Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 141 2020 May

May – July 2020

TASMANIAN FISHING and BOATING NEWS — ISSUE 141

Snapper Jumbo Tuna Big Fish - Light Gear Chasing 10,000 trout A Selection of Books Essential Trout Lures Is Fresh or Frozen Best

Print Post approved 100003074

Favourite Gear Selection

$5.95 The stunning colours of a Tasmanian Snapper. See page 3.

North East Snapper — Damon Sherriff

3

Towards 10,000 Trout — Adrian Webb

10

Seafood — Is it better fresh or frozen — FRDC

15

Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships — Lubin Pfeiffer

18

Challenging Yourself — Big fish on light tackle — Matt Sherriff

22

That Virus — Steve Starling

28

Essential Tasmanian Trout Lures — Michal Rybka

26

Fishing with Kids — Shaun Cooper

36

My Favourite Things — Craig Rist

38

A Look Through My Book Case — Nick Taransky

42

Jumbo Tuna — Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt

46

Recreational Marine Fishing News

52

W

hat a horrendous time for us and the world around us. I have, with mindful restraint, done a little fishing in streams close to home while Covid19 has surrounded us.

Jock, our dog, loves the water and Jules and I love to combine exercising the dog with a little fishing where possible. I have not felt the need to get the boat out, but some have been lucky to be able to do that if they had a ramp in their council area, but that wasn’t me. I had some calls from anglers that wanted to travel and fish, but I agree with the Premier in minimising travel and isolating. Interestingly, isolation was and is – or can be the very foundation of many a good angler.

Fishing is often an isolating pursuit and it seemed to me I heard a lot of talk towards getting team sports going again and how that would be managed. Fishing was fleetingly or not even mentioned. Maybe that is good and we don’t need too much intervention.

There is no doubt we will now be entering a different world though, and we should take time to reflect on what fishing does for us. I get pretty stressed from time to time – just ask Jules. Two things really help me – fishing and Jock. Both give me head space, time to slow down, and neither have time restraints, nor are they judgemental or demanding. I can just be with fishing and, or Jock, and not have to talk, ask questions, give answers. I can just be.

Often I like to fish alone, selfishly then I don’t have to share the water, I can go wherever I want, fish as long, or as short as I want, fall in with no one to see me and get home whenever suits. And I can stop and sit and watch the birds – or just watch the water – or I

can fish fast, skipping the water I think doesn’t hold fish, only to find I spook many. Then I stop to fish what I believe is the best water and find it isn’t.

In the last year though things have changed. Now Jules wants to fish all the time. We have been married three decades and for most of it her only interest in fishing has been ‘how much did that boat, rod, reel, trip, 4wd ……. etc. cost’. Now she wants to fish all the time and I haven’t decided if that is good or not.

Good points: She is always ready; food is good; she doesn’t want to go home early; can cast well; fishes slowly and doesn’t hog the water; happy to fish separately; has gear I can borrow; keeps Jock under control; likes my whisky and doesn’t talk too much.

Less good points: Wants to go bonefishing with her girlfriend; buys expensive gear; occasionally catches more than me; nothing else.

This leads me to fishing friends. It can take a long time to find one — and some never find one that suits them. Luckily, I have had two or three. One passed away a couple of years back and I fished with his fly reel on the last day of the season – just 4 days after what would have been his birthday. I caught a couple of fish on a dry fly on the last cast at 3.15pm. It is a funny little goal I set and try and do each year.

So I am lucky to now have a new fishing friend — my wife, Jules to fish with.

I hope you enjoy this issue. There is a lot of fishing we can do over winter and it will be more accessible in the next few months than it has been for the last couple.

I have used this quote before, but it seems relevant now.

Nick Taransky also references it on page 44.

THE TESTAMENT OF A FISHERMAN ROBERT TRAVER 1964, (JUDGE JOHN VOELKER 1903-93)

I fish because I love to; Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and hate the environs where crowds of people are found, which are invariably ugly; Because of all the television commercials, cocktail parties, and assorted social posturing I thus escape; Because, in a world where most men seem to spend their lives doing things they hate, my fishing is at once an endless source of delight and an act of small rebellion; Because trout do not lie or cheat and cannot be bought or bribed or impressed by power, but respond only to quietude and humility and endless patience; Because I suspect that men are going along this way for the last time, and I for one don’t want to waste the trip; because mercifully there are no telephones on trout waters; Because only in the woods can I find solitude without loneliness; Because bourbon out of an old tin cup always tastes better out there; Because maybe one day I will catch a mermaid; And, finally, not because I regard fishing as being so terribly important but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant – and not nearly so much fun.

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 0r 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

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Mike Stevens

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Benjamin Sherriff with a beautiful North East male snapper.

NORTH EAST REDS SNAPPER aficianado Damon Sherriff shares some thoughts on favourite fish

S

ince moving to beautiful sea side village of Bridport, it has really given me a chance to target my favourite fish in a different location. I am no stranger to snapper at Bridport though, I have been fishing it since the mid 1990s. I have experienced some very good snapper fishing here over the decades and have caught half a dozen fish over the old fashioned 20 pound mark. The last few seasons I have been trying to locate new areas where big snapper live. The 2019/20 Snapper Season has been an absolute cracker. Experiencing some of the best snapper fishing imaginable. Many of the fish have been over the 7kg mark and quite a few reaching 8.5 kg.

A Day I’ll Never Forget This was a very memorable day just after Christmas where the fish went crazy. I headed to the boat ramp very early in the morning before daylight to collect bait . I was on the water at approximately 3.30 am. It was a cold, calm morning with a light southerly cool wind blowing. I called into my calamari mark to try to catch some fresh bait before the tide change which was right on day light. The calamari where very cooperative that morning and it did not take long to catch enough for a good snapper session. Fully loaded with baits, I could now head out to my mark in my 4 meter tinny.

Confidence was high because in recent weeks my sons and I had landed more than 30 fish, the biggest at 8 kg which my youngest son Sam caught.

I anchored up and proceeded to bait up my rods with the fresh calamari. Sitting in around 22 meters of water, it took a few moments for the baits to reach the bottom once the cast was made. After five minutes, I noticed a small sharp familiar bite. The rod buckled over and I was tight to a fish. A short fight ensued, and quickly I had a pinky in the boat weighing about 2.5kg. A good start to the day. I spiked the Snappers air bladder and revived him and released him. After this a big school of pinky’s up to 3kg moved in. They where like piranhas attacking every bait that hit the bottom.

Most of the time I only had one rod in the water due to the instant hook ups I was getting. After pinky number 13, I hooked a better fish. Which gave me a bit more curry. I got colour on a fish that would’ve weighed 4.5

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Fishing News - Page 3

The author with a trophy coming in at 8.3kg. to 5 kg and was around 70 cm. I was really happy to see this as I was having fun with the pinkies but that was not what I was there for.

Knowing there was bigger fish about I upscaled my bait and cast back in. As soon as it hit the bottom, Whack!! My reel let out a short howl. After a dogged fight I landed a beautiful crimson 6 kg male . I was stoked to see the bigger fish had moved in. I baited two rods and cast them in at the same time. They both hit the bottom, by the time I put the rods in the rod holders. Then they both buckled and where howling off. I picked up the one closest to me. It felt like another good red. I turned the video on my phone to film the crazy action. The fish I had on had stopped running but the other fish on the rod I left in the rod Fishing News - Page 4

holder was still howling off. I had a feeling this was a big fish, this was the fish I wanted, so I put the fish I was fighting back in the rod holder and swapped rods. When I picked up the other rod I could feel the extra weight of the fish straight up. I knew it was bigger than the one I put down. The fish was really really dogged. I would get two winds he would take two winds. This happened for nearly 10 mins. I had a feeling the fish was a male. Males had the tendency to really use their heads in the fight and do these continuous short dogged runs. They definitely fight a lot harder than female fish. I finally got colour on the fish and could see the pearlescent white belly down deep. It is a beautiful sight I will never get sick off. Then he gave up and a beautiful 86 cm male popped up and floated

in front of me. I was totally stoked. I got my trusty homemade rangoon cane gaff out and gaffed the big red under the chin and lifted him aboard.

My season was made. I had caught a red close to the old fashioned 20lb mark! After all this I forgot about the other fish still hooked up in the rod holder.

I wound that fish in and it was a near 6kg female. Still a lovely fish in anyone’s language. I had been filming most of the action thought out the day so I thought I would put a YouTube clip together which I did. The story does not stop there, I landed another 8 fish that day, all around 6 to 8 kg. The tally ended at 25 for the morning. I kept my bag limit of 5 and donated the frames to IMAS for Snapper research. What a crazy day that will never be forgotten.

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Best Baits for Snapper Snapper are opportunistic feeders and will eat a wide variety of foods. They also adapt to the surroundings they are found. I have found so many different foods in their stomach, it is ridiculous. Here is a few to give you an idea; Square back crabs, spider crabs, sea horses, starfish, cunji, octopus, toadfish, cod, leatherjackets, flathead, crayfish, scollops and pipis. Snapper are a very similar fish to bream. Fish are not a big part of their diet but bigger snapper will occasionally catch slow moving fish. They prefer to eat crustaceans and shellfish. Their jaws are designed for crushing the food, not so much catching the prey. Probably my favourite bait is fresh calamari or cuttlefish. The snapper really love it. It’s also a good tuff bait and stays on the hook well. For the best results make sure it is fresh. It does make a difference. Not so much on piranha pinkies but for big snapper it makes a huge difference. Snapper will have go at most fish flesh baits as well, such as a piece of salmon. Once again if you are after bigger fish fresh bait is always best!

Berley or Not? A lot of people can’t believe I don’t berley at all for Snapper. Back in the 90s while fishing in the Tamar, I caught fish using berley and caught fish without using berley. One thing I noticed in the fast water in the Tamar, was that the fish would swim through an area rather than hang around. Sometimes they would move through very quickly. I found that their bite, most of the time was activated by the time of the tide, not the berley. I found berley in the fish I caught when I was

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Fishing News - Page 5

using berley, but the catch rate seemed to be the same whether berley was in the water or not. Once the fish came on the bite they bit. Once the fish had finished the bite, it was over! If you do decide to berley, be sure to use a shell or crustacean based one. It’s what they naturally eat. Over the years I have had some success on crushed oysters, mussels, prawn shells, calamari and crayfish shells. It does work and will hold fish in and area for a longer period. But because of the rubbish fish it attracts and the effort it takes to organise it. I prefer to spend my time catching fresher bait and using that to maximise my results.

Snapper Rigs These days we are very lucky to have so many different tackle manufacturers around making quality terminal tackle. 30 years back we did not have anywhere near the quality brand choices as we do today. I am not going to go into brands in this article. Most of them are more than good enough to catch big snapper. Hooks are by far the most important part of the rig. If you buy cheap hooks you increase the risk of losing that trophy big red quite dramatically. Big Snapper don’t have a lot of fleshy bits around or inside their mouths so hook sharpness is extremely important. Blind hooks are a recipe for disaster and losing that big one. Hook strength is very important. If a big red gets your hook in his mouth the wrong way he will break it like plastic.

They have extremely strong jaws. You can even have a quality hook broken this way. Your monofilament leader line should be between 20-32kg for big fish.

Baits set and ready for a bite.

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They don’t care about leader diameter. You can choose between a running sinker rig or a paternoster rig. Both rigs work on big fish. Sinker size depends on where you are fishing, you need a sinker that gets your bait to the bottom. I use Snapper and bomb sinker most of the time. Only because they cast far better than others.

Rods and Reels You have the choice of an overhead or threadline reel, with my preference being an overhead. They all work for snapper fishing. Most importantly the drag on the reel must be smooth. You do not need to have much drag pressure on a snapper reel but it has to be smooth. Big snapper are often very lightly hooked and too heavier a drag will pull hooks and you will loose fish. I like to play fish very gently. The reel needs to hold a couple of hundred meters of 6 to 10 kg monofilament. I have learnt the hard way with braid and find it pulls the hooks often because it has zero stretch. This is particularly true in shallow water situations. I like rods between 2.1-2.4 metres in length with a reasonably soft action to take the

shock out of a lightly hooked big red. The rod still should have a strong butt section to handle the bycatch and cope with casting the larger sinkers if you are fishing deep. Another tip I can suggest is to have rods in a flatter rod holder not an up right rod holder. This gets you line away from your outboard and transducer or anything else on the boat that could catch your line.

I could go on forever about Snapper fishing. It’s been a huge part of my life for many years. It’s really great to see the species is breeding up and the excellent fishery we now have. Big snapper are not just a by catch like they were many years ago! Good luck with it all and stay safe. Hope by the time this article gets published we can all get out and enjoy Australia’s number 1 sport fish again.

Damon Sherriff

A big red makes it towards the net.

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TOWARDS TEN THOUSAND TROUT Adrian Webb

I

was around six years old when I had my first fishing trip with my grandfather to the Semaphore jetty in South Australia. I can’t remember the fishing rod or reel I, because that was back in 1952. I do remember the first fish I caught though, it was a “Tommy Ruff”or as they’re now called Australian Herring. I didn’t do a lot of fishing with my grandfather as he suffered illness from the gas used during the first World War and he died in 1954, but it was thanks to him that got me started with my fishing.

My dad wasn’t one for fishing. He didn’t have the patience to sit on a jetty for all that long. If he didn’t get a bite or catch a fish in the first thirty minutes that was it, we were off home. It was my brother who took me fishing mostly, he loved fishing and had all the patience in the world. A little too much patience some times because we would sit on the jetty for five or more hours for just a few tommies and gar with the odd mullet being caught. Good thing was, we always went home with a feed of fresh fish.

How I started chasing trout As the years went on my brother started work, then eventually got married and I went fishing on my own. I would ride my push bike to the Port River and fish for mullet from the wharves. Eventually I was old enough to start work (1961) and bought my first car, a 1950 Fishing News - Page 10

Vanguard that cost me fifty pounds back in 1962, that was my wheels for going fishing.

It was sometime in 1965 when a friend asked me if I would like to go and have a fish for trout in the Finniss River at Yundi which is South of Adelaide. I did go with him and even today I can still remember that first trip to the Finniss River. I had a six foot split can fishing rod with a spinning reel and ten pound nylon line, my lure was a silver blade Mepps spinner.

