112 highland troutPresented from Issue 112, October 2014
October, November what a great time of year to be fishing for trout around the highland lakes. As spring progresses the weather is becoming more stable, temperatures are going up, both the air and water temperatures which in turn are making more food available for trout. The odd terrestrial beetle is getting around; aquatic hatches are commencing, midge, then the diminutive Stone fly, Caddis and then Mayfly. Trout aren’t necessarily hugging the bottom anymore and begin to freely rise when the food is there to tempt them to the surface.

112 crescent zotchPresented from Issue 112, October 2014

Almost certainly home to Tasmania’s biggest trout, Lake Crescent is seeing a resurgence in popularity. A chequered past has seen this lake through quite a few ups and downs.

For many years it was a hunting ground for anglers using galaxiids for bait. They would row the bait out on a ‘long line’ then it was back to a camp on the shore and wait. Often enough nothing would happen, but occasionally the reward would be massive.

In 1973 Billy Zotch landed a huge fish that after gutting, reportedly weighed 33 pounds. A report at the time said Billy had to kill and gut it to stop the fish flapping around and swamping the small boat they were in. The massive brown was caught on a Big Bat lure.

111 arthurs troutPresented from Issue 111, August 2014
The beginning of the new trout season is finally here in Tassie! While temperatures are still very cold around the state, many anglers may choose to wait until the weather improves. For those keen anglers, such as myself, who remain undeterred by such weather conditions, the search for that first trout of the season begins.

The Central Highland lakes are always productive early in the season and one of my favourites is Arthurs Lake. This season, I plan to explore more places on this lake using my Hobie fishing kayak. It really is the perfect craft to get into areas where boats can’t. I have also learnt that such ‘hard to reach’ places often hold the best fish.

109 leake tapsellPresented from Issue 109, April 2014
Situated approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from Launceston is a water that flies under the radar of many…Lake Leake.

Although a fair bit has been written about it over the years, this water remain largely underutilised and doesn’t receive the amount of attention from anglers as it deserves. Both browns and rainbows inhabit this water and they can be quite a size.

They are perhaps the best average size of any water in Tasmania.

108 western walk sceneryPresented from Issue 108, February 2014

One of Tasmania’s most experienced Western Lakes anglers, Craig Rist, explains what’s in his day pack and why.

What to pack for a day out West is something I consider very carefully through out the season. The time of year and the expected weather conditions for a particular day will dictate what I throw into my pack. How many kilometres I expect to walk into the heart of the Western Lakes, away from civilization, is another factor I consider, especially if it’s going to be a solo trip and you don’t have anyone to help you limp out with a broken or sprained ankle.

108 arthursPresented from Issue 108, February 2014
All Arthurs fish are small this year. Myth Busted. I recently spent a day with a friend on a water that some people have deserted because they believe all the fish are small. They are wrong.

Presented from Issue 107, December 2013

If you’ve managed to get out trout fishing a bit like I have this season then you will probably have been cursing the lousy weather so far and the mediocre fishing that’s gone with it. I’ve sampled most of my favourite waters and can confidently say that the winner is certainly Woods Lake. The following is a brief roundup of some of our favourite locations and a detailed look at Woods Lake itself.

107 pedder justinPresented from Issue 107, December 2013
Lake Pedder whilst it has gained some popularity over the last few years it is still not high on the visitation list when compared to some of our other large water storages. It shouldn’t be the case as it has so much to offer and to the lure angler the options are almost endless. Lake Pedder is an immense water storage, controversially created in the late 70’s by the construction of 3 relatively small dams to hold and supply water to nearby Lake Gordon, itself an enormous water catchment that dwarfs Pedder in volume.

107 tarraleah troutPresented from Issue 107, December 2013
Located in the southern Central Highlands is the township of Tarraleah — an ex Hydro village, built in the 1930s and located around one and half hours from Hobart and 50 minutes drive from the Great Lake via the Marlborough Highway. Tarraleah is a great place for fishing with a number of waterways all connected by canals. They hold excellent stocks of trout and its unique in the fact that only trout inhabit these waters as far as I know, with no eels or redfin perch present. It is suitable for all types of angling and a wonderful option if wanting to either explore some new water, or if the weather is rough on the Great Lake side of the hill.

Presented from Issue 107, December 2013
Arthurs Lake has always been one of the key fisheries for Tasmanian brown trout. In recent years though Arthurs has faded somewhat from the trout fisherman’s perspective with the lake being challenged by big draw-downs on the water level. The draw-downs drained many shallow bays including Cowpaddock and most of Jonah Bay, killing long established weed beds and resulting in the prolific mayfly hatch being interrupted. With the aquatic food supply from these bays no longer available this meant that the lake could not support a large head of good size trout.

In 2008 Arthurs fell to one of its lowest levels since damming, 5.72 meters below the full level of 952.82 meters above sea level. Dead fish were located in pools isolated by the draw-down and threatened galaxias were transferred to other waters by the Inland Fisheries Service to create safety populations.

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