Clear skies, light to moderate WSW wind and a maximum temperature of around nineteen degrees forecast had me heading over to the Mersey River for a spin session today. I didn't hit the river until 10:00 am or there about and it wasn't all that long before I had my first brown take the little Daiwa ghost brown hard body. I plucked it out of a nice clear medium flowing section of water and it was quite a nice well conditioned fish too. It had taken the lure a little deep in the mouth to what I would have liked and there was a little blood flowing through the gills. Once I picked it up and checked inside its mouth I could see there wasn't any major damage to the fish, once I removed the treble hook with the forceps the bleeding had almost stopped. I held it in the water for several minutes and there wasn't any sign of blood coming from the fish, so I sent it on it's way.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Rivers

Category: Mersey River

Published: 15 November 2017

Hits: 3520

• Mersey River
• Adrian

Read more: My best wild brown trout of the season 1/11/2017

I had every intention of heading over to the Meander River this morning and was ready to head off at 6:00am. Just before I was about to leave I thought I would check the river level on the BOM site only to find the river was up by 90cms from last night which made it a little on the high side for a spin session where I was heading. So that was the end of my trip to the Meander River, then I decided to head over to Merseylea and fish upstream from the top bridge. Once there I found the wind was up and coming straight down the river, it was a pretty cold breeze too so I headed on back home. I was still feeling a little sore from yesterdays spin session in the Mersey River any way, so a rest today won't do me any harm at all.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Rivers

Category: Meander River

Published: 08 November 2017

Hits: 3827

• Meander River
• Adrian

Read more: Meander River fishes much better this time - 25/10/2017

Presentation and discussion of the

Draft Tasmanian Inland Recreational Fishery Management Plan 2018-28
Great Lake Community Centre
17 November 2017, 6 pm

For more information call Tim Farrell (6165 3805) or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or view the flyer here

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Articles

Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Published: 08 November 2017

Hits: 2579

• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Another warm day had me heading over to the Mersey River for a few hours chasing trout.. I didn't hit the river until 10:20 am not that it mattered all that much as it was mainly overcast conditions for now. The river here was running at a medium height and fairly clear so I'm hoping to catch and release a few browns today given the conditions were just right. I started of with the Daiwa ghost brown seeing as it worked well on the browns up at Liena yesterday in what was pretty tough fishing conditions. Well the first couple of stretches of water were very quiet, though I did manage to have a follow from a very small brown. It wasn't until I was half through fishing a back water when I finally caught my first small (270 gram) brown for the morning. That was the only brown taken in that long back water run, I did have several follows without any signs of aggression at all from them.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Rivers

Category: Mersey River

Published: 03 November 2017

Hits: 3431

• Mersey River
• Adrian

Read more: Trout on and off in the Mersey River today.. 24/10/2017

The recreational rock lobster season in the Western Region (waters west of Point Sorell around to Whale Head) opens this Saturday, 4 November. Fishers can set pots from 1pm this Friday, then pull them after midnight.
The Western Region daily bag limit is 5 rock lobster, the possession limit is 10 and the boat limit is 25.
Check the rules here

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Articles

Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Published: 31 October 2017

Hits: 4277

• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies
• Rock Lobster

Read more: Rock Lobster and RecFac

I had a quick trip over to Merseylea in what was cool, windy and wet conditions. When I checked the river levels online I thought the Mersey river would be low enough for a good wading session but when I arrived I could see it was a little higher that I expected. We had some heavy rain during the morning and I doubt that was enough to raise the water level. Any way I sat in the car and waited for around twenty minutes while a heavy rain shower passed over before I hit the river. There certainly was some water coming down so I was making sure I stayed in water no higher than my knees most times.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Rivers

Category: Mersey River

Published: 29 October 2017

Hits: 3273

• Mersey River
• Adrian

Read more: Mersey gives up a couple in windy and damp weather conditions. 19/10/2017

Well the weather this morning was no where near what was originally forecast, there wasn't any wind and now the rain isn't supposed to get here until late afternoon. I headed back to the Wilmot River seeing as the Mersey River is still on the high side and not safe enough to wade at the moment. The Wilmot River was running at the same level as it was on my last trip here over a week ago which was good to see. Today I decided on using the Daiwa ghost gill brown hard body lure as that's what got the trout going on the last spin session here. But that was a week ago and a lot can change in a week with the trout fishing, even more so in the rivers.

