Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 154 August 2023

August – October 2023

TASMANIAN FISHING and BOATING NEWS — ISSUE 154

• Wade or Boat?

Print Post approved 100003074

• Swamp Donkeys • Stickbaiting Tuna • Early Season Trout Tips • Leatherjackets

$5.95 A chunky Lake Crescent buck. More on page 3.

Swamp Donkeys - Lake Crescent Monsters — Nathan Huizing

3

A Season with a Fly Rod — Grant Wilson

5

Early Season Techniques — Adrian Webb

8

Wade or Boat? — Scotto James

12

Stickbaiting Tuna — Jack Gillespie

17

Leatherjackets – Delicious and Worthy — Jamie Henderson

23

Early Season on Dry Fly — Logan Reid

25

Fish Aggregation Devices – FADs — Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt

30

Recreational Sea Fisheries News

33

What a ride we are having at the moment with recreational fishing - especially in the marine environment.

Sand flathead have been the staple fish for thousands over the years - and it is safe to say they were the first fish caught by tha majority of fishers in Tasmania.

Sand flathead are easy to catch and there is plenty of them. Trouble is it seems we have had poor management, it is easy to overfish the bigger fish and now drastic action must be taken to save them. I was a sceptic for a long time, but science convinced me they are in trouble.

Everyone knows if you found a good spot you would just repeat that drift until you caught your bag limit.

No one really knew flathead didn’t move much. They are bottom dwellers and from their biology it is clear that are not pelagic. Once you have taken the big fish from a patch there may be no more replacing them.

Yes there are plenty of fish, but many are old and small and that is what science and fishery managers must now address. I don’t know what the Minister will decide, but it will be, and needs to be drastic.

We will have to fish for other species and/or go further afield and target tiger flathead. These are in deeper water and are not at risk of overfishing.

I do not fish for sand flathead much, but the last time I did was Great Oyster Bay and I measured every fish and noted it. 75% were under 35cm.

Mostly in saltwater I will be fishing for King George whiting, calamari, silver trevally, garfish or one of my favourite sportfish Australian salmon. All of these are good to eat and fun to catch. They are all more difficult to catch and take a little more effort than bottom bouncing with a jig and bait.

Calamari have also been coming under pressure, particularly over the last five years. The commercial sector have ramped up their catch and the value of calamari has increased. They are easily targeted when they congregate to spawn and if they are taken prespawning it becomes a huge risk to the stock. Calamari only live for a year and spawn once. If you take these congregating pre-spwaning fish it has devastating consequences. I heard one commercial fisher proffer he had taken 650 kilos in one day!!

This was on Tasmania’s north coast, and last year the closed season was extended to six weeks. The Minister, Jo Palmer has just announced a closure of two month and this will go a long way to relieving some concerns.

Both commercial and recreational sectors have given this their support. Post spawning it matters little how

many fish are taken as they will not make it to another spawning season - they die. The northern closure will extend from 21 August until 31 October. There is information about this on page 31.

When the changes to Tasmania’s marine fishery are announced there will be pain for all of us, but my message is - try and find another fish to catch and get good at targeting that.

On a really positive side is the northern run of southern bluefin tuna has been extraordinary. These fish were severly at risk a few year back and the recovery has been a remarkable example of good fishery management. So not all is bad in our fishery. It also seems climate change has brought a few more fish south. I have also seen more small snapper than ever and I look forward to these growing to large fish. In a couple of years time I believe we will have a terrific snapper fishery, but we need to let them grow and don’t overfish them.

Spend some time at your tackle store and aks them about targeting some new species. Search through the old stories from this mag at www.tasfish.com and you will find plenty to be positive about.

I truly hop the Monister Jo Palmer makes some tough, science backed decisions, that will pay off.

Mike Stevens

Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Published by Mike Stevens: PO Box 7504, Launceston, 7250.

Mike Stevens – P: 0418 129 949 or E: mike@tasfish.com Or Field Editor Lubin Pfieffer - editor@tasfish.com Stevens Publishing, ABN 79 095 217 299 All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced without the permission of the publisher. Print Post approved; 100003074

Fishing News - Page 2

Mike Stevens talks fishing ABC Statewide Saturday mornings 6.40 a.m.

Subscriptions go to www.tasfish.com, phone Mike 0418 129 949 with your C/C handy or by Paypal to mike@tasfish.com - Two years $48

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

My best efforts from last season and a prime example of the fish that inhabit this lake.

Swamp Donkeys

Turbid water trout from Lake Crescent

S

Nathan Huizing

ituated in the Eastern Midlands region of Tasmania is a body of water known by many as ‘The Swamp’ aka Lake Crescent. The Swamp derives its name from its apparently aesthetically unappealing appearance - to some. Surrounded by boggy marshlands and sections of bouldery shorelines is a relatively shallow and murky lake with a visibility of around five centimetres. However, despite not having the pristine gin clear appearance of many Tasmania’s lakes, it still provides excellent habitat for a unique little fish endemic to this part of the world - Galaxias auratus or better known as the Golden Galaxias. Golden Galaxias are small fish with elongated bodies, golden flanks and black spots, almost resembling a juvenile brown trout. These special little fish are only found in three connecting waters and nowhere else. Those three waters are Lake Sorell, Lake Crescent and the Clyde River catchment. While these fish are listed as being a threatened species, they do appear to be thriving populations in these systems. Not only is there an abundance of these fish but they also have the ability to

grow to 240mm in length which plays a key role in this lake hosting a large quantity of rather large brown trout!

Despite the number of trout getting around this rather small lake it is not always an easy egg to crack and fishless trips are not uncommon. That said, there are a number of things I have learnt while visiting this lake over the years that I feel may help increase your chances of landing one of these respectable specimens!

Trout lollies a.k.a. the golden galaxias.

My first tip is to concentrate your efforts along the rocky shores or in the narrow channels that snake their way through the shallow marshes as this is where many of the galaxia and other prey items including eels and frogs tend to gather. With many of the clearer lakes, if it’s windy I’ll tend to fish the shores that the wind is blowing into but when fishing Crescent I’ll do the opposite and seek out the sheltered areas. Personally, I think these fish rely heavily on using their lateral lines to pick up vibrations and movement from their prey due to the poor visibility and I think if you’re fishing a shallow rocky shoreline, all the added commotion from the crashing waves is not going to be working in your favour. When fishing calmer water I believe the rattle and subtle vibrations of your lure are more noticeable and easier for a fish to hone in on.

Given the depth, turbidity and being a rather snaggy lake, lure choice is also important. There is no denying soft plastics do work here but my preference has always been hardbody minnows when fishing Crescent. Particularly shallow diving models anywhere

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

Fishing News - Page 3

from 70mm up to 100mm in length with a suspending or floating presentation. Nomad Styx Minnow 70 and Shikari Minnow 95 both accounted for a number of my fish in the 2022-23 season. Colour choice isn’t something I stress about too much given the poor clarity and having seen all colours of the rainbow account for fish on this lake. However, I still stick with the more natural shades/colours like gold, black or olive, as these are colours I have built confidence in and in fishing I believe confidence in your approach goes a long way, especially on slow days or when fishing waters where bites can be few and far between.

When it comes to your retrieve and fishing turbid water in general, slow it down! Due to the poor visibility and referring back to the trout’s ability to hunt using their lateral line, I find slowing the speed of your retrieval will certainly result in more hookups as it gives the fish a better chance of tracking down your offering. My go-to retrieve typically consists of a steady slow wind, just fast enough to get a constant shimmer out of your lure while incorporating one or two short pauses and the odd twitch. Avoid twitching your lure too aggressively as the erratic movements accompanied by the poor visibility will make it more difficult for the fish to cleanly inhale your presentation and will often result in the fish swiping at your lure increasing the chances of a poor hook-up.

As with many lakes, a boat will expand your options and give you access to more shorelines that are inaccessible on foot when fishing in Crescent. That said, the lake still provides some great access to the land-based angler and just about any rocky shoreline or marsh around the lake is going to hold a few fish.

If fishing on foot, a pair of waders is advised and will not only give you easier access to some areas but will also give you the ability to retrieve snagged lures and believe me, when fishing the swamp on foot, you’re going to get snagged! If you don’t have the luxury of

Two of my go-tos. Nomad Styx Minnow 70 and Shikari Minnow 95.

Fishing News - Page 4

The rewards are there for those fishing on foot. fishing from a boat your two best options are to start at either one of the two canals found on the western and northern ends of the lake. Fishing your way along the canals to where they meet the lake you can then begin to make your way along the lake’s shoreline.

When it comes to gear selection I typically use a fast action rod around 7ft-7’3ft with a line rating of 2-6lb or 4-8lb. A faster action gives the rod a bit more backbone Nomad Shikari 95 perfectly mimics the and can help when driving the profile of the native galaxias. hooks into a trout’s relatively hard and bony mouth. Match that with a 2500-sized spin as a tough fishery. For newcomers, exploring these reel spooled with 6-10lb braid and you’re on your way. murky waters can be a daunting prospect and not being As far as leader choice, the water clarity (or lack of it) able to see what’s happening below the surface doesn’t allows you to get away with slightly heavier leaders than make things easy. However, there are still a couple of you would normally use for trout. I like to use a 10 or things to keep your eye out for. The first thing is bow 12-lb leader although you could go slightly heavier still waves or tailing fish in the shallows. This is something if inclined. It is also important to check your leader I’ve witnessed on multiple occasions along the lake’s and re-tie every so often as your lure will constantly be edges and with a stealthy approach you can soon give running over rocks and other debris given the depth of yourself an opportunity to get a lure in front of these this lake. There is nothing worse than fishing for hours feeding fish. The second thing to look out for and one for a bite, only to bust the fish off instantly due to of the more exciting visuals is fish feeding on galaxias. weak points in your leader. Speaking from experience! Due to the galaxias’ tendency to school up, this makes If you do plan to visit the swamp and chase its large them easy pickings for a hungry trout. Big browns can spotty residents, the most important tip I can give you, often be seen crashing through the schools of galaxias is that you mentally prepare yourself for a long day of on the surface and a quick cast into the zone will often casting. The term “A fish of a thousand casts” is often result in a hook-up! used when describing trophy fish and the big brown All in all, Lake Crescent certainly produces more big trout of Lake Crescent are no exception! While now trout than the majority of the lakes around the state and again Crescent will cough up some incredible days and for those willing to put in the casts, trophy-sized fishing with plenty of action, as a whole it is renowned fish are a strong possibility!

