Isn’t it great to get back on the water again. If you’re like me, I didn’t have an off season and made the most out of the waterways open to fishing year-round. Huntsman and Brushy Lagoon are good places to visit to get a ‘Fix’. Huntsman can surprise if you get the level just right. I like it rising and from 2-3 metres down as it slowly creeps up the last bit you can find tailing fish by the score on dark.
But it is great to get back to your favourite spots you haven’t visited in the last few months. And what a start to the season!
As always Four Springs has been a standout with some anglers catching large bags pulling streamers. And if you find the fish chasing smelt it will really speed up your heart rate. Any longish, light coloured streamer should be good, but the fish are fickle. I like a floating line for the smelters, but in general a 3ips or 5ips sinking line will be best pulling a Shrek, Magoo, Humungous or similar. Try and use two quite different flies – or three if you can manage them. Space them 1.5 metres apart. If it is breezy you should have a drogue, but in light winds it is often not necessary.
Penstock Lagoon has also been a standout, giving much fun to the anglers willing to rug up and head up the mountain. All the favourite flies are productive and techniques are similar to Four Springs. Don’t forget your possum gloves.
Some years back I was fishing early season in the highlands and could hear sheep bleating, but couldn’t see them. It was quite disturbing, because I thought there were sheep in trouble – stuck somewhere and I was to be their saviour. As much as I looked I couldn’t find any, and then I realised my footfall tended to stop the ‘baa baa aaa’. It was frogs – the Tasmanian Froglet in fact – they sound like sheep. I don’t know if trout are attracted to sheep, but they sure go on alert from late August when these froglets are around. Little Pine is a great fishery when frogs start their croaking – especially when the level is high.
Little Pine has started this season with some great reports after a couple tough, slow years. Shore based anglers are doing better here than boat based. Even the Untouchable shore is fishing well. A single Fur Fly has been productive as fish are close to shore. Walk slowly, observe carefully and don’t get into the water unless you have to. Look for any small gutter or depression. Any drop off will be worth close attention. You will only need a floating line from the shore – and minimise your false casting. Perhaps overloading the rod a little so you can get the line out quickly. Line, rod flash and movement is quickly recognised by fish and you will see them departing with a bow wave. Minimise your false casting and you will catch more. Towards the end of August – through to November shoire fishing can be outstanding – along with many of the Nineteen Lagoons.
More waters to try early season are in the Eastern Highlands. Lake Leake is on the eastern plateau of about 600 metres above sea level can be a very good early water – along with its neighbour Tooms Lake. These both have larger trout and streamers are the ‘go to’ flies. Lake Leake fishes best when the level is low – as it is at the moment. Tooms can often reward fishing hard onto the shore from a boat as the fish look for galaxiids. Pulling flies around structure will usually reward at Leake. Also at a lower level is Lake Crescent – home to Tasmania’s biggest fish. The level is low here so great caution should be used if boating. If you ever want to catch a double figure fish this is the place for you.
Blackmans in the north east is also home to some big fish and you can boat, kayak or shore fish it – and walking the shore can be very productive. A single dark profile fly on a sinking, or sink tip line often works its magic here.
Some flies
For the main part early season consists of pulling streamers with a sinking line. The best performing flies are Magoos, Shreks, Sparklers and humungous patterns. A full sinking line is great from the boat as it gets you flies to depth where the fish a feeding. Three to five inches a second sink rate will cover most Tasmania situations. But if you could only have one line, a 3ips sink rate will serve you well most of the time. It is the biggest selling sinking line in Tasmania. Why? Most popular waters are under three metres deep in the popular fishing areas and this line will cover that. The second most popular would be an intermediate and then a sink 5 (5ips).
And for the bank angler a floating line with a long leader or a sink tip is all you need to catch a fish and have a good day out on the water. Line control is much easier from the shore as you are stationary.
As the season progresses and our waterways at elevation start to warm up the fishing will too.
Frogs start to become active in late August – early September depending on the temperature. The croaking is a giveaway. Listen for sheep – it will be our little native Tasmanian Froglet. A lovely native and good environmental barometer. Fish will be close to the edges on many lakes looking for errant frogs – especially those with stable or high levels. A Mrs Simpson, small Woolly Bugger Mk 2 and Fur Fly are all good – particularly those flies with a little bit of orange/red on them. I also like a small Black and Peacock Spider. The Tasmanian Froglet often has bright red on the belly and I believe this is why a hint of orange on a fly works so well. Unweighted works best for me.
I also often fish the fly with very little movement – and just let it sink - especially if the fish are spooking easily. Grease up your leader and cast about a metre from the fish. Just let it sink to the bottom and as the fish approaches move it ever so slightly – then stop. Watch the leader for movement and just do a very short strip strike if the leader moves. If the fish doesn’t take the fly will still be in the water and you might get a second chance.
Snakes love frogs too, so as the weather warms then the snakes will be feeding too. Watch where you put your feet and make sure you have a snake bandage.