The first stretch of water fished was a wide slow flowing run and I had a follow from a decent size brown within the first few casts. That brown did show some interest in the lure but not enough to attack it, no matter what I tried. It wasn't until I was getting close to the top end of this stretch of water when I had my first take on the hard body. It was a well conditioned rainbow, this was the same start I had on my last trip here. The first fish that day was also a rainbow trout, this one was a little smaller than last weeks fish. Twenty meters further on I picked up a medium size brown from a bubble line close to the river bank, this fish was taken close to where I caught the rainbow last week. With two trout caught in quick time I'm thinking it's going to be a good session with quite a few trout being led into the landing net by the time I call it a day.

The next small fast water I flicked the lure into I was soon onto another nice brown, that fish tossed the lure on the second head shake. It was quiet over the following run but the next one gave up a solid brown that fought all the way into the net. I was on a high now and feeling pretty cocky that these trout are in for a hammering today.. How wrong I was, it went dead from here on with not a sign of a trout for over forty minutes as I worked my way upstream. It wasn't until I came to a long medium to fast water run when I hooked another brown, that one stayed on until I went to slip the net under it when it gave one more head shake and tossed the lure. Yes, I did have a little tantrum before moving on and continued fishing.. The strong winds that was earlier forecast finally arrived and it was really gusting now so I decided I would fish one more small fast water run ahead of me then call it a day. Good decision it was too because it was this piece of water that gave up the fish of the day. This solid brown took the ghost brown on the first cast and retrieve. It certainly gave me a run for my money too as it did everything to try and toss the lure. It made at least five of six leaps from the river and at the same time putting in some massive head shakes. I keep saying, “Stay on big fella, just stay on” and he did. After what seemed like five minutes but was only one & a half this fish was finally in the net. It was certainly a beautiful wild brown in the best of condition and colour and went 620 grams. A nice finish to what was really a short session, one that was also a bit of a let down after such a good start.. Still that's trout fishing isn't it and that's what it's all about, taking the good with the bad.

Adrian Webb

620 gram brown caught here

Best trout of the day

Brown taken here

Calm conditions on the river

Nice brown

Ready for release

Solid rainbow

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Rivers

Category: Other Rivers

Published: 22 October 2017

Hits: 5031

• Adrian
• Other Rivers

The Inland Fisheries Service is working with Anglers Alliance Tasmania, Sea Fisheries and Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation on the National Gone Fishing Day which will be held on Sunday 15 October 2017.

An angling licence will not be required to fish in inland waters in Tasmania so is a great opportunity to grab a friend and try trout fishing. There will also be a number of junior angling venues coordinated by through angling clubs that will give kids a great chance to catch a fish. Sea Fisheries will also be coordinating events around the coast.

Gone Fishing Day is an initiative that was created to encourage people to get outdoors, drop a line, enjoy time with family and friends by or on the water, and hopefully catch a fish or two.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Articles

Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Published: 07 October 2017

Hits: 4034

• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies
• Events

Read more: National Gone Fishing Day 2017

Please view the report here

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Articles

Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Published: 05 October 2017

Hits: 2760

• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Source www.fishing.tas.gov.au

• Northern calamari closures
  New spawning closures for calamari and squid come into effect from this Friday 6th October until Sunday 22nd October for two areas on the North West and North Coasts.

1. North West Coast: all waters from Woolnorth Point east to Table Cape.
2. Central North Coast: all waters from Point Sorell to Stony Head including Port Sorell and kanamaluka/Tamar River.

• Fishcare have placed temporary signage at fishing spots and boat ramps.
  The annual calamari closure in upper south East Coast waters including Great Oyster Bay and Mercury Passage starts on 15 October.
  See all season dates and see all maps.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Parent Category: Articles

Category: IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Published: 04 October 2017

Hits: 3333

• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Read more: Calamari and rock lobster in the spotlight (IFS)