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

Early season is streamer time. And I love catching any sized fish.

The Journey is the Reward A season for the unseasoned

A

Grant Wilson

fter a full season with the fly rod in Tasmanian freshwaters, this is what I’ve learnt, loved, and loathed.

My introduction to fly fishing would mirror a lot of others out there. Begging Mum and Dad for a fly rod as an early teenager, receiving said rod and putting it straight to work on the front lawn, cracking the line so often it could be mistaken for the Melton Mowbray Rodeo, then packing it away in the shed until the disappointment had faded.

For me, this went on for a lot of years. I’d head to the lake and hopelessly fling the line around. Around trees, around the rod, around my ears just to name a few arounds. In the 20 years of owning the Gillies 9’ 6 weight, it had 10 trips to the lake, 20 trips to the front lawn and a lot of lonely seasons sitting idle.

Leaning in the corner with a handful of spinning rods, a surf rod still with the price tag on it and a deep sea Alvey that gives me a backache just looking at it. But I always knew that one day the rod and I would have our moment, I’d somehow pat my head and rub my tummy at the same time and the line would land on the water straight and true. Depositing the fly where I wanted it to land. Tangle, debris, and blood free.

The Build-Up Five odd years ago I was lucky enough to get a cheap block of land near Little Pine Lagoon, I had read enough to know that “The Pine” was a pretty special place and the barren, harsh landscape was a real drawcard to me. After a couple of years we decided to build a shack and having no building experience or spare time we went the sensible route and became Owner Builders. But not only were we building in the country that is known for its long bitterly cold winters, almost one metre of rainfall per year and over 100 kilometres to the nearest Bunnings. We also decided to mill all our timber and have our first child. Piece of cake really.

It took us the next three years to finally see the dream come to life. During that time, we had horrific bushfires that decimated the fragile landscape of the highlands. Covid 19 swept its way around the world and had us confined to within five kilometres of our homes and building materials were scarce and expensive. But as Sir Winston Churchill once said, “It will be long, It will be hard, But there will be no withdrawals” This quote rang true for us in more ways than one, as along came our second child.

I made a promise to myself very early on in the build that I would not go fishing until the shack was complete. Day after day I would look over my shoulder and see the boats heading to Little Pine, one after the other. Men and women in their waders fishing the shallows. Pictures and videos all over social media of what was being caught. How dare they.

As the build was coming to an end and I knew it was time to get serious about fly fishing. But I needed to do it properly. Because casting a fly I knew nothing about into a lake that has legendary status would break me in an afternoon, and the poor Gillies rod would be banished to storage for good. By chance, I stumbled across an advertisement for a Euro Nymphing master class put on by Lubin Pfeiffer. Euro Nymphing sounded like what people did on their gap year overseas, so after having two kids in two years I knew that wasn’t for me. But I knew Lubin was on the world stage when it came to fly fishing and maybe if I sent him an email explaining my situation, he could give me a day’s tuition on Little Pine Lagoon.

Sure enough, a couple of emails and a month later we were on the lake, notebook at the ready and all the gear with no idea. We started with half an hour at the

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

Fishing News - Page 5

My old wooden boat has accounted for some beautiful fish.

The edges of Little Pine are a great place to cast a fly. boat ramp going over building leaders and matching them to the appropriate line, then with the chosen flies for the day. Once we got out and set a drift it was time to work on technique, I had been self-taught up until this point so Lubin had his work cut out. We started off nymphing on a floating line with three flies and got settled into a steady figure of eight retrieve. A couple of hours went by with one lost fish, half a dozen irreversible tangles and 100 questions to my boat buddy.

We switched over to pulling streamers on a sinking line, three new flies and a much more aggressive retrieve. Stripping and jabbing the line then stopping abruptly for “the hang” at the boat. I realised very quickly this was an exciting and fast-paced style of fishing, covering lots of water and looking for that aggressive fish that was going to gulp down my fly.

After another batch of “chop that leader off and start again” type tangles, I did manage to hook one. The line stopped dead on my retrieve, and I could feel the fish thrashing through the line. But having no idea about fighting a three-pound brown trout in shallow water it wasn’t long until he pulled me down into the weeds and the fly was dislodged from his mouth. Feeling beat it was time for lunch and a debrief.

The afternoon session began with an hour or two of plonking, intensely watching the indicator for any bit of movement and striking. There is a lot less casting with plonking, and it gave Lubin a chance to replace all the leaders I had destroyed during the morning session.

The day was getting on and I was yet to land a fish, we had a chat about what would be our best bet and landed back on nymphing again. We tied on a small Woolley Bugger for a point fly, a Claret Nymph in the middle Fishing News - Page 6

and a Claret Dabbler on the top fly and got back to casting. With each cast I made it became clear I wasn’t going to get another opportunity, the conversation turned to what each other was up to over the coming days. Where Lubin would be filming for his YouTube channel and how I was going to cry myself to sleep that evening.

But like something out of a feel-good family movie, I hooked a fish.

Now Lubin spoke a lot about how important it is to stay calm when a fish is hooked, after a full day’s work trying to land a fish the last thing you want to do is lose it during the fight. Just work with the fish and don’t lose it by doing something silly. Sure enough with those words in my head, we got the fish in the net and the photo to prove it. My day with Lubin was worth every dollar, it set up the foundations for what could be a successful lifetime of fishing. I’d caught one under the tuition of an expert, but could I do it without someone holding my hand?

Wanting to finally unlock the secrets of fly fishing I felt like I had to simplify it as much as possible.

One rod, one lake, a small selection of flies and some confidence were all I needed. No fancy gizmos or lines in every possible configuration, no need for a dozen spools of tippet in every X and definitely not enough flies to confuse me about what to use on the day. So anyway, 4 rods, 5 lines, 6 spools of tippet and 7 kilos of flies later I’m catching fish and loving the fly rod like I always knew I would.

Early Season Early season, or streamer season as I fondly came to know, was great for learning the ropes. Casting hundreds of times a day soon got me into the rhythm of the fly rod, the bird nest tangles got fewer, the casting distance greater and the accuracy sharper. It wasn’t long and the fish started to take my flies seriously, even eating them on the odd occasion. I spent equal time wading with a floating line as I did loch style with a fast intermediate sinking line, fishing up to three flies

with the simple rule of thumb being one black, one olive and one bright. It also didn’t take long for me to realise the importance of changing the retrieve, the fish are in a different mood every day so give them some variety until you find what and how they are eating.

I made a deliberate effort to always try new flies, I didn’t want to get trapped into using the same few flies all year. There’s nothing wrong with that, I met half a dozen people who have fished the same fly on any lake for their entire life and had no reason to change.

And that simplicity is very appealing, but it was my season to learn and the best way to learn was to try new things. I now have more streamers that I know what to do with, but it’s a fast effective way to find and catch fish. Covering water and looking for hungry fish suits my style; I need to keep moving and trying new areas.

It can be as technical or simple as you make it, and as the season went on, I leaned towards the latter.

The learning curve was sharp, to say the least, and to help me through I kept a detailed diary of my fishing success. I made a note of every fly that landed a fish, the weather, the tippet size and the date. And with the new season upon us, I can refer to my early season notes and set myself up for success again. At least on paper anyway.

Summertime A large brown trout is working its way towards you through the shallow margins, only giving itself up with the slightest bow wave and sipping down duns now and then. You crouch down and start casting, gently landing a dry two feet in front of its nose. The bow wave grows and the fish speeds towards your fly before sucking it under the surface and you setting the hook. That’s probably what you are expecting me to write about, except it just never happened. But through chance and being a bit unlucky I was never on the water when there was a definite hatch happening. I’d see the odd mayfly on certain days but nothing that gave me enough confidence to put on a single dry fly and commit to it. Having as many broken hearts as I did growing up trying to fly fish with no idea was always in the back of my mind. It sounds silly now but I put a lot of effort into avoiding a situation where I was second-guessing all the choices I made on that day. Coming off a successful early season I just had to keep the momentum up. I did this by fishing a lot of nymphs, three at a time from a drifting boat, back to covering a lot of water and looking for a hungry or gullible fish. It’s a recipe that works and just like Nan’s sponge cake, I wasn’t going to muck with it.

There was another thing holding me back from using dry flies, and it was other dry fly fishers. The ones who only fish dry and believe that streamers and nymphs are bottom-of-the-barrel fishing. On more than one occasion I found myself loading the boat onto the trailer and getting into the usual banter at the ramp, “How did you go? Get onto a few?” the chat usually starts, followed by “What did you catch them on?” and it was at this point if I mentioned nymphs or heaven forbid the horrid streamers that eyes would

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

There is much to learn with every new fish caught.

The rewards of a long wait to get out on The Pine. roll back and I’d be scoffed at. I’m not joking, if I was using dynamite I would have been further up the social ladder in these people’s eyes. So I found myself having a very standoffish relationship with dry flies. Not only did I not want to become that kind of fisherman, but on every occasion I had landed more fish than them.

So the incentive just wasn’t there, I was stress-free and having success.

Late season In the early parts of the late season, a few of the waters I was fishing were inundated with weeds, so a change of tactic was just cutting back to a single wet fly on a nine-foot leader. Being accurate came into its own during this period. I was doing a lot less casting, just concentrating on pockets in the weeds and any gap that might be holding a fish. The reward for this type of fishing is so often you will see the weeds shift and a boil at your fly right before your line pulls tight. When a trout is steaming towards your fly, the excitement is such that you often start retrieving your fly a lot faster and more erratically in anticipation of the take. Try to keep the same retrieve until that fly has been struck because that’s what has attracted the fish in the first place. Most nymphs, leeches, frogs and tadpoles don’t have a clue they are about to be eaten. So if the trout isn’t used to its meal going from 0-100 miles an hour in 0.5 seconds, just try and keep your cool and you will hook a lot more fish.

Gear Before my day with Lubin, I wanted to upgrade my gear a bit. The Gillies had done a fine job when I was growing up of keeping me somewhat interested in fly fishing. But my new chapter needed a new rod and reel, a clean slate. I didn’t want anything fancy, just a reliable workhorse that was within my price bracket and would treat me well. I ended up with a StCroix ninefoot-six-weight, with a Waterworks-Lamson Liquid reel.

