wind and the sun had that lovely autumn shine about it. Charlie arrived and I packed my fly rod and spinning rod in his van, said the obligatory farewells to my wife and headed off to do battle with the other casters and to see if the Clarence Anglers could share in some of the prise money on offer. After all we are trying to get sufficient funds to build a new shack at Arthurs Lake.

Well as always the Clarence Anglers are a resilient lot and as always seem to come through to meet any challenge and this was no exception. The weather forecast issued by ABC News on the Saturday night preceding the event indicated fine and clear weather. I received a number of phone calls at the last minute from a number of Club members advising me that they would be there to uphold the honour of the Club. Then I received a call from Neil Pinkard who sounded like “Salty the Sea Lion”. “Norm, I’m as sick as a dog and will not be able to compete on Sunday, but I will be able to man the registration table for

Charlie and myself arrived at the Salmon Ponds and were surprised to see Neil’s 4WD parked in the car park. As always

I knew I was going to be called up very soon. Could I cast my dry fly accurately enough to get some points?

Neil soldiered on against adversity, a cold the Margaret had given him recently, and was found sitting at a fold up table preparing to collect entry fees and register casters.

Then I heard “Norm Cribbin to the platform.”

I gave Neil my $5 entry fee and indicated to him “Don’t put me first, put me some where in the middle or end.” I got a nod out of him and went away to rig up and get some practise casting in. After about 15 mins I went back to see Neil and to offer my second $5 entry fee for the Plug Casting event and was shocked to see my name on the Fly Casting list right a the top, first caster off the rank. “Neil, who’s side are you on. I can’t go first” The reply I received should have been expected from somebody who was fighting the dreaded lurgy. “Somebody has to go first and you gave me your money first, so you’re first.” Give it your best shot I said to myself as I commenced false casting to the first target. I thought I measured the cast distance well enough but my first cast fell short. “No score”. I adjust the second cast after a few more false casts, this time the distance was right but the fly curved left and landed outside ring. “No score”. Ok I will adjust for the little waft of wind and cast a bit more to the right, only this time the waft wasn’t there and the fly landed just to the right of the ring “No score”. This is not a good start I thought to myself, as I measured out to the second ring and did pretty much the same thing again. “No score”, No Score” and “No score”. Oh well, at least by going first and it will all be over sooner than later. No point arguing with somebody who looked and obviously felt like “Death warmed-up”

Not one to give up without a fight I endeavoured to slow my casting rhythm down a bit and focus on the target and just let the fly do its thing, sort of like when your are actually casting to a real rise. This seemed to do the trick as my first cast into the 3rd target landed spot

Around 9.45 am the call came to watch a demonstration of how to cast the Dry Fly Accuracy. I was getting a bit nervous as

required to be a pro caster; it’s an event for all Club Anglers.

on; “5 points”. Now having the range right just a slow false cast and put it back in the same place, Yes; “3 points”. Keep calm do the same again, you beauty; “2 points”.

Anyway enough of my ramblings – Clarence Licensed Anglers had a formidable team of casters in both the Fly and Plug sections and suffice to say we did well enough to put us in the money.

This sequence went on unchanged for the final two rings. A perfect score in three rings, giving me at total of 30 points out of a possible 50 points. I should have practiced a bit more and I might of scored a couple of points I the first two rings was all I was thinking as I walked from the platform.

I imagine this is how it was for all the casters on the day in both the fly and plug casting. A mixture of highs, lows and what ifs. I encourage all members to give the Tasmanian Fly & Plug Casting Championships as go. You aren’t

Clarence Licensed Anglers achieved an equal 2nd Place in Plug Casting section and received a cheque for $150 for our

enjoyed a pleasant day out. The low cloud (fog) that covered the Salmon Ponds in the morning lifted around 1.00 pm and the sun warmed us for the rest of the day. It was great to see many Mom’s in attendance enjoying the lovely weather, a walk around the “Ponds” or through the Museum. The jazz band put on by the Salmon Ponds added a festive air to the day and was appreciated by a large audience in attendance.

efforts. Not to be out done our fly casters were also “in the money” and turned in a respectable 3rd Place and collected a cheque for $100. Personally I was awarded a 1st Place Certificate for Dry Fly Accuracy and a 2nd Place Certificate in the Overall Champions of Champions in Fly Casting. Not a bad effort for a couple of hours spent casting at the Salmon Ponds.

