Small streams are sweet

I never kill many fish; not because I believe the fishery won't stand
it, but more because they aren't welcome at home. My wife has a strong
aversion to the smell of fish around the house and sometimes when I
get some flathead and cook it on the BBQ out the back she can still
smell it. She is fine with it in a restaurant, but it is just any hint
of fishy smell is a big no-no.

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.

Derwent River - the lower reaches

By Marty Wells
The Derwent River has been my fishing playground for many years. I started off targeting flathead in the Sandy Bay area but soon had my eyes opened to the fantastic range of species and fishing scenarios the Derwent offers. I have detailed below a few of the successful locations and tactics that I've explored during my Derwent years.

Macquarie River Mayfly Spinners

Craig Rist

Watching a trout of any size take your dry fly is something you never tire of. From the moment the fly disappears in a swirl, time seems to stop, as you wait for those crucial seconds to pass before lifting the rod to set the hook. What happens next can be either a solid hook up or a limp fly line heading back over your shoulder. When it all comes together and the fish takes the fly clean, that moment would have to be one of the most addictive things about dry fly fishing.

Derwent trout worth the chase

Alistair Creed

The Derwent River is one of my favorite trout fisheries, it can be a good challenge to the best fishermen. I always look forward to the first few months of the season on the river the weather is pretty good. I found that an overcast day with a gentle breeze is the way, the fish seem to come on good in these conditions. So far this season I have bagged 17 trout, all these fish were resident fish. All fish apart from one were caught on soft plastic, the other on fly.

Mersey River at Bells Parade, Latrobe

Leroy Tirant
The Bells Parade area at Latrobe seems at first glance an unlikely fishing spot. The Latrobe council has done a magnificent job at this park area and in conjunction with groups such as Rotary they have bar-b-que's, gazebo's and children's play equipment not to mention the well manicured lawns. But it's the magnificent fishing that's on offer here that were going to talk about.

Health warning on Derwent fish

Do not eat any bream and- limit consumption of flathead and other Derwent-caught fish

- Pregnant women and young children should limit consumption of flathead or other Derwent caught fish to no more than ONE meal per week, and avoid eating other fish in the same week.

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.

Curries River Dam

Damon Sherriff

Curries is a challenging water. It has had its ups and downs over the years but now thanks to the IFC its stocks are getting back on track. Curries is not every anglers cup of tea. The catch rate is normally lower than in other areas but the fish taken from Curries are of excellent eating quality.

A River Somewhere

The television show "A River Somewhere" did wonders for the fly fishing interest. Never has fly fishing had so much exposure in this country and  not a day went by where a client did not ask me if I had seen the show. Everyone loved it from novice to expert angler alike, and for good reason. The series was presented in a layed back fashion and the focus was certainly not about the result of fishing but the journey.

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