Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 155 November 2023 by Tasmanian Fishing

November 2023 – January 2024

TASMANIAN FISHING and BOATING NEWS — ISSUE 155

• Bream Tactics Print Post approved 100003074

• Summer Bream • North East Trout • King George Whiting • Live Sonar

$5.95 Jo Starling on a search for big KG whiting. More on page 25.

• Lake Echo

North East Tassie Trout — Jonty Krushka

Summer Bream Tactics — Nathan Huizing

Going Live With Sonar — Lubin Pfeiffer

20 to 1 Bream Tactics — Scotto James

Fishing Around Without a Plan — Peter Hayes

Lake Echo — Dylan Richards

King George Whiting – World Class — Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling

PLanning for Permit — Grant Wilson

News from TARFish

The recreational sector is up in arms over changes to the Tasmanian Scalefish Plan. In particular, sand flathead have had huge cutbacks to try and save them from being loved too much. Most fishers will tell you it was the first fish they ever caught. In the south of the state bag limits are now two and size limits have changed so fish can only be taken between 35 and 40cm. East coast is five and North 10. Is it fair? For me it is not really a question of fairness, but one of saving the fish so we can catch them in the future. I believe the science, but even if you don’t I have not spoken to anyone who does not believe there has been changes for the worse. We must do what we can to rebuild the stocks of larger fish. The Minister, Jo Palmer, made some very unpopular decisions, but at least she made them. There is a commitment from her to revisit the rules in two years. She also banned all commercial fishing for sand flathead in State waters - up to three miles off shore, so the future of sand flathead is entirely in the hands of the recreational fisher. Sand flathead are now a recreational only species in State waters. Do not confuse, nor lump all flathead together, as tiger flathead are not included and the limits for them has not changed. These are generally in deeper waters and are both commercial and recreational species.

Read the TARFish report on page 33 that will explain these issues a little more. I am on the TARFish board and I can say we worked hard to ease the pain on this and other issues, and we know some/most decisions will not be popular. It will also take some soul searching for fishers in how they conduct their fishing in the future. Perhaps the emergence of new species being taken by rec fishers will ease the pain, but it is a whole new skill set. I am talking about King George whiting and snapper, but these worry me too. The size limit for snapper (30cm) is below their spawning size, which fish biologists tell me is around 35cm. So we should up the size limit on those by 5cm. I have seen a huge increase in number of small snapper in the Tamar River and if we were to increase the limit so these fish can spawn before capture I believe we can have a huge snapper fishery in 5 years time. King George whiting seem to be performing nicely and bag and size limits do seem appropriate. Calamari are another issue that has fired up both the recreational and commercial sector. A six week closure from mid September to the end of October to protect spawning stocks was a great move and I certainly applaud the Minister for that. A closure allows calamari, that aggregate to spawn, protection to get their job done without harrasment. I know of

one fisher that says he caught 650kg in one day from a spawning aggregation last year. If these are pre-spawning it diminshes the stock. Post-spawning it really does no damage as these fish will die and not spawn again. Calamari only live for a year and only spawn once. Whilst a calamari closure does a lot, there is still a lot to do in this space. They are a valuable commercial species and I love to eat them in a restaurant, so commercial fishers must have access. There are many other changes that have and will occur. Make sure you know the rules. I love the Tas Fish Guide App to check the rules. It is easy to find on Android and Apple phones. Previous Goverments, both Liberal and Labor were derelict and did nothing, so now it is drastic and it will be painful for all of us. We all need a little soul searching and change in what we fish for, how many we keep and how we need to care deeply for our fishery. I hope science can help revive our diminished fishery. It will take time. I will be fishing for species other than sand flathead and utilising them fully. Not sure on gunard, but I am happy and look forward to Australian salmon, leatherjacket, garfish, silver trevally and other less popular, but delicious fish. 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

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Big trout are always a real possibility when walking the banks.

North East Tassie Land based trout options Jonty Krushka

ot having access to a boat or kayak is not a problem when it comes to trout fishing in northeast Tassie. Trout are a great species to target from the shore due to their tendency to cruise around searching for food tight into the bank and their lack of hesitation to get in super shallow. The northeast of Tassie is home to several rivers, lagoons and dams that hold quality trout and offer great land-based fishing. Fishing land-based allows you to fish areas that would otherwise be impossible to reach from a boat or kayak which is why most trout fishing I do is land-based. Land-based fishing in the shallow margins or rivers can result in very visual and exciting fishing when a trout decides at the last minute to smash the lure just before it reaches the bank.

Preparation Before heading out to chase some trout from the shore there are a few things to consider. One of these is

knowing where you can get access to the system that you are planning to fish. One of the easiest ways to search for access points is by using Google Earth or LIST map. The satellite imagery allows you to identify roads, clear sections of banks, bridges or any other area that could be fished. LIST map also has the added advantage of being able to apply a layer that can be used to identify private property and crown land. Another point to take into consideration is the current water level of the system you plan to fish. Water levels can dramatically impact the area available to be fished from the shore in some systems. High water levels will often reduce the amount of shore that’s suitable for land-based fishing this is especially the case with rivers and dams where thick bushland comes right to the water’s edge. Paying attention to the rainfall in the weeks leading up to when you plan to go fishing can help you get an idea of what the water level is likely to be doing. It is important to take into consideration

rainfall in the catchment area not just the actual area you intend to fish. Another way to check on water levels is by using the satellite imagery available on the Digital Earth Australia website. This enables you to view recently captured satellite images compared to Google Earth which can be quite old. To have a look Google Digital Earth Australia and then click data and products > baseline satellite data > DEA surface reflectance > see it on a map > explore map data and select DEA surface reflectance sentinel 2 > then filter by location and select the area you are interested in > then search through the dates to find a recent image that is relatively cloud-free. This imagery isn’t of great quality and is often cloud-covered but provides an updated image around every 10 days which can be very handy for checking dam or lake levels. The above instructions are only one way to use the site there are plenty of other ways so have a play around and see if you can find something helpful to you.

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Fishing News - Page 3

Gear Packing the right gear is important when land-based fishing due to the lack of storage and the inability to take all of the tackle you own. There are a few pieces of kit that can make a land-based mission much more enjoyable. A quality pair of waders is a must when trout fishing from the bank. Not only will they keep you dry and warm, but the pockets also serve as extra storage and they will slow the snakes and leaches down which are commonly encountered when trout fishing. In my experience, you get what you pay for with waders and it’s hard to go past Simms gear. Even if you are not planning on being in the water being able to walk out and get a lure off when you are snagged a few metres out from the shore is very handy. Just as important as a good set of waders is a good pair of wading boots especially if you are planning on covering a lot of ground. A life straw or similar water filtration device is another handy piece of gear. It takes up less room than a water bottle and is much lighter. It might not seem like much but when you are bashing through the bush, wading through mud, waist-deep water and chest-high grass for over 10 km every bit of extra weight on your back is noticeable. A decent-sized folding net with an extendable handle is another important piece of gear. A folding net is much easier to carry than normal net styles, especially through thick bush. Having an extendable handle can be a real bonus when land-based fishing, especially from elevated banks or areas where it is difficult to reach the water. I’ve had times where I’ve had to lay on my stomach and reach down at full stretch from a bank with the net fully extended to land a fish.

A superb condition brown trout taken walking a northeast river. The next step is finding something to carry all of your gear in. This will depend on how much you want to take, if you pack light you could fit everything in your wader pockets, a bit more gear could fit into a single-strap shoulder bag or if you want more space a decent-sized backpack could be the best option. Having somewhere to carry the net is also an important thing to consider.

Land-based Tips

All the gear for a successful land based mission. Fishing News - Page 4

When fishing for trout from the shore there are a few things that you can do to have more success. When possible, I like to avoid walking in the water to reduce the risk of spooking nearby fish. If wading is unavoidable, I like to make sure I move as slowly and quietly as possible and if in a river always wade upstream. Although it can be tempting to stand on high banks and on top of rocks to get a better view and have a clear area to cast, I try not to do this to avoid spooking any fish. Instead, I will stand next to a tree or a patch of high grass when I’m casting. This means if a fish follows the lure right to the bank which trout tend to do a lot, it will be less likely to see you and you can have another chance on the next cast. When fishing tidal sections of river for sea run trout I like to fish on the

outgoing tide with plenty of flow. I find the flow tends to push the bait to the edges and makes the trout sit in more predictable locations which makes them easier to catch. A major difference between land-based fishing and fishing from a boat/kayak is having clear space to cast. Fishing from the bank means you are often restricted by trees or grass and won’t be able to cast normally. Practising and getting good at the backhand and underhand casts will allow you to access a lot more water and get your lure where it needs to be when fishing from the bank.

Benefits of land-based fishing Although land-based fishing has a number of restrictions it also has many advantages over fishing from a boat/kayak. The main one is that you can access small and overgrown rivers which are inaccessible by boat. Another time land-based fishing can be better is when the weather is terrible and the wind is blowing a gale. Standing on the bank with the wind at your back can be much easier and more enjoyable than trying to manoeuvre a boat or kayak and having waves spray water all over you. Not only is land-based fishing in these scenarios easier but it can often be more successful as it allows you to fish an area more thoroughly without drifting around everywhere and trying to control a boat or kayak in the wind.

Methods When land-based fishing there are two main tactics you can use. These are either covering a lot of ground searching for actively feeding fish or fishing one or two

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Fishing News - Page 5

good-looking areas thoroughly to try and tempt inactive fish. This decision can often depend on the amount of shore that is fishable. For example, if the dam/ lagoon/river is fairly high and accessibility is limited then fishing the area that you can get to thoroughly might be a better option than trying to bash through the bush or wade through armpit deep water. On the other hand, if it is easy to move around it might pay to cover more water to find actively feeding fish. The areas I like to focus on are the same as they would be when fishing from a boat. I like points, undercut banks, weed beds, places where creeks join into a dam or river and any structure that is a bit different to the majority. An important point to consider when fishing a river is whether to fish upstream or downstream. I generally fish upstream however if you can stay out of the water there are times I have found casting downstream can be a good tactic. The most common scenario when I fish downstream is when the river is flowing hard and is dirty. Pulling the lure into the current allows you to work it much slower than bringing it back with the current. Being able to hang the lure in good-looking spots for longer and keep it in front of the fish’s face can be the difference between getting a bite or not. This method also makes it easier to drift a lure back in underneath a structure such as an overhanging branch. As for retrieves, my go-to is just a slow roll however it can pay to mix it up on the day. Sometimes experimenting with short pauses or a burn-and-kill style retrieve can trigger a bite from fish that are following but not committing. Most of the time I have found that faster retrieves tend to attract smaller fish and the larger fish are lazy and want it slow and right in front of their face.

