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Spinners-Oldies but Goodies

Andrew Richardson.

Last year I decided it was time to get rid of some junk. You know, the stuff that hangs around in the shed for years, kept on the premise that it might be useful some day. The type of stuff that only ever becomes required three days after you've thrown it out
Being somewhat of a hoarder I find these occasions (yes there have been many!) necessary but not enjoyable, and I tend to spend my time procrastinating by looking through my wares rather than getting to the point and deciding upon an items usefulness, as opposed to its uselessness.
On one of these particular occasions I came upon an old pale blue tackle box being housed in a box not yet unpacked from our most recent move - four and a half years ago-

: Category: Tackle, Boats and other Equipment; Published: 17 July 2009; Hits: 6999

Tackle, Boats and other Equipment

Stanley Wharf and Surrounds

Stuart Smith
Located in the far north-west of Tasmania is the historical town of Stanley. Stanley is quickly becoming a prize destination for the recreational angler.
The annual snotty trevally run on the townships wharf has, according to some, become the number one attraction in the area for visitor numbers. This wharf fishery attracts hundreds of amateur anglers and is now a major player in the tourists numbers that visit the town and unlike all the other draw cards, this one is free.

: Category: North West Coast; Published: 17 July 2009; Hits: 16272

North West Coast

Tamar Red Bream

Damon Sherriff

Autumn is a great time to chase snapper anywhere in Australia. As the water temperature starts dropping the bigger fish come on the chew.
The Tamar estuary is my home ground and is the most challenging area to catch big red I know. To catch big snapper on reasonably regular basis is very hard work. Preparation, bait collection, timing and the time on the water are all key aspects to make a successful angler. The thing that makes the Tamar so hard to catch big snapper is the low numbers of fish and the size of the estuary. Sometimes it feels like you are trying to find a needle in a haystack. But the reason that I keep fishing it is there are some very sizable fish lurking in its discolored waters. Some of the fish that I catch are well over the old-fashioned 20lb mark. I do believe that snapper up to 30lbs plus exist in the system at time to time.

: Category: Tamar River; Published: 17 July 2009; Hits: 7369

Tamar River

Custom rod building

Leroy Tirant
Having a fishing rod custom built for your specific needs was a necessity back in the 70 and 80's as commercial manufacturers had a limited range on offer. High speed spinning off ledges for Tuna, game fishing for Marlin and surf casting were really moving forwards in leaps and bounds as anglers became aware of the fishing potential in these areas, as well as others. The need for specialist tackle saw a new breed of legend grow, and that was a custom rod builder. Rods needed to tackle fish in these new fishing frontiers where tactics and methods were being developed simply didn't exist. People also began seeing the advantage of having a casting rod made with the grips and reel seat fitted to the length of their casting stroke, as this let anglers cast with a natural style rather than trying to adjust your self to casting a factory built rod.

: Category: Tackle, Boats and other Equipment; Published: 12 July 2009; Hits: 9765

Tackle, Boats and other Equipment

Fishing wind lanes

Andrew Richardson
You don't need to be reading this article to discover that us fisherpersons are a weird mob, for I'm sure you already know that. We come from all different walks of life and we all have our own values and opinions. Some of us are meek and mild, while others are boisterous and bold. Some of us prefer to fish fresh water, others salt. Some of us like to fish with bait, others with lures or flies.

: Category: Trout Fishing; Published: 12 July 2009; Hits: 7198

Trout Fishing

Jan's Flys

This season has been difficult and has really made the fishing population think on how best to catch fish. The weather has been the main contributor in making the fishing quite difficult at times; there was no warmth to speak of until well into the New Year. Mayfly hatches have been spasmodic to say the least, only occurring for short periods and not very often at that.

: Category: Jan’s Flies; Published: 12 July 2009; Hits: 4980

Jan’s Flies

LOCATING FISH

As anglers we all face many of the same dilemmas, regardless of the style of fishing we choose. Bait fishing, trolling, coasting, spinning and fly fishing all rely on two main concerns; namely finding fish and getting them to bite. No matter what type of fishing you pursue, locating fish has got to be one of the most important facets of sport fishing. If you fish from a boat a depth sounder or sonar (short for Sound Navigation Ranging) is a vital piece of equipment. In addition to this equipment, the challenge of learning all one can about a fish species and catching their fish is an important factor in why many of us take up the sport. Rather than talk about choice of lure fly or bait I'd like to concentrate on locating fish including using sonar.

: Category: Tackle, Boats and other Equipment; Published: 12 July 2009; Hits: 6842

Tackle, Boats and other Equipment

GAME & SPORT FISHING WITH SOFT PLASTICS

By Starlo & Bushy*

* This feature article is based on extracts from Starlo & Bushy's great how-to book "On Soft Plsastics", published in 2005 by AFN Publishing of Melbourne.

At first glance, fast-swimming pelagic species such as tailor, salmon, trevally, tuna and mackerel might seem to be the least likely candidates for successful soft plastic fishing. In actual fact, nothing could be further from the truth.

: Category: Tuna Fishing and other Game Fishing; Published: 12 July 2009; Hits: 9762

Tuna Fishing and other Game Fishing

Polycraft 4.1 metre

Most boat tests in TF&BN are from outside sources. Often they are not tests, but reviews from the manufacturer. I don't have a problem with that at all; in fact it is quite helpful as we (TF&BN) don't have the time or resources to cope with testing boats. However this month it is different as the test boat is one we bought.

: Category: Tackle, Boats and other Equipment; Published: 12 July 2009; Hits: 19461

Tackle, Boats and other Equipment

Fly-fishing for trout in the lakes of Tasmania during summer.

Lakes are effective insect traps for terrestrial insects.
In fly-fishing terms terrestrial insects originate from the land, but through mishap, become victims to the world of water. Beetles, bees, leafhoppers (Jassids), crickets, ants, grasshoppers and other species find themselves helpless as they try to take off from the water surface. They sometimes make it to shore, but often are doomed to drown or worse eaten alive by fish. Trout love to concentrate on these easy pickings, and grow fat on this rich and diverse gift. It is our duty as fishermen to reduce this carnage as much as possible by hauling out these killers and giving them a stern lesson.