On my first spin session on the river I caught a beautiful brown trout that weighed 3lbs. That was the one and only trout we caught on the day, but that was enough to get me well and truly hooked on trout fishing. I still did my salt water fishing for whiting and snapper on a regular basis, but was really getting into the trout fishing more often.

Trout fishing in South Australia was tough mainly because of the lack of rivers/streams that had trout in them, but I did find enough of them to keep me going.

The more I went the better I became at it, reading a river and knowing where the trout would be holding out. The rivers/streams I fished were very challenging tight skinny waters, stalking trout in them wasn’t easy either and I feel that’s what made me the trout fisherman I am today.

What I love about trout Catching a trout on my first trip soon had me obsessed. There’s something different about it compared to salt water fishing where fish are normally in schools and plentiful. Trout on the other hand, especially the brown trout never swim in schools in a river, they are loners. They do pair up during the spawning season and that’s it. Sometimes you’ll see juvenile trout swimming in numbers, as they mature they are off on their own. Brown trout are cunning and can be pretty frustrating at times. They will come up behind a lure and just follow it with no signs of aggression, then turn and move off not to be seen again.

When they’re in that type of mood it’s then up to me to entice the trout to take the lure. It can take some time and several changes of lure before you get one to take it, when a trout does take the lure you know you’ve achieved what many other fishers haven’t.

I admit I am obsessed with trout fishing. In fact I became so obsessed we spent seven years heading back and forth to Tasmania before selling up and moving here in March 2000. I was finally in trout heaven where nearly every river and stream has trout in them. It’s not only the trout fishing I love, it’s also the beautiful peaceful surrounds one can take in. I’ve had many trips over the years when I haven’t landed a trout and not worried about because of the beauty that’s around

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me. When I go stalking trout my aim is always to catch them, if it doesn’t happen then so be it, it’s not the end of the world. When fishing for trout one has to have patience, if you don’t have it then don’t go. I will often sit on a rock in the middle of a river or a log next to a river bank and take it all in. I feel lucky that I was introduced to trout fishing back in 1965. Trout fishing has taught me to be patient and it’s also got me where I am today. I only realised a few days ago after going through my full yearly trout season reports that I am just 129 trout short of catching my 10,000th Tasmanian trout since moving here.

Memories on my way to 10,000 My best day’s trout fishing has been in Tassie. One day I fished a small stream and stopped fishing when I had caught and released 49 trout. Why did I stop at 49 trout you may ask, it was to give me a challenge to catch 50 trout on another trip one day? Ten years on my best catch still sits on 49. Though I have had several catches in the high twenties.

Other good memories have been going through maps and finding fire tracks that lead to small streams and having a spin session in them. To me that’s what trout fishing is all about, finding out of the way secluded little streams that no one (to my knowledge) has ever fished. I have caught a lot of trout in those streams, many being nice solid fish in the 600-700 gram range.

My first ever Tasmanian PB trout comes to mind too, it was a beautiful male brown trout taken in a small backwater on the Mersey River back in 2006.

It was fooled with a small Mepps 1.5 gram black fury inline spinner. To reach this narrow snaggy back water I had to slide down an embankment so I could get a cast up along it. It had to be an accurate cast too, one that I managed to do first up. On the retrieve I spotted a large brown move out of the snaggy zone and come hard and fast at the little spinner. It was one of the most aggressive attacks I had ever had on a lure in my time in Tassie. It seemed forever, but it was only several minutes before I had that fish in close enough to hop in the water and lift it onto a small flat piece of ground.

That trout went 5lb 4ozs, the little black fury spinner was bent in half and was totally buggered, I still have that little lure today. I still can’t believe I managed to land that trout on the day given where I hooked it, plus I didn’t have a landing net back then either!

I have so many good memories over my 54 years of trout fishing my way towards my 10,000th trout

I’ll just add a couple more to this article. The most memorable one was on the very last day of the 2017-18 trout season in the Leven River where I had caught and released quite a few trout during the day. I was in the middle of the river fishing a wide shallow light tannin stretch when I noticed some movement in the water to the right of me.

It was around fifteen metres or more away from me and when I looked at it a little harder it seemed to me that it was just a small broken tree branch on the river bottom. I had a couple of casts upstream without any signs of a trout, then I had another look towards what I thought was the branch. It moved, I couldn’t believe it was a trout and a massive one at that. It sent shivers up my spine.

I use Australian Platypus Super 100 4lb mono line.

It is thin and strong. The little Okuma reel would be tested if that fish happened to take a lure. I knew the 1.5 gram lure was way too small to handle that fish so I went for a hard body lure, the biggest hard body I had on me was only 50mm, so it had to do. Once on I turned to have a cast up and across the river I saw that the trout had moved off.

First thing that came to mind was there goes my chance. I stood looking at the water and wondered where would I hold out if I were a trout. After looking at the water for a few minutes I felt the area to my far right is where I would be lying in wait for a feed.

The river bank was lined with debris, it had a nice flat water next to it and a nice bubble line to go with it, the perfect trout zone. A bubble line is always a good area for catching trout, it’s a highway for food that drifts down the river, that’s where I cast the lure.

All I was hoping for now was that is where the trout had moved to. No sooner had the lure hit the water it was smashed, I had lobbed the lure right where the trout was holding. The water exploded and old mate trout made it’s a run for freedom. It wasn’t until it made the first leap from the river I realised how big it was; it was massive! I don’t know how many times it

Another little brownie about to be released. leaped from the river or how many runs it made, all I could do was to keep enough pressure on the fish as not to break the line.

While keeping as calm as possible it seemed to be taking forever to get control of this fish, to make matters worse it did a crocodile roll and wrapped the line around itself. Now I was in trouble, the fish was holding side-on in the flow and my light 4lb line was wrapped half way along it’s body.

With the adrenalin running high I still had to keep my cool and hope the line would hold on long enough until the fish tired and stopped fighting. The brown wasn’t ready to toss in the towel as it did another crocodile roll, this time it was in my favour because it had unrolled the line. It was then I felt I was back in control, well to a certain point as the trout was still around fifteen metres from me and holding side on in the strong flow. I kept enough pressure on the fish as I slowly made my way to the rivers edge, I could see the fish was tiring, the hardest part was yet to come.

Of all the times to have my shallow landing net with me it had to be today, my large deep landing net was in the boot of my car. No way was the trout going to fit into the net I’m using, and all I could do was to slowly lead it in to the shallows then grip hold of it by the tail which I did. Finally, after fifteen minutes that

The Mersey River offers browns and rainbows.

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Fishing News - Page 11

beautiful golden wild brown trout was landed. It was totally exhausted, it was so tired I could lay it in the shallow net and weigh it. That trout went 8lb 8ozs, a fish of a life time for me, one I doubt I’ll better again in a river here in Tasmania.

I took a couple of photos of it then spent over five minutes reviving it in the water to make sure it was okay before letting it swim off. It was also big enough to win me the angling club trophy for the heaviest trout of the season too.

Another of my great memories was trout was fishing with a very good mate (Clint) from time to time who sadly passed away from cancer last December. We spent many years on and off having a spin session together in several rivers, he caught more trout than me on a few trips too and boy did he rub it in. When he was a fish or two in front of me he used to call out with a silly grin on his face, “Hey trout master, how many have you caught.” We had a lot of fun stirring one another on, a lot laughs were had on our trips. Memories and photos of those trips that will last me and many others a life time. Every time I fish a river in an area we fished together those memories come back. He was a great friend that’s for sure who went too early in life.

Trout tips There are many ways of fishing for trout, lure, fly and bait so if you are just starting out trout fishing I’d advise you to read up on the general basics of trout fishing, watch videos on how to catch trout. Whether it be any of the three mentioned you’ll find plenty of info on it.

I recommend spin fishing for trout as the best way to start. The gear I use is an Okuma Celilo 1-3kg ULS 1.8 metre trout rod, Okuma spinning reel, filled with 4 lb Platypus Super 100 clear mono line and Mepps inline blade spinners.

If you know someone who is experienced in trout fishing don’t be afraid to ask them if you can tag along with them one day so you can get to see for yourself what it’s all about and how it’s done. Pay attention and listen to what the experienced trout fisher tells and shows you what to do.

You can join an Angling Club where you can pick up plenty of help and tips with trout fishing. Remember to fish with light tackle, it’s more productive than using heavy gear. The more often you go trout fishing a river the more experienced you will become, you will learn how to read a river and where the trout hold out.

The Ulverstone Angling Club has been a great support since the author came to Tasmania.

If it’s your first time to a river, then don’t go alone, always go with someone who is experienced in river fishing. Do not enter the river if you are unsure of it’s depth or how fast it is flowing, one slip and it could be your last fishing trip. Do not take any risks as no fish is worth drowning for, always remember “SAFETY FIRST”.

Most importantly be patient and enjoy yourself, whether it be lure, fly or bait fishing that’s what trout fishing is all about.

One other thing I urge you to do is to keep a diary and record your catches of every fishing trip you go on.

For example, name of the river and where you fished; how was the river level, was the river clear, tannin colour, a little off colour or dirty; weather conditions, sunny, cool, cloudy, raining, windy, no wind, light breeze; what lures, bait or trout flies did you use; what did the trout go for that day; how many did you catch and did you release or keep them.

When you do a trout report keep it simple, write it as you saw it, that’s all you have to do. Always take a camera with you and take photos of the river and surrounds, not just of the fish. It always good to look back on in years to come, something you will treasure when you get older. That is something I do know for sure.

I started my trout diary when we moved here in March 2000. For more info and tips on getting into trout fishing and how to catch them go to www. tasfish.com and go to “Trout Fishing” on the home page, there you will find all the info you need to catch a trout.

Little streams can hold many trout - you just need to find them.

Fishing News - Page 12

Unexpected achievements I joined the Ulverstone Angling Club back in 2006/07 and have won the trophy for most trout caught in rivers and streams every year since. Winning the trophy for thirteen years in a row was something I never imagined would happen either, but it did, so this season I’m giving it my all to make it fourteen in a row. Back in the 2009-10 Trout Season in 126 trips to various rivers I managed to catch 1167 brown trout and 89 rainbow trout, something I doubt I will ever achieve again. Please note: I do catch and release all of the trout I catch unless they have gill damage and can’t be released, only 1% to 2% of the trout are kept in a season.

How will I celebrate the 10,000th trout Simple, this is an easy one to speak about, I’ll breath a sigh of relief when it happens for starters. I’ll be over the moon to have achieved a milestone of something I never thought would happen. Of course, take a photo of the 10,000th trout whether it’s a small/medium or large fish is not important, catching it on a Mepps spinner is.

Once back at the car then I will sit back and celebrate with a can of Pepsi Max and a chocolate Freddo

Lead up to 10,000 wild trout Finally came the day I was going for my 10,000th Tasmanian wild trout since we moved here back in March 2000 and I’m going to catch it in one of my favourite tannin waters. The weather was a cool twelve degrees with rain forecast for later in the day, the sky was mainly cloudy with patches of sunlight every now and then, the biggest problem was the gusty 20-25 kph N/NW winds. It wasn’t an early start for me either as I didn’t hit the water until 11:20am, that was mainly because of the weather conditions. The river was up slightly from yesterdays rain which was good as it meant the trout would also be feeling refreshed and in an aggressive mood. I started the spin session off with a Mepps #00 Stone Fly Bug spinner, it’s always a good trout attractor most times and it did draw the attention of two trout in the first section of water I fished. Seeing

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as they didn’t attack the lure I decided to go for one that every now and then produces a few surprises, the #00 White Miller Bug spinner. It’s a spinner that sucks the trout in from time to time when conditions are suitable. I was only five minutes into the spin session when the White Miller sucked the first trout in, just a nice medium 300 gram brown. Three more cast and retrieves straight up the narrow water I had several hits and one hook up which I lost, the trout were in the right mood today. After climbing over a few logs to reach a small pocket of water I flicked the spinner close to the left side of the stream and it was taken in no time at all, two trout in just over ten minutes, it was all go today! I had to get out of the stream to go around a large log jamb then hop back in some twenty metres further up. From here on I had several hits with the trout just missing getting hooked, the aggression was still there so I wasn’t changing lures yet. Finally after fifteen minutes I had my third trout landed, ten minutes later I was onto another medium size brown, it stayed on and I had my forth trout. I hooked and lost two more trout and it took another twenty minutes before the fifth trout was landed, five minutes on I had number six in hand.

Made it to ten thousand With just the one trout to go now I was feeling a little nervous but also confident I would soon have the trout required to hit the 10,000 mark. After having several more hit and misses, then hooking and losing another fish there was a little cursing going on. I was still confident of catching the seventh trout, it was just

Wade angling is a lovely way to spend a few hours. the frustration of hooking and losing so many that was the problem. As I moved into the next stretch of water I disturbed a small trout at the tail end of it and I thought that it’s probably spooked any other trout that’s here. I was near the top end of the pool and flicked the white miller right next to the bank that was covered with overhanging ferns. Nothing happened on the first cast there but the second cast was much better when the white miller was taken hard and fast, I had the trout hooked that I needed reach the milestone. What made it better is that it was a solid fish and the best

of the session by far. After a short tussle, I slipped the net under it, I had the fish I needed in the net! After taking a couple of photos of the 485gm trout as well as a selfie holding the fish it was returned to the stream.

It took a little while to take it in and even while I’m writing this I still find it hard to believe what I have achieved since moving to Tasmania.

Adrian Webb

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Fishing News - Page 13

Fishing News - Page 14

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SEAFOOD Quality Frozen in Time Fisheries Research Development Corporation

W

hen it comes to seafood, ‘fresh is best’ has been the mantra for eons. But is fresh best?

A fascinating food science project may lead to a challenging rethink of this belief A research project that arose from questions put to consumers about why they do not buy seafood is throwing new light onto the fresh versus frozen debate, with some surprise early findings.

Sue Poole (left) and Philippa Tyler prepare randomised fish samples for one of the taste tests.

The issue has come to a head after a 2016 Fisheries Research Development Corporation (FRDC) consumer survey revealed three key reasons for the aversion of non-seafood eaters – smell, uncertain freshness and lack of knowledge about preparation. All these issues could be resolved by supplying seafood as a ready-to-cook frozen product, but this runs head-on into perceptions that freezing seafood reduces its eating quality.