A fantastic northeast Tasmanian trout.

Tackle The tackle I use when land-based fishing is exactly the same as I would use for fishing in a boat or kayak. However, land-based fishing usually means you only have one setup which can mean picking a good allrounder is important. The setup I use is a 6 foot 8

inch 2-4 lb BKCustom rod matched up with a 2500 size Daiwa spinning reel. The reel is spooled up with a 6 lb sunline plasma asagai braid and has a 5-6lb leader attached via an FG knot. If I’m fishing somewhere that I expect to get snagged I will use a long leader of around 4-5 metres so that if I have to snap off I can get my leader back. If I’m fishing somewhere open and I want to make longer casts I’ll go for a shorter leader of about a rods length. The type of lure will largely depend on the structure, depth, water clarity, current and fish behaviour in the area you are fishing. Generally, I opt for soft plastics because of their versatility. My favourite at the moment is a Daiwa Baitjunkie 2.5-inch minnow rigged on a Baitjunkie jig head in either 1/12th or 1/8th. The baitjunkie jig heads are great, especially in weedy areas. The aggressive hook keeper allows you to rip the plastic out of and through weed without the plastic sliding down the hook. As for colours I usually go with black and gold in discoloured water and copper flash in clear water. When I tie on a hardbody I will usually use a Cranka minnow in either golden trout, jollytail or smelt. Once you have all the gear that you need and have done a bit of research on the area you plan to fish the only thing left to do is to get out and start casting. Land-based trout fishing can be a great way to explore hard-to-reach places or as an alternative to boat fishing when the weather is terrible and there is always the chance of hooking into a giant.

Small minnow style plastics are a great option for big trout. Fishing News - Page 6

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Derwent bream on a jerkbait.

Summer Bream Tactics Nathan Huizing

s the weather begins to warm up and the East Australian Current begins to push down the coast, many anglers pack the light gear away and begin to focus on some of the larger, tastier and more exotic species that move in along the Tasmanian coastline. However, the humble bream remains readily accessible and can provide for some great light tackle fun on those days when it may be a little too windy to get out wide or for those looking to mix it up a bit with a more budget-friendly alternative. There are plenty of great locations to chase bream along the east coast, all the way from the southern end to the northern end. As a bonus, many of these locations can be fished by both land-based anglers and those fishing from a boat. Bream are also a great species for those looking to introduce kids to lure fishing as they can be caught on some of the most basic techniques. That being said, they’re a species open to a wide range of techniques, providing opportunities for even seasoned anglers to sharpen, build on or even learn new skills to add to their arsenal. Many of the skills learnt through bream

fishing can go a long way in helping anglers with their approach to chasing a wide variety of species with lures in the future. Bream can be quite temperamental at times and sight fishing for them in particular can teach anglers a lot about reading fish behaviour and how to approach them.

Rivers in the South East, Little Swanport Lagoon and the Swan River on the East Coast, as well as the Scamander River and George’s Bay in the North East. There are also a dozen or more smaller rivers and lagoons scattered along the coastline that are well worth exploring too.

As Spring wraps up, Summer rolls around and water temps continue to rise, the spawning period comes to an end, prompting the bream to disperse throughout the systems in search of food. Over the Summer months, bream can be found right throughout the systems they reside in, anywhere from the mouth right up into the upper reaches. Sometimes even venturing right up into fresh or out into the ocean where they can be found feeding along beaches or rocky coastlines. All of these scenarios, along with their feeding habits make them an intriguing target for lure fisherman. Tasmania is home to several exceptional systems when it comes to bream fishing. Some notable mentions include the Lune, Huon and Derwent

Techniques & Tactics Below are a few of my favourite lures and techniques to fish over the warmer months Soft Plastics - Perhaps one of the most versatile options getting around, soft plastics have been utilised on the bream scene for a long time now and remain a favourite for many anglers. They come in all shapes and sizes that bream love from minnows to grubs, worms, prawns, crabs and creature baits. Being a relatively cheap alternative to hardbody lures, soft plastics are a great option when fishing around snags and structures where you’re likely to lose a lure or two. The variety of rigging options also means they can be fished

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Fishing News - Page 7

effectively in a number of scenarios. Possibly the most basic and easy method is a slow hop retrieve. This works great when fishing drop-offs and channel edges. Simply rig your plastic of choice on a jighead that suits the depth you’re fishing (typically a jighead between 1/16 - 1/4oz in weight with a #1 - #2 size hook will cover most scenarios) and make a long cast over the zone you plan to fish. Allow your lure to sink while keeping a close eye on the line at the end of your rod tip. When the tension drops and forms a belly in your line, this signifies that your lure has reached the bottom. Proceed to wind up the slack and hop the lure off the bottom with two to three short but quick lifts of the rod tip then drop the rod tip while slowly winding the slack. Once again allowing your lure to sink to the bottom. Let the lure sit on the bottom for roughly three seconds before repeating the retrieve. Bream will often pick the lure up as it is sinking or sitting on the bottom and can often be felt as a subtle tap through the rod tip. Another great rigging option for soft plastics and probably my favourite way to fish them is with a weedless worm hook, particularly the weightless variety. This is a great rigging style for minnows and grubs as it allows an angler to pitch or skipcast their lure deep into snags, undercut banks or work over the top of oyster racks without getting hung up too much. The super slow sink rate also gives the lure a very natural appearance and means the lure can be worked slower meaning you can keep the lure in the zone and the fish’s face for longer. This can be great fun if you find bream sitting around things like submerged trees. Just try to make a cast past the fish and gradually work your lure into their field of vision, letting your lure slowly sink while giving it a few twitches to grab their attention. This can make for some great visuals and some exciting fishing! Jerkbaits - Commonly referred to as hardbody minnows in Tasmania, jerkbaits are a very popular lure on the bream scene and are a great lure for

There are some serious bream to caught along the east coast.

searching for fish. Suspending jerk baits around 60-90mm in length are ideal for bream fishing and typically come in both shallow and deep diving models. Most decent jerk baits cast quite well, thus making them great for covering water. Personally, I like to fish jerk baits over flats, shallow reefs or rocky shorelines. Making long casts and working the lure with a ‘twitch, twitch, pause’ technique similar to the hopping retrieve used with soft plastics but rather than lifting the rod tip, twitch the rod tip downward towards the water. Winding the slack to maintain contact with your lure, pause it for up to five seconds and repeat. On certain days, a long pause can be a game changer and vice versa. Sometimes no pause and just a slow steady wind can be what it takes to fire them up so be sure to mix it up until you find what works for you on the day. Topwater - For me, topwater is the most enjoyable way to chase bream and the surface action over the summer period can be amazing. Topwater lures can be fished effectively in depths of 1.5m or less, with some of the coolest action happening in half a metre of water. There are a variety of topwater lure styles for bream with pencils, bent minnows and poppers being some of the most effective. A selection of great summer bream lures.

Fishing News - Page 8

Long casts over flats or parallel with oyster racks and undercut banks are a great way to fish these lures. As is the case with most lures for bream, a few twitches to get the lure moving followed by a pause is a very effective way to fish topwater. When using these lures it is very important to pay close attention to the water surrounding your lure as you retrieve it. When a bream moves in on your topwater there are a few signs that can give it away, from subtle boils and flashes as a bream investigates and swipes at your lure to quite noticeable bow waves approaching your lure as they chase it down. In typical bream fashion, they will more often than not grab your topwater on the pause. Sometimes they will just nip the hooks and subtly drag the lure under, other times they will quite aggressively ‘boof’ at your lure making a bit of commotion and noise as they go about it. In these situations, I’ve found it’s important not to strike by lifting the rod tip as bream can be a little clumsy when it comes to eating topwater and if they don’t have a good hold of your topwater when you strike, the lure will come flying back at you and spook the fish. Instead, when a bream attempts to eat your offering, keep the rod tip low and wind as if you were still just retrieving the lure. If you feel the tension build as you wind then jerk the rod slightly to set the hooks. Worst worst-case scenario is the fish misses the hooks and you continue your retrieve resulting in the fish coming back for a second go.

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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.

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Fishing News - Page 9

Gearing Up When picking a rod and reel for bream fishing the two combos I fish most would be a 1000 size reel matched with a 2-4lb rod or a 2500 size reel matched with a 3-6lb rod. The slightly heavier of the two is the better option when fishing around structures such as oyster racks and needing that little extra grunt to extract the fish. All my rods are fast action blanks around 7-7’3ft in length as I have found these to be the ideal all-rounders for what I do. If you find yourself specifically fishing over flats and open water you may look at something with a little more length and if you’re fishing in tight areas you may want to look at something a little shorter. Just head into your local tackle shop and play around with a few options to see what feels comfortable for you. While there are certainly some nice high-end/ pricey options out there, rods and reels have come a long way in recent times and you don’t need to spend a huge amount to have an outfit that’s more than capable of throwing lures around for bream. When spooling up I have always run braid on my reels as it casts great and it gives you a much better feel of what’s going on with your lure which can be particularly handy when it comes to feeling the subtle bite of a bream. My reels are spooled with 2kg and 3kg mid-range braid that can be picked up at most tackle shops for around $40-$50 a spool. As for the leader, I will generally start with a rod length of 3kg fluorocarbon, maybe a little heavier if fishing around nasty structures say 4kg-4.5kg. However, if the bream is spooking or not committing to the lure as can be the case on bright clear days with little wind, it can pay to downsize the leader to 1.5kg-2kg. Doing this can drastically improve your results. All in all, the humble bream is a great light tackle sport fish and Tasmania is home to some of the biggest in the country. If you haven’t chased them before, I recommend getting out this summer and giving it a crack! Fishing News - Page 10

The Nomad Styx Minnow 70 is a perfect lure for big bream.

