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.

Tamar Shore Fishing For Kids


As a youngster I was fortunate enough to have a Grandad " The late Ben Sherriff" who would take me fishing once a week. Every Saturday evening he would take me to the Hillwood jetty which unfortunately burnt down some years ago. I used to live for Saturdays. I would get so excited. We wouldn't catch much but we didn't care.  It was the atmosphere, the anticipation of the catch and the other anglers that we would meet  that made it so special to me.  Sadly my Grandad passed away in 1983. I still miss him very much but he has given me a gift that I will treasure for the rest of my life. Fishing.

Tamar Snapper Research


About 18 months ago Simon Conron of Victorian Marine and Freshwater Resources Institute asked if I would be interested in filling out a fishing diary for him so they could gain some information on Tasmanian snapper. Over a period of time we have learnt quite a bit and also have gained some valuable knowledge on this precious fish.

AUTUMN TAMAR ACTION

Tamar River

There is some excellent fishing to be had in the Tamar during autumn. Many species can be targeted which include Australian Salmon, Snotty Trevally and Elephant Fish. These three species can be targeted during the daytime and also can be caught off most of the land based pontoons and jetties situated along the Tamar Estuary.

Tamar Bream

Southern black bream (Acanthopagrus butcheri) are one of Tasmania's great sport fish. They have the lot, great fighting, great eating and, on Tassie's North East and East coasts, they are in great numbers.

Georges Bay Boom

Mike Stevens spends his summer holidays at St Helens. He has noticed a great improvement in the fishing over the last summer - especially for salmon, tailor and bream. Mike gives a few tips on how you can find some of the big Australian salmon and tailor he has been catching.
Unexpected catches can be some of the most satisfying of all. Planned trips and planned catches are the "norm" and whilst they can be fantastic the surprise catches are somehow special.
Early January is beach time for our family, and this usually means St Helens. The trout are forgotten for a while and we turn to bait, lure and fly. It is really an eclectic mixture of fishing - mostly in Georges Bay.

Pontoon Fishing in the Tamar

As most of you would probably know, I love fishing the Tamar.  Unfortunately, lately, due to work and family commitments, I don't have quite as much time to fish but, after work,  when time allows, one thing I really do enjoy is fishing the new Tamar pontoons.  The pontoons are placed at intervals right along the estuary.  In this article, I am going to run through the Tamar pontoons and give you some general information on the species you may catch, techniques, bait, peak times, tides and modern rigs all of which may make the difference between no fish and a fine brace.

TAMAR SILVER TREVALLY


As I mentioned in my last article about snotty trevally in the Tamar Estuary, the river has lots of surprises - and this season, we have seen an awesome run of tailor and blue warehoe, or snotty trevally.  However, these runs are not usually consistent and may not reoccur every season.

A Great Tamar Season


I must admit I love fishing - and I love the Tamar River - but this past season has especially amazed me!  It has been a season with a difference!  Warmer water temperatures, up to 22 degrees in some areas, is one major difference and the other factor has been the appearance in large numbers of two exciting fish species which are not commonly caught in the Tamar. 

CHASING TAMAR GOLD


When I was a youngster I remember my grandfather, Mr Benjamin Sherriff, telling me a story of giant green-backed fish which he saw at a certain pylon in the Tamar River. Sadly, grandad passed away in 1985, when I was 11 years old.  However, I always wondered, in the years following, what these giant fish could be? I will never know for sure... but I have a reasonable idea they were yellowtail kingfish.

Subcategories

Go to top
JSN Boot template designed by JoomlaShine.com