Christopher Bassano
Fishing guide Christopher Bassano explores his favourite fishing-and shares a few tips that will help you discover the world of trout near the sea.
When is the new standard effective from?
From 1 January 2021, all life jackets in Tasmania on recreational boats will need to be approved to AS4758.
Read more: Changes to Life Jacket Standards – Frequently Asked Questions
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Fisheries Officer Paul Middleton with a brown trout from Four Springs Lake |
During May 2020 we carried out a major survey of the fish population at Four Springs Lake to assess the trout population. This information along with past stockings numbers and angler catch information collected since 1999, have been assessed and reported. A final report is now available on the IFS website at: About Us - Publications - Fishery Performance Assessment Reports.
Additionally, our hard working compliance staff have been out collecting some interesting creel data from fishers at Four Springs Lake. Since the start of the season, 675 fishers have been checked at Four Springs. Of these, 383 had been fishing for one or more hours, while the remainder were just about to start fishing or had only just commenced. The average time spent fishing by these fishers was 4 hours.
Of the 383 fishers interviewed, they caught 326 brown trout and 132 rainbow trout. Table 1 below shows the number of brown trout caught and kept, the number of sized fish caught and released, and the number of undersized fish returned.
Read more: Four Springs Lake Fisheries Performance Assessment and creel census
A 5 fish daily bag limit applies to Atlantic salmon in inland waters
With the recent arrival of 'escapee' Atlantic salmon in inland waters anglers need to be aware that regulations apply.
Each person must have a current angling licence to fish with a rod, reel and line in any inland waters.
A 5 fish daily bag limit applies to Atlantic salmon in inland waters.
The two main rivers where salmon are being caught are the Huon and the Derwent. An angling licence is required to take Atlantic salmon (and trout) above the following boundaries.
Huon River- Above an imaginary straight line drawn between a white post situated on the shore of the southern side of Castle Forbes Bay and another white post situated to the eastward of that post on the opposite bank of the Huon River.
River Derwent – Above a line between Dowsings Point to Store Point.
For the seaward limits of other rivers go to the Inland Fisheries (Seaward Limits) Order 2004
For more information go to the Tasmanian Inland Fishing Code 2020-21
Source: Chasing Atlantic salmon in inland waters! (ifs.tas.gov.au)
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Fisheries Officer on patrol in |
The Christmas/New Year holiday period was popular for trout fishing. Our officers conducted 336 recreational fishing and 101 boating safety inspections at key waters around the state. Fishing conditions were good during the period, with a mixture of sunny and overcast days accompanied with light winds and minimal rain:
Great Lake – Anglers trolling anglers caught good fish around the northern end of the lake, with cobra lures and flat fish. In bright conditions, trolling deep was more effective, whilst surface lures worked well in the evening. For the fly anglers plenty of fish were up feeding on the surface in the windlanes.
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Brown trout fry |
Each year the IFS surveys Arthurs and Woods lakes for two endangered native fishes, the Arthurs paragalaxias and the Saddled galaxias. At Arthurs Lake, we found high numbers of the Arthurs paragalaxias across all areas of the lake, with 429 fish captured. However, the number of Saddled galaxias captured was very low, with only 9 captured over two nights of trapping.
The survey results for Woods Lake were contrasting to the Arthurs Lake results. A total of 217 Saddled galaxias were captured over two nights trapping, with only one Arthurs paragalaxias captured. The result for the Saddled galaxias was somewhat reassuring as the number of fish captured at Woods Lake over the past two years has been low. While just one Arthurs paragalaxias was captured, it is good to know the species remains in the Woods Lake, as before 2014 it was thought it may have become locally extinct.
The news of the escaped Atlantic Salmon from a pen in the D'Entrecasteaux Channel has stirred up much interest in the recreational fishing fraternity in the last few days.
Anglers are reminded that a seaward limit separating State waters from inland waters exist on both the Huon and Esperance Rivers:
Huon River:
An imaginary straight line drawn between a white post situated on the shore of the southern side of Castle Forbes Bay and another white post situated to the eastward of that post on the opposite bank of the Huon River.
Read more: Huon and Esperance Rivers Inland Fishing Regulations
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We invite Central Plateau fishers to talk with us about the ways in which you relate to the environment of the fishing areas
Busola Christianah Adedokun Geography and Spatial Science, UTAS
If you are interested in receiving further details, Please contact :Busola
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This research has been approved by the
Tasmanian SSHREC. S002187 (H- 72695)
Recreational sea fishing licences for abalone, rock lobster, scallops, nets and set lines are now available online and at Service Tasmania.
All licences expire on 31 October. This includes your scallop licence, so to continue to dive for scallops until the season closes on 30 November 2020, you will need to renew your licence.
After a quarter of a century, Tasmania is on the cusp of finally being free of European carp. Estimates leading into spring 2020 indicate that there are less than 5 carp remaining in Lake Sorell, and to date there have been 41 496 removed from the lake. Find out all about the 2019-20 season and how the battle with carp in Lake Sorell is progressing. Read about how much netting effort was put in over the season, what techniques were used to catch the carp, the jelly gonad condition affecting male carp, and the results of the juvenile carp surveys.
Read it here Carp Management Program Annual Report 2019-20.
Source: Carp Management Program Annual Report 2019-20 (ifs.tas.gov.au)
Click above for current issue content. The current issue of TFBN is extensive and topical. In Tackle Stores, Newsagents and by subscription.
Delivered to your door for $48 for 2 years (8 issues). To subscribe, send Mike $48 via www.paypal.com.au . (Basic instructions are here) The email is at Contact Us. Your address will be included from PayPal.
Or phone Mike with your c/c handy on 0418129949
Please ensure your details are correct, for Mike to organise delivery.
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.
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.