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Going Live See what’s in front of your boat Lubin Pfeiffer

orward-facing sonar technology is the biggest change in freshwater fishing since the introduction of electric motors. It has been a very controversial one as well! Forward-facing sonar is much the same as having an underwater spotlight on the front of your boat, so rather than just being able to see what you’ve just passed over like with older sounders, you can now see what is in front of you, in real-time. I was hesitant at first because I wasn’t sure about exactly what benefits the live technology would have to my fishing but after seeing multiple videos on the subject, I just had to get one! There are a few different models on the market from the big players such as Garmin, Humminbird and Lowrance. Each has its positives so it was a bit of a hard call to know which would be the best option. After deciding on the Lowrance Active Target, it was time to dive deep into the wormhole that is forward-facing sonar.

Installation There are a couple of different ways I have seen people installing their sonar but the most suitable without a doubt for the styles of fishing I do was to install the transducer on a separate pole at the front of my boat. It didn’t take long at all for the pole setups

to come on the market so it was an easy install with the use of a kit from Rob Payne Engineering. Because of the weight of the pole and the fact that you are swinging it around, the mounts need to be very strong, so with the use of some sizeable bolts and a backing plate, I was able to get it sitting nice and sturdy up the front of the boat. You need to keep in mind that you will be spending a fair amount of time standing in one spot so pick a comfortable place. I quickly also found that the pole was too short to stand upright using, so a friend of mine extended the aluminium pole to suit my standing height. The last thing you want is to be even more crouched over than you already have to be using it! My boat is an

Fish and lure using the forward mode on Active Target.

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Fishing News - Page 11

allrounder, so I wanted to be able to still remove the pole when I do ocean fishing or other types of angling that don’t require the sounder and that way it wouldn’t get destroyed too quickly. The poles come on a RAM mount which is easy to remove. The head unit, which I placed up the very front of my boat is just screwed into the wooden floor, which is easy to remove when I need to. The other component you need to install is the amplifier, which is under the floor permanently fixed. Battery power is another concern so I decided to go with its own separate 120amp/hr battery. That way I wouldn’t drain the motor battery and get caught out on the water.

Practice Makes Perfect Now that I had the sonar all fitted and ready to use, I was expecting to go out and scan and cast to fish left, right and centre! Well, I can tell you this is definitely not the case! I quickly gained a huge respect for anglers who were having a lot of success with it because it is not as easy as it looks. Learning in fishing is hugely important and it was going to take me a while to get the hang of all of this. I think you would be better off not having fished at all and then starting fishing with the live sonar from the get-go. I’ve done heaps of fishing for snapper where staring at the screen is the way you find fish and then fish to them. Whereas all the fishing I do that I now use live sonar for, meant that I had to stop casting! Which to me created a feeling of wasting time when I could do the searching with a lure instead and probably catch just as much or more. In all honesty, the live technology took more than twelve months to have any real benefit in my fishing. Success came when I learned what types of fishing live sonar would be of help. The first big light bulb moment was chasing redfin in Lake Konongwootong just across the border in Victoria. Instead of traditionally searching with a down scan or searching with a lure, I was able to drive almost full noise around the middle of the lake scanning the transducer like a spotlight and then

Deep water fishing has never been easier. spot schools of fish. Before you drove anywhere near them, you could make a cast, see the lure fall towards the school and then watch them eat it! This saved an incredible amount of time and I now couldn’t imagine doing any similar style of fishing without it.

Benefits Of Live Sonar In Tasmania There are a couple of different modes you can run the live sonar. The forward mode will see a deep beam sent out from the transducer that is relatively narrow. This is perfect for searching drop-offs for deep schooled bream in rivers, and although I haven’t had the chance to use it on them yet, it would be a game changer for snapper fishing over the reef on calm days. It would also be

Forward facing sonar will be perfect for trout and soft plastics. Fishing News - Page 12

incredible to search for deep fish in Great Lake fishing with soft plastics. The fact that everything is displayed in real-time in front of the boat means that you know exactly where the fish are, what their behaviour is and how they are reacting to your presentation. You can see if the fish are following the lure or not, and know if you should burn the cast in to get it back to where the fish are. The other mode you can use on forwardfacing sonar is the scout or prospective mode. Which is a shallow beam that is wide, about 110 degrees. This is the ultimate tool for searching shallow water for all types of fish. What excites me, and I’m sure the purists won’t agree with me on this one, is that you will be able to actively track feeding trout that a moving only

A bream taken from a rock wall.

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a metre or two under the surface. It makes me think about any lake where you can have fish popping up randomly to feed but not know where you should place your next cast. It may take the fun out of it for some anglers, but it will lead to a far more successful day knowing that you can place your cast in the exact spot in anticipation of where the fish is heading rather than behind it or in a completely different spot as to where the fish is moving. Regardless of whether you are using forward or scout mode, the big positive of having live sonar technology is knowing whether you are actually fishing to fish or not. I had often wondered during those tough days when nothing seemed to be working, why that actually is. Now with this new technology, you can simply scan around and rather than putting yourself down, simply prove that you are fishing in an area that has no fish at all! This technology is not for everyone and there are many scenarios when the fish are firing that it is simply not necessary and traditional methods will result in a typical great day fishing. But when it is tough, this type of equipment becomes an invaluable learning tool. I was recently asked why I have moved to using live sonar technology, and the answer was simple “Because I enjoy catching fish!”

Fish and lure using the scout mode on Active Target.

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Fishing News - Page 13

Twin 42cm the victims of a Cranka Vibe and Prolure ST72.

20 to 1 Tackle tips and options for Tassie bream

Scotto James

ith summer fast approaching and fairer weather looming after the inevitable winter cold and omnipresent gales of spring, opportunities to stalk and catch Bream in far more pleasant conditions should prove enticing to many Tasmanian anglers and interstate visitors. Black Bream is an interesting fish. At one end of the scale, they often present themselves as the first fish a child may catch, perhaps dangling a bait off a jetty over the family Christmas holidays. Smallersized fish within this species can be abundant from such locations and not difficult to catch. On the other end of the scale is a national competition scene that is hotly contested within boating and kayak formats that draw together some of Australia’s finest anglers. They are a fish that can unite people with a shared interest and a common goal. In comparative terms, this species owns the domain of the much-vaunted little Aussie battler. Courageous and spirited, willing but cautious, both shy and stubborn, enigmatic and perplexing. Larger specimens remain elusive enough to attract and obsess some anglers for a lifetime, while Fishing News - Page 14

their geographic range and habitat ingratiate the species from inner city estuary wharves to quiet and remote coastal lagoons. They possess the almost magical powers of being seemingly everywhere and nowhere at the same time. A common fish of the common people, a true champion to those individuals amongst the masses that they regularly challenge and often defeat. Bream avail themselves of all angling methods: lure, fly and bait. For this article, the method of choice will be luring. Lure Fishing for bream has a strong national following with one species or another residing within the coastal waters of every Australian state. The following list is a 20-to-one countdown of the lures and tackle that have proven themselves as very effective bream weapons on the east coast of the state with a concentrated effort revolving around very quiet systems with little or no artificially introduced ambient vibration or water noise. Much of the angling is landbased or wading, with enough boat fishing to serve a multitude of techniques. This guide will hopefully attract the interest of experienced and novice anglers

alike and could serve as an integral working starting point for those considering throwing a lure at bream for the first time or the visiting angler seeking a local ‘heads up’ and that fish of a lifetime.

20 - Messiah Fishing “SlingshotZ” Long Rod Range There are significant personal conflicts of interest on this topic, and because of that, these rods round out the bottom end of the list. They could be far higher. Embedded within what is a primarily unregulated recreational fishing industry, where every new concept seems to be lauded as a “game changer”, this long rod genre has indeed changed the way I and many others fish and that is the essence of achieving this acknowledgement on merit alone. Although the fast actioned 9’6” 2-4kg and its cousin the 9’0” extra fast 2-4kg steal the bulk of the limelight within bream circles, the 3-6kg bream equivalent of an elephant gun at lengths from 8’6” to 10’6” is being utilised by some noteworthy bream anglers, particularly from within

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the comp scene and the more general lizard and school Jew lure fishery. Some of the best talent and bream fishing minds reside in those away from the limelight of social and other media and these rods are very well utilised by more retiring types. For the land-based and wading angler the insane extra casting distance achievable equals extra lure time in the water and the chance to approach fish at distances unattainable with more conventional sticks. These rods are also a ‘go-to’ for many passionate trout lure fishers and they embrace a considerable market share of current production. With a blank weight similar to many 7/8 weight fly rods, this brand and range of rods is headed toward a commercial release.

19 - Squidgy Scent Bream has the senses of taste and smell. That’s all the information needed to get hung up on the near-endless possibilities created by appropriate scents. The Squidgy product has some big Australian names behind it and is backed with reportedly great science. It is bream fishing’s equivalent of the American Express card and as Karl Malden famously quoted in the well-known advertising campaign “Don’t leave home without it”.

18 - Bassday Mogul 66 A staple hard-body lure that casts well with an enticing action. This lure has accounted for a load of quality fish. Like most ‘Hards’ it tends to be a cyclic type lure result dependant upon prevailing conditions and the systems being fished. It smashes fish in some years and can be less relevant in others. Comes in a range of colours with a trade mark side to side shimmy. Carries quality hardware.