Overall a great day… I would like to thank all Members and families of members who attended and

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Roos, Snakes & First Aid by Lionel Lewis

seconds apart. You then stayed put & waited (with your fire) until found. Getting lost was a very rare occurrence.

was sitting in my workshop looking at some old fishing gear & I thought about my “younger” days when, if it was too wet to work, we went kangarooing – sounds daft but it is fact. In the early days at Tarraleah, I was accepted into a small group of blokes who went together shooting ‘roo & wallabies. One of these chaps had 4 hounds which were soon on the scent of a roo. They were in fact too good & if we went out the old 14 Mile Rd on a Sunday they would go on the scent of one roo after another & come home weary & footsore about the next Wednesday.

One of the biggest hazards in this very damp bush was the leeches. They would, in spite of the thick socks & laced up boots, quite often attach themselves & be found mostly full of blood that evening on return. I recall having had 2 poisoned legs as a result of leech bites. Treated by hot salt-water compresses, or if the Dr was consulted, then the only treatment then available was a course of “Sulphur Tabs” which, although pre-Penicillin, usually worked.

Well after all this preamble what I wish to write about is survival techniques, equipment & practices in those days & also on lake fishing camping trips to Arthur Lakes. Roo Shooting: We were always warm-clothed with thick socks, boots well treated with “Dubbin”, short rain-proof coat & the trusty old felt hat. Usually an old ex-Army haversack held water-proof matches, spare socks & most importantly a Bourneville Cocoa tin full of “Bobs” – these were kerosene soaked rags which when placed against a stump & covered with stringy bark & dry sticks broken from a standing spar & then lit one could guarantee a good fire in no time. The haversack also contained a small billy & mug with the tea, sugar & some rock cakes or some such.

Camping Arthur Lakes: I have previously written about the old huts below “Blue Lake” & the 12’x10’ tent. My father, with always some of his young family along, was quite particular about “First Aid” & had his satchel containing the usual bandages, sticky tape, Aspros etc. But there was always a “snake bite outfit”. This consisted of a smallish wooden cylinder – one end of which screwed off – that contained “Condi’s Crystals”. The smaller end also screwed off to reveal a pointed sharp piece of steel. The idea being, that at the actual bite of 2 punctures, the skin was scarified with the sharp instrument & Condi’s Crystals rubbed into the resulting bleeding area. The patient was then taken to the nearest Dr or Hospital. I still have, unused, this rather “sus” piece of equipment - tourniquets were also in fashion.

Even though we usually were familiar with the area of bush, there was always a “plan”. We went in a rough line for a designated time, always met up at a point for lunch & if on another property, the owner/lessee would brief us & outline the day’s shooting - always warning us, “Do not cross any fence line, then if you get lost I shall know in which ‘run’ to look for you.” The “lost” signal, by shotgun, was 2 shots spaced about 30

For burns the usual piece of equipment was a phial of Picric Acid. Boracic Acid powder was also there for all & sundry complaints. But I have left until last my father’s most prized & efficacious remedy, a small bottle of Methylated Spirits. This could be applied to a range

always carried a stainless steel mirror, with which he could signal “Morse Code”. I suppose because of a bit of good planning & common sense we never had cause to use emergency gear. But, in more recent years, as in this month’s newsletter, a couple of times my son & I took shelter on Brazendale’s Island until the wind blew itself out, rather than risk the short steep waves back to the launching ramp.

of ailments – sore feet, cuts & bruises, insect bites & many other disorders. The answer to a young family member being, “oh, put some Metho on it. You’ll be right.” To this day, I am not without my “Metho”.

I suppose in the modern days of mobile ‘phones etc people tend to rely on them to communicate if in distress. But old customs & habits die hard & looking at my old fishing bag, there are still some “bobs” & the stainless steel mirror. In those early days, we spent lots of time in the dinghy in the Morass or on Blue Lake. As well as the accepted fire lighting gear, billy & food, my father

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My Dreams Come True! by Lionel Lewis

my “Bug” there. Result? a short sharp “nip”. So I cast “out to see” a few times, then I thought, “You’ll be coming along the wall looking for Yabbies” so I cast to my right again. BANG! I was into something which felt more like a log of wood. After quite a few runs I said to Don, “I’m into one!” Don, being rather a dour character & cold, says something like “Thank Gawd”. I placed my Big Jim torch on the rocks & beaming down into the water. After another 15 mins I guided this fish down through the beam of the torch, what I saw seemed to be a never ending trout body.