To test this perception, the FRDC commissioned the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF)’s seafood team, led by principal scientist Sue Poole. The team was asked to develop and run a series of ‘taste tests’ among both professional seafood chefs and consumer panels, to build a statistically valid position on whether fresh seafood really can be distinguished from the correctly frozen and thawed product.

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Fishing News - Page 15

The data is still being analysed. But if it shows that most people – including chefs with highly attuned palates – cannot pick the difference, then the results will not only confound conventional wisdom but have significant implications for supply chain management and product development.

Early observations from the research show trained palates can detect a difference in taste and texture between fresh and thawed product, but only after considerable discussion in a workshop scenario. This was an unexpected outcome for the chefs involved.

Sue Poole explains that the project was structured to collect data based on a sensory analysis of fresh and frozen fish. The species used in the tests were Barramundi, Spanish Mackerel, and farmed Cobia and groper. All were presented first as sashimi and then as cooked fish.

Triangle test The tastings were based on a sensory science method called the triangle test. Three samples are presented: two being the same (fresh or thawed) and one different (fresh or thawed). The samples are presented in multiple, random combinations, and tasters are asked

The DAF seafood team, from left, Phillipa Tyler, Carl Paulo, Paul Exley and Sue Poole. to identify the sample that is different and to give a reason why – including stating if they are just guessing.

If a significant number of people can accurately detect fresh versus frozen across the large number of random presentations, then the taste difference becomes scientifically quantifiable.

Sue Poole says the testing began with a focus group comprising four prominent seafood chefs in Brisbane.

In the first session, fresh and thawed samples were presented side by side.

Fish fresh+frozen

“The chefs believed the fresh flesh had slightly more sheen, which is what we expected,” she says. “But when it came to the actual tasting, they struggled to pick any difference. This surprised everyone because they all have keen palates. Eventually, as a group, they were able to correctly identify the fresh and frozen, but only after a lot of discussion.”

“When we presented the cooked samples, however, there was no consensus. Everyone struggled, and everyone admitted to struggling.”

Even with their agreement on the sashimi, Sue Poole says the chefs still made the point that while they did pick the difference, it still was not relevant to “the real world” because side-by-side comparisons are not made in a restaurant. “So they said they would not necessarily have been able to pick any difference if there was no immediate comparison being made,” she explains.

“In a subsequent discussion, all the chefs said access to properly frozen and thawed seafood would present advantages such as extending the seasonal availability of different species, reducing waste and allowing better stock management by fishers.” Following the focus group experiment, the DAF seafood team ran the same triangle test with tasting panels drawn from the general public.

The results of these tests are still being analysed.

Fresh or frozen: which is best?

In the meantime, Sue Poole says the tests are already pointing to the need for more seafood education, including a better understanding of what is even meant by the word ‘fresh’.

“For us, it means a product that has been chilled.

And no matter how close to capture this happens, the product will deteriorate over time yet still be labelled fresh.

“By contrast, fish that is frozen close to capture will retain that quality, so it can be argued that this is likely to provide a better eating experience … the qualifying elements being species and correct freezing and thawing.

“Freezing needs to happen very quickly. It must get from zero to past minus 3°C as fast as possible to avoid damaging ice crystals forming in the flesh. Once past minus 3°C, the commercial standard for frozen seafood is minus 30°C, although some companies are now freezing to minus 60°C and even minus 90°C. “But this science is already done,” she says. “What we are now doing is accumulating accurate, reliable data on the impact of freezing on taste and texture for both sashimi products and cooked product.”

Sue Poole adds that the next step – if no statistically relevant taste differentiation between fresh and thawed is found – is to determine how long this quality state can be sustained. That is, how long can a fish product stay frozen before a more obvious difference does kick in?

“While change happens very slowly in a freezer, it is still happening,” she explains. “So the question now is ‘how long can we freeze different seafood products … weeks, months or even longer?’.”

Project rationale and implications

You can download this book for free: https://www.fishfiles.com.au/media/cook-books Fishing News - Page 16

FRDC general manager for communications, trade and marketing Peter Horvat says the rationale for this project arose from the survey in which the FRDC was keen to understand why some people simply avoided eating seafood, leaving aside those with allergies.

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Frozen

Gummy shark in prosciutto with cherry tomatoes serves 4

“We surveyed 2000 people and it became clear that the issue was much more complex than someone simply saying they don’t like seafood,” he says. “There were some clear reasons stated, many of which related to issues of freshness.

“My take-out from the survey was that if we could supply frozen product, you would be addressing most of the negatives the survey showed up: freshness, no odour issues, pre-prepared fillets for easy cooking, and value for money from the product able to be kept in the freezer and not go off.

“But what we didn’t know was whether or not the frozen product would deliver the same perception of quality as fresh. There’s a lot of rhetoric around this, but we needed to test it scientifically and use chefs whose day-to-day job is cooking fish … because if they can’t detect a difference, then the average consumer is not likely to either. So that’s what we have set out to quantify.”

Peter Horvat explains that the research also has other implications for suppliers, particularly exporters who are looking to put Australian product such as Barramundi into European markets.

“If you can send a frozen product to Europe by sea, it is markedly cheaper than airfreight. So it potentially delivers a lot of supply chain benefits, such as lower transportation costs and longer shelf life, which extends through to the consumer.”

Story and photos Brad Collis. Reproduced with permission from FRDC.

ingredients ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil 4 (about 750g) frozen gummy shark fillets freshly ground black pepper 4 slices prosciutto 1 punnet (about 250 g) baby truss tomatoes pea and Feta salad

2 cups frozen peas, cooked until tender 2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon sugar to serve

¹⁄³ cup feta, crumbled and fresh mint leaves for garnish method To make salad: Toss cooked peas with mint, oil, vinegar and sugar until well combined. set aside.

Preheat oven to 220 °C. Drizzle half the oil over base of a baking tray and place in oven to preheat. season fish with pepper and wrap a slice of prosciutto around each fillet.

Place onto preheated baking tray and roast for 4–5 minutes. Turn fish, add tomatoes and drizzle with remaining oil. roast for another 4–5 minutes or until cooked through.

Top salad with feta, mint and serve with fish.

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Fishing News - Page 17

COMMONWEALTH FLY FISHING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2020 NEW ZEALAND MARCH 17-22

By Lubin Pfeiffer

T

here is always a long lead up to international fly fishing competitions for Australian anglers. The day had finally come when the team had moved from its practice accommodation to the lodge where the 2020 Commonwealth Fly Fishing Championships were to be based. All the teams were there and everything had become very real that the championships were about to begin in a couple days time. After all of the formalities, and the draws done, it was time to get the competition underway.

First Session - Lake Rotoaria Arriving at the lake, there was little breeze but a load of excitement as this was the first session for me in the championship. We had a great game plan as a team and while I was hopeful that I would place high in the session, all we really needed was a top four or five from each of us to put Australia in a good position early.

Competitions are not won on the first day.

We had plenty of time to rig our rods and be aquatinted with our boats and fishing partners, and it was nice not to be in a rush early. I had all my spare leaders tied the night before, all wrapped on a foam board with flies attached which would ensure a speedy change if I needed too. I then set about setting my rod up and tying a fresh leader to start the session with.

My rod was a 10ft 6wt Primal RAW and the leader consisted of 3 x 5 foot sections of 0.23mm Trout Hunter Fluorocarbon, with my droppers around 150mm long. This was attached to a fast intermediate line as my plan was to hit the shallows early.

I waited to tie my flies on, as I didn’t want other competitors to see the selection. Everything was then loaded in the boat before we all travelled in convoy Fishing News - Page 18

together to the opposite end of the lake for the start of session. On arrival it was clear that almost everyone had the plan of fishing the inlet of the canal in the hopes that the fish would be schooling up in the cooler water.

My plan was to use the information given to me about fishing the shallows bays off to the side of the channel. It was kind of a tough decision but I was happier to have more water to myself than be stuck in a group like the other boats. My first fly selection was a sparkler on the top dropper, damsel on the middle dropper and a black straggle bugger on the point.

We planned to drift from as close to the edge of the lake as possible out towards the deeper water. The water looked amazing, 4-5 feet deep covered in beautiful weed beds. While I caught a couple fish early, the fishing wasn’t that productive. I could see a few fish being caught around the canal but rather than moving I decided to swap the sparkler for an orange UV blob.

The results were instant as I caught a couple and also had a few fish boil at the blob.

Our drifts lengths remained the same, starting from close to the edge drifting out but slightly changing the location each time, moving along the bay. My retrieves consisted of a mix of roll poly and medium paced strips. The hang was also very important. After noticing the orange blob getting more attention, I opted out the black straggle bugger and went with a Hollywood on the point. The line was also changed to a Di3 sinking as there was a bit of wind starting to blow. It was almost like turning a switch on as the fish started smashing both flies constantly. From the first strip of the retrieve to the very last they were getting slammed. The boats at the canal had started to move around a lot and I knew they weren’t catching, but I was catching, so I was very happy with my decision to do my own thing.

At one stage I hooked and lost two 40cm fish in two casts before landing a fish two casts after that, all on the one drift. The fishing was incredible. I kept those same flies and leader on the entire session and didn’t change anything, just worked hard to keep them moving in the water. I only landed one fish on the damsel in the middle, the rest were on the blob and Hollywood. With the 3 hours drawing to a close I was very happy to win the session my session with 18 fish, the next best being the Englishman with 11.

Second session - Tongariro River The buses arrived at the Creel Lodge in Turangi where the controllers were gathered and the anglers had a chance to eat their lunches before heading to the river.

I had mixed feelings about the Tongariro as I knew the river would be a bit peggy and you could draw an average beat. After meeting my controllers, who were absolutely lovely, they took us out to our beats. I had beat seven.

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Fishing News - Page 19

The controller had informed me that the Englishman had caught five fish out of the beat during the morning session. As all good controllers are taught, they were instructed not to let the anglers know where in the beat they had caught fish.

As we walked down the beat towards the bottom it became very obvious that this was not a beat I could win the session on. I pointed out one good piece of holding water and said to my controller “I bet that’s where the English caught all his fish” to which she smiled and confirmed my suspicions.

The beat was mostly a fierce chute with a pool at the bottom. By the start of the session the wind had really started to howl and I was watching dust and stones fall from the river bank. As each gust blew stronger, I knew I would have my work cut out for me.

My first move was to euro nymph the pocket where the fish had been caught earlier. I hooked and lost a fish pretty early but because the wind was so strong it was impossible to keep contact with my flies. I made the change to dry and dropper and worked the bottom of the pool for no success.

My next tactic involved single nymphing some of the pockets of the heavy water on my way towards the top of the beat. Short drifts mixed with some swinging made dealing with the breeze a little more manageable but I was still yet to land a fish. As I neared the top of the big chute I targeted each of the pockets right

The Australian Mens and Ladies Commonwealth Team across the river until I neared the far bank where I saw a large rainbow sipping above a willow. First swing of the nymph past the fish saw it eat and go completely nuts. I fought the fish for quite a while and almost had it under control until it bolted for the heavy water and pulled the hook.

My saviour for the session was to find some small rainbows at the top of the beat rising intermittently which I caught three using a dry and dropper rig. I spotted a couple of very large browns on the far edge once again sipping in front of a willow. After making my way across, the first one ate a single dry but I missed the take! The second ate very well and I got the hook in him but being such a large fish and right above the heavy chute it went the same way as the big rainbow.

I stood no chance as it disappeared in to the raging current never to be seen again.

With only ten minutes of my session left, I ran back to the bottom of the beat where the Englishman had caught his fish and put a very heavy caddis point fly on to try and help keep contact with in the wind. I got one small rainbow pretty quickly followed by another with thirty seconds to go. Little did I know how much those fish would mean to the end result. The Scotsman in the beat above me won the session with 15, while I placed mid field.

Third Session - Whanganui River Guided Fly Fishing/Accommodation Tasmania

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This session was a dream come true for me.

Ever since the World Championships were held in 2008 on this river I’d wanted to fish a competition session on the Whanganui. As my controller’s car pulled up on beat 12, I couldn’t quite believe my eyes as I had drawn my favourite spot to fish on the river.

It was surreal feeling rigging up my gear as I knew I could easily win with this beat if I fished well. What followed was my most enjoyable river session in my 15 years of competition angling. The fish were exactly where they should be and ate the fly very well. My plan was to start in the middle of the beat and target the many pockets and small runs between the rocks. They were loaded with fish. I caught many undersize, but also ten that counted including a 515mm rainbow.

With half of my session left I headed for the bottom half of the beat. This was where the big chute was that I knew would be loaded with good fish. The next hour and a half was so much fun. I landed another 13 with five of them over 50cms.

Euro nymphing was the key the whole session and I kept the same two flies on throughout, a Martin Droz squirrel on the point and also a claret nymph on the dropper. My tippet was 0.16mm Trout Hunter fluorocarbon and I fished a Prime Zone 10’6 3wt. The only adjustment was the weight on the nymph, going from a 3.5mm point fly to a 4mm and vice versa depending on the depth of the area I was fishing. This was enough to win me the session followed by the Scotsman who had landed 19 fish.

Forth Session - Whakapapa River I’d fished the Whakapapa quite a few times before but never the lower section which I had drawn so I was slightly anxious as to what the session would bring. The beat I had drawn was 12 which had produced some okay numbers, with the best being an Englishman who had caught 11 during his session.

The session started well because as I took the flies off the hook holder and dropped them in to the water to get ready to cast and a fish grabbed it instantly! There appeared to be a stack of undersize rainbows in the first run so I moved up to grid the next section of water above it. Again it was some of the best competition fishing I had experienced finding fish in all the spots they should be. I made a real point of gridding the river properly, and fishing every bit of water as the beat wasn’t super long. The fish were mostly sitting in slight depressions in the river. The great thing was they were mostly counters, over the 20cm limit, with some bigger fish mixed in. The Whakapapa is famously slippery and my controller and I kept count of my falls in to the river. I think the tally was about nine by the end of the session! We were both having a ball as the fishing was so good. At one point my controller paused my session so he could go back to grab another score card as the space on the current one was running out. I ended up landing 30 fish which gave me the win for the session.

These were all caught Euro nymphing with the same rod, flies and tippet I used in the Whanganui session.

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Fifth Session - Lake Kuratau It was amazing to think that the last session was already here, the competition had gone so quickly. With the scores tallied over night I had the added pressure of being in the overall lead heading in to the final day.