17 - Scientific Angler Copolymer Trout Tippet With a product like this on the market that is seriously thinner and far stronger than many light fluorocarbon leader brands, one of the biggest questions in fishing beckons. Why use thin and comparatively weak fluoro leaders? We have a generation of anglers that think Flouro is a mandatory bream leader and some also employ its so-called benefits as a straight through line. In a nutshell, its introductory marketing spiel encompassed claims of invisibility under the water. A claim now wound back by many to nearly invisible. Stronger co-polymer lines of similar thickness are nearly invisible to fish too. Quality thin co-polymer is one of the easiest choices in bream fishing.

16 - Ecogear MW 62 SP One of the all-time great hard-bodied bream/cross-specie lures, and one that runs a tad shallower than many similar offerings in its class. Brilliantly weighted and designed with exceptional cast length capabilities. The lures action could be described as closer to ‘traditional’, for lures produced around that time although it achieves this action with a smaller bib profile than many of its competitors. How bib design impacts casting is a topic that deserves more discussion. The sonic footprint would be more pronounced than shimmy type ‘Hards’ although the two styles complement each other in regards to the diversity of action and vibration. They also created something of a yardstick regarding colour and finish. Three colours that are very effective in clear water are the blue-backed model, brook trout and the rainbow trout pattern. None would be likely considered as popular bream colours. Fortunately, market dynamics are of little interest to these predatory fish.

15 - Decoy Spiral Clips (size 1/14lb) Few if any terminal tackle components present as more consumer-friendly than DSCs. This figure of 8 attachment is somewhat erroneously called a clip but has no moving parts that could lead to failure. It also has an eyelet for line connection. In essence, this device presents as a small, ultralight, metal loop connection. Twisting a lure lug off the clip is slightly more complicated than putting one on, and glasses are recommended if one’s eyesight is becoming strained. A few practice attempts will lead to competency. Their use directly to the lug also offers up the choice to remove any accompanying split ring. They are rarely competitively priced, so if cost is an issue they can be picked up online for about one-fifth of retail cost in this country. It may well be the best small lure class connector of all time.

14 - Bent Minnows Bent minnows took a while to become widely embraced by bream fishers, but have made one hell of an impact and left a significant impression upon the fishery. ‘Bents’ are an extraordinarily versatile lure and can catch bream as a subsurface presentation or fished primarily as a surface lure or a combination of both styles within the same retrieve. Broadly described as a banana-shaped lure, they certainly look different to more conventional hard-bodied offerings and don’t have a bib to orientate the lure and help induce action and depth. This is a lure style more suited to anglers who have

The author’s top lures incorporating three lure genres, four presentation styles - and hard bodied lures.

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Fishing News - Page 15

the fundamentals of lure craft well-sorted. They can be used in ridiculously skinny water over dense weed beds, mud/sand flats or shallow reef areas (if you’re game), and can take surface-feeding bream chasing bait on the top in relatively deep water. D&A lures do a 90mm version that is heavier than most of its competition, has terrific action and casts a long way. It is also less buoyant than say an OSP bent minnow which is also an excellent lure. The action this lure genre is capable of is animated by the angler and remains somewhat unpredictable. In short, it is a cracker.

13 - Bassday Sugarpen 70F If this article was being penned during autumn then this surface presentation may well figure higher in the count as it gets used more often in the warmer water scenarios of summer and early autumn. It’s worthy of mention that bream can ‘boof’ on the surface all year round and will readily take a surface lure in the depths of winter if potential food items materialise on or near the surface for them to predate. It was the first ‘walk the dog’ lure type that brought this angler considerable small-water success on bream and it has the bonus of being a distance-casting superstar on appropriate tackle. Most fish caught on this lure will be on the ‘pause’ and on any given day that time frame may change and regularly be in the five to 30-second range or even longer.

The lure enables a greater understanding of how bream can feed and can influence the angler-induced pause time on several other lure styles. It’s a great lure genre to become proficient with, is exciting to fish and can induce both violent and subtle surface/ subsurface takes.

12 - Ecogear PX55F For continuity, there seemed merit in grouping two different surface lure styles, to aid comparisons of both. The sugar pen listed at no.13 is an angle-nosed, slim profile lure, whilst the PX has a considerably larger rounder nose, is of shorter length and doesn’t cast quite as far. This lure comes with rear ‘stinger’ hooks and the nose allows it to be worked enticingly and considerably slower if/when needed. It is smaller, stouter body also offers up a significantly different profile and action. I’m not much of a convert to the ‘short take’ theory. It may well happen occasionally, but if one is being asked to seriously believe that an animal extremely adept at eating prey can completely miss a stationary or near-stationary food item with some regularity, then that theory can begin to flounder. The solution offered up via a somewhat consensus, is that so-called ‘short taking’ fish can caught by being accidentally hooked by stingers. The chances of a smallmouthed fish like a bream, ending up with stingers through its lips when attacking the body of the lure seem fairly remote. There can be little doubt that the leafing around the stingers or the movement of the stingers is being attacked purposely. Furthermore, if fish are ‘spooking’ at the sugar pen, and leaving large swirls next to the lure, those fish are regularly converted by a more subtle presentation of the PX. Both lures are important and catch fish when most other lure styles fail when directed at those particular fish. They could well be considered an integral part of any surface lure arsenal.

11 - Zipbaits Rigge 70SP No Tasmanian list would be complete without the addition of the Rigge 70. A brilliant, multi-species hard-bodied lure that probably casts further than any similar lure in its class. A tight shimmy-type action brings results in nearly all water conditions and the finish is second to none. This product has won comps in this state and its trout catching abilities are also legendary. The lure would have been a top-five finisher if this piece was penned at any other time, but cyclic bream feeding patterns attributable to some local systems are currently in play. No hesitation in calling this the best hard-body bream lure that I have used. The brand also makes several other very popular and effective lures for catching these fish. No conflicts of interest exist.

10 - Keitech Easy Shiner 3-inch Large East Coast black bream from a small water. Fishing News - Page 16

This plastic is a gun performer and the first lure to make its way into the top 10. Despite an alluring action, its natural sink rate and profile, together with colour are probably the key

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reasons why tough bream eats it with consistency. Rigged ‘nude’ (weightless) on a worm hook, this plastic casts effectively on skinny braid and this can be further enhanced by gluing the head into the hook’s ‘keeper’. Without gluing, this plastic is prone to slipping. It finds favour primarily by being used as a flick bait in fairly still water. Texas rigged, it can be floated down into weed or reef areas and given a metre or so lift. It can then settle back toward the bottom extremely naturally and seductively. Nothing at all like a plummeting, weighted head, job. Bites will mostly come on the drop after a lift, though the paused lure will take bream regularly too. Keitech does some interesting, clear-type plastics, The ‘silver flash minnow’ has a green back and some translucent belly colouring and is a proven winner.

9 - Prolure ST72 A minnow-style hard-body lure with an enticing action that gets down a bit further than most shallow lures. It fills a void between shallow and the next general size of bib that gets some lures down too deep for local conditions. This lure rocketed into the top 10 and emphasises just how cyclic many ‘Hards’ can be as local conditions impact feeding behaviour. During the last few trips on traditionally harder, blue sky glass outs, this lure left some more fancied, comp-winning lures in its wake. Its ability to hit the depth where large bream were willing to eat, while stationed under significant undercut banks, dominated those sessions before fish headed for deeper water. Prolure fit these lures up with decoy hooks which save me from having to do it. As good as or better than any bream hook on the market.

8 - Izumi 50mm slow sinking swimbait A traditional, 4 piece, resin swimbait, and another cyclic presentation that destroyed all comers from about 2016 to 2019, before the la Nina event starting in 2020. These tiny jointed marvels are a great yardstick to measure all other sink rating lures and techniques by. This lure completely dominated captures in 11 different systems over a long period. This includes waters rarely fished and there’s simply no capacity whatsoever for fish to get used to them in any way. These experiences add significant weight to the ‘cyclic’ theory. Despite a near-perfect swimming action, the lure is better used floated, drifted, lifted and manipulated within the column. At the time of writing, they’re not easy to come by though some digging around online might be successful.

7 - Prolure SK62 This product is a slow-sinking, pencil-type lure, with a subtle, design-induced shimmy in free-fall. It is also a distance-casting weapon and particularly handy when fish are difficult to approach. Pencils are a terrific addition to any bream lure collection and are at their best on deep structures like snags, bridges, and wharf pylons, and where other lure types cannot attain the necessary depth or sink too quickly. No other lure fishes local cliff faces better. Takes are generally subtle. As a lure with no bib, the angler imparts most of the

action, adding considerably to its overall versatility. It is a lure best aimed at fish holding at feeding stations and has offered consistent results over many years. Decoy trebles come as standard.

6 - Lucky craft ‘Flash Minnow’ This lure has come to the forefront over the past 12 months when a very shallow, translucent appearance hard body lure was needed. The small bib on this lure lends itself to an extremely effective dart and pause presentation and not so much the more general sweeping or slow rolling movements that see more widespread association within the general technique. Larger bibs pull lures up like a handbrake fishing dart and pause. Smaller bibs still eventually stop the lure but also stop it from attaining depth in the process. This lure has been a revelation in noiseless small waters where ‘Hards’ can traditionally struggle.

5 - Cranka Lures vibe This lure is the third of the top ten selections that was a bolter, based on recent results and again represents what is likely to be different feeding behaviours induced by local conditions. It has worked and brought numbers to the table when ‘nude’ presentations have failed, which is likely due to its effectiveness when fished at depth. The action could be described as ‘subtle’ within the vibe lure type genre and doesn’t emit an overly heavy sonic signature which may account for its success in waters not affected by man-made vibration. As with other goodies from Cranka, an enormous amount of research and development has gone into the production of this lure and it is seriously effective in the appropriate conditions.

4 - The Muss The Muss has produced phenomenal results on bream in other Australian states and its effectiveness is not diminished here on the Tasmanian east coast. It has been used in systems devoid of mussels and hard structures. Sorting out when to fish this lure has been more problematic than how to fish it and results have been extremely impressive on large fish when drifted on the current. The attachment has not been via the vibing lug. In four recent, consecutive sessions, it pulled the largest fish of the day (45-47cm) at a time when fish were present but unable to respond to other methods due to frenzy feeding of large mullets in dense schools. Another long-distance casting bomb. This competitionwinning product has already attained cult status in its own right.

