Fishing Report

Western Lakes

Once again the water levels out west are on the low side, yet this has not really been a problem. The nearer Nineteen Lagoons get quite a bit of management attention from the Inland Fisheries Service and benefit by bolstered stocks of wild adult fish from Great Lake.

In a number of these easily accessed lagoons, condition and growth factors of the trout accelerate due to good, mainly sub-aquatic, food supplies. Technique and stealth are what's needed to catch these fish. Catch and release is high on the agenda, yet it is legal to keep one or two.

Further out along the road less trodden, we found some great fish not too far away that came to dry flies, even when we didn't have blue sky days and perfect polaroiding conditions.

On the extended day walks and overnight expeditions into the remote, during poor light conditions we were almost stumbling over thumpers with just enough water to cover their backs. When the light has been good spotting big browns from a long way off and moving in to ambush them with dry flies has been a real highlight to the season so far.

March and April brings more settled weather, and a higher percentage of blue sky days means the Western Lakes remain a very good option.

The markings on a trout are like a fingerprint...no two are the same. Some blend in with gravel, some with sand, others blend with the darkness of the depths. This stunningly speckled Western Lakes beauty was a sight to behold!

Arthur's lake

Arthur's is lower this year, around 3.3 meters below full at the beginning of March.

In October and November during the warmer bright spells we saw some scatterings of gum beetles around protected shorelines and on some occasions moving out over deeper water into the slicks.

There were modest dun hatches in the Cow Paddock, Transmission and Jonah areas during December. There were also more gum beetles but in lesser quantities, still providing good sport in slicks over deeper water.

This was the case in January and February too. These months are the peak warm months of the season in the Tasmanian highlands. Similar to last year, dun hatches in particular were sparse and isolated. Much of our success came from loch style techniques and working bead head nymph patterns over good weed beds where they meet deeper water and around major structure zones.

As usual a few exceptional fish have been caught so far this season on Arthur's, i.e. one weighing in at around 7 lb and another in excess of 10 lb.

Most fish that we target still come in at between 2 & 4 lb.

In general, throughout the season there are many smaller fish in shallow margins but some good ones amongst them. There are better fish in mid range water, 1.5 to 3.5 meters and deeper areas too, especially around the trees.

The boat ramp at the dam wall has been extended, widened, and the channel through Cameron's opening has been cleared of rocks to make safe passage from Jonah into the Sand Lake. Thanks to MAST, Hydro, the IFS and all concerned. For more information about this ramp, check out the February edition of Angler News on the Inland Fisheries Service website www.ifs.tas.gov.au.

Penstock

Penstock is currently undergoing a management review to make this fantastic fishery a greatly sustainable option. As usual insect and fish activity for the dry fly enthusiast has been sporadic and at times spectacular. When settled after wind, water clarity has led to some great polaroiding opportunities in isolated and selected areas. The quality of these fish is outstanding with many specimens in the 3 to 6 lb category and better.

Little Pine

Little Pine is holding a good number of trout in the 2 to 3 lb range. There were good tailers early season and then the water level came up to around point 4 of a meter from full which made things a little more challenging.

In December the level dropped again to around point 9 of a meter from full. There has been some discolouration occurring, dun hatches have not been particularly reliable, but experience and our network of local knowledge has proven helpful and we have found clearer areas where fish can be polaroided, often coming to dry flies or scud patterns.

Brumbys creek

Another very good option for March and April is the lowland rivers around Cressy.

On Brumbys Creek, while water levels have been up and down with varying turbidity, it is actually still quite clear. Five minutes away from our base, we hold this water in high regard and always have many successful days from season start to season end.

Good caddis hatches are back after a bit of a lull in February. With water temperatures cooling, tailing browns in low light in shallow and rising water are a highlight.

Other lowland rivers and streams

Rivers and streams not far away from our base are fishing well with grasshoppers in reasonable numbers this year. Mayfly are also on the menu now that summer swelters have subsided and we have also had enough rain to liven things up a little. Floods this year have been non existent to this point in time, but if they do occur there will be spectacular fishing to be found!

A lovely section of water to suit most occassions and weather conditions.

Tooms Lake / Upper Macquarie

At the moment these are not recommended at all. Due to the presence of high water temperatures at low levels an algal bloom has occurred.

Four Springs

This nearby lowland lake fished exceptionally well into November, then became discoloured and warm over the high summer period. Reliable sources suggest it's on again as things cool off. Now in its fifth season, the insect life on this water is becoming phenomenal. There are some trophy specimens available of both brown and rainbow trout, and on most of our visits, 4 to 6 lbs is a regular occurrence.