Let's Go Trout Fishing
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Let’s go trout fishing Trout Fishing is Awesome! This may surprise many Tasmanians, but people from across the other side of the Some international visitors come here Above: A large brown trout caught by Patrick world are very envious of our trout fishery. Morehouse from Four Springs. Below, a Lake anglers; Tasmania is very high on the list Leake rainbow caught by Viv Spencer. just to fish for trout and for many other our own backyard! They eat a variety of global fishing destinations, yet it is right here in ofcolours food andand oncespots. Trout are everywhere, great fun to you catch them, you catch and good to eat can choose to let them go or keep a variety of locations, just a short drive from your couple for dinner, as Trout are a remarkable fish that live in a huge they are delicious to house. In fact, if you head to your nearest creek, a popular pastime stream, river or dam, you will probably find trout. foreat. friends Trout fishing and is They are beautiful looking fish with striking family to socialise and for individuals to escape the daily grind. Kids especially love catching trout and their fond memoriesA bit willabout last forever.trout These speckled wonders were introduced into Tasmania way back in 1864 after a long journey by to successfully make their way into virtually every pieceboat from of freshwater England. Sincearound, then, from they near have city managed centres rainbow trout, brook trout and Atlantic salmon canall the all waybe caught to the inhighland Tasmania lakes. and Brown all you trout, need is Rex Hunt loves Tasmanian trout fishing - and especially small stream fishing. Bait, lures or flies are all effective. gear and a few tricks up your sleeve! a licence if you are 14 or over, some basic fishing www.ifs.tas.gov.au Phone 1300 INFISH 1 Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Brook Trout Atlantic Salmon What you need ServiceA licence Tasmania if you are or older a tackle than store 14. A for Junior more licence information 14-17 andis to $12. Other licence prices vary. Visit http://www.ifs.tas.gov.au For lure, bait and trolling a rod of around two metres in length get yours. and a reel in the 2000-4000 range will be fine. You may find that you have a rod and reel at home that will easily do the job, but either way, we will give you some tips. You(Many could waters even have win restrictionsa boat package on fishingworth moremethods, than times $22,000 and seasons, so it pays to check first). by purchasingHow a tofull catch season alicence trout before 30 November 2013. A running sinker rig is let the bait drift back Bait Fishing the most simple of all. towards you naturally. Garden worms, wattle grubs, mudeyes, A swivel is often used Ensure you wind in the cockroaches, crickets and grasshoppers are as a stopper to keep the slack as the bait drifts the most common baits for trout and they all ball sinker away from back towards you. Running the hook and bait. It is ball In a lake, dam or not always necessary, sinker lagoon try and fish 2work metres well. in Frogs length, may matched no longer with be any used small as and the sinker should without any added bait. For most bait fishing, a rod of around always be as small as Swivel weight. possible. The leader and You can fish your bait to medium spinning reel - as long as it has hook - being below the under a float as well. fishing line! If you have fished for flathead sinker and swivel drifts Ask your tackle shop for around naturally. some advice on this. runningthen the sinkersame gear and maysingle be hook fine, likethough in the line In a river the back with a breaking strain of 2-4kg suits best. A diagram is the simplest form for most baits, eddies and quiet deep 20-30cm Tip: Use the lightest but for grasshoppers, crickets and mudeyes holes are prime spots. sinker possible, light You can walk slowly line and a Locked Blood This is one of the most popular methods upstream and with Knot*. you won’t need any sinker or swivel at all. only just a hook and Size 6-2 * Tying instructions on hook bait (remove the sinker page 8. to catch a trout. Bait fishing is often the and swivel) cast up and method used for many beginners first fishing experience.www.ifs.tas.gov.au Phone 1300 INFISH 2 Trolling lures from a boat you have ever trolled for Australian salmon then you have theIf you idea! have Armed a boat with then the trolling same luresrod and is a reel great mentioned option. If earlier, you simply purchase some trolling lures like Tasmanian Devils or Lofty’s Cobras and tow them behind your boat. Most of these will swim at a depth of only a luresmetre will or so. reach There their are maximum methods depthto get themby having swimming around much deeper if required. The majority of floating/diving are suitable for trolling, as are rivers such as the Derwent 50 - 75m of line out. Most of Tasmania’s lakes and lagoons Greg Hynes - the originator of Lofty’s Lures with a nice brownie. River. Like any boating, it pays to do your homework on yourLofty’s intended trolling water and tips practice safe boating at all times.caught between 2.7 to 3.2 kph. If you haven’t got a fish Line thickness is vitally important. Use 4 kg line or finder make sure the rod has a nice kicking action. If less with a maximum thickness of .025 mm, no anti the rod stops its constant throbbing it’s probably weed kinks, no fly droppers, no snap swivels, no beads. Use on your lure. Keep the rod level with the water, not a small number 14 black swivel 600 mm up the line, stuck up in the air; it drags the lure up to the surface. run the line through the centre of the lure and tie it to I set the drag very lightly. It doesn’t need to be high to a number 2 split ring attached to the treble. The less set the hook, the fish will hook itself. You can land big attachments on the line the better, and the better the fish by playing them out, instead of horsing them in. lure will work. Let the fish see the flash of the lure and When you catch a fish take note of where you hooked nothing else. it. Troll back over the area several more times. You are When trolling a new lake check with the locals where probably over a weed bed. the weed beds are; this is where the fish are. Troll with Your local tackle store will recommend the best lure a good long cast out the back and then some more. colours for the waters you intend to fish. The lure needs to be well back. No. 14 black 600mm This is especially true in shallow swivel from lure to lakes as the boat spooks them. swivel Speed is critical, and a good fish finder with speed is worth Use Locked Blood knots. the money. Most of my fish are See how to tie it on page 8. Line through lure to no. 2 split ring and treble. Casting with Lures job,Lure but fishing lighter is very rods popular and thinner these line days, will especially work more with the younger generation. The gear above might do the efficiently. Any tackle store can help you choose the right outfit, to suit your budget, and give you some ascasting you are tips. always Soft plastics, busy casting celtas, and Ashley retrieving, spinners they and are various hard bodied lures are great fish-catchers and lures imitate some sort of prey and the most popular an active way to fish and loads of fun. The majority of Bibbed hard body lures have always been very popular for trout. Soft plastics, blade spinner and for trout fishing in Tasmania are lures that look like devons are also highly regarded by many. our native baitfish. Lures around 50-75mm long and in www.ifs.tas.gov.au Phone 1300 INFISH 3 black, brown and green shades are a great start. snag or current line is worth a few casts. A tip on all flowing waters is to look for a bubble line - this often indicates a line where food is concentrated - and where the Laketrout -may lure lay fishing in wait. tips A methodical approach is the one most edge and start throwing your lure as far as likely to reward. Don’t just walk up to the River - lure fishing tips directlypossible. in front and then work your way left The fan effect is best. Start with short casts When fishing a wadable river make your way to Lure fisher Adrian Webb shares a few tips: and right - extending your casts as you go. the middle of it where possible, by doing this you secondIf you are or usingtwo with a sinking the next lure cast have as oneyou castwill andcover should be able to cast and reach both sides of the retrieve it immediately - let the lure sink for a river. Concentrate on any point or drop off and work There will be parts of the river that will be too the deeper water. deep to wade out to, so just go out to a level that you feel comfortable with.