Scene set for top season
HERE we are on the cusp of what is set to be a sensational start to the 2018-19 trout fishing season. The weather has been perfect, with recent rains bolstering freshwater impoundments and giving rivers enough of a top-up to get them running, and that means lots of detritus being washed in, which in turn provides feed for trout.
Where are you heading for tomorrow’s opening morning? If you are like me, you will be looking for a quiet stream somewhere, a little “landlocked’’ corner where there is a nice back eddy with discoloured water and a bit of froth on the top.
This is the sort of place where there is likely to be one or two browns lurking, rising out into the current every now and then to snap at a morsel washed in.
Perhaps you might prefer to be next to a roaring fire with your back to it and your front facing the water, watching your rod that perhaps has a big fat grub or juicy worm on the end.
There’s nothing like watching a bubble float, waiting with anticipation for that “down’’ when a big fish pulls it under. It’s the wonder of trying to figure out what’s on the end of the line that’s exciting.
Perhaps you fancy flicking a lure out into a full flood? This can be very rewarding because fish love fast water as well as a quiet inflow.
No matter where you end up, I trust your season gets off to a great start.
A little preparation is also needed, not only in the tackle department but also to check out the requirements of any water you plan to fish.
There is a great app from the Inland Fisheries Service called Infish, which is available in either android orr iPhone suitability.
It gives you information on individual waters, with details such as the number off fish you can legally catch andd the size limits. I find this a very handy tool.
Other good apps to have on your phone include tide times and heights, and a goodd weather app. I use Elders.
Armed with all this technology, no fish will be safe.
Jokes aside, I trust you have success with your exploits if you decide to head forth this weekend. CARL HYLAND I HAD a reliable report that school bluefin are being caught off Bicheno, with one angler having success with silver slices.
Also reaping the rewards of silver jigs was a young fellow from Hobart who hopped into a nice school of blackback salmon at Binalong Bay.
It seems like there is a good influx of bait fish along the East Coast, which in turn is drawing in the pelagic species and this in turn is bringing in bigger fish.
Those bottom-bouncing bait from Pirates Bay had success last week, with morwong, flathead and other species caught. THE boat ramp at Fortescue Bay remains closed while improvements are made, and I’m told inclement weather is the reason for the delay. According to Marine and Safety Tasmania, the repairs will likely be concluded early this month.