Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News Issue 129 2017 October

October – November 2017

TASMANIAN FISHING and BOATING NEWS — ISSUE 129

GOING DEEP

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SOUTHERN STREAMS

SNAPPER

LURE TIPS

RED HOT SPRING FISHING IS HERE James Sinnamon with an early season brownie. See more on page 26.

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For some anglers opening day of the trout season is eagerly awaited and will be the first day of fishing.

However, for many it is a waiting game until the weather warms. For those that do brave the elements though there are plenty of fish and often no other anglers in sight.

The cover shot is proof that early fishing is grand and worthy of your effort.This fish is from Nineteen Lagoons and most anglers know the boom gate is shut until early October, so it involves a long walk or mountain bike ride.

The Nineteen Lagoons have been outstanding from the start of the season, and it appears Arthurs Lake is showing promise of good fishing. With levels still rising and at .8 metres from full supply level as we went to press there has been plenty of big fish close to shore. Hooking and extracting them can be difficult though. Give Arthurs some attention and you may see some big fish.

Going Deep — Matt Sherriff

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Southern Streams — Justin O’Shannassay

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North West Magic — Daniel Paull

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Top Tips for Lures and Plastics — Michal Rybka

20

Tales of Tailers — James Sinnamon

26

Yak Hunting — Craig Dawkins

32

Jig Head Flies — Craig Rist

34

Snapper for Beginners — Kelly Hooch Hunt

39

Inland Fisheries News

42

Recreational Sea Fisheries News

43

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I am reservedly excited about Arthurs Lake. I have a few people I speak to that live at Arthurs Lake - or spend some time at their lake-side shacks. They are speaking in hushed tones about the big fish they are seeing around the shores.

The lake is high and perhaps some food is coming back.

There is no doubt, it is not, nor will be the Arthurs of old, but perhaps that will return in the next short while. Here’s hoping. I will visit a few times and try and find some fish. I don’t think the fish will be in the old haunts, but ‘find the food — find the fish’. Many of the weed beds that held fish are just not there anymore.

So instead of driving past Arthurs and fishing Woods, give it a chance and spend a few days on what was Tasmania’s number one water for many years.

In the IFS News on page 42 you will read some positive new on Lake Sorell and the carp eradication program. It is approaching the final hurdle and let’s hope the determination of the IFS staff is matched by a positive result.

Congratulations to Australia’s best fly fisher Christopher Bassano. Christopher recently competed in the World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia

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Fishing News - Page 2

Mike Stevens

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

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

Mike Stevens – P: 0418 129 949 or E: mike@tasfish.com Stevens Publishing, ABN 79 095 217 299

and finished sixth overall, whilst the Australian Team came in fifth — a tremendous result on unfamiliar waters.

It was a well run campaign and a lot of help and coaching came from an ex world champion Martin Droz from the Czech Republic. Martin has been World Individual Champion and won four Team World Championships to name a few. He has been to Australia several times, both fishing in Championships and running clinics. He loves the Aussies — and we love him. Martin worked hard and no doubt had a huge hand in elevating the team.

Another Tasmanian and many time World competition angler Jonothan Stagg also finished well in 19th, whilst Tom Jarman, whom Tasmania could adopt as he spends so much time here finished 17th.

The National team team included: Christopher Bassano (TAS), Mark Bulley (ACT), Tom Jarman (VIC), Jonothan Stagg (TAS), Ricky Sunderland (ACT), with Glenn Eggleton (TAS) as reserve angler; Garth Jackson (Tas) Manager and Captain was Craig Coltman (Vic).

With the World Championships coming to Tasmania in 2019 we are in a strong position to capitalise on our strengths and perhaps win at home.

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GOING DEEP DROP IT AND WAIT Matt Sherriff learns some lessons and gets results

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ntil around 12 months ago Blue Eye Trevalla was a fish that I’d only come across at restaurants or at the local fishmonger. Having heard plenty of stories of them being readily available on our beautiful East Coast we decided to purchase an electric reel, spooled with 1000m of 80lb braid and head to the shelf to see what the all fuss was about.

Our first trip was from St Helens. We decided to head out to the Cliffs, an area on the Continental shelf almost directly east of St Helens. From there we proceeded to troll our way north to the Binalong Patch and see if we could pick up some Tuna.

Seems like we made the right call as on the way up we boated three good sized Albacore and just as we arrived

Fishing News - Page 4

on the Binalong Patch we picked up four school sized Bluefin with the biggest going around 25kg.

Pretty happy with how the morning had started, it was time to give the electric reel a run. We had settled on a spot with a depth of 450m, knowing that the breeze would drift us south east along the shelf and into deeper water. Having changed the settings on our sounder to suit the deeper water, we didn’t have to travel far to mark some bait hard on the bottom.

With our five hooks baited up with fresh Calamari we dropped the 44oz (1.25kg) sinker over the side hoping to be in for some action. Having not fished this depth before, I didn’t realise how long it takes for the rig to get to the bottom. In what seemed like an eternity (probably

only a couple of minutes), the line went slack and we knew we were in the zone.

Something to mention was that due to our drift, as our line was running out we were kicking the motor in and out of reverse to maintain a straight drop. I believe this is also key to slow your drift whilst fishing to keep your line in contact with the bottom.

Our hopes were high and it wasn’t long before we noticed some very subtle taps on the rod. Kicking the reel into gear, it loaded up and around six or seven minutes later we had our first Blue Eye on the deck!

We were hooked!!

Keen to get amongst some more, the lead was sent back to the depths and within 30 seconds the tip of the

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Fishing News - Page 5

rod was indicating that we were in the right spot again.

Having five circle hooks on our rig, we made the decision to leave it down a bit longer to see if we could jag more than one of these deep sea delights. Within the next minute the rod tip was telling us that the right call was made and once the lever on the reel was engaged and the motor churned into life the groans of the reel under load as well as the line frequently stopping against the drag indicated we had some solid fish hooked up!

Taking a bit longer to reach the top this time we could see multiple fish appearing out of the darkness. Not only had we scored another Blue Eye but there were two decent sized Gem Fish now joining our fisherman’s basket!

We had one more drop that trip and returned the same results (two Gem Fish and a Blue Eye). All in all the trip for us was a huge success, having had fun on some tuna as well as returning seven top eating table fish for three drops with the electric.

Around four weeks later the weather at St Helens had presented us with another window to get back out to the shelf. Plans were to head back down with my father and

Sometimes it is just a waiting game.

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son (Jason) in the 615c Barcrusher but with a bit of rain looming the old boy decided to pull the pin. Being ever keen, I decided I would put up with a bit of rain and get our smaller 535 side console Barcrusher out of the shed and take the young fella and one of his mates out for the day.

Leaving Launceston in the dark, we had the boat leaving the Burns Bay boat ramp at around 8am. A spread of tuna lures were put out the back we when reached the 100m mark as we continued on our way out to the shelf. It wasn’t our day for the tuna and all we could return for around two hours of effort was one skipjack…oh well, never ventured, never gained and there’s nothing like a bit of skipjack for fresh bait!

Pulling up slightly deeper than last time in around 600m of water and feeling a bit adventurous, we lifted the 37kg outfit out of the rod holder and dropped a Swordfish bait down for a try (keen to catch my first one and it would have been pretty cool out of a five and a half metre open boat).

Well, another hour or so went by and without a touch it was time to change tactics. Up came the sword bait (thank goodness for the Reel Cranky and the electric drill) and down went our baited rig on the electric reel.

Still in 600m of water our first hit came within five or six minutes.

Unlike the more subtle bites we had on our last trip, there was no mistaking the hits this time! I had Jason hit the lever and the 37kg bent butt Crucis rod bent over on what looked to be a solid fish! I would have to say that it took at least ten minutes to get this fish to the surface and it worked the reel all the way to the top! It was a Blue Eye around three times the size of the ones caught on our previous trip; maybe the bigger ones like the deeper water?

Two more drops returned us five Blue Grenadier (Whiptail) and with the fish bin looking much healthier we decided to head back to the ramp with smiles all round!

It was a great day to spend with Jason and also his friend who hadn’t been out this wide before, with both of them seeing new species of fish. We even had a Mako Shark hang around about 20 metres from the back of

A real smorgasbord day.

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Fishing News - Page 7

A pink ling from the deep. the boat for about half an hour (Jason tried to hook it to no avail) and were escorted back in by a pod of Dolphins. There’s something special about the sea, you never know what you will see out there…one of the many reasons we keep going back!

For those that are looking to try this style of fishing you will obviously need to look at some suitable gear.

There are several electric fishing reels on the market and with the improvements in technology over recent years; powerful models with large line capacities are available in relatively small sizes from major brands.

You will need your chosen reel to be able to hold at least 1000m of 80lb braid to fish the depths mentioned

above. The reel that we have been using is a Daiwa Tanacom 1000 which will set you back around $1,000 once spooled with braid (depending on type of braid). These reels are great value for money and local tackle stores spoke highly about their reliability. As for a rod, due to the large sinkers and the fact that you may be trying to pull up to five solid fish up from 450m+ a 37kg game rod is where it’s at. A bent butt allows the rod to be angled correctly out the side of the boat when left in the rod holder (where it will spend the majority of its time). A straight butt can be used if coupled with bent extension tubes for your holders.