I have given this combo a right thrashing throughout

the season and it has handled it like a champion. It gets thrown in the ute or bounces around in the boat and I just put it to work when needed, it gets no love or special treatment and it will do me for many years to come.

After reading an article about the benefits of a 10foot rod for fishing from a boat I was convinced and invested. I purchased a Primal Raw in six-weight and this thing is an absolute luxury to have in the boat, when casting a sinking line with three flies it can lay them out straight every time and with half the effort of a nine-foot. It’s lightweight and the cork grip is slightly thicker with a thumb flare that suits my larger hands ideally.

All my current lines are Scientific Angler, my advice is to buy the best you can afford. Even to the point of getting a slightly cheaper reel to get a better line. A bad line on the most expensive rod will still be bad, so don’t cheap out where quality is needed. The same can be said for tippet, the more you pay the more fish you will land. You can’t catch more fish by buying the most expensive of everything, but you will lose less through break-offs. Better quality mono and fluorocarbon lines have higher breaking strain for their diameter than their cheaper counterpart. Knots will seat better and will be more forgiving if you don’t get it 100% right.

They have less memory and will handle having the odd “wind knot”.

As for all the other trinkets hanging off my vest, only two are used on most trips. A landing net on a magnetic release and my set of haemostats, I will give an honourable mention to my Monomaster waste line holder. It’s a great way to keep used leaders out of the environment.

It’s a wrap I landed 58 trout during the brown trout season, this would be 55 more than I have caught any other season and 50 more than I have caught all seasons combined.

I have met some awesome people along the way, and

most can not wait to give out some pointers to help me along the journey. So I feel I need to do the same.

If you can afford it get yourself a guide who understands you are here to learn, not just looking to land a fish. If that is a luxury that isn’t available then start asking people who do know, most want to further the sport. Better yet join a fly fishing club and you will find yourself inundated with people who want to see you succeed. Don’t expect to catch fish, head the water with a proactive approach and stay focused. The moment you slip off into no man’s land the fish will do the same when they see your fly.

I am now a firm believer that you can conjure up a strike when things are tough, concentrate on your casting. Get in touch with your fly the moment it hits the water and try every retrieve in the book. Fish the hang even when you are wading and always search for new water. Do that and you will catch fish, fish lazy and you won’t.

2023-2024 season Life for me has always been busy, I have got a dozen unfinished projects and two new ones in the pipeline.

Life on the farm is just a list of jobs that never end, and the kids seem to have a birthday to attend every second Sunday.

Throw into the mix that our third child is on the way and my boat needs major repairs, some might say my fishing career has come to a screaming halt. But it just means I need to get creative, my trips will be fewer so it’s time to make them as meaningful as possible.

First thing is first, get over my fear of the dry fly and just start using it. Next will be spending some time searching for larger trout on big streamers, I am as happy catching a half-pounder as I am a five-pounder.

But the lure of something bigger is in the back of any fishers mind, so why not bring it to the front and feed your ego?

Lastly and most importantly to get my eldest daughter out on the lake and slowly start to brainwash her, it is something anyone who calls themselves a fisherman should be doing. After all, how could anyone say no to a child who wants to go fishing, it’s a win-win.

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

Fishing News - Page 7

A nice Meander River trout ready for release.

Early Season on Rivers Bait and lure techniques for Spring Adrian Webb

E

arly-season fishing for trout be hot or cold.

With the start of the season being in winter we are still going to have quite a bit of inclement weather to put up with. Cold, windy and wet days can make fishing conditions very hard and every fish is well-earned for those who tough it out. Then there will be the very clear, cold frosty mornings when the temperature is so low that the water from the line freezes in the rod eyelets preventing one from retrieving after a few casts with the lure. For those of us who love trout fishing rivers, well that's just something we take in our stride.

Remember to be well rugged up, that's the main thing and you don't have to get up and be on the water at first light this early in the season either. I don't, and start around 9.00 am and still manage to catch a trout or two on most trips. Early season trout fishing can be rewarding with many nice plump trout being taken by both bait and lure when fishing rivers. The rivers may be running high and dirty, or they could be running medium and reasonably clear giving us the choice of bait or lure fishing.

Bait Fishing For me, it will depend on how much rain we've had. If the rivers are high and dirty, then it will be bait fishing. I'll be sitting back on a river bank with two rods - in a backwater with a bunch of worms on the Fishing News - Page 8

hooks. I love the start of the season when the rivers are high. I can do a bit of bait fishing as it is so relaxing.

One can sit back and enjoy the beauty that surrounds me while waiting for that fish to eventually take the bait. It's even better on a clear, sunny and calm winter's day too.

I've found that the good old garden worm is the best bait for trout early in the season. Look for a backwater, flooded paddock or a very slow-flowing (or still) pocket of water close to the river bank. Trout will be feeding on worms/grubs that have been washed into rivers or drowned in flooded paddocks, this is where you will catch most fish in these conditions. I have caught several very nice browns in some of the smallest still pockets of water close to the river bank, so always flick a baited hook into those areas when you come across them. The one thing you must have when bait fishing is patience and plenty of it, being patient will be rewarding for you in the long run that's for sure.

I have sometimes picked up a fish before I've had a chance to get my second rod in the water. Other times I've sat there for two hours before picking up a fish, but that's how bait fishing goes. You can throw some soil with a few worms mixed in with it out into the river and then flick the baited hook out to that area. This regularly results in catching a few browns by doing this

as well. Most times I have my baited hooks sitting no more than six metres from the bank. The trout won't be any further out than that as the flow is too strong. ** Note: it is illegal to use ground bait/berley while fishing for trout in Tasmania and it is also illegal to bait fish in National Parks there as well. One must also have a parks pass to fish in a National Park, so don't forget to check out the fishing regulations in your state.**

The set-up I prefer to use is a small ball or bean sinker (around two - eight grams) set above a swivel, followed by a 90cm – 100cm trace with a size six bait holder hook and a nice bunch of garden worms on it. Once you've flicked your bait out, let it sink to the bottom, flick the bail arm over and loosen off the drag so the fish can pick up the bait and move off without feeling any resistance. Then place your rod onto a rod holder or push a Y-shaped twig (never use willow) into the soft ground and rest your rod on the top of the Y. Then it's just a matter of sitting back and waiting for a bite. ** Please do not use any willow twigs and branches for your rod support as these will shoot and grow if left in the ground.**

Some bait fishers will leave the bail arm open and place a small stone on the line so that when the fish takes the bait the line pulls free from the stone. The same basics also apply if the rivers are running high and clear too, you just have to remember the water is very cold and the trout will be slowly moving around

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

You’re an Angler, and no matter how many times you go fishing you’ll want to go again and no matter how many fish you catch (or nearly catch) it will never be enough.

There will be days when the fishing is better than one’s most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse.

Either is a gain over just staying home.

You’re hooked, along with us.

WE ARE TONIC! www.tasfish.com - Get the knowledge - Get the fish.

Fishing News - Page 9

On the retrieve. feeding so as not to waste energy. They will be solid, well-conditioned fish, and you can expect to pick up fish around the one-kilo mark or better. With flooded paddocks, you should fish much lighter with the sinker (or none at all) as the water will be much shallower than the river, and you will often see trout tailing in these areas. Many rivers fish well once the water flows over the river banks and into the paddocks.

So there you have it, try a bit of early season river bait fishing whether the water is dirty or clear, give it a go and enjoy the moment. It's also good as a family outing and a great way to get the kids started in fishing rivers for trout. I am one that always releases the trout I catch, but sometimes when bait fishing the trout will swallow a bait or a lure deep into the throat/gill area and they bleed due to gill damage. If that happens then it's best to keep the trout, releasing a trout that

I always carry a few hard body lures.

Fishing News - Page 10

is bleeding or has gill damage is not a good idea as nine times out of ten it will die. It's best to keep it for a meal or give it to a friend for a feed as I do if and when it happens. ** Remember to leave the area as you found it when you arrived to fish, please take your rubbish home with you.**

Lure Fishing Lure fishing early in the season can be a frustrating time when spinning for trout as their metabolism is low due to the very cold water. Cold, fast-flowing water and sluggish trout can make for several trying trips. This is when I look to fish the slower sections of the river

because early in the season trout will rarely be taken in fast water. They will be along the edges of the river banks and in the slower runs just off the main flow of the river, waiting to pounce on anything that passes by. They will be holding out in deep slow waters that will be energy-saving for them as well. When using the Mepps inline blade spinners and with the water being so cold it pays to use bright-coloured lures, this will stimulate the fish into taking the lure. If the river is running high then it is advisable to work the lure from the river bank and not take any chances of being in the river chasing them. The river bottom is normally very slippery early on in the season, and it's just not worth risking your life getting into a fast-flowing river even though it may look okay to you. This is when the rivers that spill into open pastures are great to fish and there are plenty of rivers like this around Tasmania that are accessible too. Remember, if they are not one that has the Angler's Access set up on them, then please contact the land owner to gain permission to enter the property. Just because you have a trout license, it doesn't give you the right to enter a property without the owner's consent.

Whether you are using soft plastics, blade spinners or hard body lures make sure they are bright-coloured ones as I stated earlier, it will stimulate the trout into striking the lure. Cast the spinner up and across the flow, then keeping the rod tip at around 45 degrees let the lure drift with the flow and slowly retrieve the line to keep the slack out of it. Give the rod a light twitch now and then, by doing this you will have a better chance of a strike and a hookup. Continue this method as you slowly work your way upstream along the river bank. Always look ahead to see if there are pockets of near still or slow water along the river bank, and if there is cast directly upstream and work the lure down through it. These pockets of water will often give up trout as well. If you come across a run of slow water amongst some trees and there is ample room to flick

A good area to drift a wattle grub.

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

A brown trout taken early season on worms. a lure, then do so. These areas can and do hold some nice solid fish in them. If the water is cloudy or even a little dirty then use a dark (I would recommend black with fluro dots) coloured lure. A dark colour shows up more to the trout in these conditions than a bright lure.