Australia was sitting in a team medal position, and I just hoped I could do my bit to keep us in that position.

Competition fishing is a hugely mental game and while I had been in this position before, I was actually incredibly calm. The lake had been fishing very well and I was happy to have drawn it for the last session.

They allocated us to a boat and I was pleased of the quality of the boat we had and the fact that I was driving it. My boat partner was a South African and we both agreed that working together would provide the best result for both of us. All I wanted was a forth place or better for the session.

When steaming time began and all the boats started to head out on the lake, I was still as calm as ever. We decided on a spot we both had good intel about and the fishing got underway. The first ten minutes had passed with no action in our boat and I spotted the Scotsman and English woman catch a couple along the edge. My boat partner and I quickly agreed to move close to the edge and we started catching fish instantly.

It was a lucky move as the fish only hung around for a few drifts before shutting down.

The boats moved out wide at that point and started to target the timber in the middle of the lake. There was a number of fish being caught and you knew that if you weren’t catching pretty consistently you would be out of the game. My boat partner had five fish and I was sitting on ten as we got close to the end of the session. I made the call to head back to where the fish were at the

start of the session with ten minutes to go. This turned out to be hugely important as I landed three fish in the last five minutes.

Heading back in, there were quite a few anglers that landed 11 or less.

I was very happy to end up with a third place for the session being beaten on size by a couple anglers that had caught some bigger ones.

The effort in the last session by the Above: The individual medal winners Australian team L-R Chris Medwin (AUS), Lubin as a whole was Pfeiffer (AUS), Harry J Mcateer (NI) magnificent and we were absolutely stoked to claim the Right: Individual gold medal winners Lubin and Casey Pfeiffer silver teams medal.

My efforts were enough to get me the individual gold medal and we also had Chris Medwin claim the bronze individual. The Australian Ladies also had a fantastic campaign. With my wife Casey Pfeiffer taking the individual ladies gold medal and Karen Brooks taking home the silver medal.

Lubin Pfieffer

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Fishing News - Page 21

CHALLENGING YOURSELF Matt Sherriff

A

s I write this article, my boat has been dry for around six weeks due to everyone being placed on movement restrictions. Living in the Meander Valley municipality has ruled out any fishing activities on salt water which has meant the weekends have been reserved for gardening.

As a gardener, I make a bloody good fisherman, but at least when the restrictions ease up the yard won’t need any more maintenance and I’ll be ready to go!

Seeing as there’s been no recent adventures, what better time to talk about some of the future fishing plans. This downtime has given us all some time to check over gear, watch a few fishing shows and put some thought into what our first missions will be when things start returning back to some sort of normality.

My focus will be to take a different approach to the way we target some of our more valued species in Tassie, predominately Striped Trumpeter, Blue Eye and Snapper.

Jigs and Soft Plastics are something that most of us have used at some stage, but with the above-mentioned species, most are generally taken using bait. Whilst bait is reliable, and great for those that are happy to sit back and wait for a bite, those of us that like to be actively fishing will enjoy the more hands on approach needed to work soft plastics and jigs effectively.

Fishing News - Page 22

Alan Koh jigs up a blue eye

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This style of fishing for Demersal (bottom feeding) species was introduced to me in Western Australia around seven years ago, where we spent a week at the Abrolhos Islands. Over this time we caught Samson Fish, Snapper, Baldchin Grouper, Coral Trout, Red Throat and Dhufish on both plastics and jigs. Fishing with lighter gear than we’d normally use, made the experience even more awesome. Some of the guys I know from WA are that hard core into jigging, they refuse to have any bait on their boats whatsoever!

What intrigued me most with this style of fishing is downsizing your gear. Don’t be fooled by the ultra-light thin rods and smaller reels, these setups are more than capable, and in most cases outperform much heavier gear whilst being notably easier to handle for extended periods.

Around 12 months ago I was showing Stuart Blackwell from Musselroe Charters one of our setups, a PE3 jig rod coupled with a 4000 reel and 20lb braid. He looked at me in disbelief when I said this outfit was more than capable of knocking over Striped Trumpeter. We set him up with one of these combos to try on the Stripeys with jigs and he was blown away by how much fun they were to catch on this gear.

Stuart specialises in charter trips focussing on Striped Trumpeter and he was that impressed with this style of fishing he is now considering running specialised charters for those that want to jig for Stripeys! To me this is the next level!!!

Up the North West coast of Tas, sponsored anglers, Mason and Daniel Paull have had considerable success on the Snapper with slow jigs, with Mason saying he’d much rather drift with jigs than be anchored up fishing bait. This style of fishing is not just a more active form of enjoyment, but it also enables you to cover much more ground when looking for fish.

Another North West angler, Glen Saltmarsh is quickly becoming known

for consistently catching Snapper in the Devonport area. Whilst Glen does catch many on bait, more recently he has been having great success drifting with plastics and mentioned that they have even caught a snapper on a silver sliced lure cast into a school of mackerel (I have seen the pic). This just goes to show how enthusiastic Snapper can be for artificial lures and opens us up to a whole new way of targeting them with options outside of hooks and sinkers. Over the last few years Glen has shared a huge amount of information in regard to catching Snapper which has encouraged several other successful anglers who are more closely guarded with their information to share more openly. The result of this information has seen many more anglers have success with this emerging species in Tassie which is great for us all! For those on social media who are looking to improve their Snapper catches, Glen is definitely someone to follow.

Mason Paull with a NW Snapper.

What about Blue Eye on jigs?

The first thought that comes to the mind of most is “you’ve got to be joking”?

I mean, who drops a jig that is the best part of 1kg down into depths of over 350m for fun? Anyone with a sense of adventure, that’s who!! For those that target Blue Eye using electric reels, you’ll know how hard these fish can load up a 37kg rod, just imagine one on a PE5 jigging rod!!!

A few years ago, at the Australian Fishing Trade Show, I was lucky enough to meet Alan Koh from Ocean’s Legacy. His company designs and imports specialised jigging rods, jigs and accessories. We struck up a friendship and he has since been sharing with us the success they have in WA, catching Blue Eye Trevalla and Hapuka on jigs. He was amazed that this type of fishing had not taken off for us down here with the quality of our fishery!

Big jig - big fish.

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Fishing News - Page 23

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Fishing News - Page 25

When targeting Blue Eye, they’ll quite often run an electric reel out of one side of the boat and have someone jigging out the other side. He said they always catch the bigger fish on the jigs! Anyone keen yet? I know as soon as we’re allowed to roam around again this will be one of the first things on my to do list! For those interested to see how we go, we plan on filming this trip as well as some Striped Trumpeter jigging with Musselroe Charters which we will share on our Facebook page, Sherriff Fishing and Outdoor.

Jigging techniques will vary depending on the species you are chasing. Unlike high speed jigging, used for species such as Kingfish, slow jigging relies much more on the rod to help impart the action on the lure.

Therefore, these rods will have a slow taper, appearing somewhat soft but still have plenty of power on offer through the butt section when fully loaded.

To get your jig working you can gently lift your rod and let it spring back while winding slack line or alternatively wind your reel half a turn or so (depending on retrieve rate), which will load the rod up and then pause to let the rod straighten before winding again.

This will cause the jig to lift and flutter. After winding up around 6 – 10m from the bottom, let your jig flutter back down to the bottom to repeat the process. Keep an eye on your line as quite often fish will grab your jig or as it flutters back down after being stimulated

by the retrieve. This slow jigging technique can work well in deeper water with plastics as well!

Note: I’ve been told that when jigging for Blue Eye, a faster more erratic, jig action is required as due to the amount of line in the water the action at the jig is more subtle.

Here’s a selection of the type of gear that we use for the above methods:

20; similar offerings like the Shimano Ocea Jigger would also be suitable Line: PE3 Braid (around 30lb breaking strain). This may seem light but the smaller diameter is required to allow for extra line capacity on the reel.

Jig Sizes: 500g – 1kg

Snapper/Striped Trumpeter Rod: 6’ – 6’5” (overhead or spin) Rating: PE1.5 - PE3 Reel: 3000 – 5000 Spin Reel or Baitcaster (small overhead) that will hold around 200m of PE2 and has 5kg of drag Line: PE2 Braid (around 20-30lb breaking strain) Jigs: 40 – 180g depending on depth Soft Plastics: 5” – 6” with ¾ - 3oz jig head depending on depth

Blue Eye/Hapuka Rod: 6’ – 6’2” Rating: PE5 (must be able to work very heavy jigs, rated to at least 700g) Reel: Overhead Jigging style reel (much narrower and lighter than trolling reels). Must be able to take over 600m of PE3. I’m using a Fin-Nor Marquesa

Matt with a blue eye.

Alex Green with a lure caught striped trumpeter.

Manual or electric wind?

Fishing News - Page 26

Glen Saltmarsh with a snapper on a big soft plastic.

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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.

WE ARE TONIC!

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Fishing News - Page 27

Like all of us, Starlo is looking ahead to brighter days on the other side of the pandemic.

REFLECTIONS ON FISHING AND THAT VIRUS Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling

T

he following piece draws heavily on content from one of Starlo’s editorials in a recent edition of the “Fishotopian” newsletter that he and his wife Jo send out to their growing army of subscribers every month, as part of their Fishotopia website: If 2020 was a product I’d bought on-line, I reckon I’d be within my rights to ask for my money back. It’s not fit for purpose, it doesn’t work, and bits were broken when I unwrapped it.

The opening scenes should’ve provided a clue about what was to come. Jo and I spent New Year’s Eve dressed in full fire-fighting gear, sitting on folding chairs in our backyard next to a vehicle packed with our most important possessions. Our worried eyes were intently fixed on a western sky that was cycling through the full spectrum: from orange and red to an angry, demonic black. All the while, burnt leaves and twigs rained down around us and acrid smoke stung our throats.

Three times in two weeks, we found ourselves in the same position, even receiving an ominous text message at one stage telling us that it was “too late to leave” and we should “shelter in place”. In the end, we were incredibly lucky. Our little town dodged a fiery bullet.

Many others weren’t so fortunate.

Fast forward a few weeks and we were on flood watch!

It took the ash-choked local estuaries nearly a month to clear after that one, and the fishing (already suffering after years of drought) remained well below par.

Fishing News - Page 28

Through all of this, I watched with increasing alarm as news reports told of a nasty new virus spreading through China and reaching out beyond its borders.

I had a particularly bad feeling about this one, and confided in Jo that I doubted our long-planned midMarch jigging trip to Rote Island in Indonesia with a dozen fellow Fishotopians would be happening. For once, my crystal ball was tuned to the right frequency…

I wish it hadn’t been!

Since then, we’ve been living in what can best be described as “interesting times”. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold across the globe like a slow motion train wreck, and it feels like nothing will ever be quite the same again.

As recently as the third week of March, I was still sneaking out for an occasional fish close to home, targeting things I could bring home for the family to eat as fresh grocery supplies dwindled in the supermarkets and prices went crazy. I posted on line offering my cautious opinion that others could probably do the same, so long as they stayed local, were ultra-careful about social distancing and practiced strict hygiene measures. But I soon realised that I was wrong, even to share that faint hope.

The cut-through for me came in the form of a single response to a social media post from a high-profile angler posing the simple question that was on so many of our minds: “To fish, or not to fish?” Another mover

The author with a lovely Tassie rainbow taken a month or two before the pandemic.

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and shaker in the fishing media industry whose work I’ve always admired came back with a short, simple comment: “I think influencers like yourself need to lead by example. I try to think ‘what if everyone did what I did’? Sometimes you have to do what’s best for the community and lead by example.”

Those words resonated deeply with me. I hung my rods up that day and didn’t fish for well over a month.

Try as I might, I simply couldn’t justify recreational fishing as being “essential” through that highly critical period, even for a feed or to maintain my mental health.

I know a lot of people didn’t agree with my stance.

They argued (rightly!) that a solo, local fishing trip was much safer than mingling with hordes of toilet paper zombies in the supermarket aisles. But in my opinion, it was still not 100 per cent safe… and it also didn’t negate the need for those other “essential” outings. It simply added to them. Personally, I couldn’t justify that. Nor could I justify doing something that I could get away — thanks to where I live — with while thousands of my fellow anglers in cities or other parts of the country with tighter restrictions didn’t enjoy the same luxury.

So, instead of fishing, I spent a big part of that critical five weeks tracking down, collating and assembling a heap of “stay-at-home” activities for my fellow anglers. My wife Jo and I have made these resources available through our free Fishotopia on-line website portal (www.fishotopia.com). They’ll remain there, even after the crisis is over.

As I write this, things are looking much better for Australia. We’ve flattened the curve and dramatically reduced the number of new infections, hospitalisations and deaths. I’m even considering sneaking out for a quick, solo fishing excursion close to home in the coming weeks. But if there is even the slightest uptick in the statistics or blip on the horizon, I will immediately return to my self-imposed no-fishing lockdown. It’s just not worth the risk: to myself or others.

A quick look at what’s happening in less fortunate (and less prudent) parts of the world

should provide us all with a sobering lesson on where we could have been, and where we could still potentially end up, if we fail to take this threat seriously.

We will get through this, and the fish will still be there. They may even have benefitted from this enforced respite. As a nation, we’ve done an awesome job so far of coping with the existential threat of COVID-19.

Let’s remain patient, keep doing the right thing and hopefully come out the other end of this dark tunnel in even better shape than we went in.

Tight Lines.

The final outing before lockdown, Starlo and his wife Jo chased a few salmon from their local beach. This seems so long ago now!

Memories of happier days. Jo fly fishing a small stream in Tasmania’s north last December. How the world has changed since then!

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Fishing News - Page 29

ESSENTIAL TROUT LURES FOR TASMANIA Black and Gold soft plastic will serve you well.

Michal Rybka

A

t the time of writing this story, many fishing restrictions are still in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, along with the rest of Australia, recreational fishing in Tasmania has suffered. This year’s Liawenee Trout Weekend was cancelled, unfortunately meaning that Ando (my trusted fishing buddy and stall assistant) and I did not get the chance to catch up with you for a chat. We all know that the sharing of fishing stories and tips are great ways to improve your knowledge, and like me, I am sure that most of you love any advice that might improve your chances when out fishing. With that said, this time spent at home provides us with a great opportunity to organise our lures and fishing gear for when fishing returns to normal.

