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Rock Lobster

The recreational rock lobster season in the Western Region closes from Friday 31 August at midnight.

Striped Trumpeter

The striped trumpeter fishery closes for a two month period from this Saturday, 1 September to 31 October inclusive for recreational and commercial fishers. The closure protects fish during the spawning season.

More information

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Published: 28 August 2018

Hits: 2350

• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Read more: Season reminders August 2018

Presented from Issue 116, June 2015
Whilst I’ve been familiar with spey casting for many years it wasn’t until just three years ago that I realised the full potential of it, the forthcoming groundswell towards it and the usefulness of it for Tasmania.

Sage visit to Tasmania

During 2011 Marc Bale, Sage’s International Marketing and Sales Manager visited Tasmania and stayed at my Cressy lodge. Marc was in town to help build brand awareness and one night, during the dinner conversation, I asked Marc a few questions about fly rod sales.

You might be interested in this, as am I, and you might be surprised at some of the answers.

My first question was ‘Marc, which company supplies the most fly rods in the world’ ? His answer was Sage sell more than anyone else – they are head and shoulders above all other companies.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Fly Fishing

Published: 23 August 2018

Hits: 5855

• Fishing Competitions
• Spey Casting

Read more: Spey and Switch Casting is Easy and Really Cool - Peter Hayes

I headed over to the Leven River only to find it was like the rivers closer to home, running to high & fast to fish so I went and checked out a small stream that flows into the Leven. I wasn't sure if it was worthwhile getting the wading gear on to give it a go or not. After standing there for at least ten minutes looking the stream in two minds should I or shouldn't I give it a go I finally decided to get the wading gear on. A twenty minute walk though down through some paddocks and thick bush I was in the river just on 2:15 PM.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Leven River

Published: 20 August 2018

Hits: 3626

• Adrian
• Leven River

Read more: Dark tannin water give up a few small browns - 13/8/2018

With it still overcast, cool and light rain falling I decided that this hanging around waiting for the weather to clear up was over. I headed off to the Mersey River to fish a small stretch of back water that I felt would be holding at least one trout and may one or two more.. After arriving at the river I saw it was still running high and very fast then after a fifteen minute walk I was finally in the backwater at 10:15 am. This back water is now only around 60 meters long now as the 2016 June floods changed it from a 200 meter stretch to what it is today.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Mersey River

Published: 15 August 2018

Hits: 3319

• Mersey River
• Adrian

Read more: Back water gives up my first trout of the season - 6/8/2018

Please read this link urgently.
You can go fishing this Saturday even if your card hasn't arrived.
https://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/…/2…/aug/02/2018-19-licence-cards

If you have bought or renewed a full season licence, you probably don’t have your card yet.

There has been a delay with this season cards. We hope the first ones will arrive in letterboxes next week.

You can still enjoy fishing this weekend. If you have a receipt, take a copy with you. This might be a photo on your phone or the email itself.  This makes things a bit easier for our officers. If you don’t have a receipt, but you know you have a licence, don’t worry. Our officers can check the licence database so long as they have phone reception. If there is no reception, they will ask for some information and check later.

There have been some regulation changes for this season.  Make sure download the Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code 2018-19 from our website and update your InFish app. This way you will have the latest rules.

You can buy or renew a licence online at any time from www.ifs.tas.gov.au

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Published: 02 August 2018

Hits: 2216

• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies
• Trout Fishing

The August-September edition of Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News is now on sale at all good newsagents and tackle stores.

In this issue you will find heaps on lure and fly fishing – what, where and how. There is also a terrific story about the history, building and subsequent rebuilding of the Sandy Lake hut by the Mountain Huts Preservation Society. It was built as a joint project between the Northern Tasmanian Tourism and Northern Tasmanian Fisheries associations. It fell into disrepair and was later burnt down and then the area flooded. The MHPS through a lot of effort rebuilt it nearby and reopened it 7th April 2018. I and hundreds of others attended the reopening. What a great day and well done to MHPS.

Greg French has just been published again. His new book is Water Colour and I have just read a few snippets from it. Greg is a beautiful story teller - making the mundane interesting and the interesting rivetting. His telling of events and trips and expeditions and general goings on are terrific and I for one don’t think there is another story teller like him in fishing that has been published.

Some people want ‘how to’ or guide books and articles, but I love well told anecdotes. Buy Water Colour and enjoy it.

Greg has inspired me to keep a diary again. I have done it spasmodically over the years, and many of my memories are just snippets of a day, rather than a bigger recollection. A diary doesn’t lie - unless you write it to deceive, but that would be pointless. Look back later and revel in your fishing days, where you fished, what happened and with whom.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Articles

Published: 31 July 2018

Hits: 2803

Read more: Issue 133 Information

Each year, recreational fishers report catching sand flathead that have areas of blackened flesh, a phenomenon known as melanisation.

IMAS researchers are conducting a survey to gain a greater understanding of:

• where the fish are being caught;
• what is causing the black flesh;
• are there any risks to the flathead; and
• are other species affected.

  Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

  Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

  Published: 29 July 2018

  Hits: 5828

  • IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies
  • Flathead

  Read more: Survey - blackened flesh in flathead

Fish mount restoration

Presented from Issue 116, June 2015
I’ve been practising fish taxidermy for several years, starting with skin mounts and fibreglass reproductions, and more recently have taken on the restoration of old mounts.

With modern day products and techniques there is no reason why a properly crafted fish skin mount should not last a lifetime. However, we’ve all seen old (and some not so old) mounts hanging on pub walls, in fishing shops or in mates sheds that have weathered badly over time . Not all old mounts need a make over. Those with least deterioration may still look rather discoloured but are best left alone with the vintage look and have a charm, character and history of their own. The worse for wear jobs with the curled fins and shrivelled heads can certainly be brought back to life.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Trout Fishing

Published: 25 July 2018

Hits: 3613

• Taxidermy

Read more: What to do when your fish is stuffed - John Wilesmith

Presented from Issue 116, June 2015
There is still plenty of time left to hook up with some big tuna - off Tasmania’s coast. You often hear about the one that got away and that can be heart breaking. However with good preparation the risk of losing a fi sh of a lifetime drops enormously.

1. Keep an eye on the sky

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Tuna Fishing and other Game Fishing

Published: 20 July 2018

Hits: 5019

• Tuna Fishing and other Game Fishing

Read more: 11 Tassie Tuna Tips - Preparation is everything - Joe Mangan