St Patricks River

At the campground -- 40 mins exactly from the office.

6 on a green woolly bugger.  One was large -- over a pound.  (Large for the St Pats!)

St Patricks River

Headed up for a quick fish after work.  3 on a green woolly bugger.

St Patricks River

Got lost getting there, but finally found a spot to fish with an hour before sunfall.  Got two nice fish on a green Woolly Bugger

3 days, 3 locations, 3 big fish

The family were off in Sydney, so got Friday afternoon, Saturday, and Sunday to Fish.

Friday afternoon I went to Brumbies creek. I started off fly fishing. First fly was a wooly bugger, but I soon lost that on a snag. Looking in the fly box, I chose a fancy yellow and black matuka, on the theory that it would never catch a fish, but since I never catch anything in Brumbies that didnt matter, and if I lost it that wouldnt matter either. 10 minutes later I had two trout and was amazed. It was getting dark, so I went back to the car and got a soft plastic. Fishing in the same location, I got a big trout. It would only have weighed 2lb, though was big enough to be a 3 lb fish. It was all head and a skinny body, obviously recovering from spawning. (Its the fish in the pic)

Next day I went to Brush lagoon and set up the fishcat. I rowed up the lagoon, trailing a fly as I went. It was hard rowing, as while the sky was grey (good), the wind was fierce and blowing back down the lagoon. About 1/2 way up I got a nice 2lb brown on the fly -- a green sculpin imitation. I was amazed at no redfin, even though the lake is full of them. And every man and their dog was there looking for the released Salmon. Left about 4 after a good 6 hours of rowing and fishing. Great exercise. And it was nice to get a reasonable fish on the fly.

The Sunday started at Four Springs. This was only my second visit, and like my first visit it was blowing a gale and you couldnt cast a fly or lure. I drove away, but a mile away decided to turn back and at least give it a try. I waded the shore near the boat ramp. The wind was howling onto the shore, and all I could do was wade out as far as I could and cast back towards the shore. Amazingly, and despite lots of wading warnings, this part of the lake had good wading and a gentle slope, so I could get a fair way from the weedy shoreline. Casting into the weeds I got a savage take from a 3lb fish that fought well above its weight. A spectacular fish! No more touches so I gave up at Lunch and went to Brushy Lagoon. The wind was worse their, and I managed one tiny redfin. I headed back to Four Springs and tried the shoreline again, this time going to the right of the boatramp. Got another trout, but this was a small 1/2 pound fish. Finally, as it was getting late I got another savage take from a large fish that broke me off. Called it a day and went home to pack for Sydney the next day.

Openning Day

Went to the Tyenna. Got there at 7:00 -- there was already a car at the salmon farm. Went up to the weir. Got a nice fish on the first cast, and got 3 more in the next 10 minutes. Someone else arrived, so I went home at 7:30

Elizabeth wanted to go fishing the next day, so I took her. We had a platypuss swim past, and she got a nice trout on soft plastics.

Tilting at windmills with a fly rod!

Met up with Jeroen for pike fishing in Holland. We were supposed to be casting large gurglers for big fish. Unfortunately, the weather had been cold, so the pike werent co-operating. Even worse, the day was bright and sunny. We did see lots of carp spawning. And lots of Rudd. I finally caught some Rudd on a unweighted nymph. They were surprisingly hard to catch -- they would rush the fly and engulf it, but there was no line movement to show that a take had occurred. So I missed the vast majority of strikes.

The day was fantastic - -I got to see lots of Holland, and Jeroen was a great host. A most memorable day!!!!

A fantastic day with Eric

Went out in Eric's boat with Eric and Elizabeth. (No -- I didnt just take Eric's boat and leave Eric behind!)

The day started off windy and choppy, but the wind calmed down and the day was fantastic. Clear, Blue, Warm. Just perfect!!!!

We started at South Arm, near the pidgeon holes, and drifted as we fished. Got a few little flathead, and then Eric got a reasonable Couta on a soft plastic that was at mid depths. Also managed some wrasse and gurnards. Elizabeth got something strong that jumped -- we suspect a salmon.