Fishing News - Page 30

I have used some spare time today to compile a selection of the best lures for fishing for trout in Tasmanian conditions. They are lures that I have used and continue to use because they have produced the goods time and time again. While some of these lures have been around for only a few years, most of them have been in production for longer than I have been alive. To me that says something - they must work!

Here is my selection of proven trouttakers that you should try:

Rapala minnow These hardbody lures are made from premium balsa wood and come in both floating (F) and sinking (CD) versions. A popular colour in this lure

A good selection for Tasmania.

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for Tasmanian conditions is the ‘brown trout’. The Rapala ‘’spotted dog’ colour is another that also must be mentioned.

Both have accounted for numerous fish in Tasmanian lakes, rivers and streams.

Rapalas range in size and start at a tiny 1 inch in length. The floating version in this size is called a Rapala F3. This is the perfect lure for fishing some of our rivers and streams. Being a floater, it can be floated past obstacles before being worked in the area that you choose to fish. For lake fishing, you can’t go past the CD05 (2 inch) or the CD07 (3 inch – 4 inch) models. These are sinking lures and they can be ‘counted down’ to reach an estimated depth. If you have a sounder in your boat or know the approximate depth of the shore you are fishing, this can be a great help!

Being constructed of balsa wood, these lures can be a challenge to cast in windy conditions. They have a fantastic swim action and can be retrieved or trolled using a flat line technique.

More info can be found at www. rapala.com

Daiwa double clutch This has to be one of the best hard body lures I have used, but it is also one of the most expensive, retailing at around $30 per lure. I remember there was a particular fishing trip to Arthurs Lake where I lost three of these in the rocks! Expense aside, these lures are made in Japan and swim perfectly straight out of the box every time. You can buy them in 60 mm, 75 mm and 95 mm versions. They are available in deep and shallow diving versions. With a fantastic internal weight transfer system, they cast like a bullet, making them well-suited to our windy conditions.

Being a suspending ‘twitch bait’, you can work these lures with many pauses in between. It’s that type of action that our Tasmanian trout really love. Correctly worked, they will hit that lure on the pause a lot of the time. Whichever size you choose in these, the ‘Lazer Black & Gold’ colour is a brilliant performer on our brown trout. It has accounted for many great fish for me over the years.

More info can be found at www. daiwafishing.com.au

The fish whisperer - Alex Grodski.

Hawk sniper

This is a Tasmanian local favourite, with a much more attractive price tag to that of other hardbody lures in this category. At around $12.95 each, these lures present great value for money.

The colour schemes have been locally designed in Launceston to suit our conditions. These lures are available

in both shallow (60 mm) and deep diving versions (69 mm). They are a suspending hardbody, and feature a tight wobble with internal ball bearings built in. There are a range of colours to choose from, but the ‘killer wasp’ colour remains one of the best when it comes to trout fishing. Like most hardbodies,

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Fishing News - Page 31

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Fishing News - Page 32

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they are suitable for casting from shore or from a boat. If you can get one of these in the water, chances are, you will catch fish!

More info can be found at sherriffagencies.com.au

you love kicking back in your boat with a bit of lead line hanging out the back, chances are, these are the only lures you will probably ever use!

More info can be found at www. wigstonslures.com.au

Tasmanian devil

Wonder wobbler

Commonly known as a ‘cobra’, this style of lure is produced by Tasmanian Devil Lures, Lofty’s Lures and Tillins Lures – all of which are local Tasmanian manufacturers. Tassie Devils have been around since the late 1970s. This lure consists of a hollow-weighted torpedo-shaped central core, that is surrounded by plastic curved wings at each side. Although a wire loop with hook can be fitted through the core, most anglers tend to use straight through monofilament line, using a plastic bead and hook to finish the setup. These lures can be cast just as effectively as they can be trolled. But as far as Tasmania goes, the Tassie Devil is one of the most highly regarded trolling lures. At around $5.99 each, they are good value and the colour range is massive. My favourite colours include bengal tiger, the willys special, and Christmas tree. I am sure that you will agree, that cobras have accounted for many great catches over the years. If

The wonder wobbler is produced in Australia and is a lure that has been around since the 1950s. It is made from a single piece of solid metal, weighing in at 10 grams, and features a treble hook. The weight makes these lures nice to cast, while they can also be trolled using a simple flat line technique. When retrieved slowly, this lure ‘wobbles’ from side to side.

If you speed your retrieve up, the action will change to an erratic darting motion. Both retrieval methods make a wonder wobbler very life-like in the water. Very impressive, considering this is just a piece of pressed metal that has been painted. At around $5.95 each, these won’t break the bank. And most important of all, trout love them! I can highly recommend the redfin, brown trout, and tiger colours from their range.

More info can be found at www. wonderlures.com.au

Celta spinner Celtas have French origins but are currently produced in Spain. There are also many other brands that produce the style of lure that I am about to describe (i.e. Blue Fox, Vibrax etc). Celtas have been around since the 1950s. They are a simple metal spinner, featuring a treble hook. At around $10.00 each, they’re not too bad on the pocket should you lose a few. Available in a good range of sizes and colours, Celtas are still the number one choice for many anglers chasing trout in our rivers. They are easy to use and rely on a simple flat retrieve to

work. The brass coloured version in the perch colour (ORN) is probably the best known down here in Tasmania. I have caught many good trout on this colour, in rivers such as the Macquarie and the Meander. If you intend using one of these, don’t forget to rig an ‘anti-kink’ a couple of feet up from your spinner.

This will avoid your line twisting and eventually causing a massive tangled mess.

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Fishing News - Page 33

Berkley 2.5” t-tail soft plastic

Strike Tiger 2” t-tail soft plastic

When it comes to soft plastic lures, this is an American brand that has been around on the Australian market for the last 15 years or so.

They continue to be proven fish takers in most Tasmanian lakes.

Being a t-tail minnow, the tail action is tight, but not to the extent where the lure produces massive vibrations. There is a good range of colours available in these and they feature the Berkley ‘Power bait’ scent as an added fish attractant.

The ‘black gold sparkle’ colour is one of the best out there when it comes to tempting our brown trout.

These plastics can be fished in a variety of ways and styles. Rigging them on a 1/16 or 1/12 size #2 jig head and using a simple ‘lift and drop’ technique is a proven and effective option for many Tasmanian lakes.

More info can be found at www. purefishing.com.au

Strike Tiger is a local Tasmanian soft plastic brand. Their version of the popular t-tail is somewhat different to other brands. At 2 inches in length, this lure is slightly smaller, making it the perfect crossover for both lake and river fishing. It features a natural garlic-based scent, which works extremely well on trout. It is designed to give maximum tail action and vibration with the addition of dual colours. This lure has an incredible tail action thanks to its cut down tail section. The body features a series of aggressive ribs which provide further attraction by disturbing the water as the lure is retrieved. The Strike Tiger Pro Series ‘black n gold’ colour is by far the best choice for all types of trout fishing. Rigged on a suitable jig head, this plastic can be ‘slow-rolled’ or retrieved using the standard ‘lift and drop’ technique.

More info can be found at www. striketiger.com.au

Sometimes it is just a waiting game.

Conclusion For me, the key is trying new things while not forgetting about what has worked in the past. If you apply this theory when selecting

lures, no matter where you fish, I think you will be on the right track to success!

Mic Rybka - Strike Tiger Lures Tasmania

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Fishing News - Page 35

NANCY AND DOUGLAS GO FOR A WALK Shaun Cooper

T

o many fly fishing and hiking is an escape, from work and perhaps a busy home.

The solitude is the major appeal for many like me and it has led to some lengthy trips into the central plateau in search of this.

This all changed after the birth of our daughter Nancy, I couldn’t wait to share the area that I am so passionate about with my family. After the perhaps

Nancy - just hanging out with dad.

naive excitement of trekking around a favourite headwater with a baby on my back settled it was replaced with new parent anxiety and sheer fear. From the totally understandable concerns of what if I fall? Or a snake bite, to how do you even look after a baby?!

So, I did what we all do these days, I consulted the invaluable resource which has replaced the need to pester people with experience, the internet.

You might not get much fishing done this way, but it is fun.

Fishing News - Page 36

After finding a baby carrier second hand online we started practice on small creeks which is difficult when someone wants grab every willow branch that passes by.

The next step was camping in the 19 lagoons to maximize the tiny window in which a 6-month-old is content between nappy changes, feeds and general tantrums. But with the popularity of the area around the Christmas period by the time we got up and going the whole lake had been fished twice. We were now on trip 3 with no success, the pressure was building. Eventually we realized the chance of landing the revered western lakes brown in a 45-minute window was slim at best so we began to relax and just enjoy spending time in a world class fishery with even better surrounds.

With the pressure of results lifted it became clearer that the experience should be more about my family enjoying themselves rather than me catching fish, so I returned to an internet free reliable source of information that unsurprisingly took very little pestering to convince them to join me on some research missions, my old mate Mitch

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aka “midge”. We spent a gloomy but successful afternoon fishing to tailing western lake browns with our vehicle still in sight! Something we take for granted in Tasmania that’s for sure.

Buoyed by the success we had the day before on an old stomping ground of Mitch’s I went back with my wife Sarah and our now 8-month-old 10kg daughter/counterweight. It was a pretty standard January day on the plateau, not as warm as it was supposed to be and about twice as windy as predicted. We decided that the other side of the bay looked more sheltered so we planned to wade across the shallow sandy bay to a nice-looking tree where we would have lunch and then go home, maybe a practice cast or two.

If there ever was an argument for the existence of fishing gods today was the day! Out of the corner of my eye through the chop I could see a nice brown working his way back out to the weed beds straight across us on a 45-degree angle facing away. We did our best imitation of a square dance routine as Sarah positioned herself on my left hand side while I shook like a

little kid who had never caught a trout and Nancy did her best to distract me by throwing her hat in the drink and putting her fingers in my ears! Meanwhile this severely unlucky brown continued on with his day and was now facing directly away from me and decided to rise only metres in front of us and suck down a mayfly, it was now or never.

I laid out an ungainly cast into a 20 knot breeze that landed like an uncoiled slinky but as I stated before the fish gods were smiling on us this day because the brown navigated his way through the mess of fly line and swallowed a possum emerger without hesitation. The line was lifted and weight was transferred down the rod and words were uttered that are probably not kid friendly but hey this is a big moment for us.

We picked the square dance up where we left off, we have a hat floating away, Sarah trying to crack the DaVinci code which is unravelling a fold up weigh net and Nancy still poking her fingers in my ears, this is living! We eventually landed the beautiful 3lb brown and released him with a splash to Nancy’s delight and proceeded to the point we had spied earlier.

While we fed our child under an ancient pencil pine on the shoreline of the western lakes, I looked down to check the time and remarkably we had only fished for 15 minutes, we spent the rest of the afternoon wandering about finding sheltered areas to sit and called it a day.

Since that special day in January we have had many successful adventures with a baby in toe including trips with our good friends the Crowden’s with their beautiful daughter Mackenzie who is also still in nappies. We have learned a lot from them about hiking with babies which can be very daunting if its all new to you like it was for us.

Whilst there are some risks attached to taking your children fishing, they can all be managed by some careful planning like any other situation we expose

them to. The benefit of allowing them to experience the true wonder of Tasmania’s wilderness far out ways the risk in my opinion, Here are some things we have learned that weren’t off the internet from our first trout season with a baby.

Lower your expectations, fly fishing is hard enough without adding a baby to the equation.

Go for short walks from home and get your baby acquainted with backpack life.

Bring mum with you if possible, an extra set of eyes and hands is handy and why not make it a family affair.

Acquire the best quality baby carrier that your budget allows, squirming children can be heavy and unbalanced which will lead to discomfort if the pack is not suited to your body shape.

Ours which was a second hand purchase also has a weather shield including a rain cover and mozzie net which doubles as protection from UV, stray casts and branches.

I am famous for sarcastically saying “catching a fish is a bonus” but in this scenario it really is, You will change more nappies than flies.

Take the time to sit down and get bub out of the pack for some play time on the shore of one of your favourite lakes, I can’t recommend this step highly enough.

If you got this far I will tell you about Douglas mentioned in the heading. Apart from Sarah and Nancy, Douglas is also a favourite I take fishing - Douglas Sky 9’ #6 weight.

Another perfect companion for the Western Lakes.

As I sit here writing this story, we are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and this already feels like a distant memory. If you have young children and fishing is a passion of yours then seize the day and maybe have a sleep in before your next trip, load up the family car at a gentlemanly hour and go share your passion with the ones you care about most, You will not regret it.

Shaun Cooper

Hey Nancy “This keeps daddy happy”.

Sarah loves the walking and outdoors too.

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Fishing News - Page 37

A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS Craig Rist shares a few of his favourite things when fishing the remote lakes and rivers in Tasmania.

L

ike most of you reading this, we all learn from trying new things. Sometimes they work for us and sometimes they don’t. Over the years there have been many new products that have become available to make a remote fishing experience even more enjoyable. So here are a few things that really work for me.

To keep the weight down I only pack what I really need. I only take one or two small fly boxes that contain flies suited for the time of year I am fishing. One of these boxes is often carried on a neck lanyard or in my wading jacket or trouser pocket. With that goes some fly floatant, two or three spools of tippet, line snips, hook sharpener and fly removing tool.

The simplest accessories can make all the difference.

Like the elastic line tamers that stop spools of tippets from unwinding in your pocket or hanging from a lanyard. I usually use the Sharktooth brand that is both line cutter and line keeper. But Mike Stevens put me onto the idea of the DIY stubby holder line tamer.

These are very easy to make, simply cut neoprene rings from an unwanted stubby holder to fit the width of the spool and there you have it, so simple it works.

The best hook sharpener I own is actually made for sharpening Router bits. These are a diamond stone and are perfect for sharpening hooks when a hook point gets rolled or blunt from rocks or teeth. The one I am using now actually came out of a Router Bit kit. I also Fishing News - Page 38

My DIY hook remover and hook file. use the EZE-LAP DIAMOND Hone and Stone that can be easily cut down to make it small enough to hang off my lanyard or pliers. I never go fishing without one because a sharp hook always catches more fish.

