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.
Presented from Issue 110, June 2014
Winter fishing in Tasmania is a funny thing, and as we all know it’s been written about many times over about places to go and what to use. If we look back over the years we will find the fishing has changed greatly year by year because of different things like environmental factors, stocking rates, weather patterns etc. So it may be an apt time to look at Winter fishing again.
Tasmanian anglers from all walks can be a funny bunch and pull the pin on freshwater fishing once Easter passes or because of the closure of most waters, simply ignoring or forgetting about the waters which are open to them year round.
I find the fishing during winter albeit cold can be fantastic. Fishing from May to July can bring some fantastic blue sky days and if you rug up can be rewarded with hungry rainbows trying to fatten up before spawning or browns trying to put condition back on after they have contributed to their population growth. It’s just a matter of picking the right weather, which is something we probably do during the season anyway.
Presented from Issue 109, April 2014
Post-Christmas has me focussed on the Derwent’s big black bream more often than not these days and given my proximity to the river its little wonder that is the case. In a busy time poor world the ease one can achieve a few hours at the drop of a hat it’s a quick release to clear the mind. But come April the true trout angler inside always sees me looking to the highlands for a couple of late season fixes on the trout.
Read more: The end is near - Late season trout tactics - Justin Causby
Presented from Issue 109, April 2014
An excerpt from Origins of the Tasmanian Trout JEAN WALKER, Honorary Historian to the Southern Tasmanian Licensed Anglers’ Association produced an accurate and concise account of the fascinating story of the first introduction of trout to Tasmania in 1988.
Tasmania’s Inland Fisheries Service has just republished the booklet to celebrate the sesquicentenary (150 years) since the first tiny trout hatched in the Southern Hemisphere. Here are a few snippets from the booklet Origins of the Tasmanian Trout. Contact IFS on 6261 8050 to find a stockist.
TASMANIA’S early settlers were disappointed by the lack of freshwater angling. The only fish native to the inland waters were Australian grayling, small galaxias and in some rivers blackfish. None offered anglers a challenge in fighting qualities.
Bringing trout from England, 12,000 miles away, s seemed an impossible dream. That the dream, became a reality with perseverance, despite failures and setbacks, in 1864.
Read more: Celebrate The Trout - 150 years in Tasmania - First born - 4 May 1864
Presented from Issue 109, April 2014
An excerpt from Origins of the Tasmanian Trout JEAN WALKER, Honorary Historian to the Southern Tasmanian Licensed Anglers’ Association produced an accurate and concise account of the fascinating story of the first introduction of trout to Tasmania in 1988.
Tasmania’s Inland Fisheries Service has just republished the booklet to celebrate the sesquicentenary (150 years) since the first tiny trout hatched in the Southern Hemisphere. Here are a few snippets from the booklet Origins of the Tasmanian Trout. Contact IFS on 6261 8050 to find a stockist.
TASMANIA’S early settlers were disappointed by the lack of freshwater angling. The only fish native to the inland waters were Australian grayling, small galaxias and in some rivers blackfish. None offered anglers a challenge in fighting qualities.
Bringing trout from England, 12,000 miles away, s seemed an impossible dream. That the dream, became a reality with perseverance, despite failures and setbacks, in 1864.
Read more: Celebrate The Trout - 150 years of trout in Tasmania - First born - 4 May 1864
Presented from Issue 108, February 2014
Michal Rybka shares some useful trout techniques that he discovered on a recent trip to the Canadian wilderness.
Introduction
For the third time now, I have been fortunate enough to fish for trout and salmon in British Columbia, Canada.
The most recent trip was certainly the most enlightening, with lots learned. My experience started when I walked into one particular tackle store in the city of Vancouver. While the size of the shop was the first thing I noticed, I was more intrigued by what was on the shelves!
Presented from Issue 108, February 2014
Michal Rybka shares some useful trout techniques that he discovered on a recent trip to the Canadian wilderness.
Introduction
For the third time now, I have been fortunate enough to fish for trout and salmon in British Columbia, Canada.
The most recent trip was certainly the most enlightening, with lots learned. My experience started when I walked into one particular tackle store in the city of Vancouver. While the size of the shop was the first thing I noticed, I was more intrigued by what was on the shelves!
Presented from Issue 107, December 2013
What a crazy start to the 2013 fishing season it has been. Rain, wind, lots of snow and then just for something a bit different we had some rain, wind and more snow! Rivers have more or less been flooded and dirty since July, the lakes have been blanketed in that white stuff for a lot of the time and the wind, well let’s not get started about that god forsaken wind. No word of a lie, it’s been doing my head in. Even contemplated selling all my fly gear and taking up a new hobby, for a brief second!
Presented from Issue 106, October 2013
The way many start trout fishing is with a cheap little rod and a few worms. Bait fishing is one of the most enjoyable ways of fishing and often the least expensive too - no matter if it is trout - or from a jetty fishing for salt water species.
This article is on the simple basics of bait fishing for trout. There are several methods used to catch trout, and most novice trout anglers begin by learning to catch trout on light spinning tackle and bait fish first, before moving on up to the more advanced methods of trout fishing like spinning with spinners, hard body and soft plastic lures.
Read more: Trout on bait - Adrian WebbTrout on bait - Adrian Webb
Presented from Issue 105, August 2013
For those of those of us that don’t bother to fish all that much on the waters that are open all year the closed season takes a toll. You spend the cold winter months sorting out and cleaning all your tackle, doing the necessary maintenance on the boat and restocking the fly boxes with all the favourite patterns and no doubt some fancy new ones.
Presented from Issue 105, August 2013
Christopher Bassano fishes over 250 days a year. This interview was recorded just before he headed off to fish for Australia in the World Fly Fishing Championships in Norway 14-17 August 2013.
I live on a small stream and at the start of the season I like to go off on a bit of a discovery mission and fish the headwaters of the creeks and rivers I feel an affinity with.
These small rivers include the St Pats, Meander, Forester, Little Forester and others. The further up you go on these rivers the clearer and lower the levels. They are often less affected by the rain and runoff and you get some good opportunities. Get as close to the source as you can and you will find some good dry fly fishing. Don’t limit yourself to those I have mentioned. Most headwaters will hold trout.
Read more: Tiny creeks and sea run trout - Christopher Bassano
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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.
Read more ...