3 - Gulp 6-inch worm (camo) The last three places on the list have been reserved for lures with years of success behind them which remain unaffected (so far) by the likelihood of cyclic feeding activity. The gulp worm, fished ‘nude’ on skinny braid was the basis for extensive trialling on extremely difficult fish that regularly present in the warmer waters of summer, on failing barometric pressure, in conjunction with moderate easterly winds and hot weather. As this is a scent-impregnated offering, it can’t

shed a burley-like trail in the same fashion as a packaged scent. Its powers may be attributable to the scent’s reactive properties to increased water temperature, the natural presentation style and its more than obvious profile amongst a litany of other factors. Its ability to convert tailing fish in very shallow water is unsurpassed. It will take wary fish throughout the year when fished at specific times.

2 - Zman 2.5-inch GrubZ (Motor oil) The fish-attracting properties of the Zman GrubZ are well known and it’s proven itself as a long-term, viable presentation in most waters containing multiple structural and environmental variables. Jigheads of 1/12th to 1/16th of an ounce are a good starting point in waters not affected by too much current or notable depth. The lure is especially suited to long pauses and modest movement and catches larger fish more consistently when in contact with the bottom and not hopped, ripped or jigged which can encourage competitive feeding behaviours amongst smaller animals. I don’t like this lure style very much (curly tail grub) and it was a conflicting choice to place at number two. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination, dexterity, or expertise to manipulate and can be a monotonous, repetitive presentation to use. However, its ability as a blind casting, prospecting weapon, is extraordinary. This would be one of the best lures on the market for those new to bream on lures. Apply scent liberally and regularly.

1 - Prolure paddle grub This was the easiest of choices. Fished ‘nude’ on skinny braid (approx pe0.4/ 0.11mm) the paddle grub has revolutionised and defined presentation to surface aggregations of spawning fish in local waters. It has super power-like abilities of enticement over most tentative fish for a greater part of the year. It retains exquisite balance and the plastisol density allows for a ‘perfect for bream’, natural, unaided sink rate. It’s an all-season, fish-catching, multi-species superstar, that’s only weaknesses involve aggressive fish that are easily caught on a plethora of other lures and lure styles and unsuitable wind and current conditions. The technique can take time to develop and colour choice which seems to be very important to hormonal fish will probably reflect local needs. Gamakatsu 1/0 worm hooks are a great match for this grub. Scent should be considered with utmost importance.

Conclusion Some very effective lures haven’t made this list, nor have some great products that get a lot of use. Recommendations are from personal experience and work consistently when used in appropriate conditions in local waters. The feeding behaviour and location of bream change regularly as they transition through their 12-month biological year. For those outside the localised area, maybe there’s a lure type or technique from the 20 - to 1 list that can work for you in the spots you fish or reside. Good luck and good fishing!

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Fishing News - Page 17

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Fishing News - Page 19

The fish are sometimes small, but the rewards are big.

Road Tripping Without A Plan ‘The Journey is the Reward’ Peter Hayes Rod and Jon came for their regular week at the end of November. They are seasoned clients and great mates. Jon and Rodney met at one of my live in beginner weekend workshops some years back. They are an easy going, fun guys and from the minute we all met, we clicked - like peas in a pod, a wicked trio. The weather looked good for the week ahead so I suggested they bring a sleeping bag along and we might just go on a road trip and explore a part of this beautiful state. The idea was to go places none of us had been; to meet locals, have a few quiet ales in out of the way pubs and perhaps swim in crystal clear streams; to stay up late around a campfire and sometimes sleep in; read a book when we felt like it; drink great local wines and ales as well as enjoy fresh local food. The trout fishing would no doubt fit in perfectly with it all. The guys were excited about the journey. We left my lodge at Cressy with a loose plan, a box of topo maps, a GPS, a phone and my laptop. We also had thermo rests and sleeping bags as well as a tarp to hang off the roof racks of the car. The car fridge contained a dozen boags premiums to start the ball rolling and Rodney had his usual Pringles container full of salted nuts in the console. As I drove out the Fishing News - Page 20

driveway I had confidence in us having a great week together. I sensed the boys did too. We had no idea of where we were going to stay each night or what we were going to eat other than the breakfast tucker I had thrown in. Just after we left I said ‘Let’s just have a quick cast or two in a section of local river before we head off, maybe we can christen your new Taransky cane rod for you Rodney’. I had seen the big fish some weeks before and it was the right sort of bright and windy morning to look for him again. We got lucky and first cast and Rodney really christened his new 6’6” 4/5 weight cane rod! The fish was upwards of 6 pounds! It was so cool to send Nick Taransky a text message with a photo of this enormous fish. We stopped at a bakery in Scottsdale for lunch and by chance met fly tyer Ray Brown. Ray had been fishing in the area for a day or so and he suggested a spot on a local river. Ray had been catching plenty of fish and river levels were great. As the great Noel Jetson would say ‘we had a ball’ on the Ringarooma River this first day. The fish were not large, maybe ¾ pounders were the big ones. But they were plentiful and great practice for Jon and Rod. Tricky casting, tricky mending and all sight fishing with a dry fly. I’ve no idea how many the boys caught. No one cared and no one counted.

We ended up in Bridport for the night where we stayed with my friend Sue. The boys had met Sue, who is a keen fly fisher, a couple of times at the lodge ‘Hayes on Brumbys’ when she was helping out with the workshop weekends. It was nice to be able to take Sue to dinner with us to the Barnbougle Golf Course where we had a sensational feed with some equally good wines. Sue got plenty of mileage as the locals wondered what she was doing being wined and dined by three such handsome outsiders.

Silver Sea Runners At dinner a local fishing identity told us about huge sea runners in a local river that was really hard to find access to. He was not going to tell us where to find his secret launching area. Early the next morning after a lot of searching around we found a slot cut into the bank by the cagey locals. It was well hidden, but just wide enough to slide the drift boat in. We fished our way down to the tidal section on an outgoing tide with no luck. A few very small cocky salmon were caught near the ocean outlet but alas – no trout.

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Fishing News - Page 21

We had promised Sue that we would deliver fish for dinner so on the way home we fished a sandy lake nestled inside the dunes within earshot of the breaking waves. In an hour or so of effort we had one on a dry bob’s bits and three other rainbows on a nymph. They were fat and very orange. Full of stick caddis. We finally had our dinner!

Spring Creeks Traveling toward the East coast the following day with no particular destination in mind we sighted a tiny creek from the road as we crested a high hill. I put the binoculars on it and from where I stood it looked like an English chalk stream. A mini version of the upper Test in fact where I had fished in the World Championships a few years back. With a little effort we found a farmers house and we were welcome to fish there. The farmer said there were very few fish in the creek and we probably would not catch any. I asked if he would like some bought back for his dinner and he said it would be nice but he really didn’t think we would find any. We had a ball. Fish after fish, not big but robust, fat little pounders rose well to the dry. The casting was demanding on occasions and many were spooky in the gin clear shallow water. I got the boys to keep the first 4 fish. We had not gone 5 minutes from the car when we had them so I dropped them into the 12v fridge until we returned. The Black Warryn was the killer fly and long fine tippets made a difference. The farmer was impressed when we said goodbye and delivered his dinner on a forked stick. We left in good time to make St Helens for nightfall and I rang ahead to chat to friend Rocky Carosi. Rocky gave me a contact for accommodation in St Helens. I rang Angasi Restaurant at Binalong Bay and booked their last table for 8pm. We arrived at the accommodation at 7:55 and asked for a room. ‘Only one left’ was the guys response and he said he had “just showed it to someone who wasn’t so keen on the price so they have gone elsewhere to look”. We took the room on the spot. The owner was pleased and he hoped the previous people would come back and ask for the room. We grabbed the key and bolted for dinner. We were 15 minutes late and certainly not dressed to eat at the ‘Australian Restaurant Café of the Year’. It didn’t matter. We had superb local oysters and freshly caught fish of the day washed down with premium wines. The owner told us where we could buy the handmade oven baked sourdough bread and pick up local oysters and sensational smoked ham for our lunch tomorrow.

off to the oyster shop for one and a half dozen of the fattest, juiciest oysters you could imagine. Lemons from the grocer, wine, ham and the last loaf of sourdough in St Helens and we were off to explore with the GPS a local headwater stream. Another stop at the Pyengana cheese factory for cheese and a slab of the local boutique beer was mandatory. The cheese tasting seemed to take forever and I was starting to want to get fishing but the boys were in no great hurry. We finally found a fishing spot and ‘had a ball’! Again. Maybe 30 or 40 fish today. The boys were on fire and learning at a rapid rate with so many opportunities. No more line management issues, no line under their feet, no line wrapped around the reel, no line biting after the strikes. Pinpoint accurate casts and very few treed back casts. A few strikes were missed but the fly was instantly replaced within inches and the second take was seldom missed. Rod and Jon took it in turns to catch fish after fish and we genuinely all had great pleasure watching each other fish. I even cast to a few left handed for something to do. We skipped lunch as the fishing was so much fun. At around 4pm we made the car and broke out a few ice cold cleansing ales from the fridge. I lit a fire then half a dozen fat speckled trout were tossed into a smoker-bag to cook. While we waited we scoffed the oysters as we watched fish rising in the car park pool. It was so peaceful. Today was good for our souls. Rodney again had chosen well as the cold Bay of Fires Riesling washed down the last of the oysters. Rather than eat the trout we kept them for a late dinner in case we needed them. We left and had to drive thru St Helens where I had a potentially great idea. If we really high tailed it we could cut through the mountains and drop into the next valley where a mate of mine has a cabin on a bend of a bubbling brook.

