Recreational marine fisheries news

Hobie Mirage Revolution Fish

Courtesy of IFS

Lately I have been thinking about the benefits of the Hobie MirageDrive and having your hands free for fishing. For those not in the know, the MirageDrive is a pedal driven method of propelling a kayak. Hobie calls it a “Revolutionary new propulsion system”, and I must admit it certainly is an impressive system. The two blades look like the wings on a penguin. There is a good reason for this too.

Ocean Kayak Prowler 13

Craig Vertigan

I’m going to attempt to be as objective as possible when reviewing this kayak. I own one myself and love it to bits. But like all anglers I’m always on the lookout for the perfect bit of tackle, whether it be the perfect bream rod and spinning reel, the perfect five weight fly rod, the perfect fly reel to match, or as a kayak fisherman I am of course always looking for the perfect kayak for fishing from. I wouldn’t say the Prowler is the perfect fishing kayak, but it is one that will perfectly fill the needs of many kayak anglers.

Beyond Lake Mackenzie

Craig Rist

Open up a 1:25000 series map of Lake Mackenzie and you will soon realise there is a huge amount of water to explore back there. Maps are wonderful things; they inspire the imagination and bring out the explorer in us. In Tasmania we have an immense wilderness to explore and a unique fishing experience that goes along with it.

Cast, Count and Pull

Joe Riley

Australian Fly Fishing representative, Joe Riley shares a few tips on prospecting the depths for trout.

Sea Trout Fishing - October and November

Christopher Bassano

Fishing guide Christopher Bassano explores his favourite fishing—and shares a few tips that will help you discover the world of trout near the sea.

Six Lower Tamar Hotspots

Damon Sherriff

Wow what a winter. So much rain but we really needed it. I have never seen the rivers running like they are now. The Tamar is just starting to clear up now. October and November are my favourite times of the year. Everything starts to move as the water temperature in the Tamar starts to rise. It normally rises about a degree every 2 weeks at this time of the year.
In this article I am going to recommend six hotspots around the Tamar that a worth fishing this time of year.

Trout on Plastics - It ain’t always easy

Simon Little

When I first moved into Launceston to study at the Australia Maritime College, I found that the easiest way to sneak out for a quick fish was to chase trout. Consequently I researched everything I could find on trout, in Tasmania and round Australia. Baits, lures, retrieves, locations and typical dwellings, tackle and gear - the works. After extensive investigation I set-up with a light rod and spinning reel and your run-of-the-mill bibbed minnows and cobras.

Scamander River - Springtime Bream

One of Jamie Henderson’s favourite times of the year on the East Coast is the late spring months of October and November. It’s at this time that the everyday angler can experience some of the best bream fishing in Tasmania on the Scamander River, a mere 15 minute drive south of St Helens. The bream spawn during the spring months and by late spring are in large numbers throughout the river system. They are hungry, ready for action and can be caught on bait, lures and fly. The river is easily accessed by small boat and in the lower reaches offers excellent shore based fishing for those without a watercraft or with the family in tow.

Great Lake - Fishing the waves

Shane Flude
As we go to print many of Tassie’s rivers are still in flood, most of the major storages are filling nicely and a number of those dams on the Mersey/Forth and Derwent river systems have been spilling for two months. What all this means to the avid trout angler is that we are simply spoilt for choice of locations at the moment. Great Lake is one storage that has risen dramatically this year coming up almost four meters.

Lake Leake

Echo Rising

Lake Echo