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2017 08 31 First brown caught today Another beautiful day gave me the chance to head off and try a section of a small river, one that I haven't fished for around five years. I thought seeing as we had a good flood back in June 2016 and some reasonable rainfall this Winter it may have a few nice trout back in it. The only problem is getting into it because it is well hidden with heavy foliage and requires a four to five hundred meter bush bash to reach it. Once there I could see the bush was a lot thicker now than it was back when I last fished here. I was in two minds whether or not to venture into the bush, but I did. Nothing better than a challenge that's for sure even it is going to be a tough one. Half way into it I was having second thoughts if I had made the right decision, I did think about turning back. I didn't though, I pushed on then finally heard the sound of the water rushing over the rocks in a shallow section of the stream. Then it was only a matter of finding an entry point and not slip down the steep bank that was covered with blackberry bushes.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Category: Other Rivers; Published: 02 September 2017; Hits: 6118

2017 08 24 wild brown trout on Rapala After having physio this morning and given the weather conditions were absolutely beautiful I headed off to small stream in the upper reaches of the Mersey River near Weegena.. This little river quite often fished well early season while there's good flow in it, I'm hoping it will do so this trip too. Once the water level drops it's a tough little stream to fish, so now is the time to give it a go. I started off using a small gold bladed #00 Aglia and had a follow in the first five casts. That brown came up and nudged the trebles with it's nose a few times before it turned and moved off. I knew then and there the spinners weren't going to work here today so changed over to a gold/black F-3 Rapala to see if that would get the result I was after. Well, I had only moved upstream some twenty meters when I was onto my first brown for the session. It was a well conditioned fish that went just on 350 grams, like 98% of the fish I catch it had it's photo taken and was soon back in the river.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Category: Mersey River; Published: 28 August 2017; Hits: 3700

It's been two weeks now since I damaged the hamstring and I felt it was time to put it to the test. Even though I have to see the physio again on Thursday, to me it feels good enough to have a short spin session in a river. Left Sheffield at 1:15 PM and arrived near the river just before 2:00 PM. I soon had the waders & boots on then off for leisurely forty minute walk that included a little bush bashing before I was finally at the rivers edge. All I had to do then was to find an easy entry point, instead of sliding down a steep river bank. It only took me a couple of minutes before I found one that was good enough, providing I took it easy. At last I was back to what I love doing most, spin fishing a river for that elusive trout.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Category: Leven River; Published: 27 August 2017; Hits: 4777

Presented from Issue 109, April 2014

The lower Derwent River and North West Bay can be great places to catch a feed from the shoreline throughout the year. The bays in South Eastern Tasmania boast an impressive head of cockie salmon, sand flathead, squid, wrasse, barracouta well as the odd shark or two, all available to the keen landbased angler. As you move further along the headlands, the species become larger and competent anglers can often take good bags of black-back salmon and nice sized flathead, great fun for the family while catching a feed, all within thirty minutes of home. While this article focus’ on spots thirty minutes from the Kingborough district, the techniques and lures discussed will prove effective all over the state for an array of species.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Category: Derwent River; Published: 16 August 2017; Hits: 13971

Derwent River

2017 08 09 Best of the session 540 grams After being out for lunch I thought I would dart of for a few hours to check out a couple of rivers, if either one was running at a reasonable height and clear enough I'd have a go at catching a trout. After a forty five minute drive I was soon bush bashing my way through some heavy scrub to check out the first river which I found to be running too high and a little dirty. A bush back to the car and it was onto the next small stream which I found was a nice dark tannin colour & just the right height to hop in for a spin session.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Category: Leven River; Published: 15 August 2017; Hits: 5103

Mepps Agliae catches the first trout of the 2017 18 season Finally after two very wet, windy days I had a chance to go for my first spin session of the season. This trip was to the Mersey River in the Union Bridge area. I wasn't even thinking of going today even with the fine weather but I thought what the heck go wet a line. Once there I found the river to be running reasonably high and fast with a colour that was like the black coffee I have in the morning. The area I'm fishing today is one that hasn't fished all that well over the past season or two either so I'm not expecting too much this trip. Today is all about getting out and wetting a line for the first time in over three months since the trout season closed. Not that I minded the closure of the season either because it gives me time to get the old body back in some sort of working order for the start of the next one. Each year it gets that little bit tougher on the body for me. With the water still being very cold I thought it was a good time to test out one of the new model Mepps Aglia-e Fluro spinner that I had sent to me to try out on the trout here in Tasmania. I tried several deep long medium flowing stretches of river without a sign of a fish, I was starting to wonder if my trip here was going to be a waste of time. I did try a couple of hard body lures in these long deep runs too before going back to the fluro spinner.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Category: Mersey River; Published: 10 August 2017; Hits: 4062

Presented from Issue 109, April 2014
With cold weather and rain just around the corner, it is almost time to say goodbye to another trout season. Many of you will agree with me that the last month of the trout season in Tasmania is generally very productive. For me, April is an exciting time. I spend most of it targeting places like Arthurs Lake and Great Lake. I also concentrate on Four Springs Lake, which is only 30 minutes away from my home in Launceston.

While these are all great fishing spots, there is also another option that is even closer to home. It fishes well at this time of the year and is a spot that should not be overlooked. The North Esk River is the place I am referring to. Launcestonians are often put off by the mere appearance of the very ‘silted up’ North Esk River. If you cross the Lower Charles Street Bridge on a daily basis, you will know what I am talking about. This is the end of the North Esk, one of the Tamar River tributaries.

: Written by Stephen Smith - Rubicon Web and Technology Training; Category: Esk and other Northern Rivers; Published: 24 July 2017; Hits: 11109

Esk and other Northern Rivers

Presented from Issue 108, February 2014
I believe the Leven River to be one of the best rivers in Northern Tasmania. It flows freely from Black Bluff Range below Mt.Tor, through Loongana and the Leven Canyon. It then flows through the farmland district of Gunns Plains all the way to the estuary at the seaside township of Ulverstone. There is not a single dam on this beautiful river to interrupt its natural flow and that is great. The river above the Loongana Bridge is now classed as a rainbow water, and below it is classed as a brown trout fishery, and a very good one it is.