My DIY hook remover is for removing flies that have been hooked too deep to remove with my fingers. It’s a tool I made myself from 1.6mm stainless steel plate. It’s no longer than a pen and has a small slot cut into one end to slip onto the inside of the hook. The hook can then be pushed out of the fish while holding onto the line to keep the hook straight. The great thing about a tool like this is that it only makes contact with the bend of the fly hook, so it never damages my flies.

Pliers on the other hand can destroy flies if the pliers are too big for the fly.

I also like to keep cooking gear as light as possible.

For me the Jetboil is the only way to go. It’s light, simple and compact and is really all I need to take other than a spoon, fork, collapsible cup and bowl.

A Jetboil is a light, simple and compact.

Most of my cooking is done with boiling water, noodles for dinner and porridge for breakfast. Soup, coffee or tea for hot drinks and if I really want to spoil myself I will carry in a Jet Boil fry pan to fry up some eggs or sausages. Throw in a few lightweight snacks to keep me going between meals and I’m happy.

Photography and Nets The other reason I like to keep things as light as possible is I also enjoy photography when I go fishing and that soon adds a few kilos to your pack.

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Simms Dry Creek Z Hip pack will take a camera and keep it dry.

Keeping a camera dry and accessible is always a priority for me. When I’m hiking with a backpack I carry my camera inside a small camera bag attached to my packs chest strap to keep it accessible. To keep the camera dry I just slip it inside a small dry bag before it goes into the camera bag.

The other bag I really like when I’m not fishing with a backpack is my Simms Dry Creek Z Hip Pack. This hip pack is totally waterproof and will carry my 7 D SLR and tripod with ease.

Taking photos of live fish when I’m away from my fishing partner or I am fishing solo is hard work without a landing net. I’ve tried many of the traditional landing nets over the years, most are too long and hard to fold out or they get pulled from my jacket or pack when going through overgrown tracks.

I eventually ditched the landing net idea and simply used the netting from a landing net with a drawstring.

Then when I landed a fish by hand I could slip the fish in the net pull the drawstring tight and leave the fish in the water to recover above that gill clogging mud or silt that can easily kill fish.

I can then take my time to sort out my camera gear, take a few shots and release a strong healthy fish that is capable of swimming above the mud and silt that kills so many fish that are released too early.

I am a fan of Simms Freestone pants and Sea to Summit gaiters are first class. quickly returned it to the rack and walked off a little disappointed. I continued walking around the shop thinking about this net when I suddenly realised I could fix this issue by simply replacing the net with the same over sized net I was using for my drawstring net.

I immediately brought this net and have never looked back. Now I am landing fish in less time using this net like a normal landing net, but instead of lifting the fish up and out of the water, the longer net allows me to raise the net to capture the fish, without having to lift it from the water. I then grab hold of the drawstring, tie off the net with the fish in the water to recover and set the camera up, perfect!

Keeping Dry and Warm

I repurposed a Mclean net to suit me.

I used my drawstring net for many years until two years ago I picked up a Mclean Spring Foldable Weigh Net in a fly-fishing store. My first impression was this would be perfect for the Western Lakes. Then when I unfolded it I could see the net was far too shallow and any fish over a couple of pounds would easily come out of this net as soon as the thin spring steel net ring would collapse under the weight of a decent fish. I

Finding ways to keep dry and warm in a remote environment even on day trips has also evolved for me over time.

I can remember the days of walking into the Western Lakes in Winter and Autumn wearing those heavy, hot neoprene waders where I would be just as wet on the inside as I was on the outside. Fortunately lightweight breathable waders are now available and are perfect for hiking into the Western Lakes in the cold wetter months. I really like the Simms Freestone Wader pants for those early and late season hikes into the Western Lakes.

Because these waders are just like pants I often forget I’m wearing them because they are so comfortable, lightweight and breathable. When I combine these wading pants with a Simms wading jacket and I can literally laugh at the weather and fish anywhere in comfort.

Good gear makes life easier. DexShell waterproof socks are fantastic and a variety good gloves is essential.

The harsh shrubbery of the Western Lakes and those Blackberry lined rivers can easily put holes in even the best-made waders on the market today. So to protect them I always wear good quality canvas hiking Gaiters, with my waders. I use Sea To Summit Gaiters and they have saved my waders from those sharp sticks kicking up off the track, more times than I can remember.

Waterproof socks are another revolutionary invention that are ideal for hiking and fishing. I must admit I was sceptical about just how waterproof these socks are but I was pleasantly surprised to find they were 100% waterproof. I tried the DexShell brand and they definitely offer another great way of keeping your feet dry on those wet tracks. They have also come in handy when my normally dry walking boots have suddenly become filled with water when I have slipped off a rock into the water or I have stepped into a muddy track that has swallowed my entire leg. It is always nice to have a pair of these waterproof socks in my pack to wear with wet boots, no doubt saving me from developing painful blisters.

A good pair of gloves, to keep my wet hands warm is also essential. I say wet hands because they are going to get wet from both casting and handling fish.

I like wool or wool and opossum fingerless gloves or those thin full-length thermal gloves.

For the more extreme conditions or if you suffer from the cold, gloves like the Simms Guide Windbloc Flex Gloves are hard to beat.

Even the Simms solar flex gloves I wear for sun protection give some relief from the cold winds.

UV neck gaiters and buffs also take the chill off the wind and keep your cap on in strong winds or a fast boat ride.

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Fishing News - Page 39

Boating There are lots of boating accessories that can make a day on the water that much more enjoyable.

Here are a few things that really work for me.

It would be hard for me to own a boat with trim tabs.

Trim Tabs I used to think Trim Tabs were only needed for those unstable deep vee hulls to level them up when they were motoring. How wrong I was.

After spending some time fishing from flats boats with Trim tabs, over the years I realised that these Tabs do much more than that.

In an open unprotected boat like centre console the driver and the passengers are going to get wet from wave spray in rough conditions. The great thing about Trim Tabs is your passengers can sit anywhere in the boat to find the most sheltered spot and don’t have to worry about where they sit to keep the boat level.

They can also take out that annoying porpoising or bouncing action form a boat when it is on the plane.

Instead of the normal fix of trimming down the motor to stop porpoising which will also loose top end speed.

Trim Tabs will push the bow down to stop porpoising without having to trim the motor down. They also help my boat to get up onto the plane much faster when the Tabs are trimmed down. So for me it would be hard to own a boat with out them.

Electric Trolling Motors with GPS For those of you that already own an electric trolling motor that has GPS capabilities go ahead and skip this bit because you are already know how good these are.

Here are just a few ways that I use mine.

The Anchor lock feature and wireless remote control is a game changer for sure; I use it all the time. If I’m launching and retrieving my boat by myself and I don’t have a safe place to tie it off while I park the car I simply use the remote control and anchor lock to hold the boat off the boat ramp out of the way until Fishing News - Page 40

I return with the remote to drive it back into me.

With that said, I do attach a loose rope back to the shore or jetty, just in case the motor looses power.

Anchor lock is also useful when I have just hooked a fish while drifting a shoreline to stop the boat drifting over water I wanted to fish or stop it getting blown into the shore while I am fighting the fish.

Using my anchor and chain to fish from a stationary boat is rare for me now. They even make bait fishing easy. There is no more issues with my anchor pulling or my anchor rope being too short. Moving and trying multiple spots with the anchor lock is also effortless.

The other stand out feature on these GPS electric trolling motors is the Heading Lock function. This is where the electric motor will automatically steer the motor to maintain the boat’s set course. All the operator has to do then is adjust the speed. This function is great for someone who wants to operate the electric motor and fish at the same time. Sight fishing is a prime example because you need your eyes to stay focussed on the water in front of you and not have to keep looking down to see which way you need to turn the motor to keep the boat in a straight line.

Heading Lock is also good to set up an artificial drift when there is no wind. I have even used this to keep the boat moving when the wind drops out while bottom bouncing for flathead.

keep it firmly weighted down to the deck. The good thing about this bag is it has a strong wire frame that does not blow flat as easy as some of the lighter weight collapsible bins you can buy.

DIY Stripping Basket When fly fishing from a boat, using a stripping basket will stop the wind blowing fly line off the boat into the water where it can easily find a spinning motor prop or a multitude of other items to get caught on in a boat.

When I have a choice and conditions and the boat I’m fishing from allows it, I would actually prefer not to use a stripping basket because they can and do cause the fly line to tangle at times. But that is nothing compared to a fly line becoming entangled in a spinning prop.

Quick tip, when you have switched off the petrol motor to start fishing, stick the motor in gear and this will stop the prop spinning in neutral. I’m pretty sure I am not the only one who’s had a fly line, braid or mono wrapped up in a prop spinning in neutral.

One of the best DIY stripping baskets I have used is from one of those Mr Tidy Economy Pop Up Garden Bags. To stop this stripping bag from blowing out of the boat I used a thick piece of rubber matting or conveyor belt rubber, cut into a disc the size of the base. The rubber disc sits in the bottom of the bag to

DIY Fly Tying Travel Bag For me, fly-tying goes hand in hand with fly-fishing and where it really comes in handy is when I travel abroad and locally. I can quickly restock or make flies to suit the conditions on the spot, limited only by the fly tying material I have packed in this kit.

For my fly tying travel bag, I have repurposed a Berkley Soft Plastic Wallet to make a fly tying travel bag. The wallet system is perfect for storing all sorts of fly tying material including the vice and because the zip lock bags are clear, it is very easy to find what I need to tie a fly. The size of the soft Wallet also makes it easy to pack and is never an inconvenience to bring it along on a trip.

These are just a few things I take for granted now and wouldn’t be without.

When you start to think about all the things that have evolved over the years it is going to be very interesting to see what’s to come in the future and what still remains as tried and proven.

Craig Rist

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Fishing News - Page 41

A LOOK THROUGH MY BOOKCASE Nick Taransky - Trout fisher, word and book lover, cane rod builder - and banjo strummer guides us through his book case.

I

n these strange days, we trout anglers may be luckier than most in a few ways. Firstly, when things begin to open back up, I have to think that solitude and space out on the water will be an acceptable place to be compared to some other close quarters interests. Secondly, after all that time without seeing an angler, those rout are going to be so easy to catch… And thirdly, we are used to a closed season over Winter anyway. It’s just that this time the “closed” is applying to quite a bit more than fishing, and maybe for a little longer.

Of course, time off the water is an opportunity for tackle maintenance, fly tying, and other fishing related activities. In modern times we have been presented with an endless stream of fishing films and podcasts. Many of these are worth tuning into, but I think that the humble old book can be just as good, and maybe even better, when it comes to engaging your mind.

Over the years, I’ve somehow managed to fill two bookcases with something like 600 books on fly fishing, which does seem like quite a few, but actually must just be a drop in the ocean of the total number of fly fishing books. I’ve never been a collector as such, but in general if I’ve been able to find a hard cover version, or first edition of a book I’ve wanted to read, I’ve tended to buy that if there wasn’t too much of a premium on the price.

Some editions of some books have remained collectable, but in general, the resale value of books has declined significantly. The good news is that many books that were out of reach for everyday readers can now be found at very affordable prices.

A lot of books are available as Kindle versions, but out of print books, and classics, for me are much better enjoyed in hard copy.

This season, my “Winter” reading started a little earlier than usual – half way through Summer!

Drought, heatwaves, fire and thick smoke gave the season an “end of the world” feel almost as soon as it started. So I was happy to stay home and work more on rods, do a little reading, and waiting for the weather to cool down. And just as it did, bang, the COVID-19 zombie apocalypse hit. Crazy days indeed. Thankfully, I haven’t have to resort to turning my book collection into toilet paper, but at one stage I was wondering if the cheaper paperbacks might need to be “repurposed”.

Anyway, onto more pleasant matters! Hopefully I can suggest some good books based on my recent reading. Looking back, in 2011, I penned an article on my Winter reading, and scanning though that article made me realise how many of those books I’m probably due to read again. A nice thing about quality writing is that good books stand the test of time, so old and classic books can be worth re Fishing News - Page 42

You can start with one small bookcase, but soon another will be needed.

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If you have even the faintest sense of humour you must search out some Patrick F McManus books. Laughing in bed though is dangerous. reading more than once. Without rehashing that article from scratch, I’ll weave in some of the titles and authors I mentioned there as well.

Where to Start?

With such a vast number of titles to choose from, you can focus on one area of interest, or read from a range of different types of book – how to, memoir, humour, historical, travel/location and more. I will try and cover a reasonable amount of ground, but these will just be some arbitrary highlights based rather than a comprehensive reading list!

Soon after I fell down the fly fishing “rabbit hole” in the early 1980’s, my fly fishing mentor, Ray Brown, gave

me some excellent advice. He suggested as a starting point, to get hold of Arnold Gingrich’s “The Fishing in Print”. Well written and very readable in its own right, it is self described as “A Guided Tour Through Five Centuries of Angling Literature”. It covers important and respected writing from Dame Juliana Berners though to the time of publication, 1974. It concludes with an annotated list of over 30 recommended books published from 1935 onwards. So if you want to be a serious student of quality angling literature, this is a wonderful place to start. Be warned, if you go down this path, you might need to get a new bookcase, but on the bright side, the books will be a lot cheaper these days than they used to!

While I’m mentioning “books about books”, though it’s a different style of book – being more of a list/value guide reference than a cover to cover read, Jim Findlay’s “Australian Fishing Books” is an invaluable resource and starting point into the Australian side of things.

Humour I think one thing that many of us can do with at the moment is a laugh. For snortingly funny short stories, I can suggest no further than the outdoor writings of Patrick F McMannus.

Starting with “A Fine and Pleasant Misery”, there are dozen or so similar titles that you can devour a chapter at a time. He also wrote a number of funny and escapist crime novels too, starting with “The Blight Way”

Americans are great anecdotal writers.

Robert Traver is essential reading.

Another funny little book, is Norman Thelwell’s “Compleat Tangler”. One of many in Thelwells themed series on a range of subjects, it features gorgeously illustrated cartoons depicting the English fishing culture of the 1960. I got my copy as a little kid, and only understood a fraction of the humour and English references, but loved it anyway. Over time more of the humour made sense, so it was a book I appreciated several times over, and still makes me smile when I look through the little yellowed pages today.