ne wet & cold night at Lake Pedder - after a lifetime of fishing , commencing in the Jordan R at Broadmarsh with bush rod & floater, Arnott spinners in the Derwent, & many, many wet & dry flies over the years – I finally landed that fish of my dreams. During the late 70’s & early 80’s while based in Hobart in Power Branch HEC I had work interests at Strathgordon Power-station which took me out there at fairly frequent intervals. Needless to say my fly rod & gear occupied a place in the boot of the car. So after dinner at the Strathgordon Chalet it was down to the bay, or out to the “Gabions”. Many cold & dark hours were spent using Mud-eye patterns & other flies, but quite a few Pedder trout came to net, ranging from 6 to 10 lbs in weight but the Pedder monster eluded me – until this evening!

“Don,” I say, “come over, I’ve got a big bugger!” The monster slowly swimming to & fro, Don eventually arrived, & was quite impressed when the trout again swam through the torch beam. “Right, Don” I said, “I’ll tire it out a bit more, and then you gaff it as it swims slowly into the beam.” Don says, “I’ve never gaffed a fish before, what’s the drill?” I gave Don a few instructions & told him, “Next time it swims through the torch beam you do what I’ve just told you.” Well along came this great fish, Don made the upward thrust but the gaff point must have been up the side of the fish giving it a “lift” & accelerating its progress out & away to sea. But it was still on, so a repeat performance ensued. This time Don lifted the brownie high into the air. Off it came from the gaff & fell beside me on the rip-rap rocks, flapping madly. I dropped the fly rod & fell on the fish, my legs into the icy water up to my knees, I wrestled it up the rocks to a slight depression & there it was a beautifully proportioned hen fish, shaped just like a rainbow. I was so pleased that Don escaped any comments re his gaffing technique. By now it was raining & blowing strongly as it can only in Strathgordon.

My Fire Officer & I had been installing fire protection equipment all day so about 7pm we went down to the bay where the construction Diesel Station had been situated. We fished until 9.30pm – Don McPherson using a “fishcake” & me a “Popping Bug” on the fly rod. We had several half-hearted bites, and then the cold wind was joined by sleety showers. Don said, “Will we give it a rest?” I said, “Righto”, but on the walk back up to the road, I, having no doubt warmed up a bit, said, “What say we give it ½ an hour down in the Serpentine in the corner where the Lake goes through the rip-rap to that small lagoon.” Don, more to please me I reckon, says “OK”. He went around the small bay towards the launching area while I went on the road-side on the rip-rap. After about 15 mins of casting, I heard a splash to my right about 15 yards (13m) away, so cast

Next morning a photo was taken with the Polaroid & I returned to Hobart with a grin on me which a plastic surgeon would have had trouble removing. In

1983 I retired from the HEC so I have not been back to Lake Pedder.

Derwent River â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Season 2006-2007 by Justin Causby

landed 26 trout with an average around 1kilo from below Green Island.

The brown trout season is over once again which brings a close to the majority of our favoured waters. The Derwent River in season 06-07 was very much different to the past few years. The main factor contributing to such a big change in just one year can only be put down to the lack of winter rain fall. Some heavy falls came early in May but that was just about it for the off season. As a result many of lakes are desperate for some relief this winter.

In the next week these trout seem to disappear from the area. Whitebait were already quite prevalent in the system and I do believe the trout were on to them very early. By September whitebait were sighted in the Tyenna River and some lovely searun and resident trout were being taken in the Bushy Park vicinity in the Derwent. Trout to 5kg were not unheard of and were gorging themselves on bait.

The first weekend in August saw many boats on the water between New Norfolk and Bridgewater with a reasonable contingent of shore based anglers targeting the lower part of the river from Old Beach down stream. The fish were co-operating with most anglers and once again the average size was very respectable. Browns in top nick up to 3kg were taken regularly with the area around Norske Skog giving up some very serious fish to lure anglers. Trolling anglers using Tassie Devils in green and pink and also black and silver found them to be very popular colours.

