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101 kayak trout Presented from Issue 101
Introduction

A kayak can be a very cost effective alternative to purchasing a boat. In terms of fish catching ability, a kayak can also be more effective than a boat. The ability of a kayak to be taken in very shallow water, combined with the kayak’s overall manoeuvrability, are the reasons for this. It is also no secret that often these shallow, hard to reach places also hold the best fish.

It is no wonder that, in recent years, the sport of kayak fishing has taken off all around the world. In the United States, this style of fishing has become somewhat of a craze, and many anglers are embracing the sport with a similar level of passion here in Australia. We now have kayak- fishing tournaments that are a national affair, with regular coverage in magazines and on television. Tournaments aside, many recreational anglers are choosing to fish this way simply because its a fun, cost effective and a productive way of fishing.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Kayak Fishing; Published: 13 April 2017; Hits: 10934

Kayak

Presented from Issue 101

What is it about Bream?

While growing up I had the fortune of spending summer holidays at arguably one of the best bream fishing waters in Australia in Ansons Bay. Being young and eager just to feel the weight of a fish on the rod, catching bream was often derailed by chasing the abundant cocky salmon and silver trevally. While these species were on the chew, getting the buzz out of hooking and landing a fish was too much of a temptation. Often schools of bait fish would be busted up in the bay given away by the tell tail signs of seagulls and terns diving in to pick up the scraps left by the salmon as they slammed the abundant anchovies, or what the locals called “sardines”.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Saltwater and Estuary Fishing; Category: Bream; Published: 12 April 2017; Hits: 7951

Presented from Issue 101

That time of year has finally arrived. The rivers start to settle after a winter full of cold weather and rains. The water of the highland lakes warms. Combine this with warmer weather patterns and you little beauty it all begins to happen. What am I talking about, well I reckon you have guessed it by now, the mayflies will be starting to hatch.

The famous hatches from the slow, flat lowland rivers of Tasmania’s Northern Midlands area should be well under way and the mayfly waters of the central plateau should follow, if they haven’t already started.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Fly Fishing; Published: 10 April 2017; Hits: 8177

Fly Fishing

Read more: My mayfly box - Gavin Hicks

100 sea run slamon head

Presented from Issue 100
Considering the world class quality of our sea trout fishery, these fish are not sought after by enough anglers. Sea runners live in the salt water and run up our estuaries and rivers from the start of August to the middle of November. At this time of the year, they are here to eat the many species of fish that are either running up the rivers to spawn or are living in and around the estuary systems. Trout, both sea run and resident (Slob Trout) feed heavily on these small fish which darken in colouration as they move further into fresh water reaches.

The majority of these predatory fish are brown trout with rainbows making up a very small percentage of the catch. They can be found all around the state but it would be fair to say that the east coast is the least prolific of all the areas. They still run up such rivers as the Georges (and many others) but their numbers along with the quality of the fishing elsewhere make it difficult to recommend the area above the larger northern, southern and western rivers.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Saltwater and Estuary Fishing; Published: 09 April 2017; Hits: 13907

Presented from Issue 100
It’s been five years since I last did an article on Lake Echo so time for an update on my still favourite water. Each year I manage several trips which due to the distance from home are usually one or two night excursions. The spring months from September through till November still rate as the best times however the month of April in ideal conditions can be brilliant. By ideal conditions I mean rough as hell, in fact during April the rougher the better. Most Tassie autumns can be quite mild and some seasons I haven’t even gone as it was just too calm.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Lakes; Category: Lake Echo; Published: 08 April 2017; Hits: 6182

Lake Echo

Presented from Issue 100

As the years progress and the fishing gods pull you further under their spell (and your partner allows you) somehow you seem to gather quite a collection of gear. Fly rods are no exception to this rule and I have even had to build an outside room so I am able to keep my collection away from certain eyes, if you know what I mean!. In recent years light line fishing has become more and more popular. With the number of people now going “Twigging” increasing, so to is the availability of the lighter line weight rods in varying lengths. Twigging is commonly referred to as fishing with 3 weight rods or lighter. You can now buy rods right down to a 000 line weight, and by the time you read this I will have one in the rod rack ( thanks Nick). Until that rod arrives at Essential Fly Fisher from the US the 3wt is as light as I own. Over the past few years I have become a lot more interested in the smaller stream fishing. There is just so many of these streams all around the state that are full of hungry fish it seems crazy not to fish them. As a result of this stream and river fishing I have built a small collection of 3wt rods.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Tackle, Boats and other Equipment; Published: 07 April 2017; Hits: 4628