Memoirs and Essays I’m currently in the middle of John Gierach’s second most recent book, “All Fishermen are Liars”. I’ve long been a fan of his work, and though I haven’t read him much lately, I think it’s time to go back and read a few favourites. Of course, his breakout “Trout Bum” made the term mainstream. He has probably been the most successful writer in the “memoir/short essay” category since it was first published in 1988, and all of his books contain the sort of dry humour and wisdom that I really enjoy.

Prior to that, I’d read Harry Middleton’s “The Earth is Enough”, a wonderful memoir about growing up as a teenager with his grandfather and uncle in the Ozarks of America. “On the Spine of Time”, about angling in the Smoky mountains, is another Middleton book that is widely acclaimed, though he was never rewarded financially for his writing, and was working as a garbage collector to pay the bills when he died.

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Fishing News - Page 43

His poignant style manages to be both hilarious and sad at the same time, in a way that I haven’t experienced from any other writer.

Many will be familiar with Robert Traver’s (aka John Voelker) “The Testament of a Fisherman”. If you're not familiar with it, Google it.

This short paragraph encapsulates why many of us fish, and is a beautiful and emotive piece of writing.

Traver’s books, “Trout Magic” and “Trout Madness” are a reflection of his quality as an author, and well worth tracking down. Less recognised is his curious “Anatomy of a Fisherman”, a mix of short paragraphs and colour photos, with space to add your own entries!

I love this quirky book and its hilarious little vignettes.

Oh Canada In 2016, I visited Canada for a bamboo rodmakers gathering, and fell in love with the awesome scenery of British Columbia. Roderick Haig-Brown captured the essence of the region, as well as its rivers, salmon and steelhead. He wrote prolifically, but “Fisherman’s Fall” is known as a classic. Another book of his that Bob Clay, bamboo rodmaker, and former steelhead guide recommended to me was “The Measure of the Year”. It’s more about the seasons of British Columbia, and Haig-Brown’s country life as a Magistrate than a fishing book, but I enjoyed it immensely. While on the tangent of “Canadian non fishing books”, I

Harry Middleton is worth a read and Tom Sutcliffe is prolific and entertaining. can highly recommend John Vaillant’s “The Golden Spruce”. A riveting non fiction about the disappearance of environmental “activist” Grant Hadwin, it also chronicles the history of the Canadian forestry industry in fascinating detail.

Australian Classics We’ve had some wonderful writers here in Australia, but in the past, many of the more desirable books have been on the expensive side. As I mentioned, these are much more affordable now, so it is a great time to fill gaps in the collection.

I recently re read Douglas Stewarts’ “The Seven Rivers” and I’d forgotten how beautifully it was written.

It’s a bonus that he writes about the Monaro region

where I live in New South Wales, plus the Taranaki region of New Zealand where my wife Miri comes from.

Another of his books that is really enjoyable (again, a non fishing one), is “Springtime in Taranaki”, about growing up in country New Zealand.

All of David Scholes’ books have a special place in my heart, and previously hard to come by titles can now be picked up at very reasonable prices. I think it’s worth having a copy of everything that he wrote. He can still take me to the stream with his words like few others, and gently impart a wealth of useful how-to information at the same time.

South Africa About ten years ago, expat South African, Alan Meyburgh very kindly gave me a copy of Tom Sutcliffe’s iconic “Hunting Trout”. It’s a mix of road trip stories through South African trout country, plus some technical fishing information and fly recipes.

Tom is seen as the founding father of modern South African trout fishing, and his writing does justice to his position. Long out of print, a third edition of Hunting Trout will be published soon. Keep an eye out for it!

“Hunting Trout” was followed by “Shadows on the Streambed” and most recently “Yet More Sweet Days”.

Both are a similar style and format to “Hunting Trout”, and well worth owning. Tom is also an accomplished artist, and illustrated his own books. I’m lucky enough to have a number of his watercolours and pencil sketches too.

Fly Tying

David Scholes books often form the foundation for Australian book collectors.

Fishing News - Page 44

I must admit, though I like tying my own flies, for me most fly tying books are more of a reference than an actual read. One notable exception is another Ray Brown recommendation. “Sunshine and the Dry Fly”,

by J. W. Dunne, was published nearly 100 years ago, but is an enlightening discussion on colour, translucence and other aspects of materials and naturals that is relevant to this day. So it gets an honourable mention!

Well hopefully some of those titles, even the old ones will help with some reading (or re reading) through our current “closed” season!

Nick Taransky

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JUMBO TUNNY The fish are waiting Kelly ‘Hooch’ Hunt

Jumbo Tunny I don’t profess to be an expert on such matters but it would seem we are close to being able to fish freely again. If when you read this I am sure it will be soon.

Covid19 mostly stopped us fishing, but not planning to fish. This is fabulous news as the big JUMBO tuna are hungry and are wondering where we all are.

The first real good frosts have hit the state and we are seeing a dump of snow here and there. That is when the old timers would get their jumbo hunting gear out and get keen. Hitting the bait grounds off Eagle hawk neck and the likes. The southern tip of Schouten Island and out towards the shelf to the east. Pedra Branca always gets a mention when JUMBOs are mentioned and the memories of schools of 100 plus kilo fish stampeding and greyhounding towards the boat and the lures.

So we have had plenty of time to clean and go over the gear the last few months. Never should we be so well prepared to battle the big strong brutes of our offshore waters. The Southern Bluefin tuna is our most accessible gamefish and pound for pound is one of the toughest to subdue. So it is a good thing your gear and lures are in prime condition.

Helen O’Neill with her 140kg bluefin caught in February 2019 fishing at Pedra Branca onboard Mustang Sally with Jonah Yick. This fish was a potential female 37kg world record, unfortunately a seal grabbed it in the final minutes of the fight.

This fish was used as part of a CSIRO genetics study.

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Fishing News - Page 45

The author loves Australian Zacatak lures.

Lures The lures I favour are Zacatak Lures from NSW and I make no qualms about that. They have fabulous heritage and I know the man himself who started the business. Mario is a special man who lives in the game fishing Mecca of Port Stephens. Very early on we struck a friendship based on his lures, the colours that were available and how well they held the water in our rougher conditions. The company has been sold to a family in Port Stephens and they have given it a massive modern lift. You would be well advised to check their website and also ask your local tackle shop to get some for you. Don’t have them tell you other lures are just as good and sell you something that is on the shelf. Ask for Zacatak lures

Jonah Yick and Storm Eastley caught this 122kg bluefin tuna in November 2018 fishing at Pedra Branca onboard Mustang Sally. A very tough fight which went for 3hrs on 37kg tackle. Caught trolling hard in the white wash area surrounding the rock.

Fishing News - Page 46

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If the weather cuts up rough and its tough to keep a 5 lure spread from tangling and causing issue, 1. You should be thinking pretty long and hard about if you need to be out there and 2. You need some Tsutomu lures as these lures are weighted and hold the water in extreme conditions. Their fish headed bullet style lures are keel weighted and encapsulated in resin. They also have as an option on all of their skirt colour combinations, some metallic wings for added flash.

Diving lures are also very popular and for good reason. They work really well. If you want the best no fuss, no frills, just get the job done type lures then look no further than the Halco range. They have two diving lures that are dead set killers in Tasmanian waters. The Laser Pro and the MAX are lures that behave and don’t give any trouble. You will hear a lot of people call them deep divers, but being towed in a skirted lures spread at 6-8 knots they aint diving deep any time soon. Sure, they are deeper than the skirts but they are surface lures so that shouldn’t be too hard. If you want your bibbed lure or the bibless MAX to dive a little deeper at skirt pace, then rubber band the line down from the rod tip.

Reach out and grab the line with your hand and have a rubber band in your other hand or over your hand around your wrist. Find a low point on the boat you can attach the rubber band to. You can loop it or tie it with the rubber band, it doesn’t matter. What you must look out for is any issue the line may have while being trolled or if a fish strikes. You don’t want a fish to hit your lure and then contact something on the boat and bust off. Make sure you take into account the line length you lose in the process. You may have to run your lure out a bit further to compensate. The other way to have you lures dive deeper, much deeper, is to slow down and let some line out. This can be a great technique when you have had no luck, yet the sounder says there is some bait about. Send your sneaky offerings down to them. This will mess with your mind as you will be going much slower than you normally would. Don’t worry about it. If anything, pull your skirted lures in and slow down even further. Have 4 divers in the water down way deeper than anyone else and you never know what might happen.

OR..... you could just keep doing what you always do and troll surface lures around hoping that something might miraculously change from the last 4 hours that this didn’t work. Slow down. Dive deep. Try something different.

Rods And Reels 50lb is the minimum tackle you should be thinking when tackling the big jumbos. That’s 24kg line class and if you have some quality braid and a good quality mono top shot you can fish 37kg or 80lb stand up no problem at all. This is the domain of overhead reels, but there are a heap of spinning reels that will handle the job. You all know I am a PENN man and I love the range so my personal eggbeater or spinning reel at the moment is the SPINFISHER III. Its big, got plenty of engine room has an awesome drag. The reel also has a good handle design allowing good line return and is very comfortable. The good news is they don’t cost the earth in their class. The line retention lines on the spool are also handy for gauging how much line is out.

Although this can also allude to how much pain there is to suffer as well.

Sam Nichols with his 138kg bluefin caught in October 2016 fishing at Eaglehawk Neck onboard Mustang Sally with Jonah Yick. This fish was part of a triple hook up on big bluefin, while trolling at the Lanterns. The other two fish were lost, but this one stayed connected.

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Fishing News - Page 47

Jonah Yick with a 92kg bluefin tuna in June 2016 while fishing at Eaglehawk Neck onboard Mustang Sally.

This was hooked just metres away from the cliffs at the landmark known as the Lanterns.

The rod to match up with this beast of a reel is the Ocean Assassin range again from PENN. You can either go the short stroker or something a bit longer to get a cast off at times. This is personal choice. This combo won’t break the bank and in the 8500 – 9500 reel size range will also make a formidable Striped Trumpeter set up. They pull two horse stripeys out of 120 plus metres like no bodies business.

Where To Go Well I know where I am keen to go and that’s down ‘the neck’. Eagle hawk neck is the place to catch tuna in Tasmania and there will be petty fights between factions about that for ever, but it is what it is. The boat ramp offers great shelter from most weather angles, the cliffs supply good coverage and safety from a lot of wind and swell directions. The bait holding grounds, drop offs and clefts are endless and the tuna love the place.

Accommodation is varied and in good supply and you don’t have to drive far in your boat to find good fish holding grounds. I am afraid all other areas while still being great fishing spots don’t have the characteristics of ease and fishability that The Neck possess. My most admired and appreciated perk of fishing Eagle hawk Neck is if the weather does get up there is nearly always a plan of attack the reduces its effect or there is somewhere you can go to get out of it for a rest or some lunch. Then you can pop back out into the slop and the swell and the stiff breeze and attack the elements once more and match your skill and wits against the big JUMBO Bluefin.

Fishing News - Page 48

Pedra Branca is still a much-loved destination but I was leaning towards ease and a quick trip after we had been in lockdown and not fishing. Pedra is a grand and remarkable trip as well as a fine Jumbo destination. This time of year, the water movements and current in and around Schouten Island and the passage itself is also well worth a look. There are some really big schools of tuna and jumbo fish out off there for sure. The water and current off the shelf due east and to the north is also worth close inspection should the weather allow.

Bicheno is a fave destination of mine, but to be fair I don’t have enough personal experience of what the fishing is like at this time of year, but I doubt it would differ too much from further south. Fishing the shelf is a bit harder than the bait holding points of the Neck and surrounds. You need a good sounder and a good understanding of how it works to find some bait and lock onto them.

Finding the bait will have you halfway there in finding a school of large jumbo tuna. They swim. They eat. REPEAT. That’s it.

SIMRAD have a new tool for us to all try and it is a cracker. They have a new SD card-based map that has some exciting detail. That detail is by way of 3D sonar imaging and it is available from all the Tasmanian stockists. We got ours from Deegan Marine and have been taken aback by the quality detail at our finger tips. No more will you have to worry about squeezing a “mark” out of anyone. You can see right in front of you the bottom in glorious 3D magnificence. If you have

even the smallest idea of what makes a good spot for the species, you are chasing. You now have thousands of new adventures ahead of you heading to the treasure of information at your disposal.

Tasmania often misses out on the tech front but not this time. Tasmania has the lion share of all the maritime seafloor scan detail. Check them out and get one in your SIMRAD or LOWRANCE sounder as quick as you can.

Get The Spread Out Doesn’t matter what stretch of water you have chosen now you have to put some lures in the ocean. Set the longest lure first and once that is in position work your way to the boat finishing at short corner. This will save tangles. In the same tangle free plan of attack, should you get a strike quickly bring in the shortest line first and so forth. This will again minimise a tangle of dragging a lure through a hooked fish and all your lures in short. Run two lures, run three or maybe run four, but make sure they are running nice in the water and looking good. Don’t have them hopping out of the water. If they do this run some more line out and watch it again. If it’s out long enough but still surface hopping, you didn’t listen. You may hear the evil voice in your head speak because you purchased a lure from eBay. It’s made out of low qual resin or even just a clear plastic. Its not keel weighted and the skirt length is possibly too short and made out of rubbish rubber. Try and settle it down and rubber band it. You may catch a fish with it, but if it gets a little windy or a swell and

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chop gets up it’s going to be tough. You spend hundreds of dollars on fuel and possibly accommodation and this crap lure is going to burn you hard. You need to spend your hard earned dough on 5 or 6 lures of good quality, such as Zacatak Lures. You are going to buy a nice lure wrap to look after then, keep em in one spot and flush them in freshwater when finished for the day.

Then you are going to take great care in rigging them with good hooks and you should never loose them.

Well that’s how it is meant to happen.

Stay calm once a fish is hooked Once you have hooked a fish stay cool and stay calm.

Its hooked. It is not going anywhere, just play the fish out. Keep a constant bend in the rod. Be smooth and don’t lift the rod tip and drop the rod tip faster than your hands can retain line. This jerking action makes everyone furious and is the best way to pull a big hole in the tuna’s mouth and the hook will fall out.