Good fish were seen in the river between Bridgewater and New Norfolk but the presence of at least three large seals had them increasingly hard to raise. One boat on a fishless afternoon was not too happy to pass a seal at the Lime Kilns while he playfully threw around and impressive 6-7kg trout. The young anglers of New Norfolk were fairing very well with some outstanding catches from beneath the New Norfolk Bridge and its surrounds with trout to 4kg falling to grubs almost daily. Two months in to the season it was almost difficult to catch a trout below New Norfolk with the good fish already well upstream. The whitebait run continued strongly with those with appropriate licences taking regulation limits easily. Not too many good trout followed up the big run of bait as most trout seemed to have already gone through. Small trout to 450gr were everywhere and provided good sport on light tackle. One afternoon saw us landed around 50 trout all of which we returned to the water. 7gr Tassie Devils proved deadly where the small fish were

The fishing continued like this throughout the first week and into the following weekend with more big trout continuing to fall in the New Norfolk region with fish around 3kg being taken quite often and 5kg not unheard of in the first few weeks. By this stage I had

marked and in superb condition. This was the last trout I took from the lower reaches tending to spend more time on the water above New Norfolk.

ambushing bait along the willows above New Norfolk. Such was the clarity of water mid season Bream were landed at Bushy Park! Yes that is correct. They were well up the river early with some fine specimens landed near the speed boat club in October. Generally they do not appear around Bridgewater until late November.

The Bream season was a real hit with the Bream comps becoming very popular, so much so we attracted the mainland professionals. We could not slap the smiles off the faces of some of these guys with the winning team averaging around 1.5kg per fish. I do believe this was a new national bag record for the ABT tournament. We certainly are blessed with a magnificent bream fishery which may need to be looked at to keep sustainable if the news of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available continues to spread. It is reassuring to see that most are very responsible anglers these days. I will once again be looking forward to casting a line in the Derwent on that first Saturday of August as there really is no better place to fish for the opening of the trout season.

Whilst fishing for bream around the Lime Kilns one November afternoon I landed perhaps the finest looking and best condition fish I have ever caught. It went 1.670kg and was beautifully

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The Buffalo Theory by Anonymous

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells.

have not seen anyone explain this as well as Cliff Clavin on Cheers. One afternoon at Cheers, Cliff was explaining the theory to his mate Norm.

Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know kills brain cells. But naturally it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells making the brain a faster and more efficient machine.

Here's how it went: "Ya see Norm its like this....A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo and when the herd is hunted itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole because the general speed and the health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why you always feel smarter after a few beers"

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x Trophies and Awards x Plaques x Medals & Ribbons x Plastic signage x Printed plaques x Plastic signage x Name Badges x Computer engraving (Free engraving on our trophies) x Sublimation printing available. x Personalised printed coffee mugs, Mouse pads, Stubby holders, Name badges, Luggage tags, Polo tops and TShirts, Jigsaw puzzles. x Have your photos or club logo printed onto any of the above products with no minimum order.

Fly Gear Maintenance by Pro-Angler

Caring for your fly gear is something that is often overlooked but ever so important. Rods reels and lines do require maintenance periodically. For many of us our fly gear is a substantial investment and something that we hope will last many seasons. Here are a few guidelines for maintaining your equipment.

Lines Flylines require the most maintenance and replacing them is expensive. If you take care of a flyline it will last! Most of today's flylines are composed of PVC (polyvinylchloride) that surrounds a core material of mono or Dacron. Floating lines may float due to their low density, a coating, or combination of both. If the line becomes dirty or cracked it breaks the water's surface tension and sinks.

Rods The modern flyrod requires little maintenance but there are a few things that you should remember if you want to keep it around for a long time. The ferrules of your rod should be periodically lubricated with paraffin wax (candle wax). This can simply be rubbed on the area where the ferrules are in contact. This layer of wax prevents premature wear of the ferrules and also reduces the harmful effects of sand and grit on the ferrules. Lubricate the ferrules at least 4 times a year.

Fly rods should never be put away wet or damp. Moisture on the cork handle can cause the handle to rot. It is a good idea to have a case that is vented or leave the rod case's lid off or loose when storing. This will allow moisture to escape. If the reel seat on your rod is made of wood check its finish for cracks or wear. Apply varnish if necessary.