Presented from Issue 100
Most of us have learned the various basic fish cleaning techniques passed down over the years. I am always on the lookout for faster and better methods and have picked up a few that I will describe in detail in this article. Once you have practised them I,m sure you will use some of these new methods in preference to your old ways.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Cooking Fish; Published: 05 April 2017; Hits: 12102

Cooking Fish

Presented from Issue 100
Having moved to the North East of Tasmania several years ago I set out to explore my local rivers and found them to be vastly different from the Mersey where I grew up. The rivers up this way tend to be much smaller, shallow sandy-bottomed streams. One of the first rivers I fished was a tributary of the George River, the Groom. It was early October and a nice sunny day as I headed north out of St Helens. As I went I stopped on each of the river bridges to have a look. I found the George River to be a little higher than what looked to be normal and discoloured so I continued on.

A few kilometres up the road I came to the Groom River and once again parked the car and had a look downriver from the bridge. This stream was also a little higher than normal but most sections flowed over a broad flat sandy bottom ranging between 30 and 50 cm deep. Much to my surprise looking downriver from the bridge I could quite clearly see five or six small fish feeding over the sand.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Rivers; Category: Esk and other Northern Rivers; Published: 04 April 2017; Hits: 7733

Presented from Issue 100
Have you ever driven over the South Esk River bridge at Perth? I am sure that most of us have. On every trip to Hobart, the idea of fishing this section of river has been in the back of my mind. As a child, I often fished the adjoining ‘Charles Berryman Picnic Reserve’ with my father. It was close to Launceston and had very good access to a small side-water that branched off the main river. Being European, we targeted species that would normally be considered as pests, such as redfin perch and tench. Sounds crazy I know, but prepared the correct way, tench were actually pretty good eating.

Most of the time we fished the old fashioned way, using worms suspended under a float. I also used small redfin-patterned Celtas on the odd occasion. The traditional red-coloured ones seemed to give the best results, with many trout caught on these metal spinners in the picnic reserve side-water. However, access to good fishing spots in the river itself was difficult, as the banks were overgrown with willows.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Kayak Fishing; Published: 04 April 2017; Hits: 7392

Presented from Issue 100

How it was

Shore based angling

Over 20 years ago I was lucky enough to be taught to fish lakes like Arthurs by the great angler Shayne Murphy. One of the great lessons that I learnt from Murf was that in many cases you should simply use your boat to get to the best shore fishing locations quickly and efficiently. In those days we would pick the eyes out of the best locations then quickly move on to fresh and similar waters.

A few years later I started my guiding career and I bought a beautiful tri hull boat. For many years, just like Murf had taught me, I used this boat for transporting my clients to the best shore fishing locations for the weather and wind conditions. I well remember many times when my wading clients were ‘catching the clappers out of them’ as other anglers and guides drifted by flogging the water for little obvious results.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Trout Fishing; Published: 03 April 2017; Hits: 7492

Trout Fishing

Presented from Issue 100
Weather - It’s the determining factor for most anglers in working out where to fish on a given day. “Too bright for here” ,”They won’t be tailing in this wind”, “It’s Easterly today so it’s going to be tough” these saying are all too familiar and they do have implications if we want success at catching a trout.

Picking the right weather can make or break an outing, a good decision can produce a red letter day while a bad decision can make chasing a trout hard work. So often I’ve spoken to visiting anglers who have struggled to catch fish without the all important local knowledge, they made decisions to visit waters which don’t fire in the wrong weather.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Parent Category: Articles; Category: Meteorology and Weather; Published: 03 April 2017; Hits: 5121

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