I have a tip for you if you are having trouble getting fish into the boat. The key here is to keep the boat in gear and traveling forward. A lot of times once the fish is at the boat the thought is to pull the boat out of gear. This gives a tired fish a full 360 degrees to try and make its escape. If you keep the boat in gear and a few revs on the water pressure of moving forward will help you out. It will take away one of the avenues the fish will try and use to escape. The angler should be up near the skipper and the leader and gaff man will be at the rear corner of the boat as this is where the forward motion of the boat going forward will have the fish ... hopefully

The fish may have some life left in it and will be doing some slow circles at the aft of the boat. Use these to your advantage and time your gaff shot as the fish comes around again. Don’t rush it and if it has to go around again to get a better shot then so be it. Good firm even pressure on the leader is all you need. Tugging and pulling like some rough house nut is by no means useful. Tact and finesse will win the day.

Hit the fish with the gaff and if it’s a jumbo call for another gaff and hit it again. Once you have a solid gaff shot in the fish have the angler drop out of the harness, put the rod somewhere safe, and come to your help. Don’t panic and freak out about what you need to do next. Be calm and work through it. Two people can lift a 100kg fish into a boat if you slow down and think about it.

Firstly, you don’t have to lift the full weight of the fish up and over the gunnel. It’s a fish. Its slippery and shaped like a torpedo get a little over half the weight on or just over the gunnel and that bad boy is coming onboard thanks to science ... Hello gravity. A cool calm voice and “On 3 - One - two - THREE!” What you now have on the deck of your boat is a massive JUMBO Bluefin that some cultures pay crazy stupid money for. Take a breather and then treat it with some respect. Get a wet towel on it because when everyone gets some wind in their lungs you are going to want to take some nice pictures. Don’t waste a second in bleeding the fish. A small incision just behind the pectoral fin and you will have blood everywhere. Keep washing the boat and fish with a bucket or deck wash.

Remember - good pictures are better without blood everywhere.

If you get a chance have a look on the Tuna Champions website for the traditional Japanese way to kill and look after pelagic tuna. You can buy a kit or make your own and in this world we live in I suggest you do that. Maximising the meat yield is what it is all about and a challenge I lay down to all anglers. This goes with all species. There are some very good YouTube videos online showing how to get the best and most out of a fish. This is a very good habit to get into as not knowing how to cut up a certain fish leads to terrible waste. The aim of the game here is to fill your freezer and fill the crews freezer, give some to the family next door or your mechanic you have been promising fish for ages. Well cut and prepared fish in zip logs is a nice surprise for everyone and much appreciated.

So there you have a brief outline of how you may go getting a JUMBO on the decks when we are allowed to fish and fish hard. The items I mentioned like Zacatak and quality PENN reels comes with an added bonus.

I am available through my personal Facebook page for any and all questions around this gear. More than happy to help with anything that has you finding and catching fish easier and safer.

Until next time TIGHT lines and stay SAFE Kelly Hooch Hunt

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

Fishing News - Page 49

THE 1450 Stabicraft Series is here

Developing the new 1450 series involved taking on one of the most successful and versatile boats in Stabicraft’s history – the 1410. Not only has the widely accepted 1410 been a proven model across the globe, it is a size class that Stabicraft have been innovating in since 1987. The ‘Ally duck’ was the very first Stabicraft model ever produced. This legendary model revolutionised the safety of small diving boats, and was the foundation of the ‘Adventure with Confidence’ mantra.

Stabicraft founder, Paul Adams believes it is important to keep evolving the boats, regardless of if the current model is a commercial success achieving record high sales. Paul Adams, Stabicraft founder says; “If you just keep building something because you’ve always done it that way, then chances are it could be done better. We want to be the best. You have to watch how people use

the boat and find things that could be done better, smarter, and safer. This new 1450 model is going to redefine the compact boat market”.

The 1450 project has been about understanding how people use boats this size, pushing them to the limits, and then packaging it into 4.5 metres. The 1450 will be offered in 3 different packages allowing it to suit more people and types of boating across more markets. This has meant rethinking the layout, use of space and ergonomics within the boat. It goes without saying the 1450 has some big shoes to fill, but this new model is the best compact boat we have ever produced, hands down. All the details of the new 1450 Series will be revealed when launched via social channels after Friday 17th April.

More details from Deegan Marine.

After months of research, prototyping and on the water testing we are excited to announce the up and coming launch of the new Stabicraft 1450 Series.

Stabicraft was not only founded on rigid aluminium pontoons, it was founded through a compact sized, tiller steer vessel.

The 3.5m - 4.5m size range has been with Stabicraft since its inception and we have customers to this day still using these early models, such is their versatility. The 1450 Series is an important step in the small Stabi evolution.

Our approach needed to recognise and appreciate what makes these compact vessels so widely accepted. The feeling of safety, easy maneuverability and affordability are features all found on previous Stabicraft models in this class. The new 1450 Series acknowledges these aspects in addition to features never seen before on a 4.5m vessel, making the 1450 Series the best compact Stabi we have ever produced.

Canvas, Clears, Covers and more .........

A towing mishap in early January saw the bimini cover on our boat fly off the back like it had taken up parasailing.

Luckily there were no cars behind us as it became airborne not far from the Epping Forest shop.

What to do?

Should we salvage what was left and seek a repair with the debris I collected on my 400 metre ‘walk of shame’ or should we just bite the bullet and get a new one built?

Fishing News - Page 50

Eventually it was decided to go the new option, along with the addition of some clears and sidewalls which was my wife Janet’s suggestion as apparently she likes staying dry when fishing - who knew?

Anyway, did the due diligence thing and settled on a quote by a young fellow who runs a business called Mick’s Canvas, out at Mt Direction on the Tamar River.

We were very pleased with the quality of the job, his professionalism and the price.

Above are a couple of pictures of the new bimini.

If you’re in the market for this kind of service, give Mick a call.

Shop local, support local. Todd and Janet Lambert

Mick’s Canvas 0447 590 797

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

UNBEATABLE 150HP FOURSTROKE

The Mercury 150hp FourStroke is the largest displacement and lowest weight outboard in its class. The perfect partner for powering trailer boats.

LIGHTWEIGHT. LARGE DISPLACEMENT. 150HP FOURSTROKE – COMPACT MERCURY 150 LIGHTEST

HONDA BF150 OVER 5%

YAMAHA F150LB OVER 8%

SUZUKI DF150 OVER 12%

150HP DISPLACEMENT COMPARISON 3000

2500

3000cc

2867cc

217kg

NEW MERCURY

60AMP

SUZUKI

44AMP

YAMAHA

35AMP

HONDA

40AMP

2670cc

2000

206kg

150HP ALTERNATOR OUTPUT

2354cc

223kg 232kg

NEW MERCURY

The New Mercury 150hp Fourstroke comes in at an incredibly light 206kg* making it the lightest in its horsepower class.

SUZUKI

YAMAHA

HONDA

The Mercury 150hp FourStroke is the largest displacement, helping out gun other 4-strokes in the category.

The largest capacity 150hp FourStroke boasts an impressive 60amp alternator output, giving you ample power for all onboard electrical accessories.

Channel Marine Services Margate, Ph: 03 6267 1456 *Based on Mercury’s 150hp (L) model. Information based on manufacturers’ claimed horsepower and weight figures.

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

Fishing News - Page 51

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

Fishing News - Page 52

www.tamarmarine.com.au

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

RECREATIONAL SEA FISHERIES NEWS May 2020

How much do fishers spend?

Around $161 million or an average of $1,800 per fisher is spent annually on boats, fishing gear and other items.

This amount includes $16 million on boating and fishing gear, tackle and bait.

Salt vs fresh water, boat or shore?

Almost 75% of all fishing effort occurred in saltwater, with the rest being in freshwater.

60% of fishing is boat-based and 40% is shore-based.

Tasmanian Recreational Fishing Survey Results

Fishing by region

Over 3000 Tasmanian households were surveyed between December 2017 and November 2018 to see if they fish recreationally. Almost 600 of these households, representing 1500 people then provided details of their fishing activities over a 12 month period.

How much fishing is being done?

Over half the state’s total fishing effort (51%) occurred off the east and south-east coasts.

Catches of Recreational Scalefish 2017-18 Caught

Kept

Released

1,700,000

733,000

948,000 (56%)

Trout

206,000

86,000

120,000 (58%)

Species Flathead

How is the information used?

The survey results are used in fisheries stock assessments together with commercial catch data to sustainably manage Tasmania’s fisheries.

Australian Salmon

129,000

81,000

49,000 (38%)

Almost one in four Tasmanians or 106,000 people went fishing at least once during the survey period.

They fish an average of 5 days per year.

Males aged between 45-59 represent the highest number of fishers.

Twice as many males (71,000) as females (35,000) went fishing.

Gurnard

99,000

21,000

78%

King George Whiting

24,000

14,000

41%

Jackass Morwong

13,000

12,400

5%

Flounder

13,200

12,300

7%

Silver Trevally

20,000

11,000

46%

Download a copy of the survey miniposter What’s the Catch? or read the full IMAS survey report at: www.fishing.tas.gov. au/whats-the-catch

Sharks and Rays

27,000

9,000

67%

What’s the catch?

Cod

15,000

9,000

41%

Need more information?

Bream

27,000

9,000

66%

Mullet

16,000

9,000

41%

Wrasse

40,000

8,000

80%

Leatherjacket

14,900

7,500

49%

Barracouta

15,000

7,000

54%

Striped Trumpeter

7,000

6,000

6%

School Whiting

7,400

4,600

36%

Flathead continues to be the most popular recreationally caught fish in Tasmania, accounting for 70% of all finfish caught. Around 1.7 million flathead were caught with 56% released.

Sand flathead accounts for 96% of the flathead catch, with 3% tiger flathead and <1% bluespot flathead.

Other important species were Australian salmon (130 000) and trout (206 000).

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

Read more about the survey

Get a copy of the Recreational Sea Fishing Guide from Service Tasmania Download the Tasmanian Sea Fishing Guide app Go to www.fishing.tas.gov.au or www. facebook.com/FisheriesTasmania Phone: 1300 720 647 or 03 6165 3233 Email: fishing.enquiries@dpipwe.tas.gov.au Fishing News - Page 53

REDINGTON 8wt SALTWATER COMBO $420

Redington’s Path/Behemoth Fly Combo. All-water, medium-fast-action Path rod boasts premium graphite blanks for reliable performance. Rods feature full-wells handles and anodized-aluminum reel seats. Alignment dots make assembly easy. Matched with a Redington Behemoth 7/8 Reel / Backing and WF8F Fly line.

The Redington Path rod has lifetime replacement warranty, so if it gets broken for any reason you pay around $100 and Redington replace your rod with a new one.

The Redington Behemoth reel that is the serious part of this combo is amazing value for money. Check out any review and you will see. Great drag and great value. We have sold hundreds. They are tough.

Buy it online at www.essentialflyfisher.com.au Shipping is FREE.

LAUNCESTON’S ONLY AUTHORISED

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

Tasmania n i e d a M your - to suit g spirit. n i r u t n e v ad

The Leven

The Leven

Little Henty camper - this is a great camper The Leven slide on camper is constructed from light weight for couples who want a very light weight fully insulated slide on with extensive customization Litt fibreglass panel and hasoptions. outstanding insulation properties.

So make it suit how you want to live while on the road. With seven models in the range for c The aerodynamic shapeand of Leven only looks great, but is threethe of them set for those whonot travel alone we have it covered. insul functional saving you fuel on those long road trips. The electric optio powered roof gives the Leven it’s stylish exterior and the camper whil able to be used evenmodels with the roof down.

Security features in interior is designed to allow the maximum TheisLeven - One of seven Aussie Traveller and double use ofsecurity space. Thedoor, features include a pull out and The the LevenLeven slide oninclude camper isthe constructed table which be stored when windows with lock down pointscanthat ensure a not needed we h fromglazed light weight fibreglass paneltriple and has andfitted comfort-able faceistodesigned face seatingtoin a strong durable seal. The quality interior outstanding properties.

Phone : 03 6437 2791 emailinsulation : and drafting@penguincomposites.com.au of durableinclude fashion fabrics.

The allow aerodynamic shape of the Leven the maximum use ofnotspace. choice The features a pullThe sleek kitchen features storage, only out lookstable great, but is functional youwhen which can besaving stored not design needed andoverhead comfortplenty of draws, and a choice of gas or fuel on those longtoroad trips.

The electric able face face seating in a choice of durable fashion fabrics. electric hotplate. A fridge is also included in powered roof gives the Leven it’s stylish The sleek kitchen design features overhead storage, of the camper so you will plenty have everything you exterior and the camper is able to be used draws, and a choice of gas or electric hotplate.

A fridge is also need including the kitchen sink. even with the roof down. Security features included in the camper so you will have everything you need Customise to suit your needs. in the Leven include the Aussie Traveller including kitchen security door, andthe double glazedsink. windows The Leven slide on camper is constructed from light weight fibreglass panel and has outstanding insulation properties.

The aerodynamic shape of the Leven not only looks great, but is functional saving you fuel on those long road trips. The electric powered roof gives the Leven it’s stylish exterior and the camper is able to be used even with the roof down. Security features in the Leven include the Aussie Traveller security door, and double glazed windows with triple lock down points that ensure a strong and durable seal. The quality fitted interior is designed to allow the maximum use of space. The features include a pull out table which can be stored when not needed and comfortable face to face seating in a choice of durable fashion fabrics.

The sleek kitchen design features overhead storage, plenty of draws, and a choice of gas or electric hotplate. A fridge is also included in the camper so you will have everything you need including the kitchen sink.

with triple lock down points that ensure a strong and durable seal. The quality fitted

Phone : 03 6437 2791 email : drafting@penguincomposites.com.au Fishing News - Page 54

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

St Helens

Your every need catered for • Eight en-suite cabins • Convenience store • Hot takeaways • Groceries • Newspapers • Boat parking • Fuel • Bait and tackle • Boat and car wash

Hillcrest Tourist Park

Boat trailer wheel and tyre Dunbier and early Holden pattern

around $90ea 62 Hopkins St, Moonah 6228 0274

and Mini Market

100 Chimney Heights Rd. St Helens 6376 3298

Gone Fishing Charters

• East coast estuary and bay • Whiting, Bream, Salmon, Garfish, Flathead, Squid and more • Soft plastics, lures, fly and bait • 5.8 metre sportfishing boat.

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

Outboard Technology Quality service and repairs to all Outboard Motors

Southern Region David Gillespie 6248 9080 or 0417 562 859 96 Clifton Beach Rd Sandford Tas 7020

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Fishing News - Page 55

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