Many specialised rods have a swivel roller tip on the end to deal with the angle changes of the line due to the rod playing the fish from the holder. Whilst these are great, for those looking for multiple uses out of their rod, one with full ceramic guides or fully rollered will do fine and can also be used for tuna fishing by swapping reels. Note that if you are running a normal roller tip it needs to be of high quality from a reputable brand as some of the cheaper guides will allow braid to jump off the guide and jam up due to excess clearance which can then result in an expensive break off when you have 500m of braid and your rig over the side.

There are several different rigs available and most stores will have pre made rigs available. Bite Tackle have several quality rigs for around $40 and another worthy mention is the in-house rigs made by Seamaster which are well priced. The backbone of the rigs is generally around 400lb mono with the branches around 200lb.

Circle hooks are best as they will hook the fish whilst the rod is in the holder and 14/0 is a good size to start with (I like to put a big bait on these but don’t choke the gape). I prefer hooks that clip onto the mainline instead of the fixed ones. These make it easier to remove fish as they come over the side and if you have a couple of spare ones baited up ready to go you can send your rig back down before you have to worry about removing hooks from fish.

In my view removable hooks also improve safety in the boat. Last but not least a flashing light to clip onto the swivel at the top of the rig is a must. It’s pretty dark down there and the lights let the fish know there’s free food available!

Being fairly new to this style of fishing there is no doubt plenty more secrets to unlock but I just wanted to share our success and let others know some great table fish are accessible with this alternative method. Don’t be shy; make sure the weather’s spot on, get out wide and give this a try for yourself!

Matt Sherriff

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Fishing News - Page 9

SOUTHERN STREAMS SPRING IS PERFECT FOR SEARCHING Justin O’shannassy loves the abundant southern streams as we head out of Winter.

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s a young fisherman it was a stream just outside of Canberra that provided me with my first trout. It was the classic scenario of “one last cast please Dad”.

I let the small Celta sink and drift slightly downstream before starting the retrieve. A lively river rainbow was on. It is a memory will carry for my life and a moment that cemented the fishing bug (and Mum said I didn’t have to do the dishes for a week for bringing home dinner!). As a new season draws closer it is these sorts of memories that bring freshness to the prospect of fishing one of our states many waterways in season 17-18.

Spoilt for choice is probably an apt summary for stream fishing in Tassie. There is an abundance of not only the burbling mountain stream, but also your classic faster flowing rivers such as the Tyenna down south. In the north of the state the freshwater angler has access to an array of waters from the St Pats to larger waters such as the Mersey, Meander and South Esk. In this article I am going to focus on fishing some our southern streams and the opportunities that we may be presented with as we head out of the cooler months and into the season proper.

The weather

Rain, snow, and wind are not what a fisho wants to confront on any day on the water. Early season presents these challenges with a deluge and miserable weather often bringing high flows and dirty water. However, one Fishing News - Page 10

The author’s go to fly - a Royal Wulff, with a nymph hanging underneath. of the advantages of a number of southern streams is a number of the catchments are limited and a few days after rain they are fishable.

Most keen anglers over the years will have spent plenty of time driving and exploring locations and no doubt often finding a spot that is fishable even on the worst of days. It may be a stream protected from the cold southerlies or a smaller waterway tucked in a narrow valley less impacted by rain and snow melt.

There are several of these latter streams that roll out of the range between my home turf at Sandfly and Huonville. These streams have a very limited catchment, but must be spring fed to an extent as even in the dry months I have had success fishing the pools for

cruising browns. The message here is take the time to explore. Go on a wet Sunday drive with the family.

Spoil them with a coffee or hot chocolate at one of the cafes or bakeries down the Huon. Take a back road, go slow over that bridge and look at the water below (all serious fishos should drive slowly over bridges!). Truth be known most of these types of waters hold fish year round and being a short haul from Hobart are an easy drive in both time and distance.

As a desperate fly fisho I have had some top little sessions on several of the clearwaters running off Mount Wellington following a wet spell. How did I find this out? Well when I could run during lunchtime from work I often headed along several of the tracks coming off the mountain. Like any tragic fisho I knew what the weather had been doing and what it was going to be, so was always across rainfall and snow melt. With this level of observation I soon worked out flows from such events. I was amazed at how quickly levels dropped and the water cleared.

Some of the Hobart suburban gutters offer real surprises with a well drifted bead head nymph or small dry bringing undone stream browns. Without snow melt these Wellington streams clear quickly and present opportunity for the restless early season angler like me.

So as much as the weather can keep a Hobart angler indoors be aware there are some urban and semi-rural trout options for a quick early season escape. Hobart

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Size doesn’t really matter, but sometimes a monster comes along. aside, as you head towards the Huon there is a good number of smaller streams that are worth a look early on. Despite its rural urban frontage North West Bay holds some spritely river fish. Early season after a flush out I have walked some stretches and fished small pools amongst the river rocks and boulders for pleasant rewards. Surprisingly my go to fly has been an Iron Blue Dun even on a cold September day. With the small catchment and residential water demands the North West is challenging as the fish holding pools are often exposed in the river bed and require stealth.

Nonetheless, a belly crawl is often the way and the smooth river rocks don’t tend to catch on your strides!

Even though some of these Wellington streams are small and only as wide as an easy jump, reading a stream

flow and some stream craft is still valuable. As most of us know a stream trout will look to minimise effort and energy facing upstream by finding a suitable holding lie. With increased flows these lies change. Instead of a mid-stream lie fish will often move towards the edges, streamside eddies, and backwaters. Take your time to target these areas and keep those eyes open. I have been able to spot fish holding along edges and a well placed fly has done the job.

Of course larger pools in these mountain fed streams are worth a look and present a different challenge and approach in higher flows. One particular pool on a Wellington stream provides opportunities in higher flows and by varying my tactics often brings a couple of browns to hand. This pool has a metre drop at its

head with the current pushing hard into a rock face along the edge. The outside of the current eases out over flat rock presenting various levels and flows to fish. Unless I can spot a fish I generally put the first cast short and into the slower flow outside the current.

When beadheading if that indicator or dry fly dips or stops I strike! Even though the first focus might be the slower water the deeper faster current is always worth a look with a number of obstacles giving fish cover. A heavier bead head worked up the current is the go; just keep in touch with that fly line and lift the rod.

One of my funniest fishing moments occurred one lunch time when I scampered from work to walk a Mount Wellington stream. Knowing of a couple of runs and pools in this stretch of stream held fish I

Tumbling streams are fantastic to explore.

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Fishing News - Page 11

parked the car and hurried along the path. Being early spring there had been some rain and drifting a bead head I managed a couple of fish. I came to one of my regular deeper pools and spotted a couple of fish. As I got into position there was a small splash in front of me shortly followed by another. I looked in the tree above for birds – nothing. I looked over my shoulder just as a local resident ducked down behind her fence 15 odd metres away. “Are you throwing rocks at me?”

I asked. The response was “the fish are my pets leave them alone”. I was going to start a conversation about being a paid in full holder of an angling licence, but erred and departed the scene. I still get a chuckle about that story as in her attempt to hide from me I think the resident didn’t realise she had a bright red jumper on and no hiding place was going keep that from my sight.

Hazardous game this urban fishing.

Tactics

As mentioned higher flows mean fish holding positions will likely change. Trout like any other fish like to conserve energy and will seek out an easier lie in high flows. Before charging up to any river or stream stop, drop, and watch. Spend that first few minutes as you rig up streamside to take in what is happening on the day.

Is the sun out? Cloudy? Cold? Waterflow; should I head back for a cuppa or go for a walk and fish? Was that a rise? Or did I just see a fish turn and take a morsel down deeper? Don’t be in a hurry take the time and most of all enjoy yourself.

Once the observation and scene setting for your session are covered off you have probably worked out whether you are going to fish on top or drop down with a bead nymph. Better still, as most of know take an each way bet and use a buoyant dry with a dropper fly underneath. Most of our river and stream fish are opportunistic and I am sure I am not the only one to have caught fish on a dry fly on opening day or well before the season’s temperatures start to climb. My go to combination here is a Royal Wulff around a size 12 with a nice robust tail to add to its floating ability particularly in faster flowing water.

From this I will hang a beadhead nymph usually a hare’s ear or pheasant tail. The length of the dropper is really something I judge based on the water I am fishing, but generally around 50 to 60 centimetre is a good coverall.

A sucker for a nymph.

Fishing News - Page 12

Small trout, small streams — big fun.

Once set up and on the water I am not a fan of the distance casting record trying to be broken!! Start short and progress your way upstream targeting the edges if flows are high, or those likely looking spots we all have learned about. Don’t neglect the pocket water either in high flows. I got shown up one day by my old fishing mate Rossco on the Tyenna. I ignored a rockier burbly section where the water rushed through. Ross systematically worked the smaller quieter pockets and pulled several nice fish out from under my nose. A short line and being in touch with the fly was paramount in this type of water, but I chose to ignore it at my peril and Rossco cleaned me up.