When I do decide to have a decent few hours of spinning in a river I'll normally go for a smaller river or stream rather than tackle the bigger rivers. Though I still hit the bigger rivers a couple of times a week and have a session early in the season, more often once the weather is more settled. With the smaller rivers, they seem to settle down much quicker than the large rivers and I can get in and wade them in safety. It pays to have a set of thermal underwear and socks on too, as the cold water really hits home. You have to remember that early-season spinning for trout in rivers will be much slower until the weather warms up and the water temperature rises to a suitable temperature for them. I still work the rivers the same way early in the season as I do throughout the whole season. The only difference is the clarity of the river, water temperature and the lure colour. I do up my blade spinner size in the larger

A mid season trout taken on gold Black Fury.

rivers at this time of year too because of the extra river height. Whereas I normally fish a #00 (1.5gm) spinner I go to a #1 (3.5gm) spinner as it will run much deeper, once the levels drop then I go back to the smaller size. Then there are the hard body lures, a medium diving or suspending lure is my preferred choice only because the rivers are much higher and trout will be holding deeper at this time of year. There are plenty of very good hard body lures available nowadays so pop into your local tackle shop and pick up a few. Talk to the sales staff if you are unsure of what lure you are looking for, they will only be too happy to help out.

Once you're on the river it's only a matter of casting them out and working the lure in much the same way as using the blade spinner. The only different thing I do is to not let it drift with the flow, I will work the hard body lure from the time it hits the water. On the retrieve I flick the rod from side to side, this helps to give the lure a little more action as you work it through the water. Remember it's up to you to get that trout stimulated into striking the lure, good colours for the early season are the fluoro green/yellow, gold, and shiny rainbow models.

When using a hard body early in the season I normally stick with a rainbow pattern or silvery (shiny) coloured models, these have always worked well for me.

Fishing in cold water with lures can often be a lot of trial and error. Don't be afraid of changing your choice of lure at all, especially if you haven't had a strike. A change of lure may just result in getting your first trout for the season. Once the river levels have dropped to a safe wading height, then get into them and start working those lures and spinners hard. Your catch rate should now improve as you will be able to cover more water with the lures. Just remember, “SAFETY FIRST '' do not take any risks as no fish is worth drowning for, fast-flowing water, and slippery rocky river bottoms are unsafe even more so if you are inexperienced in wading rivers. So whether you're going to start the season off with a hook full of juicy fat worms, or are going to flick a lure around, remember the main thing is to enjoy the time spent on a river chasing trout with the family, friends or a mate. All the best for the new season ahead.

A relaxing way to fish a flooded area with worms early season.

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

Fishing News - Page 11

A good silver trevally wading the flats.

Roe Vs Wade ... or Row Vs Wade. The choice can be profound

F

Scotto James

or any scribe, part-time or otherwise, the ambiguity of a subject or title like Roe vs Wade is all too delicious to be devoured in one helping.

Anyone with even a basic knowledge of international law and politics would be aware of the case: a seminal moment in U.S. history embracing a phrase within that country’s Constitution in regards to its intent or meaning when written by their Founding Fathers nearly 240 years ago.

Forward 50 years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court was asked to adjudicate upon an issue that questioned the original, conceptual ideology of the term “right of privacy”. That decision was challenged and overturned this year [2023] when a panel of different Judges failed to uphold the initial findings.

Of course Row vs Wade in angling terms, is a far more straightforward concept that could compare the advantages and disadvantages of fishing from a manpowered craft or simply walking through the water.

In an interview on the ALF (Australian Lure-Fishing) Podcast recently, host Greg Vinall asserted to me that wading was “low tech” and in relation to moving through and within the water, he was no doubt correct.

Fishing News - Page 12

But can low tech be good, better or the best way to fish certain waters? Absolutely! So let’s have an in-depth look at wading, how and where to wade in salt water and its primary advantages over watercraft.

Choosing to Wade Wading has some significant advantages while fishing. It is quieter than a boat, it is slower than a boat and it disturbs less water than a boat. In a nutshell, it is the stealthiest way to move around and within a shallow system or the shallow margins of the depths of a system. It is also not solely bound by interaction with the water and considerable components of any wading journey may be undertaken on Terra Firma. That can be done to cover ground more quickly or safely and fishing may occur from a dry bank or ledge after wading has been used to access otherwise inaccessible areas.

Bank fishing in a full wading kit is regularly the norm in many parts of a system and could be the considered best-case scenario whilst not spooking things like tailing bream or trout in shallow areas near the shore. Angling from a dry bank and perhaps 10 to 20 metres away from the waterline regularly produces the

goods on near unapproachable fish. This can turn the sometimes frustrating game of walking and stalking fish into catching them with relative ease from positions they cannot see or perceive the presence of an angler.

Another of the huge advantages of wading is speed or the inherent lack thereof. Most wading anglers have no form of ‘sounder’ and moving slowly and silently through the water is akin to a near orgasm of the senses.

For the observant angler, it is a perceptional overload regarding sight, hearing, touch and perhaps even the 6th and 7th senses of the vestibular and proprioceptive systems.

In short, there are a lot of things an angler can observe and feel while wading that boat anglers regularly don’t, or don’t do as well. These advantages are absolute weapons when used to provide maximum feedback and benefit to the angler.

Sight and Touch Most fishers would be familiar with the term ‘polaroiding’ which is almost a colloquial term nowadays for trying to see or identify individual or schooled-up fish in the water via the use of glasses that

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

cut glare and allow vision into the water with far more clarity. Even for the most experienced of practitioners, it’s best done moving slowly or stationary. If there’s one written ideology in fishing literature that’s easier to ignore or misunderstand, this is it. As a guide for speed, If you can hear yourself wading through the water, that’s likely to be too fast for stalking the fish you’re trying to see.

Walking and wading banks may see anglers in a hurry to get to places to fish but when it comes to polaroiding, it is worth stopping to smell the roses. For those new to it, fish rarely appear as they do in pictures.

They tend to be shades of colour or shape only and are often stationary or stopping and starting periods of movement. Being proficient at this skill can’t be talked up enough. You can be blind casting to barren water or presenting to fish you know are present and to a species that you’ve identified. It is your choice.

Polaroiding, however, is only one piece of the visual interpretation puzzle. Far more intimate information is available to those wading and moving slowly in the water.

The best sonars on the market don’t show where fish have been eating, sleeping and crapping. Bream in estuaries, for example, will regularly leave ‘digs’.

Digs are small holes or indentations that are often about the size of a fist and fresh ones are regularly categorised by a different, generally darker colour of

sediment left around the outside of the hole. This is a strong indication of recent feeding behaviour. Bream are proficient at extracting all kinds of foodstuffs from within bottom sediments and mud and these telltale signposts of activity are regularly a reliable predictor of a good session. Bream crap mightn’t top the list of many people’s “go-to” conversation topics but it is a great thing to see and discuss as a wading angler.

The St Helens flats. Plenty of dig holes here.

Bream poo is regularly in the form of crushed mussel and oyster shells and these shards of material areas may well give wading anglers their first look at are easily seen reflecting light on the bottom in specific a bream toilet and the stuff is far easier to identify if areas and in sparse to generous amounts. Individual you know what you’re looking for and at. If these spots snags in areas that are not overly affected by tidal have cover from above they will periodically be places movement or in closed estuaries are a good place bream choose to both shelter and sleep and bream to start looking, as are areas such as undercut banks regularly stay within a reasonable proximity of such that don’t dry out on the bottom of the tide. These areas throughout different stages of the tide.

UNBEATABLE 75–115hp FourStroke

Unbridled power, unexpectedly compact, uncompromising reliability, unbelievably fuel efficient. Mercury’s 75–115hp FourStroke Range.

Unlike anything the world has ever seen.

Based on Mercury’s 115hp (L) model. Information based on all manufacturers’ claimed horsepower and weight figures.

UNEXPECTEDLY COMPACT 115HP FOURSTROKE MERCURY

OPTIMAX YAMAHA TWOSTROKE

EVINRUDE TWOSTROKE

SUZUKI

177kg

182kg

Contact or visit us for more information.

HONDA

163kg 170kg

171kg 217kg

THE MERCURY 115HP FOURSTROKE COMES IN AT AN INCREDIBLY LIGHT 163KG MAKING IT THE LIGHTEST IN ITS HORSEPOWER CLASS – 4.6% LIGHTER THAN YAMAHA AND 24% LIGHTER THEN HONDA.

8 Legana Park Drive, Legana, TAS www.cjmarine.com.au Ph: (03) 6330 2277

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

Fishing News - Page 13

Large flathead are available to the wading angler.

The other obvious thing to see is fish tucker and where it is within a system. Worm and yabby holes indicate food underfoot and crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps are either easily observed or easily found under rocks and within weed beds and other structures.

Shellfish are also easy to identify whether you’re looking at them or standing on them and feeling their form when they’re not visible.

Another important food source is bait fish. These animals aren’t just an important protein source for predatory fish but their whereabouts can indicate plenty. If they’re on shallow flats (inches deep) where they can be easily predated from above, this regularly shows an unwillingness to be in deeper and more dangerous waters risking their short-term survival.

Similarly, baitfish pushed right up on the edges in grass or reeds is a great sign that they’re reticent to be in other areas and these behaviours are regularly fear and mortality-orientated. The last place a fisher wants to see baitfish, in say a closed system, is casually swimming about in a metre or two of water seemingly without a care in the world. If they look like they’re not concerned about ending up in the mouths of larger fish, it might be a strong indicator that those predators are not present for the time being, or not present at all.

These three behavioural traits are indicative of fish presence and can be quite obvious to the trained eye when you’re in the water and able to observe it from a very close range. Other visual cues can come from tiny disturbances in the surface of the water which regularly appear as little more than a difference in the shape of prevailing ripples within currents and wind lanes. You’re not seeing fish in this scenario, and not all water discrepancies in the surface film will be fish. But enough will be to stop and explore the area and combined with the experience gained by such encounters, a better knowledge base of such activity will gradually build.

Fishing News - Page 14

This big black bream was caught in very shallow water wading.

Visual stimuli can also come from observing other animals that may indicate the presence of fish like several species of diving birds or birds feeding in the general area like pelicans and cormorants. Fish like bream and mullet regularly interact with feeding swans and a bevy of these birds should be approached carefully so they swim off slowly and don’t take to the wing and make a hell of a racket in the process.

This can spook attendant fish. Swans tend to be fish magnets as their feeding behaviour provides a natural burley stream. Plenty of tough days have been saved by fishing in their wake. Drakes can be protective and get cranky at times, so a little caution is recommended if you’re encroaching on their space.

