TAS Report # 1 - 5th February 2007

[Beevor]

Hey Active Angler-ites...

Being one of only 2 Tasmanians on Active Angler (so far)... I have been given the task of providing localised reports of what's on the go, and who's in the know!

In general, the Summer months are pretty hot for sportsfishing in Tassie, and various species can be up for grabs, hell, it's no fluke that a lot of blokes just happen to have time off work about now

I'm going to break it up for you.

Bluewater Reports:
Apart from Southern Bluefin Tuna - Tassie is not overly renown for it's Game fishing. If you live in Tassie however, this time of year is highly anticipated amongst Game fishing enthusiasts. The currents start to warm up across the shelf which creates a torrid of activity, which inturn, creates a domino effect in the food chain. In the past few weeks many devotees are starting to boat small Albacore from 2-5kg, by trolling lures or live baiting with Slimy Mackerel. Some ultra guru's target them on fly - although this doesn't seem to be common practice. Not sure why though, I'd love to snare one on fly! My good mate Benny Hill boated 28 Albacore on the weekend in the 2-5kg range and they were located 4km offshore. There are a few reports of Yellowfin Tuna starting to appear now also, which is fantastic news, although them seem sporadic for now. In the coming month or so these should appear more frequently along with the Bluefin Tuna - some of which were caught last year up to 120kg. Tassie has been known to host the odd Marlin and Sailfish in years gone by, so hopefully they stop by this year. I believe there is a Mako competition on this weekend, and I will be part of 2 Tuna charters in the coming months so I will keep you posted on both events.



Freshwater Fishing:
While some are busy tangling with Tuna off the coast, others are well inland chasing beetle feeders in Tasmania's Highland Lakes. Trout fishing is BIG in Tas. Dedicated anglers love nothing more than to head out to a river after work or on the weekend and Battle with a 'Brown - including myself! Tassie's Northern Rivers have been very low since around Xmas, and fish seem very spooky. When firing though, small Hopper imitations such as a Royal Wulff or Stimulator are working well, along with more subtle offering such as a Black Spinner or various Emerger patterns. Many of Tassie's Rivers hold a lot of fish, mainly Brown Trout, but some have self-sustaining populations of Rainbow also, and although most are small (up to 1lb) the odd 3 or 4lb can be found stalking his own patch under a well covered bank. Southern Rivers are a different story, with several doses of rain since Xmas, they are just as healthy as the Trout that inhabit them, and fishing wonderfully. I recently bought 17 fish to hand in an afternoon on the fly rod, including 1 fish of around 2lb and a few small Rainbows. Tassie's Highland Lakes has had localised success. Some Lakes such as Great Lake and Arthurs Lake are dangerously low, but as some weed beds are more exposed to the sunlight, they are blooming and creating a hype of activity within them. Missing this year on some Lakes are the consistent Dun hatches. These have been quite patchy so far, and been almost replaced at times by Gum Beetle hatches that have filled the void. One lucker angler recently boated a 7lb Brown from Arthurs Lake on fly, where generally a good fish from there is 3-4lb. I'm obviously a keen fly angler, but many also experience great success with Soft Plastics, Hardbodies, Spoons, Celtas, Tassie Devils, and ofcourse drowning the old Grub or Worm. Many of these methods can be used in most Freshwater situations (some restrictions apply), though sometimes lack of space or water may restrict you also. I will soon be participating in the first ABT affilliated Trout Competition, which should be awesome. More info on that down the track!



Estuary Fishing:
Not unlike the rest of Tasmania at this time of year, Estuary fishing is not spared of activity. Keen anglers regularly head out to 'catch a few Flattie', chase a few Salmon in school bust-ups, or target the ever-increasingly popular Bream. Lure fishing for Bream in Tasmania 5 years ago was almost unheard of. People have always caught big Bream in Tassie, but generally by drowning a prawn, nipper or mussel. Popularity over the past few years has increased dramatically, with enthusiasts regularly targetting Bream on SP's and HB's. Tasmania Bream have not gone un-noticed by the likes of ABT either. These events are drawing big names from the mainland to fish these highly prized fish, as we are renown for consistently heavy bags. Some Bream in Tas have been known to reach 55cm to fork, but generally anything above 40cm is a horse. Berkley 3" Fry in Watermelon, Pumkinseed 3" Minnow and Ecogear SX-40's have all been working well. Catching a feed of Flatties has always been an old past time for me, as it was probably the first fish I ever caught (That I can remember). I recently had some fun out of a boat the other day catching Flathead lizards up to 55cm on Plastics. Salmon have been appearing quite frequently in some estuaries, along with some decent Trevally and even a few Snapper in some East Coast areas. Plastics and Hardbodies are all effective methods for these fish, although sometimes for Salmon you can't go past the old silver slice.



Anyway, I'm Tuzza Beevor....... and that's my report

[ActiveAnglerCrew]

Bloody brilliant to say the least.

[adidaspeteman]

Great write there mate! Keep the reports a coming since I am keen on reading them because I am most probably headed your way near the end of April

Pete

[Beevor]

Hey Pete..

There is a Bream Tourno on in April:

Apr 21-22 Tas BREAM Classic #1 Georges Bay, St Helens TAS

It's on the East Coast - Something to think about mate

Should still be fishing superbly all over the place in April mate, you will have a ball