In talking about short lines it is amazing how some anglers have difficulty in judging distance. As a guide I see a lot of anglers unable to judge the amount of line they have in the air whilst false casting to where they are wanting to land the fly. I make the comment about starting short and progressing upstream because I have seen many opportunities lost through an overzealous caster. As a guide I have seen many anglers push a cast to long instead of working calmly and quietly upstream. Frustratingly there have been times where that has put down a nice polaroided brown or spooked a catchable fish. On tough days where opportunities are limited that cast to long might have put that only fish or rare opportunity to bed for the day.

Trust me it hurts to see this happen!! Be methodical, work upstream, if you are confident in judging distances go for it and take that chance.

Another important tactic and consideration is to vary things up if the results aren’t coming. Don’t be scared

to move to a heavier bedhead particularly earlier in the season to get down to those lies. The early season cold water can mean a fish won’t move a great distance to take a morsel and if you are drifting above and outside that zone you may just be doing casting practice. On the other hand I have stumbled on small dun hatches on several streams which was the last thing I expected on a nondescript September day. Always carry that assortment of Tassie flies from your beadheads to your subtle dries like the Iron Blue Dun I mentioned above – I love this fly it is a super midge feeder option or white moth or olive to pale dun!!

Not that I have practiced or used this tactic much, but don’t neglect a good streamer fly like a Woolly Bugger to vary an approach. Fished upstream and retrieved faster than the flow might well undo a stream leviathan. A bigger morsel might well be a feed a fish just can’t give up. I have used this approach several times on a high water Tyenna and been pleasantly surprised by some solid browns. And we all know that river has some beasts lurking. Mind you it was a size 14 brown beadhead nymph that undid my Tyenna monster, but that is a story for another time. Still give a streamer a go either upstream or the good old down and across – just keep in touch with that fly!!

One of the regular comments my mate Rossco and I repeat to each other as the season builds is “fish have got to eat”. Bad weather, cold water, and high flows aside fish need to sustain themselves and in most conditions there is a tactic you can employ to have a chance at getting one on the line. Think outside the box if you have to, spend time on the water, and be observant

Where??

So we have talked some tactics, observation, fly set ups, short lines etc. Next thing is where are some likely spots to head to as the season builds to warmer weather.

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

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

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Fishing News - Page 13

Given I am focussing on the southern streams the list is a good one, but I am not going to spill the beans on my go to waters that easily!! I have mentioned the Huon area and the Mount Wellington burblers. The best thing as I have said is explore. Get onto Google earth. Zoom in and follow those valleys and roads; there are always access points. The Sloane and French “bible” is a must in the car as well. God knows how many times I have read this over a cuppa tea in the car when out and about.

Of course in saying explore we all know about the likes of the Tyenna, so enough said on that. Some other little beauties such as the Russell bring me endless hours of fun battling rocks and vegetation. I have fished several streams south of Geeveston as well such as the Arve for some lovely river fish. Of course there is Mountain River and the Weld. Mind you the Weld is a beast of a thing in early season with a lot of water pushing through. Just remember waters like the Weld being declared rainbow water has different opening and closing dates, worth checking this out.

Wherever you go be prepared, have the right gear, be ready for weather changes, don’t hop in if the water is too high and dangerous, and tell someone where you are off too. Without wanting to sound like an old fart think about helpful tools like a wading stick!! Most of all have a great time, stay safe to be able to keep fishing, and I reckon most river fish in Tassie need to be released. After all, we have pretty tough waterways and just staying alive is a challenge for our trout so chuck them back or be conscious and limit any keepers to the well populated waterways.

Justin O’Shannassay

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Fishing News - Page 15

NORTH WEST MAGIC DANIEL PAULL SHARES A FEW SECRETS

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s summer approaches and the warm and nutrient rich Leeuwin and EAC (East Australian Current) currents collide in Bass Straight the highly revered yellowtail kingfish begin to show themselves.

Tasmania isn’t generally known as a destination for kingfish, but they do frequent the Apple Isle and some of them are surprisingly big! While small ‘rat’ sized kingfish can be commonly found feeding alongside Australian salmon schools all along the north coast, the biggest seem to thrive in the impressive tidal flow up around Woolnorth and Montagu.

The kingfish that visit the treacherous waters surrounding Woolnorth and Hunter Island are an impressive bunch. They tend to congregate most prominently around the small channel of water between Woolnorth and the Harbour Islets. The flow of water here is incredibly powerful and can be quite treacherous in an outgoing tide for boating and fishing, which is also when the kingfish respond the best. The marauding band of ‘kingies’ take up their position in the channel Fishing News - Page 16

during certain times of the day and feed aggressively as baitfish get washed past in the current. A lot of fish, including snapper also call Woolnorth home and they tend to feed well early in the morning and just before dark in the evening. These times are pretty typically good times to target many fish.

Most of the kingies you’ll encounter in the north west are pretty impressive in size and will go like a cut snake once you’ve hooked them. In other words, don’t take a knife to a gunfight! Kingfish or ‘hoodlums’ as many know them, are dirty fighters and a trademark of their tenacity is to go for broke — peel off a heap of string on a lightening run and find the closest reef, rock or length of kelp to bust you off!

You’ll need some fairly serious gear to tackle the kingies of Woolnorth, not only because of the size of the fish, but also the conditions in which they live. I like to think of kingfish as the Dustin Martin of the sea, one good ‘don’t argue’ and they’re gone, so tighten up that drag knob and hang on!

Don’t go looking for hoodlums undergunned or with anything less than top quality gear. It might be alright for bottom bashing, but good drag, strong rods and the best quality reels will see you right.

They’re not too fussy to what you present them, just as long as it isn’t anything too silly or flamboyant. Large soft plastic baitfish imitations, surface poppers, diving lures and even trolling skirts work well on any given day but the most successful way to find the fish in the first place is just to troll a big soft plastic or two.

Once you’ve located where the fish are congregated and feeding, it’s then only a matter of casting into the general vicinity in which you hooked the last fish and either slowly or quickly retrieving your lure of choice.

If a kingfish wants your lure though you will not be able wind too fast. They will chase you down.

Hoodlums are certainly a rewarding fish to target and they always leave a smile on your face after wrangling with one, especially in the often hectic conditions around Woolnorth!

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Another welcome addition to the growing list of fish to target as the weather here in Tasmania begins to warm up is the humble snapper. They’re probably the most popular fish to target here in Australia and it isn’t hard to see why. Snapper fight well, they can be a challenge to locate and catch and above all else, they’re just a pretty fish!

Up here on the northern end of the state, we’re fortunate enough to have a well established snapper fishery all the way along the coast from Woolnorth in the west of the state, to Port Headland in the east.

Undoubtedly, the mighty Tamar River on the doorstep of Launceston is the best place in the north of the state to consistently find big, humpheaded snapper. Being somewhat of an enigma, the big, old, humpy-headed snapper that call the Tamar home are an elusive crew and only a handful of super keen anglers have truly cracked the code on how to find them! Outside the river and although perhaps not as impressive as their freakishly big Tamar counterparts, snapper can be found all along the coast in pretty good numbers.

There are plenty of places to begin your search for Tassie snapper up here on the coast.

Smaller, ‘pinkie’ sized fish can be found in rivers and estuaries all along the coast with Port Sorell, the Mersey River and Emu Bay being the closest to the major cities. Stanley, Montagu, Three Hummock Island and Woolnorth again are other great places to consistently find bigger and more consistent numbers of snapper. Like fishing for striped trumpeter, GPS marks are a valuable

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Fishing News - Page 17

Mason with a nice snapper. commodity and plenty of anglers are willing to share them.

The best way to find snapper though is just through hard work! They don’t come easy and most of the anglers pursuing them have put a lot of time and effort into manufacturing some sort of technique in how and where to find them. Basic fundamentals of the game are fishing with light gear, fresh bait and focusing your efforts around the changing of the tide, be it high or low. Snapper, like kingfish, love feeding during the early hours of the morning and well into the evening. Bait fishing with a simple running sinker or paternoster rig is the best way to go but they can be caught on soft plastics too.

Fresh squid, salmon and pilchards are irresistible baits for snapper but they’ll just about eat anything when they’re on the chew, especially the juvenile fish that are less intelligent than their elderly!

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Although kingfish and snapper will be the main objective for many anglers as Christmas and summer approaches, there are heaps of other great fish to target. Big bream will be making their way back toward the sea after spawning, King George whiting and blue-spotted flathead will become more frequent as the water temperature increases and hopefully, big mako, blue and white sharks make a welcome return to Bass Straight in good numbers after a considerably poor season this year. October and November in particular are perfect months of the year to dust off the saltwater gear in the corner of the shed and to start making plans to head out onto the blue and briny!

Daniel Paull

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Fishing News - Page 19

TOP TIPS for LURES AND PLASTICS MICHAL RYBKA SHARES HIS TIPS FOR GETTING BETTER RESULTS

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believe there are a few things in lure fishing that make a huge difference. You can do these simple things — or not. If you read on and use some or all of my advice you will catch more.

product for this task. You also may want to add some realistic looking red (or natural coloured) lure eyes.

Adhesive lure eyes are readily available from stores. Eyes that are 3mm in diameter are generally suitable for most jig head applications.