The other main advantage of being in the water and sensing one’s surroundings comes via the bottom structure and how that feels underfoot.

Electronics probably won’t show if mud is loose to a metre deep or just firm enough to walk upon at the same depth. Being there does. Bream regularly feed over specific bottom densities and these are signs wading anglers should be aware of because its where some fish can feed exclusively on particular items at specific times.

Wading in mud, whilst being very productive and providing access to remote locations, isn’t for the fainthearted or the unfit, and is a considered part of my fitness regime. I would rather be fishing than wasting time jogging or being at a gym for similar benefits. It can be dangerous, and caution is advised while learning about how different sediment densities can or cannot support your weight. A good tip here is to wear thick socks under neoprene stocking foot waders and try and push out your shoe size by a couple of sizes. This works similarly to letting air out of vehicular tyres when driving on loose sand and can dramatically reduce your chances of breaking through the sub-surface crust and ending up crouch deep on one leg. And, it can only

Wading in a remote location. ever be one leg. Two legs in that stuff might be an embarrassing 000 call and a chopper or another form of emergency extraction.

I use a long-handled barra net as a wading staff and invert this and hold the net where the handle and net ring meet and use the handle as the staff.

In other words, the net is upside down. This is the most important piece of wading kit I own. Even more important than waders because without it, wading in mud could almost be considered negligent. The handle pressed into the bottom also indicates how soft or firm the ground will be under the next step taken.

An effective method to wade in soft areas and to keep balanced is to keep the net handle and your two feet in the rough shape of an equilateral triangle. This distributes weight well and gives two points of surety if one leg goes down beyond the knee.

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

A solid chopper from a closed system.

Understanding what you can see and feel will go a long way toward successful wading and successful angling in waders, which are two very different things.

There is something very special about being in the water, being part of the liquid environment and not simply floating on top of it. It is a different feeling and it exercises different areas of sensory perception. Use them before you lose them. Life for the 17.5 million Australians that live in cities and dwell away from the bush and nature must be very challenging at times.

Pulling on some waders and getting amongst it is good for the soul.

Waders and Wading Gear The first waders or perhaps the commercial origin of waders appears to go back to 1850 and were produced by Hodgeman in Massachusetts USA, after that enterprise initially set up in 1838. Their production embraced the rubber revolution in regard to construction up until the 1990s when the more modern and user-friendly materials of neoprene and so-called breathable materials ( is hard to be totally convinced of this claim) like Gore-Tex were introduced. These and even more diverse fabrics were and remain a significant improvement over the vastly inferior and cumbersome products of the past. They commonly take the form of thigh height and boot-like or waist-high & chest-high, and versions of both have a place dependent upon needs.

Here in Tasmania, waders do far more than keep folks dry. They are also an integral component to keeping people warm for long periods in what are often frigid estuarine waters affected by snow and frost runoff. Hypothermia is a real and potentially deadly issue. The recommended vaccine is not to get cold.

If we return to the issue of waders being low-tech, products that fit properly and don’t leak come at a relatively high cost. From experience and many thousands of wasted dollars, waders are most definitely in a consumer category of caveat emptor and “poor man pays twice”.

Quality chest-high versions run in the $800 to $1200+ range and the last 5 years or so have seen some items increase in cost by 40-50%. So it is a considerable

investment for a relatively short period, especially if you’re brutal on gear. Mike Stevens at Essential Flyfisher in Launceston, which stocks many of the leading brands, gives an assurance that some fishing guides get 5 years from a high-end products like Simms.

It’s the brand I choose to wear (there are no sponsor conflicts).

The 5-year thing might be seen as optimistic, however, if wading includes bashing through bank side blackberries and gorse or trying to lift tired and ageing legs over barbed wire fences.

For those that can dry them out after each use and maintain them as per instructions, they should offer good medium-term value. A cheaper pair may well be warranted while folks decide if wading, especially deep wading, is Walk wading can access some great ocean ledges. going to be something they wish to pursue. If that decision is made, then buy or save chain stores can be obtained at heavily discounted what’s needed for the best pair you can afford. prices. They will probably corrode and fall apart but Vests and other items that can carry gear like wet premium products can too, especially if they cannot bags or back/front packs are the next consideration for be dried out after each use. wading anglers and again, these items may be costly.

Another item worthy of serious consideration is The same advice as suggested regarding wader purchases gloves. Hands getting frozen are painful for a time is applicable. A quality Simms vest is in the $300-$500 and then they become non-functional. There are too range and last really well, as can other leading brands. many fishing-specific gloves on the market to mention.

Longer than waders seem to. Cheaper items with dodgy Do some research but more importantly protect the zips and thread work will be left wanting, but may integrity of your fingers. still be an option for some people. Vests in particular The last thing to mention under gear is that many can carry an enormous amount of gear. Mine weighs Tasmanian fishers are very well set up for saltwater or in full at around 7 kg and that can include the weight brackish scenario wading and currently practice sweetof fishing gear, extra clothing, food and drink, tripod, water wading, primarily for trout. Many of these folks portable live well and camera gear. Well-designed rarely if ever wade the briny. Species like bream are at vests can have a large back pocket that serves a similar least as challenging as trout on the fly, while others function to a basic backpack. like medium to large-sized silver trevally can remove The other necessity is footwear and this is one area backing at palpable speeds. Of course, there’s also scope where In try and save. Cheap boots or sandshoes from for fishing to sea run browns.

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

Fishing News - Page 15

As a member of a fly fishing club, it is quite surprising how many great trout fishers don’t participate in angling for other species. It comes highly recommended.

Locations and Methods and Species The wading fisher can access some remote locations compared to those who can’t get their feet wet.

Places like St Helen’s have expansive flats down toward the front of the system and anglers can wade out several hundred metres on the right tides. They also have exclusive access to areas most traditional boats can’t go to. Ansons Bay also allows for far offshore wading, and it can be an exhilarating experience to be out there by yourself with the odd stingray and shark for company. Meanwhile some systems, especially many intermittent or micro systems cant be accessed by conventional boats. They’re “walk-in” waters. Pretty much every puddle with at least occasional saltwater flows will hold bream and some other species, especially

on the east coast. Unfortunately, the biomass of 45cm+ bream in many intermittent waters has seen what could be described as a very significant decline over the last 3 to 4 years, especially on the east coast. That said, some large fish still reside. Claims that these are some of Australia’s best bream fishing waters may be a thing of the past in some locales and former strongholds if a recovery is not seen in these systems. This may or may not be a cyclic event.

Other locations that are easily waded include parts of the lower Scamander River, the bottom reaches of the Prosser River, Little Swanport, Musselroe Bay, Port Sorrel and the Tamar and Derwent River estuaries, The Derwent could be singled out as having the best fishing of any capital city river in the country, and is a diverse and productive fishery. It’s huge water that would keep some wading anglers happy for a lifetime.

A little further south, the Huon River offers great fishing and is definitely worth the time and effort to explore. The other main areas to consider wading are

N Sniper lures Two new fish catching colours added to the range!!!

“Pink Lady” 60mm Suspending

NEW !!!

“Purple Haze” 60mm & 69mm Deep Suspending

Ocean’s Legacy Hybrid Contact Slow Pitch Jigs, Slingshot Casting Irons, Keeling Stickbaits and specialised Rods

NEW !!!

RAPTOR - PREMIUM SQUID JIGS – Manufactured exclusively for Sherriff Fishing & Outdoor Tropical #3.5 Postman #3.5 Sunset #3.5 Ozzie #3.5

Pacific #3.5 www.sherrifffishingandoutdoor.com.au

Fishing News - Page 16

Available only through selected Tackle stores

calm ocean beaches. There’s far more here than meets the eye. Black Bream and big flathead, in particular, are an exciting prospect of some Tasmanian beaches.

Regarding specific areas within an estuary to fish, they could be categorised into three basic but diversely different places. Flats, drop-offs and deeps. Flats can be waded at both high and low tides depending upon specific geography. Dry or shallow flats at low tide can offer superb fishing for bream within larger systems on incoming tides and they can also permit access to drop-offs into deeper water. Drop-offs regularly present as fish highways and predatory fish mugging hot spots.

These ledges regularly return to deeper water so wading fishers can fish into channels if they are holding the desired species at the time. In some estuaries, low tides can offer similar flats fishing over flats that are rarely if ever exposed to tides. Marine charts and apps like google earth are your friends. Put the time in and learn how to read them. If you’re going to a new spot, especially arriving early, late, or in the dark, it is nice to know the depth and bottom structure in advance.

Bite windows can be small. Missing them searching for water to fish isn’t time well spent.

Although there are definite and plentiful opportunities to fly fish in these areas, the majority of fishers will probably be lure fishers. They’re the ones typically seen if I see anyone at all. There’s certainly scope for bait fishing too, although bait fishers seem to stick to banks and boats more often. That’s an observation, only.

Distance casting can offer up real advantages and employing specific presentation choices will aid for wading spin fishers. This form of angling can offer up almost all the desirable estuarine species in Tasmania.

Bream are at the top of the list for many, but so are large flathead, sea run trout, silver trevally and calamari squid. Fish like mullet, Australian salmon, leather jackets and barracouta can be prolific at times and are a great starting point for the beginner and experienced alike. Large wrasse of multiple species are in many waters and these things are extremely challenging on light gear. Sometimes, too much so. The list could be rounded off by the large King George whiting Tassie is renowned for, with tailor and luderick as occasional captures. Snapper and kingfish are a possibility for the dedicated angler. Many spin and fly fishers practice catch and release, especially on black bream. For those that prefer a spear to a rod, areas to seek flounder are plentiful.

As a final consideration, wading at night [without fishing gear] with a spotlight reveals more secrets about your preferred area than any electronics on the planet and any other method at one’s disposal. Add to that it’s a lot of fun and can keep kids amused for hours while educating them in ways schools cannot.

There’s a lot to be said for wading the briny, and that includes owning a boat and still choosing to wade out a majority of fishing sessions. I find myself in waders more often than not and catch some great fish while keeping healthy at the same time.

Row vs Wade......The Wade is looking good!

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

A northeast Tasmania bluefin.

Stickbaiting North East Tuna The phenomena of the 2020s Jack Gillespie

B

luefin tuna, have become highly a soughtafter game fish with their recent arrival to the north coast of Tasmania. With its healthy marine ecosystem, Bass Strait has presented itself with fantastic opportunities for anglers to target these powerful fish.

