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Over the past couple of days we have salvaged 348 trout from the River Clyde downstream of the Lake Crescent outlet. As there is no requirement for a water release at present these fish had become restricted in their movements.

Of these 171 were returned to Lake Crescent and 177 were released into Lake Sorell. The fish ranged in size up to 3.5kg.

Source: https://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/news/2020/may/26/fish-released-lake-sorell-salvage

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Lake Sorell

Published: 27 May 2020

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• Lake Sorell
• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

Chris Wise with a nice Lake Gordon brown trout

A party of anglers had a productive trip to Lake Gordon recently and are planning to return soon. Launching at the Ragged Basin area off Boat Ramp Road, this narrow and overgrown 4wd track provides access to the sheltered and heavily timbered southeastern side of the lake. Launching is possible at the current level of -20.7 m below full supply level. Drift spinning with hard body lures amongst the structure, the three anglers were rewarded with eight nice brown trout up to 1.5 kg and around 50 redfin up to 750 g for a day’s fishing.

Please exercise extreme caution when boating on the lake due to the amount of submerged timber just under the surface and hard to see in the tannin stained water.

Here is the Lake Pedder and Lake Gordon Anglers Access brochure

Source : https://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/news/2020/feb/24/put-lake-gordon-your-destination-list-season

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Lake Pedder and Gordon

Published: 24 February 2020

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• Lake Pedder and Gordon
• IFS, DPIPWE, MAST and Peak Bodies

The annual Lake Crescent juvenile carp survey took place on 6 March 2019. This survey aims to make sure carp have not made their way back into Lake Crescent, and to look for any sign of spawning. We have not seen Carp in Lake Crescent since 2007, but we do surveys every year to check.

We focused on areas that carp like. These include rocky or sandy shores and spaces with lots of weed. We fished fourteen areas around the lake using backpack electro-shockers. We caught short-finned eels and golden galaxias but no carp.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Lake Sorell

Published: 05 April 2019

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Read more: Lake Crescent remains carp free, and no spawning in Lake Sorell!

Presented from Issue 117, August 2015

Dry fly or wet fly

I like catching fish on a dry fly just as much as the next person and will often persist with floating flies early in the season, experimenting to try for a response, . I know that I will get refusals and catch less doing this, but for me this is not a numbers game.

Success or failure with any fly can vary from water to water in the Western Lakes, as each location can be vastly different from the next. What fish feed on can change from lake to lake or from shore to shore depending on the make up of each lake, the food within it and the effects of rising or falling water levels. The trick is to find a fly and technique that will trigger a response from them more often than not. Sometimes it comes down to finding a single fish that is willing to take a chance and open and close its mouth onto a fly that vaguely resembles a potential feed.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Western Lakes

Published: 05 December 2018

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• Western Lakes
• Trout Fishing

Read more: Western Lakes Tactics - Craig Rist

Presented from Issue 114, February 2015
There was a time when I thought Great Lake was a barren and unappealing body of water. My opinion soon changed as I discovered the existence of midge feeding trout out in the middle of this Lake back in the late 80’s after reading Robert Sloane’s classic book “The Truth About Trout”. Since then, there have been many new publications from very competent anglers who have spent a lot of time unlocking its secrets. Great Lake can produce some superb dry fly fishing during the summer months and the best way to experience this, in my opinion, is from a boat. Once you have a boat on the water it opens up so many opportunities to find feeding fish. It also gives you the freedom to cover a lot more water to find fish as the conditions change.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Great Lake

Published: 22 April 2018

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Read more: Dawn to Dark - Great Lake is an outstanding all year round fishery - Craig Rist

Presented from Issue 113, December 2014
Many lure fishers started their fishing at Arthurs and consider it one of the most reliable fisheries in Tasmania. Professional lure maker Justin Causby gives his tips.

Trolling on Arthurs can be broken down into three areas. Open water, structure and the Morass. I’m personally not one for trolling open water very often. The fish are out there, and they show in very good numbers in early mornings as they feed on midges from the evening and night before. But once the sun hits the water or the fog clears they go down, usually deep. You see very little sign of them on sounders despite seeing many scores of tell-tale rises all over the calm water at dawn.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Arthurs Lake

Published: 30 March 2018

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• Tackle, Boats and other Equipment

Read more: Arthurs - Awesome on lures - Justin Causby

Tasmania’s best all round trout fishery

Presented from Issue 113, December 2014
The season seemed to start a bit slowly on Arthurs Lake. The reports from the camp ground at Jonah Bay was that very few fish were caught on the opening weekend. The quiet word from inland fisheries was that there had been a good run of big fish, in the 4lb to 6lb in the first run of trout into Tumbledown Creek. None of these fish were in the 20,000 trout transferred to other waters; they finished their mating and returned to the lake to begin to put on condition for the coming season.

Since the quiet start, the action has steadily improved; the continued high water levels have dropped somewhat but at the time of writing Arthurs is 1.1 metres from full and steady. The slightly lower level has sent trout out from the submerged kerosene bush into the weedy shallows, making them more accessible. Fish are easily seen chasing frogs in the shallows at low light and the caddis are thickening up and being regularly nipped off the surface. Mayflies are now hatching in good numbers.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Arthurs Lake

Published: 30 March 2018

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• Arthurs Lake

Read more: Awesome Arthurs - Joe Riley

Presented from Issue 113, December 2014
Lake Gordon is truly one of Tasmania’s forgotten waters. Visitation here would be one of the lowest in the state from our 20,000 plus licensed anglers. But given you hit this place at the right time it can turn on some very memorable fishing.

Lake Gordon History

Lake Gordon itself is an impressive piece of water. A 140m high concrete arch dam holding back a body of water with a surface area of 272 km 2 and an astonishing 11.9 cubic million litres of water. At the time of completition, despite a strongly led and backed protest from environmental groups, the Stage 1 Gordon River Development produced the single largest water storage and hydro electric scheme of its kind in Australia, dwarfing Lake Eucumbene threefold.

Please note: there are lots of pictures at the end of the article.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Lake Pedder and Gordon

Published: 25 March 2018

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Read more: A Look at Lake Gordon - Justin Causby

Presented from Issue 113, December 2014
Lake Leake has been a water I have fished infrequently, but for many years. It has great history as a water supply and an up and down ride as far as a fishery goes. I t is smallish and relatively shallow and has in the past hosted some fantastic early morning midge hatches and outstanding mayfly hatches.

Its waters contain brown and rainbow trout, brook trout in the past and many small redfin, plus a few big ones.

A recent trip with a mate Bob started at 3am and 5am on the water. It was filled with expectation of an early morning midge hatch, with rising fish expected all over the lake. That didn’t happen.

Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training

Category: Lake Leake

Published: 21 March 2018

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• Lake Leake

Read more: Lesson from Lake Leake - Mike Stevens