Trout fishers pray for rain
Last week saw me in the cold conditions at Liawenee in the Central Highlands. I was covering a story on the Inland Fisheries Department and boy, was it cold. I didn’t know Liawenee meant “frigid” in indigenous language, quite apt I thought.
I was there on a day that was very misty with intermittent drizzle, just perfect for trout spawning said Brett Mawbey, a 33-year veteran with the Inland Fisheries Service.
Brett said that he expected good spawning runs to continue over the coming weeks, particularly if weather condiare tions deteriorate as the trout like the cover of heavy rains or mist coupled with low pressure systems.
The trout caught in the Liawenee trap are about 1kg in size with sometimes larger specimens presenting.
Not all are stripped of their milt or eggs for transport to the Salmon Ponds or hatchery, at New Norfolk, but the majority transported around the state for anglers to enjoy catching at waters that have low recruitment.
Transfer of fry and fingerlings are not successful as the mortality rate is quite high, and the larger fish are more successful. That’s not to say that smaller fish are not placed, they are used to supplement larger stock.
The IFS also has a new method of assessing fish with some testing to take place at Four Springs this year. Some 2000 fish had their adipose fins clipped, so they can be checked for weight gain and growth.
Box traps are used, as netting is no longer considered optimal to fish survival and fish are released once stats are determined.
The annual spawning run should continue for a few weeks yet with supplemental stockings into Inland waters from the fish traps at Arthurs Lake and Lake King William. Rainbow trout don’t spawn until the spring and September is a busy month for the Service.
Looking at the rainbow spawning channels for the Great Lake was amazing with a snaky network of shallow ‘ditches’ running from the main channel from the Great Lake. Apparently, Hydro run a greater flow of water down the channel between Lake Augusta and the Great Lake when rainbow start to move up and they then move into the shallow ditches and do their thing.
The larger fish then return to the Great Lake with the newly hatched ova being left to fend for themselves in the spawning channels, for Hydro has lowered the water level. When the juvenile fry reach a size considered safe, Hydro raise the water level and flush the young fish back into the Great Lake.
Hatcheries around the state supply rainbow to some waters to supplement the brown trout stockings. Brown trout stockings last week included Four Springs and Bradys Lake plus Rainbow into Risdon Brook Reservoir.
Two reports from the IFS worth looking at came out last week. The Fisheries Performance Assessment for Curries River Dam and Talbots Lagoon are reports well worth investigating if you have an interest in our fisheries. Go to www.ifs.tas.gov.au to view.
Salt water fish caught last week included some small snapper off Betsey Island and Kingston areas. Salmon are everywhere in the Tamar.
Take care!