The Broken Rivers Greg French spends time on Tasmania’s forgotten streams.

Rainbow from the Weld at Weldborough. Liberate yourself from the mindset that maybe you’ll be able to land one or two fish per day. A more realistic aim is one or two dozen per day.

St Patricks River at Diddleum Plains. Brown trout from the Great Forester.

recently stumbled upon a weird sta- by the likes of David Scholes and Noel BROKEN WATERS tistic: the number of anglers buying Jetson, the current generation of fly In Fly-fisher in Tasmania (1961), David Tasmanian trout-fishing licences in fishers simply has no idea how good Scholes distinguished ‘Broken Rivers’ the late noughties is more or less Tasmania’s rivers actually are. from ‘Flat Rivers’. In his classification, the same as it was in the late 1980s Over several days leading up to the flat rivers or meadow streams and early 1990s, yet the number of me writing this article, I introduced were ‘slow-flowing, weedy, and reed- I licence holders participating in river a mainland mate to the Russell, Pic- lined, broken irregularly by long deep fishing has fallen by a whopping 40%. ton and Weld rivers—tributaries of pools or broadwaters with little or No, this is not because the fishing the Huon. At one stage I did nothing no flow.’ The fishing on these waters itself has gone into decline. The fall but photograph him as he worked his is undeniably good, but for the best in participation is uniform across the way upstream, and for three hours he results you need exacting conditions best waters, and has occurred even didn’t go more than ten casts with- and it is quite understandable that in those streams where the fishing out landing a fish. There was even a anglers with little experience draw the has improved, such as the Mersey time he took five fish from five casts. odd blank. (which in places used to stop flow- They weren’t tiny trout either—most Broken rivers on the other hand fish ing but now has mandated-minimum weighed 0.3–0.5 kg. Over the course well under most conditions, and these environmental flows) and the southern of the day he took several bigger are the places where I expect you to rivers (which have fished better with browns that weighed from 1–2 kg. be able to regularly catch big bags of reduced rainfall). Surprised? trout. According to Scholes they are My guess is that the problem is linked Liberate yourself from the mindset relatively shallow streams that bounce to the passing of Tasmanian stream- that maybe you’ll be able to land one and riffle. It is a good term. Our bro- craft’s most prominent proponents. In or two fish per day. A more realistic ken rivers are not really swift enough the absence of enthusiastic promotion aim is one or two dozen per day. to be called fastwater rivers, and I

Ringarooma River at Moorina. 22 F LY L IFE F LY L IFE 23 Great Forester River at South Springfield. Great Forester River at Tasman Highway. takes every day and the chances are When nymphing, I tend to up the you won’t have the patience to replace size of my emerger to a #12 or even that many flies. #10 so that it is not constantly pulled My favourite fly is a small (#14) down in turbulent water. The nymph parachute pattern with a large orange itself is a nondescript pattern on a #12 post made of synthetic fibres (Float- hook with a 2.3 mm brass bead head. Vis or something similar). I like orange I tie it on a short dropper, and I attach because it is the most visible colour the dropper directly to the bend of the when fishing amongst white bubble emerger hook. The exact length of the lines and in the evening glare. dropper isn’t critical. Most of the riffles If I fish likely water for fifteen or are less than thigh deep and the fish twenty minutes without raising a fish don’t usually feed hard on the bottom, or two, I change to a bigger dry fly, so anything that drifts somewhere in say a WMD Hopper on a #8 hook, the middle of the water column is usu- and often this will be enough to bring ally seen and eaten. A dropper length reluctant trout to the surface. I persist of 300 mm to 700 mm will usually do with this for ten minutes or so, and the job nicely. if nothing happens I opt for a nymph I always have some heavier nymphs fishing at a restful pace, but they are the edges of the main current. Where dropper. on hand too—you never know when fooling themselves. From experience there are riffles or multiple currents, Unless the water is unusually snag- you are going to spot a leviathan way I know that nothing breeds enthusi- I cover all the likely water in as few gy, I prefer to suspend my nymph from down in the bottom of an unusually asm like success, and everyone who casts as possible. the dry fly rather than use an indica- large pool or run. learns how to fish properly becomes Put out a cast, let it drift back to tor. The fish are prone to change feed- as manic as me. within a few metres of where you ing patterns as the day progresses and HOW TO FISH I cast short, upstream, and always stand, lift it off the water without false . . . continued The Broken Rivers I want to know the instant they start to Long ago I noticed that other anglers look to get a drag-free drift. If I can’t casting, and lay the fly out again so don’t much like the term freestone results throughout the season. The look up. Once they start regularly tak- cover much less water than I do. polaroid a fish, or see one rising, I that it drifts through the next likely rivers, because although the substrates only things that really impede the fish- ing the dry I ditch the nymph. Some blokes pretend that they like concentrate on floating my fly down run or slot. As soon as you get into the are often loose, pools and glides in ing are floods. Even so, no rain is so Tasmanian streams tend to be much big that you can’t find fishable water more stable than those in typical New in some of the headwater tributaries. Groom River at Tasman Highway. Zealand streams. Up-to-the-minute data on water lev- The best broken rivers are found els in most rivers is available in graph in the north-east, north-west and form from the Water Information Sys- southern forests. The streambeds are tem of Tasmania (WIST). The website Each broken river is so uniquely charming usually comprised of shingle, though is www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au and you will some (notably those in the north-east) need to click on the links to ‘water’ feature a striking predominance of and ‘water data’. that I guarantee you will experience granite sand, and others (such as the As for the time of day, the best fish- upper Mersey, Blythe and Florentine) ing is always from about 10 a.m. to have substantial stretches of lush trail- 4 p.m. Many mainlanders choose to love at first sight. ing weed. arrive late in the afternoon, but in Tas- Each broken river is so uniquely mania these really are the dog hours. charming that I guarantee you will Mind you, things often pick up for a experience love at first sight. Mind bit just on dusk. you, fidelity to any single stream is pretty much impossible for any red- FLIES FOR BROKEN WATER blooded angler. Polaroiding smallish fish in the riffles can be difficult, especially if the water WHEN TO FISH is stained with tannin and the sub- The best time to fish is when the water strates are mottled and dark. Rises are is low and clear from late spring to intermittent too. Inevitably, then, you early autumn, but you can get good will have to do a lot of prospecting, but don’t worry—the fishing is so fast you won’t have time to get bored. I always start off with an emerger. Although the pattern is not impor- tant, there are good and bad flies. A good emerger does not get drowned every time it bumbles down a rapid, nor does it have to be meticulously cleaned every time you remove it from a fish’s mouth. It is highly visible to the angler. And it has to be robust, because it needs to survive countless