Use a loop knot

Most hard body lures have a ‘line tie eye’ to which a split ring is secured. You tie your line or leader to that ring and away you go. That split ring connection between the line tie eye is the key to the lure having total freedom of movement during the retrieve. In my opinion, it also ensures maximum swim action. If your hard body does not have that split ring on the line tie eye, you can easily add one. But, how do you obtain the same advantage when fishing with soft plastics? The answer is easy – use a loop knot connection. Using a loop knot tied to the end of your jig head will ensure that your soft plastic is able to move freely, thereby maximising the effectiveness of your lure. You can also use this method in place of the split ring on the line tie eye of a hard body lure.

There are quite a few loop knots around so choose one you can tie with confidence. I have shown one, but there are others.

Pimp your jig heads

This is a trick that many professional bream tournament anglers use. The term ‘pimping’ simply means enhancing the appearance of your lures. In order to get the most realistic presentation possible, you can easily paint jig heads to suit your soft plastics. Clear and/or coloured nail polish is a suitable and inexpensive Fishing News - Page 20

A pimped up jig head.

Once you have stuck the eyes on the jig head, you should coat them with a layer of clear nail polish or UV curing glue. This will give your jig head a professional, but more importantly, the eyes will be less likely to come off. You may think that it is a fiddly process – but so is fly tying! Once you have seen the final product, I am sure that you will agree that taking the time to add a little extra detail will result in an enhanced soft plastic presentation.

This can definitely make your offering more appealing to trout, which is of course the aim. Just make sure that, unless you are purchasing your own supplies, you ask permission before using nail polish belonging to your wife, girlfriend or mum!

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

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

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

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

The stickers (see banner at top of page) are available free from: Spot on Tackle Hobart Essential Flyfisher Launceston Tamar Marine Launceston Coastal Marine Somerset Active Marine Hobart Aluman Engineering Launceston Fishing Gear Launceston Greg “Tubby” Quinn St Helens .

Achievements

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Fishing News - Page 21

Next, I check the split ring at the front of the lure it attaches to the line. If it is deformed or split apart in any way you will need to replace it. I also put a drop of superglue in between the ring to avoid it opening and the line sliding in between, which can also affect the way the lure swims.

If the lure runs to one side, say for example to the right, hold it with the bill facing you. Then, with a pair of needle nose pliers, gently rotate the line tie eye (the eyelet just above the bib) in the direction that is opposite to the direction/ side it is running, which for this example would be to the left or anti-clockwise.

You only need to rotate it very slightly, taking care not to bend it. Test the lure by casting and retrieving quickly to see if you have corrected the problem. Repeat if necessary. Keep adjusting until the lure swims straight. You will now have a nicely tuned lure that is ready for that big trout!

Target weed beds

Tune your hard body lures

Have you ever had a hard body lure that wouldn’t swim straight? I am sure that most of us have. The effectiveness of a hard body lure depends primarily on how deep it runs during a retrieve and, above all, how straight it swims during that retrieve. Many/most cheaper hard bodies will have problems swimming straight fresh out of the box. However, in my experience, anglers often bounce them off rocks, logs or other structure, these lures will frequently get out of tune just through regular use. Tell-tale signs of this include lures that: swim to one side,

Fishing News - Page 22

roll over, vibrate improperly or simply swim too shallow.

The first step in tuning a hard body is to check each hook holder on the lure.

These are the eyelets that the split rings are attached to (the trebles are attached to the split rings). Sometimes there will be paint overspray on these from a sloppy paint job. I simply scrape the paint off with a sharp pocket knife. This ensures that the trebles will swing freely from side to side and allows maximum vibration.

Doing this will also help prevent the lure from rolling.

How many times have you been trout fishing and hooked up on weed? Whether you are trolling or casting lures, the weedy encounter is a common occurrence that every one of us can relate to. In saying this, tangling with weeds can also result in some nice trout catches. I have had this happen to me on many fishing trips.

It has happened while trolling and also while casting various types of lures - both soft and hard body varieties. You may be familiar with this yourself - retrieving a lure that has snagged, only to have it smashed by a thumping great big trout just after it gets free from the weed.

Finding weed beds in a lake is easy with the help of a sounder fitted to your

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boat or kayak. Any seasoned angler that has been fishing a favourite water will probably already know where they are anyway. Once you find the weed beds, target the water between the surface and the top of the weed, using either hard bodies or soft plastics. Suspending hard body lures are an especially good choice with this type of fishing. These lures, as the name suggests, have the ability to suspend in the water column and are therefore perfect for such trout fishing tactics. I have found the best retrieve to be a fast one, where I literally ‘rip’ the lure through the water over the top of the weed and then pause. The pause is the secret. Trout will often be attracted by the erratic action of the lure and then strike on the pause.

With soft plastics, I use a creature bait for this method. Plastics of around 2 inches in length that remotely resemble some type of insect or crustacean are my pick. The trout will particularly like anything that has legs or tentacles that pulsate! I use a retrieve that has a quick succession of short, but subtle twitches of the rod tip. An ‘inch flick’ of the rod tip either way as you are doing this is perfect. Next, give the plastic a brief pause – a second, if that. Then repeat the sequence over again until it clears the weed. It is important that you do not retrieve too fast. The short succession of twitches will get the legs and any dangly bits of the creature bait really pulsating through the water. This makes the lure look very realistic and alive. The added movement of the legs will also send ‘fish attracting vibrations’ through the water.

Lastly, don’t forget to be prepared for a strike. It is important to anticipate this,

particularly on the pause sequence. This is because trout will often find the lure an easy target when it ‘slows’ or appears ‘dead’. Unfortunately, I have lost too many good fish because I wasn’t giving the retrieve my full attention - so it pays to concentrate and be alert at all times.

Sometimes slower is better

The key to any type of fishing, whether it be soft plastic or hard body lure based, is finding a retrieve that will work for you on the day. Trout are funny creatures that respond to different retrieves on different days. If they are shut down, try slowing your retrieve right down. This is a tactic that often works for me and it is suitable for both soft plastic and hard body lure applications. Try this:

‘slow roll’

Slow rolling a lure is exactly as it sounds. This is an easy retrieve where you slowly, but constantly retrieve a hard body or plastic along the bottom or at your chosen diving depth. It will work in lakes, rivers and even small creeks. With an inbuilt tail action, curl tail grubs and t-tail/paddle-tail soft plastics are perfect choices for this technique, as are most sinking hard bodies.

If using a soft plastic, start out by casting it and letting it sink to the bottom.

You will know the plastic is on the bottom by watching your line – as soon as it goes slack, you are there. Next, lift your rod tip slightly. It’s now just a matter of winding the lure back ever so slowly. You should feel the plastic touch the bottom every now and then. If the action is slow – try throwing in a few pauses. Extend the time you pause the lure for in order to give the trout some extra time to observe the offering. If you are using a hard body, I find the sinking type is more suitable for this method for obvious reasons. Use the same technique as I have described above.

‘slow twitch’

Again, this technique is fairly selfexplanatory. Although compatible with hard body lures, this retrieve is particularly well suited to small creature baits. Start off exactly the same as per the ‘slow roll’ – cast out and let the lure sink to the bottom. Next, slowly ‘twitch’ the lure along the bottom while winding very slowly. Do this by applying short, but subtle twitches of your rod tip as you wind in. Aim to move your rod tip back and forth only a couple of inches.

By doing this, you will impart a very realistic swim action to the soft plastic.

Creature baits rigged on a weightless hook using the simple ‘split-shot’ method work very well with this technique (crimp the split shot approximately 40 cm up

from the plastic). In a lot of cases, the split shot will bounce along the bottom and the creature bait will suspend a short distance above. This presentation is representative of food sources found on the bottom, and it is a killer technique in both lakes and rivers!

Conclusion

So, there are just a few of my tips that should help you bag a few trout in the next few months. I assure you that a moment of your spare time tuning those hard body lures and pimping up some custom jig heads will definitely pay off. If you are feeling adventurous, you can even use nail polish to ‘pimp’ some of your hard body lures – a great idea if you have some old ones needing a new paint job!

Being prepared with lures that swim straight and jig heads that set your plastics above the rest may just be the advantage you need to out fish your mates. Seek out those weed beds, because that’s where the fish will be hiding coming into the Tasmanian summer. If the trout aren’t interested in your lures, don’t be afraid to slow your retrieve right down. Mix it up and I am sure that you will find a technique that works for you on the day.

Finally, although I probably don’t need to remind you, the fishing can only get better from now!

Mic Rybka

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Fishing News - Page 23

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Fishing News - Page 25

TALES of TAILERS JAMES SINNAMON TAKES YOU TO HIS FAVOURITE PLACE

S

ight fishing to wild brown trout is something that is almost uniquely Tasmania. Sure it happens in other places, but not like here. This is gold medal fishing — not easy, but it is the type of fishing where you will probably remember every fish you catch. It can happen anytime during the season, but is certainly at its best during the first few months when there is plenty of water around.

The first days of the season are always highlighted in my fishing memory. These days out west consist of frozen lakes and blistering winds and are generally only endeavoured by the crazy, as conditions are shocking 80% of the time and you’ve got to be sure about walking long distances between fish. Snow, wind, rain and sun is to be expected, the typical 4 season in one day which Tasmania is famous for. Harsh terrain, spiky bushes and possible ankle breakers every second step…

‘My favourite place’! The western lakes is a unique environment that deters a lot of people from entering this time of year. Those that are willing to endure and prosper are always eventually rewarded. It’s notorious to walk several kilometres and possible encounter and maybe catch one fish, although with more experience comes more knowledge.

