Tassie will be flying to lofty heights

AS many people know by now, Tasmania will host the world fly fishing tournament in December 2019.

Teams from around the world will be competing in Tasmania, and the state will see some wonderful tourism potential unlocked.

In other fly-fishing news, the Tasmanian Masters Games, which include fly fishing, will be getting under way on October 25 at venues such as Talbots Lagoon, Pet Reservoir, the Natone Fly Fishery and the Mersey River at Merseylea/Railton.

More information is available from Abes.hope@hotmail.com

And for those with a yearning for feathers and fur, the Bronte Fly Tie-In is on again at the Great Lake Community Centre on October 14.

To participate in the event or if you have any other inquiries, contact grahamblight@bigpond.com INSECT life seems to be on the move, with good midge hatches occurring in the spring-like weather.

This in turn fires up trout after long winter dormancy and spawning activities.

Still evenings are prime times for casting a fly, or even fluttering lures such as a Celta CARL HYLAND or soft plastic — basically anything that represents what the fish are currently feeding on. Some good fish were feeding at Craigbourne Dam last week, with anglers getting among the action.

I had luck with a 6.3kg salmon, and two friends also got on to some nice salmon, which were all lure-caught while trolling.

Fisherpeople trying their luck along the shores near the Cadbury chocolate factory tell of some huge fish coming at spun lures.

One angler hooked an estimated 4kg fish last week only to have the fish spit the lure at his feet and leave him with a partly digested eel for his troubles.

Others tell of some bigger fish sitting, finning in currents around the Bellerive Yacht Club, some of jaw-dropping size.

Squid are on the move, and a couple of younger anglers told of getting some nice specimens off the rocks at Blackmans Bay.

Let your jig sink slowly to the bottom, and a quick, jerky retrieve is all that is needed, I am told.

Killer whales were in the Tamar last week and they must have been chasing something, because large schools of salmon have been spotted up as far as East Arm, some of which are around the 3kg mark.

Seals, which are getting fat around the fish farm at Rowella, might have also been a target.

The whales are regular visitors to the Tamar and also beaches along the North Coast, so while there are lots of good scale fish around, so are the predators.

King George whiting are still around, and one regular fisherman from the East Tamar said they never really left, it’s just people don’t target them over the winter months.

Judging by the amount of squid eggs laying on adjacent beaches, the whiting will be having a good feed at this time.

Greenback flounder are also on the move and many tell of some good catches, usually with a spear and a light of a night at Weymouth and other eastern locations.

Kelso in the Tamar and Greens Beach are hot spots for this toothsome species.