We could get some steaks and salad ingredients from St Helens and run for it very likely getting lost and arriving near midnight. The lads were up for it and we left with aged Scotch Fillet, spuds and salad ingredients. The boys were impressed as the headlights shone on our remote split shingle cabin. We cooked over a camp fire with headlamps and the sizzling steaks smelt terrific. The brook bubbled and we drank a shiraz that Rodney produced from deep within his bag. It was a very special wine that he had been saving for such an occasion. Jon made a great salad and I plucked out the smoked trout entrée. We were ‘having a ball’. I slept outside under the stars and drifted off easily with the sound of the creek just metres away. The sky was clear and a million stars were out. The following day would be good. Well it was. The boys again caught a zillion fish. Some were on perfectly executed bow and arrow casts, others on tight roll casts. Fish came from under the banks and in the runs. Even the hard ones at the skinny tail of the pools were caught. Again, every fish was sighted prior to casting and the boys took it in turns to extract them with military like precision. I was so proud of them once again. Rodney had used his new Taransky cane rod for the entire week and he had caught a heap of fish. Jonathan now wanted to buy one so we rang Nick Taransky on the way home to order it. We had such a great time wandering around with no fixed plans it was a real holiday from the pressures of Melbourne business life. It was like a holiday for me too as there was no pressure to produce fish. Funny how the less you try sometimes the greater the rewards. So, for what it’s worth take a leaf from our book. Explore Tasmania with no more than a loose plan. See where you end up and I will guarantee that the old Chinese proverb is true - ‘the journey is the reward’.

Gourmet Fly Fishing We slept well in the three bedroom apartment that ended up costing us a grand total of $90. A huge breakfast of eggs benedict and coffee at a local Café then Fishing News - Page 22

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Targeting the rocky shores accounted for plenty of fish.

Lake Echo A lake with many fish and many options

Dylan Richards

n the second weekend of trout season, Alex Vogelaar and I decided to make a lake trip. Our plan was to fish Bronte Lagoon, but we ended up finding it tough for the first few hours so we decided to make a move to Lake Echo. Lake Echo is a fantastic lake located near Bronte Park. We launched at the Large Bay boat ramp and were straight into fish. The road into Large Bay has seen better days which is worth noting if you plan to make a trip to Echo. Have a once over check on your boat and trailer and have a reliable four-wheel drive. We found good numbers of fish everywhere we went - spending most of our time casting hard up on rocky shores or fishing deep near structure, which I will continue further down. We ended up with thirty fish in between the two of us for a four-hour session, with an average size of 1.5 to 2-pound fish. Although the conditions of the trout were not of the best quality, there were a few good fish that were pulled in the mix pushing three pounds. The most important thing we found though, was to be on the shore the wind was blowing on. All our fish came off the windblown shore as they would find plenty of food washed on the shore or struggling with the wind and this is when the fish feed.

Structure at Lake Echo Lake Echo is a structure angler’s dream, with the whole lake littered with large trees in the water, rocks surrounding most parts of the lake, good shade from overhanging trees and the list goes on. Although we spent most of our time hard-up casting lures at the bank, trolling deep-diving lures around the edge of the tree line would be a great way to catch them if you’re not interested in casting all day. Lake Echo is a deeper lake almost dropping off after a couple of metres from every bank down to eight-odd metres. This leaves a great option to fish plastics down on the drop-off or even deep diving lures. Rocks are your place to look for in a lake if you haven’t fished it before. You can almost guarantee trout will be hiding in rocks to chase food. If rocks fail, you then move off the edge and fish deeper down into trees and you’re sure to find a fish. Lastly, if you’re contemplating the weather up at Lake Echo, don’t be afraid to push through a cold day as the fishing will be worth it. When we left for the lakes, it was minus five degrees and didn’t get over zero degrees till around midday. Trout love cold water and will often fire more on a cold day than on a cracking summer’s day. If you can rug up for the trip

it’s worth it as a feed of brown trout or even just a great day of catch and release will happen.

Hardbody Lures at Echo While fishing hard up on the bank the go-to baits were hard body lures. Anything in the 60mm to 70mm size bracket the trout was jumping all over. We had fish following them to the boat, even at times two or three of them would come in together. The most consistent colours were anything black and gold, silver colours were doing good as well, and even bright greens accounted for a few fish. The style of retrieve we were doing for the fish was obvious, as our first four casts we both lost a fish and then doubled up onto some trout. They were jumping on the lures on a pause, most of my fish came after a few real sharp jerks anywhere from two to five times then a long pause for anywhere up to five seconds. Suspending lures worked best. Some banks were shallow for the first three metres then would roll deep, so a lure you can cast into the shallows without hitting rocks and working it high then progressing to working it deeper as it comes off the shallows worked great.

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Fishing News - Page 23

At the end of the day, we decided to test how fired up these trout were with Alex throwing a larger jointed swimbait and still producing fish off a slow roll and pause. On my second time coming back to Lake Echo, I produced fish on the same style of retrieve so it was the way to go if fishing structured banks is your thing and you want to give Lake Echo a go. Tamar Marine in Launceston and The Fisherman Shed down south are the places to go to get some suspending lures to tackle the big Lake Echo.

Soft Plastics at Lake Echo While fishing soft plastics at Lake Echo you will need some larger jig heads, 1/8th ounce or even 1/6th ounce will get your soft plastics down to the bottom where the fish are. Three-inch paddle tails worked well in silver and Berkley Fry soft plastics in natural colours like green and light orange caught all our fish. Yet again all fish were caught while either sinking the plastic near a tree or flicking it up off the bottom. I was using the new Rapala Crush City soft plastics in a paddle tail, it was blue and silver and they just couldn’t leave it alone. While fishing soft plastics instead of casting as far as you can, I prefer targeting your casts at certain structures, whether it be a standing tree or a rock sitting out of the water. I’ll cast at the structure and try and drag my lure so it will sink right in front of it. Trout often sit in or around these structures and will wait for baitfish to try and take cover from fish around these areas and often this is where you can find your fish. With a bit of wind behind you and an accurate cast, you can benefit from the huge amount of trees in the water by casting up in between them and bringing your soft plastic through more than just one snag at a time. Soft plastics aren’t usually my go-to but are worth taking on these deeper lakes, especially around summertime. In summer, when water temperatures rise, trout will seek colder water and move deeper into the water column. A range of black and gold soft plastics is almost a must anywhere you go and is worth getting some in your tackle box before your next trip.

Fine-tuning For More Fish Although Lake Echo has fished extremely well early season there are still a few things you can do to help turn your day from average to a great day on the water. Lake Echo is a relatively large lake, and very windy at times too, so a longer-style lightweight spinning rod can help. I don’t use anything under 2.1 metres long nowadays, loving my rods around 2.4 metres long. This gives you a great ability to fire out your lure and send it a few extra metres in every cast. It adds up extremely quickly when you have hundreds of casts every day. Fishing News - Page 24

Alex with a brown trout taken on a soft plastic fished amongst the trees. Furthermore, if you’re not fishing braided line on your spinning reels you’re really at a disadvantage. Braid dramatically increases your casting distance and the feel of going from general monofilament lines to a good brand of four or eight-strand braid is a sure way to increase your catch throughout your trips. Braid prices are getting cheaper and last longer on your spool anyway, it’s just the way to go nowadays its honestly a no-brainer. Lastly, although I have mentioned what lures, colours and retrieves worked for Alex and me in our last few trips, always make sure you take a nice variety of lures to whatever lake you go, with every tackle shop having walls full of specific size and colour hardbody lures or soft plastics, take a nice range with you as you just never know what colour or size could be working on that specific day.

a weekend at Echo. If the weather is nice to you, you’ll be sure to catch some great fish using the techniques mentioned above. Also if you need any more tips or want to watch some of my action from Lake Echo feel free to look at Fishin Straya on YouTube where you can see in detail about Lake Echo and all my fishing trips.

Conclusion To sum up, Lake Echo is a great option for an abundance of early and late-season trout action, what the trout lack in condition they make up in numbers. If water levels can continue to be high up on the banks the quality of fish will slowly improve in seasons to come. Around 14 0 kilometres from Launceston, Lake Echo offers a wide range of fishing and good camping locations available. So get organised and have

A few must have items for a day at Lake Echo.

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Starlo was completely blown away by the standard of Tasmania’s King George whiting fishing!

World Class The Best King George Whiting On The Planet Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling Starlo offers his mainlander’s assessment of Tasmania’s world-class King George whiting fishery.

first started hearing whispers about the calibre of Tasmania’s blossoming King George whiting fishery at least six or seven years ago, and I was stunned by some of the images I was seeing at the time of monster whiting pulled from the state’s northern waters. I knew from that very moment that I’d eventually have to get down there for a crack at these incredible fish myself! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to turn that dream into reality until December, 2022. But to say that

what I found lived up to my expectations would be a significant understatement — it far exceeded even my wildest hopes!

A NEW FISHERY? There’s a fair bit of debate about whether or not the presence of good numbers of King George whiting in Tasmanian waters is a “new” thing or not. Certainly, there are very few written references to these fish being

there prior to the new millennium. I own a rather dogeared copy of a great little book called “Coastal Fishes of Tasmania and Bass Strait” by G. Edgar, P. Last and M. Wells, which was published by Cat & Fiddle Press in 1982. Despite being a fairly thorough guide to the saltwater fish found in these cool southern seas, it contains absolutely no references whatsoever to King George whiting.

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Fishing News - Page 25

What I think we can all agree upon is the fact that most Tasmanian anglers didn’t become aware of the presence, abundance, size and catch-ability of these highly-prized fish until quite recently: certainly within the past decade. The other factor that seems quite obvious is that they’re now turning up in places where they’d never been targeted before, and that their southernmost range seems to be slowly creeping south! Along with yellowtail kingfish and snapper, King George whiting represent the third “prong” of a trio of iconic saltwater species that have effectively reinvented and revitalised Tasmanian sea fishing, significantly changing the expectations and broadening the horizons of so

many Tasmanian anglers since the turn of the millennium… To me, that’s a truly great thing!

REALISING THE DREAM Incredibly, my wife Jo and I managed to tick the Tassie ’ting box off our bucket list the very first time we tried for these fish! We’d taken our five metre Beastmaster Snubby boat over on the Spirit, and established our first base camp at Port Sorell, a short drive from Devonport. Catching a few squid here proved pretty easy, although it took several moves of spot and changes of tactics before something lively, strong and silvery jumped onto one of our hooks, in place of the endless stream of wrasse and leatherjackets that had preceded it. Success!

