High hopes for new dam

LAST week, I had the opportunity to visit the new water storage facility in the North-East constructed by Tas Irrigation that is known as Camden Dam.

This is a self-recruiting lake, and this water is being monitored by the Inland Fisheries Service to determine if future stocking would be required to maintain a good head of fish.

Sadly, the Camden Rivulet was a fantastic grasshopper fishery and also renowned for its fly fishing and, of course, that’s all been obliterated with the making of the new dam.

Let’s hope the new dam lives up to expectations. A spokesperson from Fisheries indicated the regulations for the dam were as follows: Season: From the first Saturday in August to the Sunday nearest the 30th April each year. Size limit: 300mm. Bag limit: five, with only two fish over 500mm. Other regulations: Bait, lure and fly fishing permitted. No motorised boats permitted, including electric motors. There is an exclusion zone around the dam and spillway.

Directional signage has been installed from Camden Hills Road to the car park on the Eastern side of the lake. Foot access and kayak launching is permitted from the car park.

An information sign will be installed in the car park in coming weeks.

I believe an application has been made by Anglers Alliance to stock the dam and also the new dam at Dalness, behind Evandale.

Spawning starts

IN other freshwater fishing news, the rainbow trout spawning migration has started at Liawenee Canal at the Great Lake, where Inland Fisheries staff use their trap to monitor the spawning run.

They also weigh and measure some fish as part of their long term monitoring program.

We sort the fish and place them into channels. This assists them to spawn naturally, away from where the brown trout spawned over winter.

This gives the newly hatched rainbow fry the best chance to grow without competition from the more advanced brown trout.

At first glance this year’s spawning rainbows are in excellent condition.

Over the last couple of days 110 fish have entered the trap; 88 were male and 22 were female. The males typically run first and wait for the females to arrive!

Prior to releasing the adult fish, staff sampled the channels and found healthy yearling rainbows from last year’s spawning. These are the future fish for the yingina/Great Lake fishery. Remember Canal Bay on yingina/Great Lake remains closed until 30 November to help protect the rainbow trout.

Trout saved

RECENTLY a number of deceased, large fish were reported in the River Clyde. This was allegedly owing to the water supply to the river being turned off, and Fisheries had to step in and relocate quite a few fish after anglers notified them of problems.

Some 172 brown trout and 51 rainbow trout were released into Lake Crescent.

Net replaced

THE barrier net at Four Springs was replaced recently after the existing net was found to have several large holes, allowing stocked fish to escape.

The net was replaced with a lot sturdier one and staff remarked that they also retrieved quite a number of fishing lures from the net.

This is definitely something I can testify to as I have been a regular contributor of fishing lures to that very net over the years!