Brown from the Russell River. 24 F LY L IFE F LY L IFE 25 Great Forester River at South Springfield. favourite streams

North-east St Patricks River (from Nunamara to the end of Corkerys Road, and in the Diddleum Plains) North Esk River (from Musselboro Road to Long Acre Marsh, and from Long Acre Marsh to Beckett Creek) Nile River (from Deddington to the edge of the Ben Lomond plateau) Ringarooma River (at Moorina, and from Derby to the headwaters) Great Forester River (from the Tasman Highway to South Springfield) Upper South Esk River (above the Evercreech confluence) George River system (the North The Broken Rivers . . . continued George, South George and Groom) rhythm there will be no stopping you. GETTING HELP North-west Soon you will be making your way Trust me on this one—second to nam- Mersey River (from Dogs Head Hill slowly upstream even while you’re by-pambying, the biggest impediment to Liena, and above Lake Rowallan casting, just like I do. to success is crappy casting. from Pine Hut Plain to the top of Although I’m forced to do a lot of Although most casts are short (from Lees Paddocks) prospecting, I’m always polaroiding 5–10 metres), the most likely drifts Leven River (at Gunns Plains, and always alert for a rise or a bit of will often be the trickiest ones: those and upstream of the bridge on the nervous water. If a fish rises to my fly hard under an undercut bank, or Loongana Road) and refuses it I notice him, even in those at the tail of the pool where the Blythe River (upstream of the South tannin-stained current. If this happens water accelerates and creates drag. Riana Road) several times in succession, I change And there is always overhanging veg- Hellyer River (in the Hellyer Gorge, my fly to something smaller. If I spook etation to contend with. and at Guilford) a fish in the riffly shallows away from You certainly don’t need to be a Upper Meander River (at Meander, the main current, I look to see wheth- tournament medallist, but you do and above Huntsman Lake) er there are others hiding in similar need to be able to deliver your fly Southern Forests (Derwent system) water. Most importantly, I am always quickly and effectively. Practice short Styx River (from Johnsons Flat aware of where my dry fly is. Anglers casts on the lawn. Practice on the near Glenora to the junction of the who are alert and quick on the strike water. Don’t be afraid to take a few South Styx River) take at least 50% more fish than those lessons from a professional tutor. Tyenna River (from Karanja to who daydream. I am not a naturally gifted sports- Maydena) To reiterate: wherever the wading is man—a klutz would be closer to Florentine River (from Lake good and there is reasonable casting the truth—yet when I started fishing Catagunya to beyond the Florentine room, you should aim to cover a lot streams in earnest I was able to bring Road, and in the vicinity of the of water efficiently rather than a small my casting up to scratch in just a cou- bridge on the Eleven Road) amount meticulously. Last December I ple of weeks. If I can do it, you can. No Southern Forests (Huon system) went fishing with a friend on the Rus- excuses accepted. Weld River (from the mouth to the sell River. In the time he took to fish If you have two or three outings by national park boundary) one hundred metres of water, I fished yourself and are still not taking good Russell River (for several kilometres six hundred. I caught almost exactly numbers of fish, you should seriously above and below Lonnavale) six times as many trout as he did. The consider spending time with a river- Picton River (from the mouth maths is simple. based guide. Honestly, one day of to the first road bridge, and tuition will be enough to provide skills from the second road bridge to to last a lifetime. And you’ll catch a beyond Farmhouse Creek) bunch of fish while you’re at it. View in Google Maps >> THE FUTURE The broken rivers are still beautiful, and they fish as well as they ever did, don’t learn to love our streams as but there is no room for complacency. much, or more, than we once did, we Logging threatens their aesthetic, and may soon lose them forever. plans to extract ever more water for More anglers fishing equals greater ill-conceived irrigation developments advocacy; greater advocacy equals threaten their very existence. If we protection. F L

Tyenna River downstream of Karanja. 26 F LY L IFE