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.
Please check all relevant authorities before fishing - www.ifs.tas.gov.au and dpipwe.tas.gov.au . Don't forget issuu.com/stevenspublishing for years of back issues !
Shane Flude
I started bushwalking a few years before I started fishing in earnest so it is only natural that I later combined the two and began to explore Tasmania's Western Lakes. One of the first trips I did and one which I have done again recently was the Pine Valley and its associated lakes and tarns. Despite visiting this area several times, I still find it has everything to offer the bushwalking/fishing enthusiast and its somewhere I will probably visit until I'm too old to do so comfortably. It features a number of waters that mostly contain high numbers of moderate sized trout and several nearby trophy waters for the occasional monster. The area is easy to walk through, has tracks leading in from both ends to the valley and the headwaters rise in what would have to be one of Tasmania's most scenic areas, the Walls of Jerusalem National Park.
Joe Riley
Since the creation of Penstock Lagoon in the early 20th Century to hold water for the Waddamana Power Scheme, Penstock has build a strong and lasting reputation as a challenging and rewarding fishery for both Brown and Rainbow trout. With a dun hatch that was regarded as one of the finest anywhere, polaroiding on bright days for large browns sipping black spinners and trout foraging the shallows for damsel fly and mudeye larvae the lagoon has always offered exciting opportunities for the persistent and observant angler to catch with quality fish.
For those of you that have never fished Flinders Island, do yourselves a favour! Take John Orchard's advice and DO IT.
For an island that only takes an hour to drive from one end to the other, it is packed with some of the best recreational fishing to be found in Tasmania.
On Sunday 17 August, members of the Victorian Fly Fishers Association and the Ballarat Fly Fishing Club attended a short ceremony to mark the restoration of the grave of Alfred Ronalds at the Old Ballarat Cemetery. It was the culmination of an appeal which was launched by the VFFA in 2000 for funds to restore his grave, which had been destroyed by vandals. The appeal was launched at the initiative of well-known fly fishing journalist, fly tier and VFFA member, Rick Keam, and followed an article by Mick Hall on the life of Ronalds which appeared in The Flyfishers Annual (Volume 6, 2001) of which Rick was the editor.
Jamie Henderson
Tackle retailer and competition angler Jamie Henderson explains the vexed question on how much you should pay for a rod.
I saw an interesting statistic the other day that said at least one third of the population of Australia go fishing. That makes it the biggest single recreational pursuit in our country. That's a lot of rods and reels at the end of the day. Its because of this that the fishing tackle industry grows and improves all the time, every year new gear, new brands and a myriad of upgrades and improvements come along which can at times have the owners of the tackle stores pulling their hair out wondering what they should stock next.
This doesn't make it any easier for the consumer, what type of gear should they purchase, what fish are they targeting, are they targeting anything at all or just want to dabble on the jety and hope for the best, fly, plastic, bait, spin, surf, game--aaaaagggghhhh.
Daniel Paull
Intro
Fishing from a jetty is a great experience for people of all ages, especially for the amateur angler. Tasmania has some great jettys and piers along the coastline, Georges Bay being my personel favourite. Fishing from jettys can produce some great species. The best thing about jetty fishing is that you don't have to take a truck load of gear. All you really need is is a hook, line, sinker and bait. Prawns and squid usually do the trick and if you are like me and want to catch something huge, take some pilchards. I started my landbased fishing on a jetty on the beach across from Jetty Road (Georges Bay). It produced some great fish until it was closed to the public. There are still many great jettys to fish from in our great state. I can easily say that any jetty is a good one.
Greg French
Early in the trout season, high-elevation waters like Great Lake, the Nineteen Lagoons and Little Pine Lagoon (all higher than 1000 metres) can be very cold and uneventful, so this is an ideal time to try fishing further west in the Bronte district.
Without doubt, the most high-profile lake in the western part of the Central Plateau is Bronte Lagoon. This is largely because of its wet-fly fishing and superb rises, both of which can be world class. However, the nearby Bradys chain of lakes offers more consistent fishing and more variety. Greg French explains how you can make the most of the venue during the opening months of the coming trout season.
Leroy Tirant
Trolling for Trout is undoubtedly the most popular and challenging form of fishing in Tasmania. It can be as easy as tying on a lure and towing it behind the boat, but believe me there is so much more to trolling, as it can be much more rewarding and enjoyable.
Mason Paull
Introduction
I love fishing adventures and coupled with the promise of huge fish and a new location, I was keen to test this new spot. The stripey trumpeter (latris linaeta) commonly run from 1 to 8kg, but in offshore fishing grounds they can grow from 10 to 15kg with the odd monster to 25kg. These fish are primarily a forager and hunter, feeding on crustacea, shellfish, squid and octapi, although large fish will take small fish.
My good friend Geoff Cook and Mark Breadon had invited me to fish with them off the west coast, just south of the Arthur River.
The shelf off the northern end of the west coast is well out, but as you travel south it becomes more accessible. This said, it is still a long way out. Our launching site still had us traveling 21 nautical miles to sea. We were lucky enough to have a little inside information coming from a respected local angler who had fished this area extensively. Armed with the waypoint he had given us, we basically headed due west .
Craig Rist
Trout fishing at night can be a very productive time to go fishing. A lot of big fish have been caught after dark using many different fishing techniques. For a trout, there is no safer time to venture into the shallower margins in search of food. All of the aerial predators such as cormorants and sea eagles are roosting at this time. Along with the birds, most of the anglers are also tucked up in bed at this time. There are, however, those very keen anglers who have experienced the rewards of fishing after dark. For many, it's a time to squeeze in a few more hours of trout fishing through the week and the chance to target the bigger fish that are so illusive during the day.
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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.
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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.