Embroiled in great de-bait
As a fishing writer who has been doing this column and many other writings for some years, I sometimes receive mail that I can put to one side and forget or take an interest in the subject and run with it. Two such topics came to me recently and the first I thought, seemed unfair, but once obtaining all the facts, the truth became clearer.
Talbots Lagoon in the North West is the domain of big trout, no doubt about that, but getting them from the water has become a problem, particularly for canoeists and kayakers. Apparently, you can use a canoe to traverse this water to get from one side or the other, but you can’t troll or use an electric motor to fish. Apparently, you are not allowed to use a lure while moving from one point to the other.
Now whoever made this rule has probably never been a lure fisherperson and to me, it seems quite pointless. I decided to approach the man who would know and Inland Fisheries Service director John Diggle put the issue into perspective for us all.
Talbots Lagoon is on private land and access for anglers has been negotiated by the IFS and maintained through an access agreement. Initially access was for shore angling only – this was subsequently negotiated to include non-motorised boating access to provide further options for anglers.
Exemptions have been granted for special events (ie Masters Games) allowing the use of electric motors for traversing the lagoon but not fishing. Apparently, the North West Fly Fishing Association is the controlling group for this water. Apparently, a lot of lure anglers have been bagging out here, so this may be why the ruling has also been applied.
I’m sure we will see more news as it comes to hand.
Another issue, I’d love to mention, which I do get a lot of correspondence about, is the access on to Lake Pedder. It seems if you traverse certain parts of the dam, you must obtain a Parks and Wildlife Service permit to cross water in your boat. The argument is, you pay a freshwater licence which entitles you to fish at any public water, plus pay boat registration fees and trailer fees and then you are asked to pay for a Parks permit to move across water.
Seems like everyone is having a dip into anglers’ hip pockets and I really can understand the frustration of anglers on this matter.
Kingfish are about, and that is good news. Tamar Heads is firing as is North West Bay in the South. Soft plastics seem to be the favoured method being used but don’t discount hard bodied lures (particularly gold) or baits or live baits for that matter.
Mako sharks are on the chew with some 200kg-plus specimens being sighted, hooked but not landed at St Helens, Eddystone Point plus Tasman Island.
Some nice-sized bream have been taken from the rocks at the beach ramp at Bridport, mainly by anglers using brightly coloured Tasmanianmade lures.
King George whiting are everywhere (except in South), so if you catch one, please let me know, as I’m sure our readers would like to hear of southern captures of this species.
SEEMS LIKE EVERYONE IS HAVING A DIP INTO ANGLERS’ HIP POCKETS AND I REALLY CAN UNDERSTAND THE FRUSTRATION OF ANGLERS ON THIS MATTER