Sea-run trout fishing this year got off to a cracking start in most areas, with the majority of anglers employing nearly every trout fishing technique to secure fish in local estuaries statewide.
Even those anglers fishing the "off-season" lower down in our estuaries for sea-trout commented on the number of fish moving in early August.
I had a lovely Easter Saturday with victorian fly tier, Muz Wilson and his mate Shaun Ash from Queensland at St Helens. Whilst we were fishing for bream on fly it seemed they were few and far between. We did find an occasional bream, but they were spooky and uncooperative. So off we went in search of some silver trevally.
The particular species of garfish that is common to Tasmanian waters, especially during winter, is the Southern sea garfish. It is found in most Southern Australian states both in the open ocean and throughout our estuary systems. They are predominantly a herbivore and feed mainly on varying species of sea grass, algal filaments and small amounts of crustaceans. They spawn in shallow sea grass beds throughout the summer months October to March.Georges Bay becomes a hot spot for big fat XOS sized garfish from April onwards and when a hot garfish bite is on dozens of boats line up to jostle for a position along the main channel leading out to the barway
Tasmanians love going fishing in the sea and are having a say in changes to the management of the scalefish fiishery planned to come into effect later this year.
University of Tasmania surveys reveal that one in three Tasmanians wets a line in marine waters each year, making it one of the State's most popular activities.
Andrew Large looks at one of Tasmania's favourite sport fish - Australian salmon.Tasmania is fortunate to have two types of salmon roaming our coastline. The two closely-related species are the Eastern Australian salmon and the Western Australian salmon.
Once you have caught your fish it is most important that you handle and care for it correctly to ensure that it does not deteriorate to the point it is wasted. Deterioration occurs both through chemical and bacterial processes. Depending on the time taken and subsequent treatment of catch this will affect the taste and texture of meat.
Professional Charter operator, Rocky Carosi looks at one of Tasmania's most sought after fish - Striped Trumpeter (Latris lineata)
Fact file: Striped Trumpeter are distributed from Sydney to Kangaroo Island and of course all around Tasmania. They are found also in New Zealand and South American waters. In Tasmania they spawn from late Winter to early Spring. Stripey trumpeter grow at least 1.2 m in length and 25 kg in weight. The Tasmanian Striped Trumpeter has five-star qualities as well as five-star fighting abilities.
The edges of Macquarie Harbour, Freycinet Peninsula and Maria Island National Park are typical habitats for one of Tasmania's most spectacular birds - the white-breasted sea eagle - a bird of prey with a wing span sometimes exceeding 2 m and a weight of up to 4.5 kg.
Common names: trevally, snotties, snotty trevally
More closely related to the trevallas than the true trevally species. Dark steely blue above, silvery white below. When alive, darker blotches are often observed on flanks but these tend to fade soon after death. A prominent black spot is found above the pectoral fin.
Phil Ellerton takes a look at a member of the Cephalopod family - the squid.
Tasmania has two main squid - calamari and arrowhead. The tubes of both of these are excellent fare when eaten fresh, while the tentacles can be frozen for bait. As bait there is little better to entice many saltwater species.
Ron McBain takes a look at Surf fishing.
Because Tasmania has many excellent surf fishing beaches that are easily accessible; it is no surprise that this form of angling is one of the fastest growing. It doesn't have to be expensive and it's a form of fishing that can involve the whole family.
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During the trout off-season I tend to spend a bit of time chasing bream, to continue getting a fishing fix, and spend time tying flies and dreaming about the trout season to come. It’s a time to spend doing tackle maintenance, stocking up on lures and dreaming up new challenges and goals for the trout season ahead. When the new season comes around I usually spend the first few months targeting sea runners. Sea run trout are simply brown trout that spend much of there lives out to sea and come in to the estuaries for spawning and to feed on whitebait and the other small endemic fishes that spawn in late winter through spring. Mixed in with the silvery sea runners you can also expect to catch resident fish that have the typical dark colours of a normal brown trout as well as atlantic salmon in some of our estuaries that are located near salmon farm pens. Living in Hobart it is quick and easy to do a trip on the Huon or Derwent and is a more comfortable proposition compared to a trip up to the highlands with snow and freezing winds to contend with.
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