In this article I will focus more on targeting school-size bluefin tuna on the northeast coast, using stickbait lures and casting methods.

Locating Tuna Schools Bluefin tuna has always been a popular sport fish on the east coast of Tasmania, but in recent years more and more schools of tuna have appeared on the North East coast which has provided a great opportunity for the northern anglers. Locating fish is generally the hardest part when targeting these fish, they will be found at various depths depending on where the bait

is holding. Covering water in a zigzag fashion will give you the highest chance of locating Tuna. Birds are a dead giveaway and the best thing about the Bass Strait tuna fishing scene is other anglers are more than willing to help which isn’t always the case with other types of fishing. So make sure you have your VHF turned on and keep updated with other anglers while out on the water or back at the ramp.

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

Fishing News - Page 17

s r ou o t Welcome

tamarmarine.com.au 1300 MARINE

Fishing News - Page 18

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

story

u

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

Fishing News - Page 19

The first time I encountered Bluefin tuna on the northeast coast there was a lot of bird action, fish busting the surface and plenty of boats in the area. With the large amount of fish in the area we trolled lures for an hour or so, with no luck. I believe that the tuna had clued onto the boats but were still feeding. After this realisation, we killed the engine tied on some stick baits and started casting no sooner than five minutes would already hook two 20kg+ tuna. From that point, I left the trolling gear at home and only took the casting gear on future trips.

When the fish are feeding aggressively, they will eat just about anything off the top, but when things are a little slower, it’s best to have various-size stick baits in your arsenal. If you are lucky enough to come across a tight feeding frenzy, it’s best to pull the boat up just short of the school to avoid pushing the fish down deeper. If you see fish feeding but not in a tight ball it’s best to pull up and start casting. There’s not much point chasing every fish you see breach the water as they will constantly be moving around.

Selecting Stickbaits For Northeast Bluefin I like to start with a smaller sinking stick bait and from there work my way up to a larger floating stick bait or popper. That way you know you have your bases covered. The most effective smaller stickbaits I have used are Daiwa Spartan Break Thru 120S which has a great wobble when sinking. For larger presentations, I like the Daiwa Saltiga Rough Ride 140F because it has an aggressive side to side action while skipping along

Amy Lovett and a sensational bluefin caught casting a lure. the surface and a great colour selection. I rig these with these BKK single hooks not to damage the fish if I plan to release. I tied all my stickbaits on via a large barrel swivel and a split ring.

Retrieves That Get The Bites

Quality gear will mean more bluefin in the boat.

Fishing News - Page 20

The retrieve of a stick bait can also play an important part in your success rate.

Always make long casts and depending on the day sometimes the fish will like short sharp rips, which can be achieved by short fast turns of the reel with coinciding rod movements. This usually sees the stickbait move erratically which gets the fast-moving tuna fired up, they have to eat it or miss out! Another successful retrieve is to use longer smooth draws of the lure followed by the occasional pause. I usually burn the bait first and then use a slower retrieve if I don’t create a response. Always pay attention as tuna can eat a lure quite aggressively and it’s always cool to see a tuna breach the surface and eat your lure.

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

Gear To Get The Job Done When it comes casting gear for bluefin tuna you want a setup that will take the hard work out of casting for you. Most commonly used short rods are fine for trolling but when it comes to casting for bluefin you need something more specific to the job. Longer rods around 8 foot in length and in the pe 2-5 range will give you the ability to cast a range of stick baits a long distance. It is the simple equation of more length in the rod the further you will cast. There’s no doubt a shorter rod is easier on the back to fight fish with but this is irrelevant if you can’t get the lure in the zone to get a bite in the first place! Without a doubt, my favourite rod is the Daiwa DemonBlood S83 2/4 its lightweight, comfortable, and has enough grunt to subdue a range of different-sized fish.

Most reel manufacturers will have a different sizing method, but generally between 4000-6000 is the standard for 20-30kg bluefin tuna. My preferred reel

Left: Casting stickbaits to tuna busting up is visual and exciting!

Above: School sized fish are fantastic fighters!

Right: Spin sticks will allow for greater casting distance. is the Daiwa BG 6000 it is durable, budget friendly, and most importantly has a great drag system which is hugely important when fishing for bluefin. Theres few fish in the ocean that will tear line off a spool like a tuna and these reels perform faultlessly when it counts. When it comes to line and leader, I like to use Daiwa J Braid in 40lbs to 60lbs. It casts well, ties great knots and is very reliable. I like using the multi colour because It gives me a great idea how much line I am retrieving while using a sinking lure. Leader selection is simply 60lb fluorocarbon leader. Fluorocarbon is great a great option because it is tough as nails, hardwearing and invisible in the water. While fluorocarbon is more expensive to buy, it is definitely money well spent. It’s always better to be on the safe side when it comes to the leader size you may miss a couple of fish with the larger

leader, but tuna have small, sharp teeth and will easily cut through a light leader if it rubs across their mouth.

Limit Your Kill If you plan on releasing tuna, it’s important to handle the fish with care to minimise stress and potential harm. A large rubber net is a very handy tool as you can leave the fish in the water while you remove the hooks. Limited time and damage while out of the water and spearing the fish back in will make for a good release rate.

In conclusion, nobody knows for certain if these school-size tuna will become and seasonal thing on the north coast or fade over time, with that in mind, there is no better opportunity than to target these fish right now so go out and enjoy it.

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

Fishing News - Page 21

NEW

AMPLITUDE TEXTURED

TROUT STANDARD • Features the revolutionary AST Plus slickness additive for superior shooting ability and increased durability • Floating Texture on the tip section for the ultimate in flotation; it simply keeps dry flies floating longer • Shooting Texture running line delivers longer casts, thanks to a reduction in friction • Mid-length head for exceptional mending and accuracy at distance • The casters line • Braided multifilament core • SA AMPLITUDE STANDARD WF X F (X = line weight)

TACTILE REFERENCE POINT

SHOOTING TEXTURE

FLOATING TEXTURE

GREEN / WILLOW / DARK WILLOW

RUNNING LINE

90’

80’

70’

REAR TAPER

60’

50’

BELLY 2

40’

30’

BELLY 1

20’

FRONT TAPER 1 10’ 0’

ITEM NUMBER 140812 140829 140836 140843 140850

LINE WEIGHT WF-2-F WF-3-F WF-4-F WF-5-F WF-6-F

SUGG RETAIL 129.95 129.95 129.95 129.95 129.95

HEAD LENGTH 42.0’ 32.0’ 34.0’ 36.0’ 38.0’

TOTAL LENGTH 90.0’ 90.0’ 90.0’ 90.0’ 90.0’

HEAD WEIGHT 90 140 190 240 290

GRAIN WEIGHT* 80 100 120 140 160

*grain weight for the first 30’ | scientificanglers.com | 855-799-2822 | dealersupport@scientificanglers.com

Fishing News - Page 22

0 2 3

TRUE TO WEIGHT LINE

SHOOTING TEXTURE

2

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

Leatherjackets Fun, plentiful, delicous and easy to find Jamie Henderson Leatherjackets are a great table and angling species for all to pursue. We have revised and republished this story by Jamie Henderson from Issue 96.

I

f you mention you caught a ‘Leatherjacket’ to any salt water angler they will know what you are talking about. Many dislike these soft plastic stealing foes. However the humble leatherjacket - often called jackets, butterfish, triggerfish or my favourite name is ‘Larry’ is common, delicous, readily available in Tasmania, both estuarine and oceanic.

This amazing fish has served as much amusement for many young anglers beginning their journey into the fishing world. I can remember as a kid sitting on many jetties and wharves watching leatherjackets feeding on the pylons and structure below; mesmerized by them.

Then I would spend countless hours trying to fool them with my hook and bait. Most of the time they would swim out and nibble at the bait without touching the hook causing much frustration, this is where I learnt to change my tactics as a young angler determined not to be beaten by this fish, changing hook sizes, line, rigs and bait until I could hook one successfully.

This is where it all started and those basic principles I learnt then still apply to many fishing situations today, and I am sure I am not alone, its an aspect of fishing that I love to see even to this day when I wander around our local jetties, kids having fun catching leatherjackets.

These unusual looking fish are members of the Monacanthidae family, a name which has Greek origins meaning ‘one thorn’, and refers to the sharp spine on the top of their heads. There are more than 60 species caught around the Australian coast and in some of theses the males are brightly coloured with very intense patterns while the females are drab and dark coloured.

The common name ‘Leatherjacket’ refers to their thick, tough, leathery skin, which doesn’t have normal scales and can be peeled off like a jacket. Would you believe that once upon a time the dried skin was used to polish wooden boats?

The leatherjacket is available in most waters all around the state and what was my home water, Georges Bay in St Helens, is a leatherjacket haven. That is often to the detriment of many of the soft plastic fisherman intent on using any soft plastics. These guys will have you going through a packet of plastics in no time flat without even the hint of a bite…..be warned - especially any of the scented plastics. As a previous tackle store

owner though, leatherjackets helped the soft plastic sales enormously. The leatherjacket is available in Georges Bay all year round and is a staple table fish of many families; they are relatively easy to catch, are widespread all over the bay and are a great target for the kids.

Whilst fish of up to 3-4lb are regularly caught around the bay 1-2lb examples are most common and only require the most basic of fishing tackle to catch. When fishing for leatherjacket the use of long shank hooks is a must, sizes #2 - 6 are perfect, as the fish have very strong teeth and jaws and will bite through the line very easily. The long shank hooks give a bit more security against bite offs although I have seen fish bite clean through a hook shank.

Just about any bait available at a tackle shop will work for leatherjacket, they tend not to be fussy eaters, I have found a piece of squid or peeled prawn flesh to be very effective, just be careful not to have any bait residue on the line anywhere near the hook as the fish will bite through your line. A basic paternoster rig with the sinker on the bottom and 1 or 2 hooks above it is all that is needed keeping the whole outfit nice and simple or if fishing a burley trail from the back of a boat an un-weighted bait floated down the trail can result in some great visual fishing. Often the best time

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

Fishing News - Page 23

is when the tide slows and they will come on strongly.

Fishing for leatherjacket can be done with rod and reel or just as easily with a small hand line making it a very inexpensive form of fishing. They are not spooked by the boat and it is a delight to all to watch them mill around your bait. A bit of rough or weedy bottom is preferred.

