No need to twist and shout

LINE twist is an annoying feature that goes hand-in-hand with thread-line reels and some overhead reels.

Anglers trolling soft plastics go crook about the fact that line twist occurs with braided lines as well as gel spun, but it’s a fact of life.

A simple solution is to add a swivel. This is not everyone’s cup of tea, but it will help prevent line twist.

Repeated casting of soft plastics will also add to line twist, and eventually the dreaded wind knots in braid. A swivel will always overcome this.

Some say that any terminal tackle attached to the lure will put fish off, CARL HYLAND but I have found this is not the case, because when fish are in “attack’’ mode they will not note the small swivel. THE Atlantic salmon stocked into our local waters by the Inland Fisheries Service last week have provided lots of entertainment and sport for all anglers.

Those who wish to chase them are reminded that a licence is required to fish freshwater anywhere in Tasmania.

Some are complaining that people have caught fish and thrown them up on the bank, but this is probably not the case because fish, especially big salmon, do stupid things when hooked.

If they manage to get off, they quite often beach themselves, and at the same time disgorge stomach contents.

Anglers have reported seeing fish of a jaw-dropping size swim past their offerings without a look, but once the big fish relearn how to feed, it’s usually game on.

If you are fishing for salmon make sure you have a decent landing net.

I have seen many small nets smashed to pieces with the big fish, and you will have virtually no hope of getting one on the bank without a decent-sized net.

One other piece of advice I can offer is to upgrade your leader.

Salmon have teeth (as do big trout) and their sheer size and weight will make short work of knots and fine leaders.

I use at least a 5kg leader when chasing salmon. I also use locked blood knots on all my joins and a Rapala knot on my lures.

I have not lost a fish due to line breakage (well, not very often anyway), but have had split rings open up owing to the sheer fight of the fish.

One final tip when chasing salmon is to always point your rod at the fish when it is jumping. If it takes off out of the water and you are ‘‘highsticking” your rod, it has no give, whereas if your rod is pointing at the fish the reel brake will have a chance to do its job without the line dragging through the eyes.

If your drag is set right, you should never break a rod or line on a fish.

Big salmon are in the Tamar River at Kelso and along the Lagoon Beach area. Some of the fish landed over the past week have weighed in at 3kg.