Trevallyn Tailrace - Monster Trout

Dan Clifton

As the open season on trout waters arrives there will many keen anglers heading to the highlands to catch the first of the hungry, post spawn, browns.
With the winter well underway and some heavy frosts often covering the ground, I find myself keeping my trout fishing close to home. It is great to get home to a warm house, shower, warm meal and I really like my own bed.

The Lowland Rise

Mark Salisbury

Tassie fly fishers and regular "blow-ins" like myself will remember the 2006-7 Tasmanian trout season for the late season dry fly bonanza that took place on the lowland rivers in the northern midlands. The only thing preventing the fish from rising every day was inclement weather and even then a few fish could usually be picked up by visiting notorious insect hatching "hot spots'.
Some of the hatches were immense and the dry fly fishing was outstanding. Every single fish we caught during March and April was stalked, seen or ambushed. On certain days the fish were working themselves into a feeding frenzy likened to the spectacle of bronze whalers rounding up pilchards in the surf. We couldn't even reel in our fly lines without fish slashing and smashing dry flies as they skidded and waked across the surface. The late season fly fishing in northern Tasmania completely eclipsed the early and mid-season's sport.

Feed the Winter habit

Jamie Harris
My name is Jamie. I am 33 years old and I am a fishaholic. Around this time every year when most trout waters have closed and the seafishing action slows, I get withdrawal symptoms. I mope around the house annoying the missus, playing all my home fishing DVD's from previous years, watching the weather forecasts intently hoping the swell might back off a bit on the West Coast so I could at least go and catch a blackback or two.

Anglers Access - North Esk River at "Ballroom'

by Sarah Graham IFS

Ron Dennis, owner of the "Ballroom" property on the North Esk River has been conducting his own war on the willows and gorse that infest much of this beautiful river. As a result he has successfully cleared approx 3 km of river bank.

It's all happening in the highlands

Peter Hayes
March and April are among my favourite months for fishing in Tasmania's Central Highlands.

The weather is generally at its most stable in these months and breathlessly still, bright, sunny day are not uncommon.   I remember being at Great Lake one day in a spot I call Proposal Point and looked in awe of the stillness of this wonderful environment. The surface of the lake was literally like a sheet of glass and I remember commenting that it looked possible to roll a marble all the way from Miena to Breona on the surface of the lake.

December and January trout options

Peter Hayes
I noted with interest recently that after more than a dozen years of guiding my most regular clients come during December January. Two clients in particular are emphatic that the best week of the season is the third week in December. In this dozen years one of these clients has never missed catching at least his bag (12) limit of trout on at least one of the days of his visit.

Nymph under Dry - double your chances

Joe Riley
Those who fish the rivers around Tasmania all enjoy the sight of a black spinner drifting along a riffle disappearing in the slight swirl created by a good sized brown sucking the fly through the surface film of the water.

Fishing the edges

Peter Hayes
History of my experience
You know, it's a funny thing. I started guiding a dozen years ago and whilst I had a big, flash, fast sportfishing boat (which incidentally I still have) I never used it to catch fish from it except in windlane and dun fishing situations.

Early season trolling - improve your catch rate

Bill Presslor
During our hot Australian summer months, with long days and short nights, the metabolism of trout and salmon in our impoundments goes at full bore! As we enjoy our summer holidays, fish that are reaching maturity are generally packing on the weight in preparation for the rigours of spawning and the coming cold weather. The arrival of winter and cold weather generally means that fishing pressure slows while trout are spawning. After the spawning period, the trout and salmon that have spent much of the winter months in colder water will now start to leave this winter habitat and move more readily into other areas that offer optimum temperature, structure and food sources.

Trout - a beginner's guide

Andrew Richardson
I doubt that I'm alone in thinking the new trout season has come around rather quickly again this year. It hardly seems like twelve months ago I was messing about, throwing lures to the wide blue yonder at Four Springs Lake on opening day 2005.

Go to top
JSN Boot template designed by JoomlaShine.com