Two at a time!

The by-catch isn’t too bad, either!

Fresh bait isn’t usually hard to find. Fishing News - Page 26

We were really excited about landing that first 40-something centimeter whiting, and completely blown away when it was followed by a string of these delicious battlers up to 48 centimetres in length. Equally surprising for me was encountering a bunch of much smaller fish — including many under legal size — further up inside the estuary. For some reason, I’d come to believe that only big, adult whiting were present in Tasmanian waters. The many fish as small at 22 to 25 centimetres we caught at Port Sorell certainly put paid to that notion!

WORKING THEM OUT As our trip progressed, and we later also checked out the waters in the far north west of the state, we learnt more and more about Tasmania’s fascinating King George and how to find and catch them, but this article is definitely not intended as a “how-to” piece. I think it would be extremely presumptuous of a blow-in like me to start telling Tasmanians how to catch their own whiting! I guess the one thing that did strike us, however, is just how hit-and-miss or on-and-off these fish can be. On several occasions, a very slow session would suddenly turn around in the blink of an eye, producing 15 or 20 minutes of absolutely red-hot whiting action, before suddenly and inexplicably shutting down again. I’m still trying to work out exactly what the catalyst for these hot bites is, but it definitely seems to be tide-related, and I will simply say that these powerful fish are clearly not afraid of strong current! The other thing I’d stress is that when the switch flicks to “on”, you’d better be ready and able to take advantage of the limited bite time — this is not the moment to be in the middle of re-rigging, untangling, or eating lunch! Strike while the iron is hot, and consider having some pre-made rigs on hand.

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OVERALL IMPRESSIONS Being a New South Wales resident, I haven’t done a hell of a lot of fishing for King George in my life. My best and most memorable encounters before out Tassie trip were in South Australian and WA waters, and their fish had always impressed me, but Tasmania’s “super whiting” ratcheted that respect up by several notches. We ended up catching whiting to 55 centimetres in length and a smidgen over 1.2 kilos in weight, and one aspect that constantly surprised and delighted me is just how damn hard these fish fight! We busted a couple off on 10 pound braid and 10 or 12 pound leaders while trying to steer them away from the kelp… They should not be underestimated! I was also reminded yet again of just how good they are to eat! King George definitely have a place in my all-time top five or 10 table fish, and the big ones that are so often encountered in Tasmanian waters provide a very good flesh-yield in relation to their weight — so much better than the skinny little low-30 centimetre class fish that are regarded as “average” in many Victorian waters these days. Five decent Tassie ’ting in the 38 to 45 centimetre bracket provided several excellent meals for Jo and myself on a number of occasions. Which brings me rather neatly to my concluding observations:

A PRICELESS RESOURCE I still don’t think that a lot of Tasmanian anglers realise the true value of the piscatorial bonanza they’re sitting on with this “new” (or at least newly-developed) fishery for King George whiting. Trust me when I tell you that it is absolutely world class! I know that there are Japanese anglers, in particular, who would pay very serious dollars (or yen) for a crack at this fishery, especially if their day ended with the preparation and

This was the best fish of Starlo and Jo’s trip, taken by their mate Rory. It measured 55cm and weighed 1.25 kg… But they grow a lot bigger! presentation of just one or two of these amazing fish as sashimi or tempura-battered fillets… and perhaps the gyotaku ink-on-rice-paper printing of a lifetime memento of their new “PB” whiting to hang on the apartment wall back in Tokyo or Osaka. (The Silago fish family, of which King George is the unchallenged monarch, is held in very high esteem in Japan.) I think this is a tourism and guiding opportunity that’s just crying out to be developed. But even at a much more basic, day-to-day level, this whiting fishery is of immeasurable value to Tasmanians themselves in terms of the challenge, sport, recreation,

Gold bars… quite literally, when you look at their price in mainland fish markets!

food source and reason for state pride it offers. As an AFL football comparison, your whiting leave all the other states in the league bobbing in their wake! Seriously — those Crow Eaters and Sandgropers who still think they have the best whiting on the planet simply haven’t fished for them in Tasmania yet… and the poor old Victorians aren’t even in the race! That’s one reason I’m so delighted that Tasmania has implemented the smartest, most conservative and eminently sustainable set of bag and size limits for this important species to be found anywhere in the country. Your fisheries managers need a massive pat on the back (and your vocal support) for getting it so very, very right. Tasmanian anglers also need to not only strictly follow these limits, but even consider setting a higher bar themselves to help maintain this priceless resource. You also need to make extra sure the commercial sector keeps its sticky fingers well and truly away from it! In the end, we set a voluntary minimum length of 42 centimetres for King George in our boat on that last visit. There was simply no need to kill fish smaller than that, nor to take more than five or six in that class between a couple of us for a session. I hope others — locals and visitors alike — might consider doing the same. I know there have been some tough times in Tasmanian fisheries management over the past few months, especially with the painful (but probably overdue) belt-tightening around flathead, trumpeter and so on. But the big picture is far removed the one of doom-and-gloom some folks espouse. Tasmanians should all rejoice in the fact that they have an amazingly healthy marine ecosystem, a relatively small human population… and without doubt the best whiting on the entire planet! I can tell you

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Fishing News - Page 27

Top left: Not a bad way to open your account on Tasmanian King George whiting. Above: Jo Starling loves her whiting fishing, but she’d never seen anything quite like the King George in Tassie! Left: You know you’re in a special part of the world when you can let fish like this go! Strips of fresh squid were the gun bait.

with no hesitation that a lot of us from the “north island” are more than a tad jealous of what you have! Tight Lines. Starlo and Jo’s website portal www. fishotopia.com offers access to lots of nitty-gritty, information, and Steve’s “Starlo Gets Reel” YouTube channel is full of excellent videos. Check them out! Fishing News - Page 28

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The Mackay region is becoming well known for its flats fishery through Paul Dolan.

Planning for Permit Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

Grant Wilson

ly fishing in the tropics can be an eye-opening experience for the average Tasmanian. The contrast between styles is vast and if you are heading north, do not go unprepared. We have all heard of the Five P’s, Prior Preparation Prevents a Poor Performance. There is nothing like hearing that sentence be screamed at you by your junior league coach before the start of the big game. The hair rises on your neck, and you get goosebumps down your arms. You have the pride, you have done the Preparation. You can Prevent Poor Performance. Except, there is another quote that seems to be more powerful. That trumps the five P’s and is often more talked about. The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley. It’s the nail in the coffin that someone always murmurs in the background after things have gone to the pack. It’s the weeks of research into a new lake, or the hours on the vice tying the perfect fly. It’s the excitement and anxiety of the first cast of the day, or the trip of a lifetime to somewhere exotic to target fish you have only seen in magazines, only to be dealt a broken rod tip, a rip in your waders. Or worst of all, the wrong bloody weather. On my recent trip of a lifetime, those pesky mice and their scheming certainly sent things awry.

For most fishers looking to the tropics for an adventure, there is a list of species that scream excitement. Barramundi, Giant trevally, Queenies, Spanish mackerel or even the Mud crab gets a lot of well-deserved attention. But for the fly fisher, there is another species that makes our ears prick up. With a body almost as deep as it is long and a face like a sledgehammer, the permit has the look to match its fighting power.

Permitted to dance Despite its powerful look out of the water, it’s a different story under the surface for the permit. With its deep body and large fins, it’s not the sort of fish you expect to find in the shallow sand flats on the rising tide. But not only is it at home in a couple feet of water, in groups of 30-40 they swim in a large orbital motion in with the tide. Feeding on unsuspecting crabs as they dig themselves out of the sand after being buried during the low tide. They break the surface with their sickles and tails before turning on their side and diving into the sand to pluck out a crab before crushing it with its powerful jaws and spitting out the shell. The permit

dance is a beautiful thing to observe, it’s like a room of professional ballroom dancers spiralling around the hall in their black and silver gowns. Drawing a type of spirograph pattern as they move along the shore, add to this the fact that they can be notoriously hard to catch, and the permit earn themselves legendary status in the fly fishing game.

Permit in Mackay I asked around some people in the know about getting a guide in the Mackay region, specifically to have a crack at a permit on the fly. Paul Dolan from Mackay Fly And Sport Fishing was the go-to man and after a couple of emails, we had the date booked. So in the six weeks leading up it was time to implement the Five P’s, absorbing any info on permits I could find was job one. Going through all the old Flylife magazines looking for articles, spending hours on YouTube and Google trying to piece the puzzle together and asking anyone who might know something. I felt like a detective chasing leads, and sometimes my tail. The second job was to find a 10-weight rod and a heavy fly and get some casting practice in, after listening to

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Fishing News - Page 29

a Podcast with Paul as the guest I knew I had to be casting accurately at 60 feet, I mean 2 feet in front of a permits nose at 60 feet kind of accurate. Now I did a lot of the former and little of the latter. And this is what my first piece of advice is, practice your casting. I feel stupid looking back at the time I spent digging for permit information, looking for the secret recipe that was going to land that special fish. That’s what the guide is for, that’s why I handed over my hard-earned money to the professional. He had all the knowledge right there, all I needed to do was put the fly where and when he said and the fish was an almost guarantee. Instead, I rocked up knowing the lifecycle and breeding habits of the Trachinotus Falcatus. I felt like a bit of a goose, to be honest. Going into this I felt like I was an adequate caster of the fly, with good distance and reasonable accuracy. But all that changes with a 10-weight rod and a heavy sinking line, because to have any sort of chance I had to learn to double-haul and learn fast. Luckily for me, Paul was a natural-born teacher, within an hour I was doing a satisfactory double-haul every seven out of ten casts. Not perfect, not quite 60 feet, but good enough.

