Mike Fry doesn’t only live on the Wild Side of Tasmania, but also goes fishing in probably the wildest boat ever to troll for trout—certainly in Tasmania.
When your mate says ‘What are you doing tomorrow, want to come up the Gordon for the night?’ it would be pretty hard to say anything else except “you bet” and start checking out your tackle box and packing your overnight bag. But if your mate was Troy Grining and he wanted to give his new 52ft, high speed cruiser a run across Macquarie Harbour, test the new onboard dory with a chance of landing a nice Gordon River Brown you would have to feel privileged. I didn’t say anything about getting on my hands and knees and kissing his feet…just having a lend of ya’ but I did feel very appreciative.
Cast your mind back to the last time you were wandering down the street and this wonderful aroma caught your attention as you passed the local bakery. Your mouth starts to water and you are tempted to go straight in there and buy some of that delicious freshly baked bread - you have in fact just been burleyed!
Splash disguised by a small cascade and landing just upstream of a deeper hole overhung by blackberries, this was a rare perfect cast. As the lure wobbled its way through the shadows a bow wave tracking to intercept indicated interest. A brief pause at the shadow's edge resulted in a solid tug on the line and with a swirling splash, I was on. After a couple of jumps and short runs, a pretty little brown trout was quickly slid up on the wet grass for a quick measure, photo, de-hook and release. At 43.5cm fork length and over a pound and a half in weight, this was a large fish for such small water with the deeply hooked jaw of a mature male trout. This brought my total for the day (about an hours fishing just 20min from home) to three landed and with several others missed or dropped, was a fitting end for a quick post work fish. As with all previous fish, that day along with many from previous and subsequent trips the successful lure was a simple small metal spoon one of the most underrated lures in our hi-tech modern fishing society.
History
When I first started guiding 13 seasons ago our business was entirely lake based. The highland lakes of Tasmania are well know for windy personas. The wiser,more experienced local anglers all used drogues to slow their boats so I purchased the biggest drogue I could find. It was the conventional windsock type of design and was a flouro yellow colour.
Soft plastic fishing lures what are they?...What are the benefits of using them?... What setup do I need to fish them?...How do I rig and retrieve them?...What lure or technique should I use on this species or that species?...etc etc.
Well these are just some of the many questions anglers regularly ask in relation to the use of soft plastic fishing lures. This article is the first in a series of articles that are intended to take you through the step by step process of becoming a successful soft plastics angler.
Read more: Soft Plastics, Getting Started Towards Success (Part 1)
The following story is true. Phil from Blessington has given permission to use this story - of several parts, as long as his true name is not revealed. It has previously appeared in the journal of the Victorian Fly Fishers Association.
Back in the old days everybody's Grandpa had a favourite pocketknife. Times change however and the pocketknife has been replaced by the multi-tool, a hybrid of the Swiss Army knife and the humble plier! Here is the latest and greatest in multi-tools for those thinking of a Christmas present, or just another toy.
Read more: Unlocking the secrets of soft plastics Part 2: Tips and Hints
As many of Tasmania's saltwater game anglers await the annual southern bluefin tuna "run', lure choice is usually the prime topic for discussion. With the past two years being particularly good, anglers are waiting in anticipation for the next few weeks - will Tasmania be blessed with a "hat trick" of productive tuna seasons?
Propellors can make the difference a great boat with a good performance and economy and a dog of a boat. Rick Huckstepp explains how you can get the best from your boat.
The "in" word in the new boat sales industry has for the past five years, been, "packages'.
A package allows one to walk into a showroom or yard and purchase a complete unit, hitch it onto the vehicle and go fishing. Sounds easy, doesn't it?
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When you have finished for the day, why not have a brag about the ones that didn't get away! Send Mike an article on your fishing (Click here for contact details), and we'll get it published here. Have fun fishing - tasfish.com
Here is a list of all of the Article Categories. The number in Brackets, eg (13) is the number of articles. Click on Derwent River and all articles relating to the Derwent will be displayed in the central area.
Visit https://www.windyty.com/
Hello everyone, I thought it would be a good time to introduce myself.
My name is Stephen Smith and I have been managing the website tasfish.com since May 2009.
It has been an epic journey of learning and discovery and I am indebted to Mike Stevens for his help, support and patience.
I am developing a new venture Rubicon Web and Technology Training ( www.rwtt.com.au ). The focus is two part, to develop websites for individuals and small business and to train people to effectively use technology in their everyday lives.
Please contact me via www.rwtt.com.au/contact-me/ for further information - Stephen Smith.
Recently Atlantic salmon seems to be a very hot topic amongst local anglers, especially those in the south of the state in the D'Entrecasteaux area. Northern anglers should take a close look at the Tamar as there are opportunities here as well.
The recent "great escape" has provided a perfect opportunity for fresh and saltwater anglers alike to experience some truly memorable sport. Tasmania's pristine, clean and cool waters are the perfect nursery for the Atlantic Salmon and as our local fish farms produce more and more fresh quality seafood it is a fact that there are going to be tangible consequences.