Fishing News - Page 26

These days just can’t be predicted. The weather was forecasted for 20 mm of rain and 40 km winds with a significantly low pressure system. Arriving at the boom gate on dawn I remember Murray and I having the conversation ‘what on earth are we doing here’, and we just laughed and geared up for a wild day. A wild day it was indeed! After a 12 km trek, we arrived at our first lake, with no signs of relief in the weather. Instantly we were welcomed with the beautiful singing tones of thousands of frogs. So we both tied on rabbit fur frog imitations and watched! Almost spontaneously, we spotted a fish pushing hard against the bank, chasing galaxia and jumping out of the water. As we raced over for a closer inspection, we realised that this was not the only fish in the margins, 5 metres past the first fish, there was another and then another… it seemed as though all the fish from the lake were pushing their noses around the marsh chasing galaxias and slurping frogs.

The excitement was through the roof at this point, to where we couldn’t hold it together, witnessing the fly hit surface and two fish coming at it from different directions! This day went on to be one of the best days I’ve experienced out west! Fish were spotted and caught

consistently for most of the day, with both Murray and myself cracking new PB browns. Many fishermen are not willing to go fishing if the weather is bad! In my opinion if tailing trout is what you’re chasing, then go when the weather is bucketing down and blowing a gale.

My best tailing trout fishing experiences have been when the weather is belting down. What I really like about the western lakes, is that no matter the weather you can generally find the fish feeding somewhere, you just got know where to look! The most important and deciding factor in the weather for me, is the direction and strength of the wind, as this underlines where to find fish.

Flies

Early season out west, airborn insect life is next to nothing. Paring this with three months of winter, where most lakes are frozen over, underlines the trout’s ravenous behaviour. Some fish spend most of winter feeding on a variety of small native fish species, commonly known as galaxias. These fish appear to be in good condition. Interestingly there are other fish from the same waters which appear to have had a tough winter, leaving them super slender with no energy. These

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Where the wild ones are.

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Fishing News - Page 27

Get up early and walk.

slender fish are an easy target, as they will eat pretty much anything tweaked in front of them, however they fight like a stick. In retrospect, the fly choice for this time of year is straight forward all that is needed for a good couple days fishing, is a handful of frog and galaxia imitations.

From the moment the ice starts to melt, it is common to find actively feeding fish that will generally take any wet fly that is presented correctly. On a particular occasion, the temperature had dropped below zero the previous night, leaving most lakes frozen around the edges. This creates some exciting fishing. As the ice melts against the bank it forms little defrosted holes and guarding these holes is usually a hungry trout waiting for a frog or a terrestrial insect to plonk on in. when the trout are under the ice like this, the chances of spooking the fish are very slim. I was at Double Lagoon on sunrise, standing less than a metre from a 3lb brown which was under a thin sheet of ice. I dropped my rabbit fur fly in a break in the ice, 2 metres further down the bank and almost instantly the fish swam strait over to it nearly beaching its self, slurping it up. I was astounded at how the fish couldn’t see me standing above it, yet still managed to see my fly 2 metres away tight against the bank.

Doing it

Early season in the western lakes is not for everyone, especially while the boom the gate is closed! People planning a trip out west, during the early season should have good preparation, provisions and a moderate amount of fitness. It is expected that a day is going to consist on many kilometres. However on good days you can walk no more than 4 km and have some amazing visual fishing, with fish pushing hard in the margins. A day can start out awesome, with bright sun and no wind, then in a matter of minutes it can turn to howling winds with rain and snow. This is where good provisions are important, along with good navigation, as white out conditions are a regular occurrence. Warm layers and a good water proof outer shell is essential for a day out west early season. You can almost be guaranteed to be walking through water at some point, so without a doubt a good pair of waders is also essential.

Dorsal is showing and a fair way from the tail....

Gear

As the weather can turn to ruthless very spontaneously, I commonly use 5 or 6wt, 9ft rods, as these allow casting and fishing in to the wind achievable. My lines are almost always floating in the westerns and are sometimes one weight heavier than the rod, depending on wind strength.

Early season I will generally fish weight forward tapers, as these help to deliver wets with more authority in windy conditions.

Leaders are anywhere from 9 to 15ft depending on the wind, stronger the wind shorter the leader. I commonly run a tippet or 8-10lb sometimes 6 in glassy conditions, in recognition that the fish are hungry at this time of year and are not very leader shy. Plus there will be less break offs, along with less times that the fly has to be retied to the tippet, due to wear from the elements surrounding the trout. Once I stupidly put on some 4lb as I was getting refusals and thought that it would do the trick, when it was probably just my poor presentations. Next minute I was casting my frog fly at a log of brown, one of the biggest I had laid eyes on. The fish was sitting Fishing News - Page 28

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Fishing News - Page 29

in one foot of water next to an undercut bank with a slight chop over head from the prevailing wind. Completely forgetting I had a 4lb tippet on, I plonked my frog fly about 2 feet down the bank from the fish, instantly the fish swam strait for the fly and the line went tight, it was fish on! Moments later the fish had a few good thrashes on the surface and ‘pop’ he was gone, damn line broke at the hook. My lesson learned, assess the situation and knots, and tie on appropriate tippet before making the cast.

Frozen guides are a pain.

Respecting the environment

I am commonly watching videos of people holding and treating fish in a catch and release scene that make me cringe. Fish do not like being out of the water, it’s as simple as that, as well as fish don’t like being put on dry surfaces.

Holding a fish out of the water for a couple happy snaps is all good, But please bear in mind, if you’re going to release a fish then treat it how you would like to be treated (if you were a fish). I can’t emphasises it enough, there’s no point throwing a fish back if it’s just going to die minutes later. As fishermen we have large impact on the environment and

A poor knot — or just too light?

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#4

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Superlight 596

9’6”

77cm

#5

73g

Superlight 696 NEW

9’6”

77cm

#6

84g

Superlight 796

9’6”

77cm

#7

89g

Visit www.mayflytackle.com.au to view the full range of Hanak Competition products and nearest stockists Fishing News - Page 30

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play the most important role as conservationist as we experience it firsthand. Therefore it’s our responsibility to maintain and look after the environment so our kids, kids can enjoy it like we have! A good way to start is by taking everything out that you take in and do your part in not turning a blind eye to plastic as you walk past it, just pick it up and take it out with you! It’s not hard and it makes a real difference. It really pisses me off when I come across rubbish and plastic while walking around in such a beautiful place. It happens way too often, I especially come across large amounts of bear bottles and cans. It’s as though its dump to some people! There’s not a lot of places left on earth that aren’t detrimentally impacted by man, so we can at least look after the ones we have left and help sustain the real beauty that they have to offer.

James Sinnamon

The perfect place to find tailers.

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Fishing News - Page 31

YAK HUNTING A GREAT OPTION TO GET ON THE WATER

T

asmania has some of the best fishing in Australia, if not the world. No matter where you live, you can be within reach of a variety of fishing, from salt to fresh, trout to tuna, there is something available for all tastes. One issue that I recently battled with was whether to buy a boat or not. After much debate, I found a compromise – a kayak.

The kayak fishing industry is a rapidly expanding market in Australia and there are numerous packages available. Of course, you can spend as little or as much as you can afford, with entry level kayaks available from many outdoor stores, right through to specialised kayaks designed and built to fish. You can choose paddle or pedal, a sea kayak or a multi-purpose kayak. There are many factors to take into account; the type of fishing that you wish to do, storage of the kayak, transport, internal storage, mounting systems for accessories and propulsion power.

One thing that I found interesting while trying to decide on which kayak to buy, was the lack of unbiased local advice that was available to aid in the decision making process. There are many sources online but the vast majority of these are American based and differ to the Australian market. Features that some manufacturers supply in America are different to what is supplied in Australia.

Even some of the kayak designs differ slightly. While searching the internet, I stumbled upon a Facebook group called “Yak Hunters Australia” which provided unbiased advice on a number of different questions.

Since beginning kayak fishing in Tasmania, I have enjoyed some blissful Fishing News - Page 32

days on the water. There is something surreal about gliding above the water silently stalking fish. Some days have netted results while other days have resulted with the dreaded doughnut.

Even the days where I come home empty handed are days that I memorably reflect on after having time on the water, silently gliding around a lake or the salt water.

There are many advantages to both boats and kayaks. I will certainly not deny that boats have their audience and their advantages. I just felt for my lifestyle and circumstances, the kayak was a far better option. Lack of maintenance, no registration costs, easily portable, and a stealth aspect were just a few points.

The kayak ticked all the boxes that I was after. Not doing things by halves, I went all out and brought a Hobie Pro Angler 12 Camo from Tamar Marine in Launceston. Researching, buying and fitting accessories to the yak caused many hours of internet browsing and picking the brains of local suppliers. I am now able to go out with my family when they head out on the stand up paddle boards and my Pro Angler 12 is more than sufficient to carry my 7 year old daughter on the back on a chair. Having this craft has enabled us to go out as a family and enjoy a day on the water together instead of one at a time.

