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.
Please check all relevant authorities before fishing - www.ifs.tas.gov.au and dpipwe.tas.gov.au . Don't forget issuu.com/stevenspublishing for years of back issues !
If you want to catch the big fish then you will need to start by specifically targeting the big fish. As with most forms of fishing, what ever the species is that you want to catch, it will need to be explicitly targeted. Gear, lures or baits, water temp and location all play an important role in the type of game fish you can encounter and the success that you may or may not have. Couple this with the prevailing weather conditions and you soon realise that there is more to it than just throwing a lure out and trolling around the ocean all day.
The New Estuary Gamefish!
Sea Mullet. Most people would think of the yellow eye mullet that is prolific in Tasmanian estuaries. The sea mullet is a different type of mullet that grows much bigger that the common yellow eye mullet, and is extremely powerful when hooked. In fact, their fighting capabilities are astounding, as I found. They are very "dirty" fighters, going for any snags they can find. Sea mullet are very hard to catch because they are reluctant to take a bait.
It can be the best of times; it can be the worst of times. Autumn, that is. The last months of the trout fishing season can be as good as any other, particularly if the beetles and jassids make an appearance in numbers, or if the mayfly dribble on into the gloaming of the season. However if the winter rains come early, and the snow and sleet crash the party, it can be incredibly miserable as well. But perhaps the best saving grace for this time of year is that the water is still warm enough to get things moving insect wise, the trout still remember how to look up for food, and the bigger trout are getting very aggressive prior to spawning. By mixing up a variety of techniques over the days fishing, success can be almost assured. Almost!
By the time this edition of Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News goes to press the coming game fishing season will be almost upon us. At the time of writing this article the 18-19 degree water currents that we all wait for were level with the northern tip of Flinders Island, an almost certain indication that the game season will get under way a lot earlier than would normally be expected.
Time to pull out the tackle and brush off the cobwebs in preparation for what promises to be an excellent season.
If there has been one single revolution in Tasmanian fly fishing in the last three years, it would have to be the use of the English style reservoir dry flies. Popularly known as the pommy" dries, these bright little numbers have taken loch style fishing in the Tasmanian entral highlands by storm. There has been quite a bit written about them lately, and as he technique is developed even further, no doubt a few more thousand words will be pawned in fly fishing publications.
GURU
" An acknowledged expert, a teacher"
In this issue we begin a new column for readers to ask the questions they
were always too afraid to ask. Tasmanian Fishing and Boating News has
assembled the best fishing brains in the business to answer your questions.
To start off we have put together a few sample questions, to give readers an
idea of what is involved.
Here Bob Cooper lets us in on what the devil he gets up to in the Blue Peaks region of the Central Plateau. Bob is well known in angling circles for his capacity to walk great distances whilst claiming to be fishing. In his own unique style, Bob gives us the run down on a magnificent part of Tasmania.
There has been some terrific fishing on the far north west of Tasmania - especially around Smithton and Stanley.
The whole of the northern coast has been fishing well for larger than usual flathead as they move in to shore with warmer water.
For many people looking at getting into game fishing for the first time, the myriad of options available when it comes to tackle can be almost overwhelming.
An in depth look at every overhead reel available on the market today would take up the whole magazine and probably bore you to death. The following is intended purely as a rough guide only for those interested in investing in their first overhead style reel.
Ask most keen anglers this question and the answer would be yes. Lure trolling is just one form of saltwater gamefishing on Tasmania's east coast and by far the most popular choice.
The reason for lure trolling being so popular, is that it has been proven to be successful for catching all the tuna species, striped marlin and the occasional mako shark.
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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
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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.
Scott McDonald
The first Atlantic salmon eggs used to begin Tasmania's Atlantic salmon aquaculture industry were introduced into Tasmania in 1984. From these humble beginnings a valuable Tasmanian industry has evolved with a worldwide reputation for having a premium disease free product. This industry provides a spin off to all anglers in the form of regular escapes of salmon from the farms.