Brown trout spawning run in full flight on the Central Highlands

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Sea run trout tactics – Craig Vertigan

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.

Guy Barnett
Minister responsible for
inland fisheries with a
wild brown trout at Liawenee

Minister responsible for Inland Fisheries Guy Barnett visited Liawenee to view the brown trout spawning run which is well underway across the Central Highlands.

There have been 11 483 trout trapped, counted and released through to spawn at Arthurs Lake. Fish up to 1.37kg have been measured at these traps.

On the River Derwent at Lake King William 5273 have been trapped. Most of these fish have been transferred to the Brady's Chain of lakes. Fish up to 990 grams have been measured at this trap.

At yingina / Great Lake 11 127 fish have been trapped. Fish up to 1.55kg have been measured. Fish have been transferred to small number of popular Assisted Fisheries with little or no natural recruitment as set out in the Tasmanian Inland Recreational Fishery Management Plan 2018-28. These include waters in the Nineteen Lagoons, Lake Leake, Curries River Reservoir, Four Springs Lake, Craigbourne Dam, Brushy Lagoon, Pet Reservoir, Blackmans Lagoon, Big Waterhouse Lake, Penstock Lagoon and few other waters. To keep up with latest fish transfers go to the stocking database.

More fish will be trapped and transferred in the coming weeks ready for the start of the trout season that commences on Saturday 7 August. From 1 July angling licences will be available from the IFS web site, Service Tasmania shops and tackle stores.

Source: https://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/news/2021/jun/18/brown-trout-spawning-run-full-flight-central-highlands