First trip on the water was to Lake Barrington on the North West Coast. A beautiful still day, cold weather and calm water. The scene was set. I slipped into the water at the rowing course and set off to the south. Line and lure trailing in the water behind me, I decided to stick close to the shore, just in case. I ended up

to the south of Lake Barrington where it narrows and decided to have lunch at the secluded picnic area. So far, I had not turned turtle and after a couple of hours, I was confident with the operation and functions of kayak fishing. I certainly was not an expert, but I was happy. After moving to the forward compartment while on the water to get the thermos for a coffee on the go, to changing lures a couple of times, I knew I was hooked on Kayak Fishing.

Tied to the jetty, lunch was had, lures changed and off I set once more.

Heading back north to get back to my start point, I decided to zig zag my way up the lake. On the return trip, I found my first obstacle…….. the wake of a boat. A boat went past me at a great rate of knots and left a ripping wake to work its way to the shore. I am not sure if the boat saw me as I was tucked close to the shore just inside a small bay as it went past. I prepared myself to get wet.

I continued to pedal as I drove the kayak into the wake that the boat had left. The kayak rode the wake beautifully and my nerves were settled again.

I zig zagged my way up the lake and managed to christen the kayak with two small rainbows. They were in beautiful condition and returned to the lake to fight another day. This topped the day off. I returned to my launch point and packed the kayak up and put her on the roof racks. This was an awesome first outing and I was already planning a few modifications to accessories, a few additions to the kayak, and the next adventure.

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Since the initial launch of my kayak, I have had multiple outings with a few new additions to the yak. I have started a charting project where I plan to chart lakes, starting with Lake Barrington, using the Echomap 55dv and Garmin Quickdraw Contours. I have also become a member of the Yak Hunters Admin Team and have started the Yak Hunters Tasmania Facebook group.

Yak Hunters Australia was started by four mates in NSW and has rapidly expanded to now include five states. The group remains a not for profit group and returns all proceeds to the members through competition prizes. The group has over 6,500 members spanning five states of Australia. Some work in local fishing stores around Australia and collectively, there is an amazing amount of both kayaking and fishing experience between the members. Yak Hunters promotes kayaking safety, sustainable fishing, inclusiveness and local businesses.

In due time, the Yak Hunters Tasmania group will run fishing competitions with prizes on offer for Fish of the Month and will have fishing days to get together with like-minded people to Yak Fish.

If you would like to know more, please join the Yak Hunters Tasmania group on Facebook and introduce yourself. Until then, tight lines.

Craig Dawkins

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

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Fishing News - Page 33

JIG HEAD FLIES SINKING FLIES DONE DIFFERENTLY - WITH CRAIG RIST

W

hen a fly like the Woolly Bugger is tied onto a soft plastic jig head hook it broadens the versatility of this already universally successful trout fly. The moment the fly hits the water the heavy jig head swims the fly down towards the lake or river bed just like a bait fish or large aquatic insect descending back to the safety of the structure of the bottom, be it rocks, weed or submerged trees. Just like a soft plastic, the weight of the jig head allows the fly to be fished throughout the water column, quickly and effectively as it bounces under and over submerged logs and dives through pockets of weeds where trout are so often lying in wait for that opportunistic meal.

The nice thing about using these hooks is you can make any of your favourite woolly bugger or streamer fly pattern into a fly that has the same enticing jigging action that makes soft plastic so effective, simply by tying them on a jig head hook.

Adapting your cast

As you would expect, casting jig head flies isn’t as easy as casting unweighted flies. The trick is not to use the conventional overhead back cast. Instead, kick the rod out to the side at 45 degrees during the back cast, then straighten the rod up to deliver a overhead forward cast. This keeps the projection of the heavy jig head fly, well away from your much-loved fly rod and avoids that painful sting you get when a heavy fly makes contact.

Using the wind to help keep the fly away from rod and body during the cast will really help to avoid a serious collision. Sometimes this means changing to a back hand Fishing News - Page 34

cast or from a left hand cast to a right hand cast. Once you have mastered this simple cast, there will be no hesitation to switching to a heavy fly when it is needed.

Long rods

For a long time I have never really thought I would have much to gain from a rod over nine foot long. But that was before I finally decided to go one foot longer with a new 4 wt Scott Radian. The ten-foot Radian was just what I was looking for. I was really surprising what this extra foot gave me towards the ease of managing longer leaders and achieving an overall higher cast.

Having the ability to gain some height on the back and forward cast is really noticeable when I am fishing from my float boat. The longer rod allows me to lift the fly line and leader off the water sooner to bring a heavy jig head fly up towards the surface where I can have a few more seconds to hang or dabble the fly in front of a inquisitive trout to hopefully provoke a take.

I have even noticed some advantages of using this rod in the Western Lakes. Again managing longer leaders is one and that higher back cast is a real help over that unforgiving landscape which has a nasty habit of reaching out and snagging your fly on your final back cast. Thirdly, for those close bow and arrow encounters, that extra foot in rod length puts the fly out another two foot from where I standing. This has allowed me to stay further back from the waters edge where I can ambush those western lake shore huggers, with a sneaky bow and arrow cast. It really doesn’t get much better than that.

Retrieves

Like most streamer fishing it pays to try different depths and retrieves until trout start to show some interest. One of the great things about a jig head fly is the weighted head pretty much fishes itself the moment it hits the water. This descending fly instantly turns the fly into a baitfish or large insect that is naturally swimming back to the bottom. With this in mind I like to start fishing the fly with a cast and do nothing approach, whenever I am fishing water deeper than one meter. I literally do nothing other than taking up the slack in my line to stay in contact with the sinking fly.

It’s suppressing just how many takes you get as the fly sinks to the bottom. A quick strip strike on any sudden movement of the leader or fly line is all that is needed.

If nothing comes from that, I start the retrieve, and then raise the rod up towards the end to lift the fly up towards the surface.

Good quality polarized sunglasses are really helpful on the lift to see any fish that may be following the fly.

With a fish in sight you have a much better chance of reading the fishes body language towards the fly rising, falling or hanging motionless in the water. What you do next can make the difference between getting a take or watching it return to the depths. There is no right or wrong thing to do here. I start by lowering and raising the fly and then stopping to try and get a response. A last minute take can happen at anytime so I am always ready to set the hook whenever its mouth closes over the fly. There is no doubt about it, when you can see the fish’s response to your fly you can soon work out what

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Cast the Radian at essential Flyfisher — 105 York St, Launceston. Ph: 03 6331 8944

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Fishing News - Page 35

works and what doesn’t. In the end it all comes down to the number of chances you get too work it out.

Long strips, slow figure eight retrieves right up to tucking the rod under your arm and double handing the line back are all well known methods to fish streamer style flies, with countless variations of pauses to incorporate in between. I like to try them all until I find what works on the day.

The “Hang” as it is often refereed, is when you simply stop retrieving the fly and hold it at that depth for a few seconds to provoke a take. I find the Hang is really effective while fishing from a drifting boat when it’s implemented during a retrieve that has ended up behind the boat. Deliberately stopping the retrieve to hang a jig head fly for a few seconds on the drift can really switch a following fish into an eater.

I stumbled onto using this “Hang on the drift” literally by accident while fishing with a mate of mine on my boat.

He had already hooked up onto a fish and was almost ready to land it. I stopped retrieving my fly midway back to the boat so I could grab the landing net with my other hand. A few seconds later, my rod loaded up under the weight of another fish. This happened to me more than

Fishing News - Page 36

once so I started introducing a long pause or “hang” in the retrieve whenever the fly and line had swung behind me. Out of the five fish I caught on that session, three were hooked using the hang on the drift and I have been using it ever since. I have no doubt this is nothing new in the world of fly fishing, it just took me some time to work it out for my self.

Where to fish jig heads

Jig head flies are really suited to water that is deeper than half a meter. How deep you go really depends on your leader length when using a floating fly line.

Beyond that, full sinking lines can get you really deep. Personally I like to stick to a full floater for most of my trout fishing in Tasmania. Deep for me is a 16 to 20 foot leader on a floating line but this is only when I am struggling to find fish in shallower water. I usually like to stick with a 10 to 12 foot leader which is a much more enjoyable length to fish a heavy fly such as a jig head.

With the hook point riding upside down on a jig head hook, I think these flies really work well in lakes that have submerged trees and weed beads that have deep pockets of water amongst them.

In a float boat or kayak you can really push the limits and get right in amongst some thick stands of timber to bounce a jig head fly through this structure. From my float boat I often seen trout suddenly appear behind the fly, then take it just before the fly is about to bounce over a submerged tree branch.

When you hook up in this situation it’s a hold on and fight affair. If I can, I like to get a trout to the surface as soon as possible to hold them their on a short line to thrash it out. This knocks most fish up fairly quick and they don’t get a chance to right themselves and head for the nearest snag. If a fish does get into a snag I usually go with the slack

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line approach and back off the pressure, instead of applying more and breaking them off. I find by taking the pressure off a fish that is already deep in a snag or weeds I can sometimes get them to swim out, by suddenly re applying pressure.

