Get the kids out fishing
Many years ago, I came up with the concept of taking Kids fishing and so successful was the program, it has now spread far and wide — and it’s a great thing to see.
Government agencies now run clinics with volunteers and so do other groups, one being the Anglers Alliance of Tasmania.
As part of national Gone Fishing Day, Anglers Alliance Tasmania is co-ordinating a free statewide Junior Angling Day on Sunday.
An angling licence will not be required to fish in inland CARL HYLAND waters in Tasmania on this one day — so it’s a great opportunity to grab a friend and try trout fishing.
There will also be a number of junior angling venues across Tasmania stocked by AAT and run by local angling clubs for juniors aged 17 and under.
Gone Fishing Day was created to encourage people to get outdoors, drop a line, enjoy time with family and friends by or on the water, and hopefully catch a fish or two.
It is well known that getting outdoors is beneficial to both your physical and mental health, and all fishers can agree that there is no such thing as a bad day of fishing when you’re surrounded by those close to you and the glorious areas fishing takes you. So why not have a day that recognises and promotes all of these things!
The freshwater Junior Anglers Day run by local clubs will be part of Gone Fishing Day. The venues are: Bass Highway, Ulverstone 10am-2pm. Contact Rob Weeding 0439 855 786 Penguin 10am-3pm. Contact Phillip Charlesworth 0400 512 832 (opposite Anvers), Latrobe 10am-3pm. Contact Peter Coventry 0417 149 489 Elphinstone Road, Cressy 10am-3pm. Contact Nigel Clarke 0438 006 499 10 Acre Lane, Bushy Park 10am-2pm. Contact Laurie Harrison 0428 626 370
Fishcare will also be running saltwater fishing clinics, with rods available at the Hobart Regatta Ground from 10am-2pm, the Wynyard Fishing Platform between 2pm and 4pm, and the Port Sorell Wharf between 2pm and 4pm. SALTWATER is starting to heat up with calamari captures in the South now being part of the norm.
Blackmans Bay is a hot spot and wharves such as McGee’s and Margate are really starting to fire, however it is hard to find a legal-sized flathead from both locations at the moment.
Bream are absolutely everywhere and that favoured river — Browns — certainly has a good population at the moment that are responding to small soft plastics but not so much, hard-bodied lures.
Sea run trout are in the Derwent and at this time, I’d certainly be trying an imitation lure in a whitebait pattern of a soft plastic in a white pearl.