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Georges Bay silver trevally

Jamie Henderson
When the words "Sportsfishing" and "Giant Trevally" are spoken most think of far north Queensland and long boat journey's to offshore reefs, but here on the East Coast of Tasmania we have our very own version. Georges Bay is home to Pseudocaranx dentex, or the silver trevally as it's more commonly known, which is one of the most prolific species in our estuarine waters. They are caught as juveniles by children on just about every jetty around our coastline and are the very fish that most of us would have cut our teeth on as a keen youngster. They can be caught with a wide variety of methods from simple bait fishing to saltwater flyfishing but no matter what the technique or size of the fish they are one of the best sportfish Tasmanian waters have to offer.

: Category: St Helens; Published: 13 August 2009; Hits: 8263

St Helens

Jan's Flies

Jan Spencer
Over the last three months I have been based at St. Helens on Tasmania's sunny east coast; I suppose it doesn't take a genius to work out what has taken up most of my spare time while being in this lovely holiday destination. Anyone who wishes to have some great fishing included in their holiday would not need to look further than this area.

: Category: Jan’s Flies; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 7593

Jan’s Flies

Shore fishing - St Helens

Jamie Henderson
As many of us fish on a tight budget these days, what with mortgages, living costs, family expenses, kids and cars etc, owning a boat is quite often low on the list of priorities. With this in mind being able to maximise your shore fishing opportunities and make the most of your feet is as important as the tackle you use to do it with.
What follows is a quick look at shore fishing options around Georges Bay, St Helens, and the tackle and techniques needed to take home a feed of fish.

: Category: St Helens; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 16837

St Helens

West Coast - Pieman River - Reece Dam

Jamie Harris
Around 14 years ago, a workmate and keen fly fisher spoke of a mighty river, where the whitebait were so thick you could almost walk across them, and as far as the eye could see there were trout of all sizes smashing them on the surface. Only in my dreams had I seen such a place. I thought he was exaggerating. He said you could stand in the one spot and catch 20 or 30 fish in a couple of hours. He also said while he had only caught fish to 5 lbs, there were fish in double figures taken there every year. This was all I could take - I said, "Right, when are we going?!" Three weeks later we were there.

: Category: Other Rivers; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 20602

Other Rivers

Tamar River calamari

Damon Sherriff
Southern calamari and cuttlefish are one of my favourite species. They are both fantastic to eat and make great bait. Although calamari are related to the arrow squid I am sure that calamari are far smarter! They can be a real challenge. They go off and on the bite at the flick of a switch. In my opinion they are far superior on the table as well.

: Category: Tamar River; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 12783

Tamar River

December and January trout options

Peter Hayes
I noted with interest recently that after more than a dozen years of guiding my most regular clients come during December January. Two clients in particular are emphatic that the best week of the season is the third week in December. In this dozen years one of these clients has never missed catching at least his bag (12) limit of trout on at least one of the days of his visit.

: Category: Trout Fishing; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 6911

Trout Fishing

Feeding the habit - Local sorty around Burnie

Tim Anderson
Fishing time and effort is often curtailed by the constraints of work and family and is further impacted with the financial pressure of rising fuel costs and the approaching festive season which in itself can lead to your credit card statement looking like an overloaded hay truck on a back country road!

: Category: North West Coast; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 9167

Frederick Henry Bay - from the shore

John Orchard
Summer is now officially upon us and as the holiday season begins and the weather warms up, Frederick Henry Bay comes alive with boats as anglers head out in search of a fresh fish or two for the dining table; but what of those who don't have the luxury of a boat? Fear not, for all is far from lost!

: Category: Saltwater and Estuary Fishing; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 31567

Saltwater and Estuary Fishing

Dry fly close to home

Joe Riley
It's amazing how close to home good dry fly fishing can be found. As summer comes along the lowland rivers start to offer some exhilarating, and often challenging dry fly fishing. From trout cruising the slow moving glides or pools sipping minuscule offerings out of the surface film, to excited brown trout freely leaping from the water to catch mayfly and damselfly on the wing. These fish are catchable. With a little patience, intelligent fly choice, a good leader setup and accurate casting they can be brought undone, and once two or three of these fish come to the net you can really feel a sense of satisfaction about achieving a challenging task.

: Category: Fly Fishing; Published: 02 August 2009; Hits: 10133

Fly Fishing

Leadline trolling - An effective and essential technique for Tasmania

Trolling guru, Bill Presslor takes a close look one of his favourite trolling methods - leadline

Most freshwater trollers have at one time or another had at least some experience with lead core lines. Whether you love it or hate it, lead core catches fish!
Basically, lead core line, a lead wire covered by woven nylon, has been around for over fifty years and was developed as a means of trolling lures deeper than they could be trolled by traditional means. Used in conjunction with downriggers, planer boards and surface or flat lines, lead core lines can add versatility to any trolling spread. They are often the most productive option when you need to get your lures that little bit deeper. In lakes such as Arthurs Lake, Great Lake and Dee Lagoon lead core lines are bound to improve your catch rate.