If that doesn’t work I tire them out in amongst the snag with most if not all of the pressure on the fish coming from the line sliding through the snag itself.

When they are done they often float up in the snag where I can net them. The alternative is a broken line while it is under high pressure and a lost fish, so I always like to go light once they have reached the snag or weed.

Craig Rist

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

Starlo F25

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Fishing News - Page 37

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Dr Mark SNAPPER for BEGINNERS KELLY HUNT SAYS FORGET THE FLATHEAD AND SHARKS

F

ishing off the North West coast has traditionally been all about lathead and Gummy sharks. These species have been the main staple and low hanging fruit for many years. The last few years have seen a growing number of people tring their hand at Snapper and doing quite well. These fish are being found out in front of Devonport, Ulverstone, Penguin, Burnie and Wynyard.

What has changed

Well as with all fishing activities and new discoveries there are many stories and theories that do the rounds as to why something is happening. This is again the case with the increase in snapper activity.

Well here is the drum. I think the little blighters are out there in bigger numbers than we ever give credit.

The wily old anglers of the Tamar River have been catching them for years and keeping it on the down low. Some of these models have been extra oversize.

There has been the occasional catch of small pinkies in and around the Burnie wharf for many years and the Smithton lads… well they just laugh when there is talk of a new species in Snapper to be caught. They have been catching them for ever!

Well what is the go

I just think the general population of anglers are looking to catch something other than flathead and gummies or started to listen to people who catch and willing to try something new…. Could even be a healthy combination of both, but whatever it is it is working.

More and more anglers are starting to catch snapper off the North West coast and it is a great sign and

personally I think it’s awesome. I have had a few goes myself and have found some snapper to play with often enough to keep me interested. What is obvious very quickly is there is a real technique to it and a process, You won’t find them everytime you have a crack at them so don’t be discouraged by early failures. Keep to the plan and method and the success will follow. The method is simple. Find a likely looking spot, set up a burley trail and set a trap.

Where do i start?

In an amazing turn of events it seems that there are endless possibilities when looking for snapper grounds.

We have found them just off the reefy areas that you find wrasse and draughtboard sharks. Others have found them in flat featureless bottom in 30 odd metres of water. What an absolute winner, as there are acres and acres of this sort of fishing ground off the North West coast. The real key is to find some transition in that reefy bottom and some shale type areas in that featureless bottom. You can use your sounder to find some reefy area and just come off the edge of it a bit.

The ideal section of rocky or reefy bottom will have a bit of up and down or contour about it. It doesn’t have to look like a queensland bombie off the barrier reef. A bit of up and down to a metre or two is enough to have some clefts and ridges that fish of all sizes can hide and live. This is the key. The bottom has to have a bit of life and movement. This will attract the bait fish and the squid. This is another little bit of info for you. If you have some good squid grounds , you have a good place to start for snapper as they love to eat the cephlapods.

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

Fishing News - Page 39

Clinton Howe with a small snapper about to go back.

ULVERSTONE

Jason Simms showing some form.

Once you have your location picked out it is very important to stick to the game plan and have some organization around what you are trying to do.

Start a trail

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Getting a burley trail started and staying on it until it has taken good effect is what we are looking to do. First things first is to set the anchor. If you are lucky enough to have a 12v powered drum anchor, happy days. If you do not… and have an old fashioned, loose rope mess at the front of the bow, head off to a dealer and buy a Lone Star anchor winch immediately. Without doubt the best thing you will ever buy for your boat to increase its user potential. Everything is better with a Lone Star winch as you actually use the anchor. When you have to throw the anchor overboard and lift up manually , you just don’t use it. So you don’t fish at anchor or use it to rest up and have lunch swinging off the pick. I will guarantee your boat becomes a whole heap better vessel for having one.

Anyway you have run the anchor out and laying back on the rope in your chosen position. Now its time to start your burley trail. A good burley starts with a fine mist of fish particles.

Remember… we are not looking to feed the fish. We are looking to put some particles in the water that has the fish in the area go … Whats that ? Where is it

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

coming from ??

If you are not swinging about on the anchor set you can put a steel burley cage with super find fish paste and tuna oil near the bottom. Hang this directly off the rear corner of your boat and have it about 2 m from the bottom. One - I like the steel ones as they are flashy and cause some movement and colour.

Two – having it off the bottom a little allows it to move a bit and disperse the smelly goodness a little better. Once you have that set up and working nicely you can start to cube up a few pilchards and plop a few cubes over as you do so.

The cubes only have to be as big as your thumb nail and the adage a few often is where we are going with this. A little time and you should have enough cubes to last a few hours and you are ready to set the rods out.

The beauty of fishing at anchor with only a mild swing port to starboard is that you can fish a number of rods out the back without causing misery. If you have kids and they like to all fish at once on the drift you know the sort of misery I am speaking of. Four rods is a good start while fishing for Snapper and as you get a little better at what you are up to you can bring more into play. So let’s start with the two quickest to set up and that’s two out each side at 90degrees. I like to run simple snapper snatcher type rigs out either side, one with a twist. The

snapper snatcher rigs are bigger than usual circle hooks in a paternoster configuration. The hooks have a little bit of bling by way of tinsel and some pearly flashy paper.

You can combine these with a strip bait of squid or a chunk a little bigger than your cubes. On one I use a normal sinker and fish it nearly right on the bottom. The other I use a Berkley Saltwater Pro jig head of between 3/8 or ½ ounce and a 6inch nemesis as the sinker and bait the other hooks as normal. This one you can fish 2 -3 meters off the bottom.

Right!

So now you are actually fishing and you are in the game. These rigs are supplying a little bit more movement and colour as it is all about attracting the prey to your trap. Now you can set about baiting up the two strayline rigs you have prepared prior to coming out.

There are a few different variations of the strayline rig, but the idea is that it is used with the bare minimum of weight to get to the bottom . In essence it is a two hook rig allowing excellent rigging of a whole pilchard or silver whiting and a small running bean sinker.

When at anchor in good conditions you can even get away with no sinker at all. This allows a very naturally presented bait to slowly float down to the bottom and hopefully get some keen attention from the target species. Don’t forget to put four or five cubes over the back occasionally and give the burley pot a bit of a bounce up and down.

You can snell both hooks of your strayline rig or while beginning have one hook as a slider and use the pitzen knot to secure the second hook to the end of some 40lb leader. Select a small ball or bean sinker to slide down the leader and can slide right down behind the bait. You can attach the leader to your braid mainline with a double uni. Now you need to bait them up.

Whole pilchards or a silver whiting are great snapper baits. They are easy to obtain from most tackle stores and present very well. You can come in under the gill plate and out the eye of the bait fish with the bottom hook. This leaves a good amount of hook exposed and then come into the tail and back section with the other hook. Giving a half hitch around the tail or use some bait mate to secure. Now all you do is work out what depth you are in and cast out similar depth. This will allow the bait to fall down through the water column and hit the bottom somewhere around where your burley is in play. There and now the trap is set.

The ultimate goal of course is that wonderful red coloured snapper. All things going well you can have a hectic spell of action where they respond to the burley and cubes and come through and load up on your baits. Be prepared for this as they come in quick and can be gone just as quick. Have a landing net ready to go and if you get a tangle a spare rod or two. If you get a tangle or an issue with a rig it is best to rack it and sort it out later.

So there are a few basic tips to get you started and hopefully in with a chance of finding some of these not so new fish to play with. Not so new to some but very new to others. Good luck!

What you need

This is what I use: ROD: Ugly Stik Gold; USG-SP702GP 7foot 2 pc Bomb proof; or Veritas 3.0 702M 4-8kg 7foot 2 pc Sexy.

REELS: PENN Slammer 560L Live liner model allows fish to run and eat bait; or ABU GARCIA ALX 5000 SEXY as and great match for Veritas rod.

LANDING NET: Berkley Snapper net. A big net good for stripey trumpeter as well.

HOOKS: OWNER SSW 5/0-6/0 needle sharp super strong.

Kelly Hooch Hunt

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Waiting game

Once you have the two strayline rigs out the back you can wait 10 or 15 minutes and wind them in. Check the bait and re bait if you need and start the process again.

You get a little busy while snapper fishing…. Cutting cubes, plopping cubes over, jiggling burley pot and checking and re baiting hooks. It is a constant dance that will keep you on your toes. The side rods with the snapper flashers will hopefully come to the party with some good by catch of flathead. The down side here is the gurnard can also come to play. The whole pilly of whiting can also fall foul of draughtboard shark as well, which is a bit of a pain. It is however all part of the Snapper Dance and you will have to wear some rubbish by catch on most attempts. Once the burly has been in play for a while the good by catch is large flathead and gummy shark.

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

Fishing News - Page 41

Vibrating / Flashing lures - illegal

The IFS have received a number of queries about new fishing lures on the market that display lights and vibrate to attract fish. Tasmanian Inland Waters are recreationally governed by the Inland Fisheries Act 1995 and Inland Fisheries (Recreational Fishing) Regulations 2009. The regulations, at 24(8) state: ‘A person at any inland waters must not have possession of a device of an electric, electronic, sonic or ultrasonic nature that is capable of being used for the purpose of attracting or influencing the movement of fish.

Penalty: Fine of not less than 1 penalty unit and not more than 5 penalty units’.