The best way to keep the line floating is to keep it clean! This means a periodic, washing in a tub of warm soapy water will work wonders. Be sure to rinse it well to get the soap off. Many advocate applying silicon, Armor All, or some other coating to the flyline to revitalize it. Beware! In some cases these coatings will pick up dirt and cause the line to sink. Flyline factory applied coatings may be chemically delicate. Be careful of adding coatings. Try giving it a good washing first you'd be amazed! Never step on a flyline or allow insect repellent to contact its surface.

Reels Take care of your fly reel, lubrication is important. Moving parts that are not associated with the reel's drag should have a coating of lithium grease. This heavy grease will not simply wash off when the reel gets wet. It is a good idea to periodically disassemble the reel and wash dry and oil all parts. If you are storing the reel for a long time back off the drag or decrease the tension in the springs.

If storing a flyline be sure that it is stored in a dark area. Sunlight may cause coatings to decompose. Also avoid extremes of heat and cold which can contribute to cracking. Store lines in large coils as opposed to on a fly reel. This reduces line memory.

Leaders Monofilament leaders are decomposed by sunlight. Store them in a dark place and occasionally check them for roughness due to abrasion. They are expendable. Replace them as needed. Flys Putting a fly in its box before it dries is what most commonly creates problems such as rust or matted down hackle. While there is not much that can be done if a hook is badly rusted a fly can be revitalized if its hackle is matted down. Get a pot of water boiling and hold the fly (using haemostats) directly in the hot steam. Almost like magic you will see the hackle take on its original orientation. Allow the fly to thoroughly dry and put it back in its box. You can use this method to remedy any fly that has been deformed due to storage. Give it a try.

Season 2005-2006 Photo Gallery

Steven Jones – Arthurs Lake Matt Causby – Derwent River

Vic Causby – Derwent River

Jake Datlen Woods Lake

Felicity Jones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arthurs Lake

Jesse Whittaker - Arthurs Lake

Laura Whittaker - Arthurs Lake

James Whittaker - Great Lake

Bruce Andrew – Dee Lagoon Peter Cribbin – Lake Burbury

Stephen Granger – Gordon River Charlie Harris – Huon River

Justin Causby – Derwent River

Tim Lowe – Penstock Lagoon

Shayne Jones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arthurs Lake Pam Jones â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arthurs lake

Harold & Barbara Chivers - Arthurs Lake

Emma Datlen - Woods Lak

New Norfolk Anglers Club competition winners - John Lewis left and James Lee

Mark Jesse & Laura Whittaker - Arthurs Lake

Dylan Brown – Snowy Range Norm Cribbin – Bronte Lagoon

Vince Coyte – Bronte Lagoon

Tim Lowe – Derwent River

Warwick Bonney – Huon River Danny Rainbird – Woods Lake

Neil Pinkard – Pawleena Dam Daniel Hean – Bradys Lake

Gary Davey â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Esperance River

Bothwell Junior Members at Dinner & Trophy Night

Kiwi – Lake Binney John Lewis – Lake Binney

Richard Jurek – Lake Binney

Wayatinah Lagoon

Historic Angling Images Photos supplied by Salmon Ponds Museum

Bygone Angling Era

WT Cramp - Alfred Wood - Harold Cramp - Shannon River - C.1912

13lb Brown E. Vertigan C.1926

A.W.R Burnet - Electro Fishing Machine

Allen & Slater Advertising Card

Deresley Hobbs - Jim Wilson (Hydro) Sampling at Liawenee

Doug Hollie - Penstock Lagoon - Avg 4lb - C.1928

Dr Stott (Melb) 7lb at Tods Corner 1935

En Route to Great Lake - Rankins Service Station Bothwell - Malcom Gillies Onloaded C.1935

End of Shannon Rise as the Great Lake Outlet is turned off.

Great Lake 1938

Great Lake - 1x Cast - Yellow Matuka

Great Lake - English Trout - C.1898

Salmon Ponds Cottage

Pencil sketch of the Salmon Ponds

Fry Transport Container

Replica Box – Trout & Salmon Ova 1864 – Clipper Norfolk 1988 England to Australia Bi-centennial Re-enactment

Salmon Ponds Ice Box

Transporting a decommissioned tram for use as a shack.

Tram Shack installed, painted and ready for use.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let safety be the one that got away.

As well as being valuable sources of sustainable energy, our lakes also provide excellent fishing, along with other recreational water activities. While we want to share them with you, we would like to remind you that safety on the water

www.hydro.com.au

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should be your first priority, just as creating clean, renewable energy is ours.