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Scamander River - Springtime Bream

One of Jamie Henderson's favourite times of the year on the East Coast is the late spring months of October and November. It's at this time that the everyday angler can experience some of the best bream fishing in Tasmania on the Scamander River, a mere 15 minute drive south of St Helens. The bream spawn during the spring months and by late spring are in large numbers throughout the river system. They are hungry, ready for action and can be caught on bait, lures and fly. The river is easily accessed by small boat and in the lower reaches offers excellent shore based fishing for those without a watercraft or with the family in tow.

: Category: Other Rivers; Published: 07 December 2009; Hits: 15006

Other Rivers

Great Lake - Fishing the waves

Shane Flude
As we go to print many of Tassie's rivers are still in flood, most of the major storages are filling nicely and a number of those dams on the Mersey/Forth and Derwent river systems have been spilling for two months. What all this means to the avid trout angler is that we are simply spoilt for choice of locations at the moment. Great Lake is one storage that has risen dramatically this year coming up almost four meters.

: Category: Great Lake; Published: 07 December 2009; Hits: 6376

yingina/Great Lake

Lake Leake

Matt Byrne has fished Lake Leake consistently over the past 15 years and finds that despite its relatively central proximity to Launceston and Hobart, he rarely shares the lake with more than one or two other fishers! Here he gives a bit of incentive for anglers to explore this underrated and picturesque east coast water.

: Category: Lake Leake; Published: 07 December 2009; Hits: 14768

Lake Leake

Echo Rising

Shane Flude adds to Greg French's Echo article. This was written right as TFBN went to press. Like Greg French Shane predicts this to be the "HOT" fishery right up to Christmas and beyond.

: Category: Lake Echo; Published: 07 December 2009; Hits: 7194

Lake Echo

Lake Echo

By Greg French

In my opinion, Lake Echo is an even better wild brown trout fishery than the much revered Great Lake, yet it remains one of the most underrated waters in Tasmania. Perhaps this is the year that will change public perceptions once and for all. Why?

: Category: Lake Echo; Published: 07 December 2009; Hits: 13610

Lake Echo

$11 000 fine for too many garfish

This was the heading in the Examiner Newspaper Friday 4 December.

It was reported that a Victorian fisher was fined nearly $11 000 after he was caught with 740 garfish fillets for which he had no commercial licence or proof of purchase. He also had in his possession more Australian salmon than the legal limit.

He was fined $480 in relation to the garfish with an additional Special Penalty of $10 200, plus $120 fine for the Australian salmon and a Special Penalty of $180.

The offender was apprehended after a tip off to the Fishwatch number 0427 655 557. If you hear of, or witness any illegal fishing call Fishwatch and report it. Even if the event you witnessed is over the Marine Police will keep a record. Get a boat or car registration number, time and place.

It is fantastic to see a result such as this.

: Category: St Helens; Published: 04 December 2009; Hits: 6452

St Helens

Yellow eye mullet

Common names; Sand mullet.

Greenish brown along back with brown fins. Silver or yellow on the belly and eye distinctly yellow.

: Category: Saltwater and Estuary Fishing; Published: 03 November 2009; Hits: 10645

Saltwater and Estuary Fishing

Ikijimi method of killing fish

Once you have caught your fish it is most important that you handle and care for it correctly to ensure that it does not deteriorate to the point it is wasted.
Deterioration occurs both through chemical and bacterial processes. Depending on the time taken and subsequent treatment of catch this will affect the taste and texture of meat.
All wanted fish should be killed humanely and quickly.

: Category: Trout Fishing; Published: 03 November 2009; Hits: 7214

Trout Fishing

Fly Casting - Plane and Stance

by Peter Hayes

Casting Plane
Most beginner and intermediate casters do all of their casting with the rod tilted at an angle away from their body. I guess they're scared of being punctured by the fly and whipped by the line. They erroneously believe this angle will keep the fly and line away from them.
If you adopt this casting plane, and attitude, you will never cast with any consistent accuracy. You will often get wind knots. The fly and line will often collide into the rod. It will be nearly impossible to do any of the "tip over shoulder casts" and perform any of the aerial mends necessary for river and stream fishing. Of equal importance, you will be dangerous to have as a boat partner and your fishing mates will avoid you like the plague. Let me explain my ideas on this very important aspect of fly casting. Descriptions are all for right hand casters.

: Category: Fly Fishing; Published: 03 November 2009; Hits: 8359

Fly Fishing

Springtime Fishing at Meadowbank Lake

by Greg French
For the last few years the Inland Fisheries Commission has overseen the release of Atlantic salmon into Meadowbank Lake. These fish are surplus brood stock supplied free of charge by Saltas and they typically weigh 4.5 - 8 kg when liberated. Domestic salmon which have spent their entire lives in a hatchery environment tend not to feed well in the wild (though they readily attack lures and wet flies) and initially there was concern that the fish might be unwelcome, especially if they were not caught quickly and became slabby. Anyway a trial release of 120 fish was undertaken in mid July 1997 and most were subsequently landed before Christmas, almost all in good to fair condition. As a consequence of enthusiastic support from anglers a further 175 fish were released in July 1998, yet another 200 or so in July 1999 and the salmon liberation looks like becoming an annual event.