Currently, a penalty unit is valued at $159.00.

Regardless of any claims made in advertising a product, we advise that these types of lures do not comply with our regulations.

South Esk Angler Access project

On Saturday 5 August, the Minister for Inland Fisheries, Jeremy Rockliff officially launched the South Esk River Anglers Access project. This is the 10th river access project completed by Anglers Alliance Tasmania (AAT) and Inland Fisheries Service (IFS).

Since 2007, over 300 km of rivers reaches across Tasmania have benefitted from Anglers Access projects.

The South Esk River Anglers Access Project was made possible with a grant of $66 000 from the Tasmanian Community Fund to AAT with matching funding provided by the IFS. Crucial to the success of the project is the participation of 18 private landowners who agreed to allow access to the river adjacent to their properties. The Anglers Access Program provides landowners with appropriate infrastructure, increased surveillance and improved risk management.

The South Esk is a highly regarded brown trout fishery and is the third most popular river fishery in Tasmania with over 2000 anglers fishing it during the 2016-17 season.

The project has provided improved access to approximately 40 km of river frontage on both private and public land. This involved the construction of parking areas, gates, steps and paths to facilitate access to the river.

The project has involved the installation of 30 fence stiles and fence crossings, insulation and signing of dozens of electric fences, and over 50 warning and information signs.

A number of canoe launch sites provide a fantastic new opportunity for anglers. These sites will also be available to the guiding industry enhancing the guided fishing experience and tourism.

The completion of the Angler Access project will further increase the popularity of the river with local, intrastate and interstate anglers. It will aid the dispersal of anglers throughout the catchment and improve the fishing experience.

A full colour brochure containing angling regulations, access rules, fishing information and high quality maps of the access area is now available through tackle shops, Visitor Information centres at Deloraine, Evandale and Longford and via the IFS and Anglers Alliance Tasmania websites.

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Fishing News - Page 42

Carp in the gun

The outlook for total carp eradication from Lake Sorell is positive moving into this season with less than 1% of the carp left in the lake. This follows a successful 2016/17 season in which 439 carp were caught, and surveys showed no signs of spawning. The remaining carp in Lake Sorell appear to be struggling in both size and maturity.

With good water levels at present, the remaining carp population will push inshore as temperatures rise.

As was the case in 2016, the priority again will be to stop spawning through intensive inshore netting in combination with radio transmitter carp in order to detect where they are moving.

Carp have already showed signs of pushing into the shallow areas of the lake. The movement of our latest radio transmitter carp increased throughout September, and a small female carp was recently caught in an inshore fyke net.

Our game plan allows for the changing environmental conditions and adjustments will be made to the fishing strategy to suit. Exploiting the environmental stimulus for the carp to push inshore in coming months is critical.

All of the gear is in place for such an event, time will tell if the weather will be on our side.

Everything is being done to rid Lake Sorell of carp so as to see the return of what was a fantastic recreational trout fishery.

World Fly Fishing Championships 2017 - Slovakia

Congratulations to the Australian team that competed in the recent World Fly Fishing Championships in Slovakia.

It is well known that it is hard to beat the European teams on their continent. In the last session ,through a huge effort, the Aussie boys jumped over the Polish team to finish 5th.

First place went to France, second to the Czech Republic and third to Spain. Christopher Bassano was the highest ranked Australian finishing in 6th place.

What a great build up to taking on these competitive teams on our home turf at the WFFC 2019 in Tasmania.

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

RECREATIONAL SEA FISHERIES NEWS October/November 2017

Calamari closures

Calamari and squid closures apply to recreational and commercial fishers in areas on the far North West, Central North and East Coasts at periods during October to protect spawning calmari. During the closures, taking or possessing calamari and other squid species is prohibited in the closed areas.

Northern Closures: 6 - 22 October 2017 inclusive Far North West Coast: all waters from Woolnorth Point east to Table Cape.

Central North Coast: all waters from Point Sorell to Stony Head including Port Sorell and kanamaluka/ Tamar River.

The northern closure dates and areas will be reviewed for 2018 following further research from the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies.

East Coast Closure: 15 October - 14 November 2017 inclusive East Coast: all waters south from Lemon Rock (south of Wineglass Bay) to the northern end of Marion Beach (south of Maria Island) including Coles Bay, Great Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage.

The average catch rate was 1.07 lobster per day fished - 0.87 for pots, 1.90 for dive, and 1.88 for rings.

43% of active fishers retained 1-5 lobsters for the period; 6% took more than 20.

The total recreational catch was 52% of the total allowable recreational catch (TARC) of 170 tonnes.

Just over 50 tonnes, almost 60% of the total recreational catch was taken from the East Coast (Eddystone Point to Southport). This exceeded the recreational notional catch share of 42 tonnes, as outlined in the East Coast Stock Rebuilding Strategy (April 2017) by 8.2 tonnes. This compared with an ‘under-catch’ of 6.3 tonnes in 2015-16 and an ‘overcatch’ of 13.6 tonnes in 2014-15. The lower catch in 2015-16 was influenced by extensive biotoxin closures.

Read the IMAS report at: www.fishing.tas.gov.au/sea-fishing-aquaculture/ sustainable-fisheries-management/research-and-stockassessments/recreational-fisheries-research Read the report at: www.fishing.tas.gov.au/sea-fishing-aquaculture/ sustainable-fisheries-management/research-and-stockassessments/recreational-fisheries-research

Rock lobster season dates

Recreational rock lobster season dates for 2017 are as follows.

Western Region Females - open 4 November 2017 to 30 April 2018 inclusive.

Males - open 4 November 2017 to 31 August 2018 inclusive.

Eastern Region Open 18 November 2017 to 30 April 2018 inclusive.

2016/17 Rock lobster season catch estimates

18,000 fishers held a rock lobster licence - 15,200 pot, 8,000 dive and 4,400 ring.

The annual IMAS survey of rock lobster licence holders for the period 1 Nov 2016 to 30 April 2017 reported: An estimated total recreational catch of 87,650 lobster equating to 87.9 tonnes.

68% of the total catch taken by pot, 29% by dive and 3% ring.

National Gone Fishing Day 2017

Catch Tag Analysis for the Recreational Rock Lobster Fishery

Catch tags were again in the spotlight with some rock lobster fishery stakeholders mentioning it as a solution for managing the recreational rock lobster catch on the state’s east coast.

DPIPWE fishery managers undertook a comprehensive assessment of catch tags including a cost benefit analysis of their application. The assessment included examining the application of catch tags in other jurisdictions both in Australia and overseas.

The assessment found that the catch tags would be: unlikely to constrain the recreational rock lobster catch in the Eastern Region; and costly to implement and administer.

National Gone Fishing Day is on again on 15 October 2017!

Events will be running around the state supported

by Fishcare and Inland Fisheries. Keep an eye on the Fishcare Calendar of Events at www.fishing.tas.gov. au/fishcare for venues and times.

St Helens Fishing Forum – 20 October

A public recreational fishing forum is being held in St Helens on Friday, 20 October hosted by DPIPWE Wild Fisheries.

Topics: Recreational fishing – what’s the catch?

Bluefin Tuna and swordfish tagging Long-spined urchins vs rock lobster East Coast rock lobster stocks Presenters: Rod Pearn, Recreational Fisheries Manager, DPIPWE Dr Jeremy Lyle, Senior Marine Research Scientist, IMAS

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

Fishing News - Page 43

Fishing News - Page 44

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

Dr Sean Tracey, Senior Marine Research Scientist, IMAS Professor Caleb Gardner, Director Sustainable Marine Research, IMAS

What volunteers do:

Date: Friday 20 October, 6.00-8.30 PM Venue: Portland Hall, Cecilia St, St Helens Catering: Lions Club BBQ available for purchase More info: Ph: 6165 3034 or fishing.enquiries@ dpipwe.tas.gov.au

Attend fishing and community events including boat shows, fishing competitions and Agfest; Pass on practical fishing knowledge and information; Maintain local fishing signs and rulers; and Assist with the Fishcare Schools Program.

Want to know more? Email us at fishcare@dpipwe.tas.gov.au, ring the Fishcare Coordinator on 03-6165 3039 or go to: www.fishing.tas.gov.au/fishcare

Become a Fishcare volunteer

Need more information?

Fishcare urgently needs recruits.

Becoming a volunteer is a great way to do your bit for Tasmania’s fisheries and meet other like-minded people. There’s a statewide volunteer training session being held in St Helens in October so enquire now.

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

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Fishing News - Page 45

The Leven

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.

Little Henty camper - this is a great camper for couples who want a very light weight fully insulated slide on with extensive customization options. So make it suit how you want to live while on the road. With seven models in the range and three of them set for those who travel alone we have it covered.

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Fishing News - Page 46

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Fishing News - Page 47

Know your lifejacket

Better safety and facilities for Tasmanian boaters

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

Scan the QR code above or go to www. mast.tas.gov.au to see MAST’s lifejacket awareness video.

Incorrectly worn or fitted lifejackets may not work effectively

MAST spend $1,000,000 every year improving your recreational boating facilities around Tasmania. THE BOATWISE COULD

Apply any time for better boating facilities. Go to www.mast.tas.gov.au

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