Once caught the leatherjacket are quite easy to clean, using a sharp and strong knife slit the belly open from the anal opening up to the gills as you would when gutting any fish, then sit the fish upright on its belly and slice straight down behind the head and almost all the way through to the bottom, then as you tear the head away all the gills and guts should come away with it leaving you a headless gutless trunk with the skin still on. Now you need to remove the leathery skin, just try and peel an edge up then use your thumb to slide under the skin and separate the skin from the flesh, it will come away quite easily. What you will be left with is a headless, gutless, skinless trunk of beautiful white flesh which can either be left whole or filleted from this point.

The flesh from a leatherjacket is a highly regarded table fish, treated as a delicacy by many. The fillets

Fishing News - Page 24

are usually boneless, trunks usually have the backbone left in and can be cooked this way.

I like to fillet them, dust them lightly in flour, coat in egg and then use Panko Breadcrumbs in a hot pan of Olive Oil and a knob of butter….. superb.

They are related to the highly-prized fugu fish of Japan (without any of the risk of poisoning) and the firm flesh has a mild flavour, low oiliness and is moderately moist. A versatile fish, they are good steamed, poached, pan-fried, stir-fried, deep-fried, baked, braised, grilled, barbecued or smoked. They are a good plate-sized fish cooked whole (head off) and this is the best way to bake or grill them where wrapping them in foil will help prevent them drying out. The firm flesh works well minced for fish cakes and fish balls and holds together well in soups, curries and casseroles.

I thought I would Google leatherjacket recipes and see what I could find. The recipe below is one by Tetsuya Wakuda and was part of a story by journalist Paul Denham. Tetsuya is one of Australia’s best known chefs.

“This marinated leatherjacket recipe comes from my mother but she did it with chicken. I first had it when I was six or seven. My mother was a very good domestic cook. She is shocked that I picked this recipe, as it is really common in Japan. I grew up with this taste. I made her make it all the time, even though she didn’t want to. I was a bit spoilt. “In Japan, during winter, I have fugu, which is like the puffer fish. It’s poisonous and no one fishes it here. The leatherjacket is the closest in taste but you could also use flounder.”

Leatherjacket marinated with ginger and soy Serves four.

Four medium-sized whole leatherjackets (about 150g each), gutted with heads, tails and fins removed 150ml soy sauce 100ml mirin 3 tbsp grated ginger 2 cloves garlic, grated 2 pinches white pepper 1 pinch salt 1 tsp white sugar 1 tsp sesame oil Plain flour, for coating Grapeseed or vegetable oil for deep-frying (about 2 cups) 2 limes and zest (optional)

Chop each leatherjacket into four or five pieces.

(Use a cleaver for best results and chop through the bone.) Combine soy sauce, mirin, ginger, garlic, white pepper, salt, sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour marinade over fish pieces and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for half an hour. Remove fish from the marinade and toss in flour to coat evenly.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat until hot, about 170-180C. Fry fish in batches until golden brown and cooked through. Serve fish with lime wedges and a green salad and scatter over lime zest, if using.

So the next time you want to have a little bit if fun, entertain the kids or just want a basic feed of fish don’t overlook Larry the leatherjacket, it may just surprise you.

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

Logan with a season starter.

Early Season with Dry Flies Is it possible? How and where

I

Logan Reid

t was the Friday night before the opening weekend of the 2019-2020 Tasmanian brown trout season, my word was I excited. Being mostly a river fisherman I had my 6’6” 3wt fly rod already set up with an elk hair caddis and a size 16 nymph suspended about a foot and a half below. I didn’t get up too early the next morning and instead, I stayed in bed for a little sleep in. But by 10 am I was on a small stream in northern Tasmania. I wanted to sight-cast to a fish so I decided to walk along the bank peering into the water looking for a fish or even a sign of a fish. Walking past all this

beautiful water, past bends and undercut banks, slack pockets and broken water but I didn’t find any signs at all in about a 50-metre stretch of water. Well, I hadn’t travelled that far but I couldn’t help myself and I made a cast and let my flies drift only a few inches off an undercut bank and within the first second of them being on the water, I could see a dark figure ascending from the dark depth. It was as if everything went into slow motion and with every inch that the fish got closer to my fly the more details I could see, it was a good fish. After the dark figure caught my eye the fish slowly

revealed himself and moved with purpose towards my fly. I saw a dark back and then the black spots with a mix of fluorescent red ones on his side, I could see his fins cased in a white outline. The last thing I saw was a nose come over my dry fly and close. I set the hook and I was on, it was an awesome match with this brown fighting dirty and trying to run me under the undercut or wrap me around anything he could find.

With lots of opposite-side pressure and a lot of luck, the fish met my net. He was a solid two pound brown out of a small stream less than a metre wide in most

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

Fishing News - Page 25

Early season will be cold, so rug up! places, and to top it off he took the dry in a very visual way. It was an awesome start to this particular season.

Anyway, let us chat about this season.

Here in Tasmania, we (the trout fishermen and women) have a tradition of getting out for the opening weekend of the brown trout season, myself included.

It doesn’t matter if you are eight years old or 80 years old we all share the excitement and anticipation of what opening morning will bring. We will look at our favourite weather apps and Google Maps weeks out from the opening weekend and try to plan where we’ll be heading. The lowland lakes fish well early in the season, Four Springs Lake is a favourite for many northern Tasmanian anglers. Blackmans Lagoon is another waterway on the northeastern side of Tasmania that fishes well for opening weekend. I do like to fish these waters especially early on in the season but what I love the most is dry fly fishing and sight fishing. And small streams have both of those things. Our Tasmanian small streams have an overabundance of small brown trout which make these fish very opportunistic. These hungry fish will take anything they can fit in their mouths so if you like throwing dries around you will be able to get fish to have a look at yours no matter what time of the year it is.

Fishing News - Page 26

Tasmania has countless beautiful small streams to explore.

Rods and reels With the average fish on a small stream being on the smaller side of the scales you can get away with downsizing your fishing gear, and this is often very enjoyable with light rods that bend to the butt. I am currently using a Primal Twig that is six foot six inches in length. It’s a fibreglass three weight which is durable and makes a fish of around a pound feel like it’s three pounds! I pair the twig with a FlyLab Exo reel which is a nice little reel for my line holder. However, my gear choices are not essential to give small streams a try.

I started with a nine-foot-six weight that was handed down to me and caught plenty of fish doing so.

Lines and leaders For small stream fishing, I like to pair my rod and reel with a weight forward floating line. The weight forward helps me to fish short and get my flies on the water and in front of the fish quickly. To this, I’ll add a leader. Shop-bought nine-foot 4x tapered leaders work great but I like to take off about 60 centimetres of the thick end of this tapered leader. I like to connect the leader to my fly line with a loop-to-loop knot connection and my favourite knot is a perfection loop knot. At the fine end of the leader, I’ll add about

a metre of 4x tippet making the overall length of my leader about three metres in length. At the end of this, I’ll add my flies. It takes a bit of practice to roll over a leader of this length but I believe it improves your catch rate once you learn to use it. Going with the longest leader you can get away with and manage will give you an advantage in any fishing scenario you’re faced with, because the long thinner leader will help you with a better drag-free drift.

Fly choice For the small streams, I love throwing small flies.

Things like Red Tags or Royal Wulffs, also small black beetles work well. But probably my favourite fly that I’ll tie on for most sessions on a river is a size 12 elk hair caddis. The elk hair caddis floats all day and fish love it. It not only imitates our snowflake caddis and sedge but through the summer months when the grasshoppers are about fish will take your caddis as a hopper. An elk hair caddis is also a very hardy fly and you can catch multiple fish on a single fly before it falls apart, my record is 22 fish on one particular fly before it needed replacing. We all have our favorite flies and I believe that having confidence in a fly you have tied on is important and will catch you more fish.

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

Practising your casting will help navigate your fly in to the hot spots on small streams.

Finding small streams Now I’m not going to give away any names.

These small streams are precious, pristine areas that don’t cope well with too much pressure.

But I can give you some hints on where you can find your special twig waters. All streams start somewhere and they don’t start as a big river, instead, they start in the mountains as crystal clear springs that flow down through valleys gaining volume and width as they go. All you have to do is look at your favourite river and head upstream into the headwater. If you look at a map of a river you’ll notice that the river will take on the look of a tree. The river will have a trunk in the form of the main river and have branches coming from the main river as a smaller river and by travelling up the smaller rivers you’ll find the twig water streams.

Improving your catch rate Just like all river fishing, the drift is the most important part of catching a fish, so getting the right drift is essential for success. In the small streams, I find that straight-line fishing is the best way to get a good drag-free drift. Even in small streams, you can get complex currents.

Deep pockets such as this under the log will usually produce fish.

Complex currents mean multiple currents in one stretch of the stream that are all moving at different speeds. By casting across multiple currents you will be giving your flies drag before too long. To prevent this, casting into just a single current with all your line and leader in the same current is essential. If straight-line fishing is not possible due to bends and corners then casting over the inside of the bend is another way to get a drag-free drift. You’ll place a cast with most of your line landing on the bank with only a foot or so of tippet material landing in the water on the inside slack pocket on the inside of a bend.

But the most important thing is simply to have your flies on the water. Minimize your false casting by practising your pickup putdown technique so your fly is on the water for 95% of the time. You don’t often need a long drift on a small stream, instead just a short dragfree drift and fish will take your fly within the first second or two of it landing on the water.

No matter what style of fishing you enjoy get out on opening and spend time outside on a solo trip or with mates and enjoy the awesome fishing and spaces that Tasmania has to offer!

Gorgeous brown trout are regulars when fishing twig waters.