The tides they are a changing It’s easy in Tasmania to forget how important the tides are, for the most part, we just hit the water at any time and get to fishing. But on the big island and in particular up north the tides are huge. When the water rises and falls up to 8 metres it changes the landscape dramatically, so the tide is king up there. I learnt this the hard way getting stranded on a sandbar in the northern territory a few years back, but that’s another story. As we waited for the tide to rise we spent some time looking for a GT or even a barramundi if we were lucky. Casting a Clouser around any rocks or small points that jutted out into the water, anywhere that a predator could be lying in wait for a baitfish to swim past. All the while my guide Paul was checking his watch and looking nervously over his shoulder, every now and then mumbling “Won’t be long now” he was

The holy grail of fly fishing, big permit on the flats. like a jittery teenager going on a first date, arriving an hour early so as not to be late but spending the whole time working himself up wondering if she would show up or not. The other thing playing on his mind was the weather, the Bureau had forecasted very poor conditions for our Permit hunt. Despite moving our day forward, the front arrived 24 hours early and we knew we were in for a tough day. Permit fishing is 100% a visual game, casting out a crab fly and drifting it about is a needle in the haystack scenario. These fish need to be spotted, slowly stalked then have a crab placed right in front of their nose, and even then they need to be in the mood to eat. This is where an experienced guide can read the body language of the permit and know when to cast, keeping your powder dry until the opportune moment is key.

The hunting grounds

Gav’s crab are a perfect crab imitation. Fishing News - Page 30

When Paul made the call that it was time to head to the flats something changed, very quickly he turned from a nervous schoolboy into some hypervigilant permit junkie. He wasn’t waiting for some girl to turn up, he was out of the corner waiting for his dealer to arrive.

He wasn’t shaking with nerves; it was symptoms of his withdrawals. I’ve heard of people saying they were addicted to fishing, but this guy truly lives and breathes fly fishing for permit. As we pulled up the boat and swapped over to the electric, his focus and determination to find a permit was something to behold. His eyes were peeled, and his body was tensed. He scanned that choppy water like a naval radar, looking the anything that might look like his dealer. Correction, permit. But as the tide came in and flooded the sand bars, the water below us got deeper and deeper. It was obvious seeing the signature sickles and tails of the dancing permit was not going to happen. They were there, we bumped into a couple when moving spots. Unfortunately, we were right on top of them before they were spotted and with one flick of the flyrod they were gone. By this stage Paul was in a mess, he had cold sweats, and he was coming down off his high in a bad way. He has been guiding Mackay for many years, and it took him and his buddies six long years to finally learn the secret of the permit in his region. Despite everyone around the country telling him that permit in Mackay are just a myth, he has unlocked one of the most amazing fisheries in the country. On the right days, he will see over 100 permit spiralling their way along the beach in circles the size of a footy field. Offering his clients dozens upon dozens of shots at the target. He wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to these fish, and you can’t help but think what a brilliant ambassador he is for this species. Okay so back to the fishing. The water was choppy, the wind was 20 knots and the tide was in. It’s like walking into nineteen lagoons wanting to sight fish with a black spinner and the lake is frozen, it’s just

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the opposite of what you need. We turned the boat out to sea and started to head for deeper water on the electric, and out of nowhere, a large permit was swimming straight at the boat. With a quick flick of the rod, a crab fly is now sinking its way through the water directly in line with the permit’s path, as it gets close it tilts its body down and is heading for the fly. It goes out of sight, I’m pointing the tip of the rod at the water and line squeezed tightly in my left hand waiting to feel the bite and strip strike the hook into its crusher plate. But there is nothing, just dead silence from Paul and I. Too scared to talk, but both knew enough time had passed to get a strike. Without speaking, I wound up the line. The outboard was started and we motored out of the bay. Paul doesn’t take defeat too well, in fact, he just plain refuses to be beaten. So instead of turning left to the boat ramp, he swings right and heads to a distant southern shore. He prides himself on getting every client on board a shot at a permit. But more than that his catch rate is in the high 90%, and he wasn’t going to let some big hairy trout fisherman from Tasmania ruin his reputation. As we get close to the shore he kills the outboard and heads to the bow to lower the electric, I step up on the custom-made casting platform and start to have a look around. Instantly I see two dark figures in the water to our left, Paul confirms they are permit and we can’t believe our luck. They are within range, well less than 60 feet. All I needed to do was just get a half-arsed double-haul out their way and I’d have my chance, these fish were feeding and I just had to serve them lunch. I put my head down and start stripping the line off onto the platform below me, as I look up I see the dark patch in the water and begin my cast. As I get some line out my confidence is growing, a subtle flick of my left wrist and I am hauling the line just like we practiced. Except, Paul notices a very fatal flaw in my casting. I’m glad I never saw the look on his face when he realised what I was up to, a mixture of being horrified, upset and angry I imagine. He started screaming “RIGHT, GO RIGHT” but I was so caught up in how well my cast was going that I didn’t realise when my head was down, stripping the line off of the real. We were still drifting forward with the boat’s momentum. When I looked back up the dark patch I was concentrating on wasn’t the permit we had seen. I was so bloody caught up in this moment I completely ignored my guide, the guy who all I had to do was listen to his instructions. The guy I had paid my hardearned money to so I could have his knowledge for a day. I didn’t listen to him. I did my final forward cast, lowered my left hand, and felt the rod load up. The line went sailing out the guides and sure enough, I landed that Gavs Crab on that rock with pinpoint accuracy. By this stage, Paul could not believe what he was seeing. We were standing on the street and the dealer had finally shown up, hours late and not where we expected but he was there, my guide was going to score his well-earned hit and finish the day on a high. Except his dopy sidekick must have looked like an undercover cop, so the man with the goods just turned his back and left us broken and confused.

The sight that gets the nerves pumping!

Broken, but better for it I learnt a great deal on my day out in Mackay, firstly it’s amazing the torture you can put someone through and have them still bounce back. Sorry, Paul. Secondly, the double-haul. This has become the most useful tool in my arsenal, not just for the increased distance. But the added line speed has improved my accuracy 10 fold, targeting gaps in weed beds has become a lot easier and in turn is catching me more fish. Being able to throw more line out on the final cast has helped me catch a lot fewer trees over my shoulder as well. If you’re at a point where you are casting confidently but know you could do things better, adding a single or double-haul will get you to that next level. But finally, I learnt the importance of planning these milestone trips a lot better. Allow yourself a week when going with a guide, and let them pick the best day to go. A good guide doesn’t overfill their calendar and always has spare days on either side of your date. Find out what sort of equipment you will be using and practice practice practice. It’s easy watching endless hours of fishing on TV but it won’t help you out in the field, good techniques will.

Spanish flag are a common catch along the reefs up north.

Grant with a consolation trevally after being haunted by the Mackay permit.

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Fishing News - Page 31

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NEWS from TARFish 28 October 2023

New Scalefish Rules - apply from 1 November 2023

The Minister, Jo Palmer, recently announced (28 October) new Tasmanian scalefish rules - below are the big ticket items.

Message from TARFish CEO Jane Gallichan

“We spoke to recreational fishers from Smithton to Southport during the scalefish review and they believe in sustainable fisheries management. We want our kids and our grandkids to be able to enjoy the Tasmanian way of life like we have done for so many generations. But there is no doubt that today’s announcement on sand flathead is a tough one.

That said, it would be even tougher unless TARFish had presented such compelling arguments to the Minister. Through our efforts, and that of the thousands of recreational fishers and the businesses that support them, we would not have the ongoing access that we have. No one can say that recreational fishers are not prepared to do their bit to protect their way of life. We thank the Minister for engaging with us and supporting the position we put forward. We believe today’s decision shows that advocacy works and that we have the balance right. We know action to support the recovery of sand flathead is needed but at the same time, allow Tasmanians to continue to fish for the state’s most loved and iconic species – the sand flathead. We also know that recreational fishing is an economic powerhouse in Tasmania.

The decision on sand flathead means that the thousands of recreational fishers, tackle shops, boat sellers and regional communities that have recreational fishing as part of their lives and businesses can have future surety. So while this is tough, we are buoyed by the Minister’s commitment to review the decision in two years. We hope that by taking the action we need to now, that increased access to sand flathead will be possible in the very near future. Our advocacy for recreational fishers will not stop and there is more work to do. We don’t agree with every decision announced today, and we also want to see our reduced access to sand flathead and striped trumpeter offset by increased access in a range of other fisheries and improved fishing opportunities for shorebased fishers and emerging species such as snapper and King George whiting.”

Sand flathead •

•

No requirement to land whole or with heads and frames Complete ban on commercial fishing

Size limits: •

Minimum 35 - Maximum 40cm in all waters except for King and Flinders Island that have no maximum size.

Bag limits: •

D’Entrecasteaux Channel, Derwent River, Frederick Henry and Norfolk Bays. -2

•

East (and south- east outside of the waters named above) - 2

•

North (including King and Flinders Islands) - 10

Possession limits: 10 for all areas

Striped trumpeter Size limits: No change Bag limits: •

East - 2 (Possession - 8, Boat - 8 (Boundaries at Port Sorell/Whale Head)

•

We s t r e g i o n - 4 , ( Possession - 8, Boat - 12)

Bastard trumpeter Size: 42cm Bag limits: •

East - 2 (possession - 8, boat - 8)

•

West - 5 (possession - 10, boat - 15)

Blue warehou and jackass morwong •

Boat limit introduced - 30

The Minister has: •

Ruled out the ban on spearfishing for key species

•

Ruled out changes to calamari for this season

•

Dumped changes to charter boat operators

•

Dumped proposed rule to change catch limits and or size limits by public notice

Thank you to every rec fisher, tackle shop and boat dealer that worked with us to get the best result possible. There is still more to do we’ll keep working hard to get the best results for rec fishers.. When we all work together we get things done! Come join us, we need your help!

New TARFish website OUT NOW! We’re here to champion you, Tasmania’s marine recreational fishers. To find out how we are doing that and for the latest on the issues that matter in marine recreational fishing from your peak body, visit our website.

www.tarfish.org

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

Fishing News - Page 33

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Fishing News - Page 34

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Fishing News - Page 35

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