With recent warm weather and some lakes being high, fish can be found around the edges.

Saltwater

Salmon – large schools of Australian salmon have been seen breaking the surface throughout the Derwent River and channel area. Small silver lures are resulting in great catches.

Mackerel – good numbers of mackerel in the Derwent River from Blackmans Bay up. Squid strips on small hooks proving extremely effective.

Big Calamari – the east coast is producing some giant calamari at the moment up to 50cm hoods. ish are hanging in fairly close on the shallower weed beds.

Tuna – bluefin continue to be seen and caught at eagle hawk neck inshore around Tasman Island and munrose bay.

Sea trout – lots of people have been hitting the Derwent lately chasing sea trout and have not been disappointed with good numbers of healthy trout being caught. Fish have been seen chasing whitebait up in the shallows and small bibbed minnows like nories and bk customs have been working well.

Bream – are starting to school up in the coastal lagoons with large numbers being caught fishing gulp fry on light jig heads.

Freshwater

Bronte – levels are starting to rise and fishing has been very good. Good numbers of fat healthy browns have been caught all around the lake on a mixture of soft plastic lures and wet flies.

Great Lake – good numbers of larger browns are being caught all around Great Lake. Spinning from the shores is proving very effective with a lot of fish being caught very close to the bank.

Arthurs – large numbers of smaller fish around 2lb are being caught drift spinning the trees. The topend of arthurs is very choked up with weed making it very hard for lure anglers but fly anglers are getting good fish in the gaps in the weed.

Meadowbank – continues to fire after being stocked with bigger rainbows. Lures with pink bellies and gulp dough suspended under a float are proving very effective.

Please don’t forget to send in your pictures so we can share your fantastic catches to info@spotfishinghobart.com.au

Learn To Fly Fish

With the 2023-24 trout season well and truly underway we’re on the lookout for people interested in tackling the mysterious art of fly fishing.

Three guiding businesses – Kenn Orr’s Tasmanian Trout Expeditions, Nick May’s Highland Fly and Ray Curran’s Red Tag Trout Tours – host regular workshops at Herne Lodge, a private fishery in the Central Highlands that is ideal for learning to fly fish. It has good facilities for learning, it’s easy to wade and has a good population of wild brown trout.

The workshops are scheduled for six Saturdays over the course of the season:

7 October
18 November (Steve Starling)
20 January
10 February
6 April
27 April

The guys provide all the gear (unless you want to bring your own) along with plenty of instruction and encouragement. The workshops are catered – tea / coffee / snacks over the course of the day and a BBQ lunch.

And, just to make it that little bit more attractive, a number of businesses, Including The Fishing Connection, contribute door prizes that might help you on your journey as a beginning fly fisher.

The 18 November Workshop offers an additional bonus. The legendary Steve Starling will be a special guest on the day. Steve is a great fan of catching Tasmanian trout on the fly and is also someone who has had a bit of fun at Herne Lodge in the past. It’ll be great to hear his input on the day.

The workshops cost $325. Children aged 12 or above are welcome, but must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

You can check out the website: www.learntoflyfishtasmania.com.au or you can contact:

Nick May on 0419 318 571, or
Ray Curran on 0414 381 571

Special Feature - Great Lake
By Isaac Harris

Great lake, known for wild weather and relentless wind. Often overlooked by a lot of anglers for being a year-round fishery with a lot of anglers either struggling or doing well. There are many mixed opinions about Great Lake. You either dislike it or love it.

A lake that is dominated by brown trout but also has a rainbow population. Summer is a fly fisherman’s delight with its shark fishing. In the earlier cooler months, its lure fishing heaven. I’ve had great days on the lake, and some have been a struggle. I’ve found 2 days never seem to be the same. Some shores that look good can be barren for hundreds of metres, where you’re walking along thinking gee this looks so good. But a small stretch of 20m can have 5 or 6 fish sitting there.

My biggest tip for Great Lake is to find wind. From the shore if it is blowing 20 knots with waves crashing along or onto the shore, these will be the most productive areas. Very uncomfortable to fish but that’s where they will be. Also, small points that go from shallower water into slightly deeper, as water is often pushed over these.

Great lake for lure fisherman has always been more productive when its windy, and tougher when its calmer. Because the edge of the lake is so rocky it is riddled with Galxaia. Galaxia live and spawn in the rocks, often hiding in the gaps away from the predatory trout. Now as soon as the waves crash onto the shore they are often washed out of the little hidey holes and the trout know this. Cruising along the shore slowly lurking looking for the struggling Galaxia. I’ve caught trout in great lake that still have live Galaxia in their mouth. If it is calm i’ve found fishing a bit slower out deeper can be good, I’ve caught great trout around the islands is past times deep. Often 10m or more.

On Sunday I headed up and was met with white caps and huge waves. PERFECT! With 20 knots of northerly wind smashing big waves onto the exposed shores and bright sun the trout were on the hunt. Fishing the boundary bay area has always been a favourite when the wind is up for a quick stop. Working the gradual sloping bank I found a few fish to start with. A small shallow point in the middle of the bank, that was roughly 50cm deep was where the trout wanted to be. There was a small stretch of dirty stirred water adjacent to it. With the trout patrolling the edge in the clear water looking in for the washed-up Galaxia. Throwing a 65mm Squidgy fish in Gold Glitter and Rainbow Trout on a 3grm jighead burning it along the shore was getting the interest. A technique so basic but it is as good as any and has been for many years. As I walked the shore further and further I found more trout. After about 100m of nothing in some good looking water(typical for Great Lake) I came across a small patch of trout that were up in the crashing waves high to mid in the water column. Like the photos of dolphin at the beach you see riding the waves. I could see them clearly. Exciting fishing.

With these fish, like any fish, casting in front leading them in their line of sight is the ticket. Close, but not to close. Not so far that it takes them too long to get to the lure before you run out of room. It’s a in the moment decision that is rewarding when pulled off.