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

Fishing News - Page 27

AWARD WINNING RODS AT A REASONABLE PRICE

• Winner of Yellowstone Anglers 2020 5wt Shootout “Best Overall Rod” with 30 plus 5wt rods tested • Distinctly effortless casting and increased sensitivity on some of the industries lightest blanks and swing weights in its class • REC Titanium shape memory Cerecoil stripper guides with zirconia inserts, REC Titanium recoil guides • A skeletonized aluminum reel seat, double uplocking rings with nylon bushings and burled blackwood inserts • Moderate-fast action, multimodulus blanks constructed with G-Tec platelets over a glare-resistant platinum color with G-Armour coating • AAAA flor-grade cork • Section alignment dots featuring rod line weight • Powder coated aluminum tube and plush moisture wicking rod sock • Lifetime Warranty on all Douglas Fly Rods

Photo: Logan Summers

Fishing News - Page 28

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

A

B

Series MODEL #

LENGTH

WEIGHT

PIECES

HANDLE

MSRP

SKY G 4864

8’6”

#4

4

A

$1450

SKY G 4904

9’0”

#4

4

A

$1450

SKY G 5904

9’0”

#5

4

A

$1450

SKY G 6904 Best 6 weight - Yellowstone Angler 9’0”

#8

4

B

$1450

SKY G 8904

#8

4

B

$1499

9’0”

“

“The Douglas Sky G is astounding. I’ve been fly fishing for over 50 years and own more fly rods than I care to admit. I’ve thrown just about every brand rod there is, but I’ve never used a rod that has the characteristics that this one has. I can carry a ridiculous amount of line in the air and reach long distances effortlessly. It is a joy to fish.”

Dave Townsend

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

Fishing News - Page 29

Fish Aggregation Devices What are they? What do they do?

Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt

W

e all know them as F A D s and yes we often call them Fish ATTRACTING Devices but the true and correct term is AGGREGATION. That is just a fancy word for single things forming into a cluster. The single things in this case being FISH. This is what FAD’s do and they do very well. They attract fish that like to cluster around something of interest. It just so happens this is most form of bait fish. Such a general and broad term, bait fish as it can mean so much to so many.

The bait then do a great job in stirring up some interest from the like of tuna, sharks, Snapper and yellowtail kingfish. Interestingly originally developed by commercial fishers, FADs have become increasingly used around Australia to provide awesome recreational fishing. We have started to see a greater interest in them here in Tasmania.

Growing up in Tasmania bait fish as a kid was the humble Roach or a poddy mullet of juvenile Australian Salmon. While this is still the case, as the years have passed so to has the fish we have used as bait. The fact remains that bait and it being found in good numbers leads to better fishing outcomes and success.

Here is where the big chunk of chain, rope and big plastic buoy come in. Enter THE FAD These have been placed in the water around Tasmania for a number of years now and they are really starting to find favour among fishos from around the state.

These have been predominantly mid depth to shallow water deployments targeting transient species such as Snapper and Yellowtail Kingfish.

The Kingy’s have been crawling all over them and if you are in the area of a FAD this summer I suggest you try your luck. You can drift past them and cast long and hard toward them if you are lucky to have the FAD to yourself. This for mine is the most productive when no crowds about.

Once a few boats wake up to what you are up to slow trolling some liveys with a chin weight or some deep diving lures may start to bring them undone.

Great news for Snapper fishos is these FADs are going to remain in the water all year. Previously they have been removed. Allowing them to stay in and build more growth and attract more bait will have the big jawed Snapper come though looking for something to munch. Setting up a Snapper trap close to a substantiated FAD is a much better chance of success.

So if you have not fished a FAD yet get your head around where they are located and head out. If you have fished a FAD in TAS then please fill out the survey so we can show interest in getting some more.

Where are they? See page 34.

FAD-ulous! A new survey for Tas. FAD fishers

H

ave you fished from a Fish Aggregating Device (FADs) in Tasmania? If you have, we’d love to hear from you! Where did you go? Which fish were you targeting? What did you catch? The Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), TARFish, and the Tasmanian Government want to know how recreational fishers in Tasmania are using the FADs and if you have enjoyed the experience.

Fishing News - Page 30

FADs are great for pelagic fishing for yellow tail kingfish, tuna, Australian salmon, and more, and are along the coastline to enhance recreational fishing. So far, five FADs have been deployed with more planned for next season.

Funded under Project #2020-073 “Assessing the effectiveness of artificial reefs and FADs in creating recreational opportunities for Tasmania’s recreational fishers” is supported by funding from the FRDC on behalf of the Australian Government.

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

To tell us about your FAD fishing, follow the QR code to complete the survey!

Spawning Squid Closed Season Dates During the closure, taking or possessing calamari and other squid is prohibited in the closed area. Squid that has been bought commercially can be used for bait.

An early closure has been enacted to provide maximum protection for aggregating calamari and help ensure successful spawning during this period. The closure will also help to protect the future of calamari stocks against possible impacts of a marine heat wave, forecast by CSIRO to occur around Tasmania’s coasts from this August.

East Coast Dates are unchanged for the annual closure on the East Coast including Great The squid and calamari fisheries will be closed to recreational Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage, from 15 and commercial fishing on the north coast from 21 August to 31 October to 14 November inclusive.

October inclusive to protect spawning calamari.

North Coast

Siglon PE, is made from EX-PE fibres and offers a tightly woven braid that provides superior abrasion resistance, a very thin diameter and minimal stretch.

Available in 8 carrier PE (PEx8) and 4 carrier PE (PEx4).

PLEASE VISIT EJTODD.COM.AU

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

Fishing News - Page 31

www.tarfish.org

New TARFish digital card OUT NOW!

TARFish Membership and the new Digital Card The new digital card is a ground breaking Fishing Resources at your fingertips step into a new world for recreational You’ll have seamless access to a wide fishers. After signing up, you will receive range of fishing-related resources, like the an email from tarfish@litecard.io with a link Government’s rock lobster app and fishing to download your digital card. guide, regulations, fish ID and catch limits.

This is a cutting-edge fishing experience All the necessary information is at your like never before with your Digital fingertips. Stay compliant, understand Membership securely and conveniently local fishing rules, and make well-informed stored in your mobile wallet. No more decisions.

Giveaways, Exclusive Discounts and Offers

Enjoy exclusive discounts and offers from our trusted partners. From fishing gear and equipment to apparel and accessories, save money while enhancing your angling arsenal. Experience top-quality products at reduced prices, providing you with even more reasons to embark on exciting fishing searching for physical cards or documents Real-Time updates and local insights excursions. Be the first to know what’s on – everything you need is stored on your Stay up-to-date with fishing reports, real- offer near you! smartphone. This membership connects time weather conditions and local insights Elevate your fishing journey to new you with important fishing information, enabling you to plan your fishing trips more heights with TARFish today! offers and giveaways and access to effectively. Stay ahead of the game and essential fishing resources. maximise your chances of that big catch!

Fishing News - Page 32

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

When you catch something fishing a FAD, snap a picture and tag us on Facebook (@fisheriestasmania) or Instagram (@fisheriestas). We can’t wait to see what you’re catching!

your area, reach out to your local council, fishing club or not-for-profit, and encourage them to apply for a Better Fishing Grant. Visit fishing.tas.gov.au/betterfishing-grants for more information.

Want to see better fishing facilities near you?

RECREATIONAL SEA FISHERIES NEWS More FADs to hit Tassie waters If you like fishing for yellow tail kingfish, tuna or Australian salmon, good news! As part of the Government’s commitment to improving recreational fishing opportunities, the FAD program is expanding, with more FADs to hit the water on the north and south-east coast this September.

The new FADs, four on the north coast and five on the south-east coast will be deployed in addition to the five FADs deployed late last year. The Freycinet FAD is also being moved further inshore to Little Swanport so it’s easier for more fishers to access. The locations for the new FADs were chosen based on public consultation from August 2022 to January 2023, discussions with fishers at Agfest, and the input of TasPorts, TARFish and TSIC. There’s more good news - thanks to improved engineering, whale interactions with FADs are now extremely unlikely, so they can stay in the water yearround. That means more time for barnacles, algae, and other good stuff to build up, which means more bait fish, and most importantly, more game fish!

With the FADs being deployed in September, that gives plenty of time for bait fish to build up before the summer fishing season really kicks off. The best time to fish a FAD is in the warmer months from December to April. Keep an eye out for calm weather with good water clarity and bait balls on the sounder – then cast a lure nearby and have fun!

Check out this bait ball on the St Helens FAD

The Better Fishing Grants program Round 3 is open for applications until the 25 September.

With value up to $150 000, a Better Fishing Grant could see a new fishing pontoon at your local fishing hotspot, a shiny stainless-steel fish filleting station, better power and water supply to existing fishing facilities or other improvements to your local recreational fishing facilities.

So, if you have an idea to improve recreational fishing facilities in

New fish filleting station at George Town from a Better Fishing Grant.

Location of all FADs after September 2023

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

Fishing News - Page 33

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

Fishing News - Page 34

www.tamarmarine.com.au

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

NEW - Pisces Turbo Fly Rods 9’ 5wt, 9’ 6wt, 10’ 6wt $395 or full outfit $550 One the best value priced fly rod ranges on the market. Moderate to faster action rod they are perfect for for river, shore and creek fishing.

Finished in matt black finish to reduce ‘line flash’. All rods have full wells grips, are 4 piece and come in a cordura tube for protection. Spare parts are available immediately.

7’6” #3wt - $395 - or with alloy reel, backing, WF line with loops, and leader $550.

9’ #5wt - $395 - or with alloy reel, backing, WF line with loops, and leader $550.

9’ #6wt - $395 - or with alloy reel, backing, WF line with loops, and leader $550.

10’ #6wt - $395 or with alloy reel, backing, WF line with loops and leader $550.

Express Shipping is FREE. 03 63318944 or online at: www.essentialflyfisher.com.au

Gone Fishing Charters • East coast estuary and bay • Whiting, Bream, Salmon, Garfish, Flathead, Squid and more • Soft plastics, lures, fly and bait • Awesome sportfishing boat.

Gone Fishing Charters St Helens Michael Haley 0419 353 041 mhaleycharters@bigpond.com www.breamfishing.com.au

LAUNCESTON’S ONLY AUTHORISED

MERCURY MARINE SERVICE CENTRE • MERCURY MARINE SALES AND SERVICING • SERVICING ALL BRANDS OF OUTBOARDS • TRAILER MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS 8 LEGANA PARK DRIVE, LEGANA PH: 6330 2277 Z A N E @ C JMA R INE .C OM .A U

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

Fishing News - Page 35

BOATWISE? BOATWISE? ARE YOU DODGY ARE YOU DODGY CHECK BEFORE YOU CHECK BEFORE YOU BUY. BUY. BOATWISE? BOATWISE? CHECK CHECK BEFORE BEFORE YOU YOU BUY. BUY.