Eventually we motored to the iron pot and anchored, and Eric threw out the berley pot. A TON of fish suddely appeared at the back of the boat. They looked like some sort of mackerel. And underneath them were couta. I couldnt resist, and got out the fly outfit to try. And all of a sudden all the fish disappeared! It was like a switch had just turned them off. Eric surmises that something large had swum up for a look. I did get a bite off on a fly, but no hookups.

With no action, we went over to Blackmans bay, and got some more flathead and an octopus. Then in and home.

A fantastic day though -- just fantastic. And Elizabeth caught more fish than I did :)

Further Brushy Lagoon trials

Managed to sneak out after work. It was bright and sunny with no wind, and the lagoon was packed -- I counted 5 other cars! There was a kayack and two small aluminium dinghies out on the lagoon, with the rest fishing off the bank.

Tried out in the middle near the sunken timber, for 2x small redfin. Moved over to some reeds, and got a bunch of redfin and something larger. The something larger swam into a weed bed and flicked off. Got another 8x small redfin before it got dark and had to head home.

Brushy Lagoon

Tried the outcast fishcat for the first time. Awesome. Though I need a rod holder. 10x small redfin, but the trout were rising near me, so there were fish to be caught! Day was bright and sunny with no wind.

Getting wet with Eric

Eric called, and amongst work stuff we decided to go out for a fish on the Saturday morning. The plan was we would calle ach other at 8:00 am and decide what to do.

I had a tense Friday night (lost my Maharajah wargame), and woke up at 4:00 am on Saturday. After some early morning putzing, I headed down to Erics place, to be there at 8:00 am on the dot. The river was mirror calm - perfect for fishing / boating. I got to Erics, planning to call him and announce I was outside. But shock horror -- I didnt have his phone number in my mobile. And the house looked asleep. No worries -- I went to the end of Kingston beach (a few hundred meters away)and fished off the rocks. Got a follow from a small squid when using a yellow soft plastic.

Eric called, and said he would get the boat out and come around and pick me up, but that the wind was picking up. I walked towards the beach, leaving the rocks. In the 100 meters I walked the wind picked up dramatically. Suddenly you couldnt see the other side of the channel. Eric called to say it was too rough, and we decided to go to the fishing shop, and then down to NW river.

Fishing shop was fun. Eric bought a new life-preserver -- something I need to do too at some point.

Went to NW river. There was a guy fly fishing at the carpark, but he hadnt had much luck. We walked down stream and fished, but no luck. We kept going down and fished the estury. Eric got a descent flathead. The we walked back to the car, picking blackberries. The path went right along the river bank, and Eric joked about what would happen if he fell in. I volunteered that I would make sure his equipment had a good home. Then not 50 yards later, I wasnt paying attention where I placed my feet, and I toppled in. I remember thinking I have a choice how to fall, and twisting my body so my upper body landed on dry land, but the bottom half was soaked.
Like all good fishermen, I had a change of clothes in the car, so I change clothes and we went home. All in all a good days fishing -- lots happened!

Conningham

Went out in the morning while there was still some cloud cover. Slowly drifted around past the sphinx. Got 25 flathead and 1 gurnard. While fishing for flathead all of a sudden the water behind me started boiling with blackbacks. Cast out and lost one. The water went quiet. And a strong wind came up. Started rowing back to conningham, trolling as I went. It was HARD going. Then the rod went over -- with a squid! Another squid was trying to eat the first one as I bought it in! I had to anchor and rest for a while. While anchored I span from the boat, and got a blackback. Finally rowed back against the head wind, totally knackered.

Went out in the late afternoon, after the wind had quieted down. As I walked down to the beach a school of blackbacks went ballistic right off the sphinx. I rowed over there toot sweet but no salmon to be found. Got 30 flathead and 4 octopus (or possibly the one octopus 4 times!). Finally started rowing back and trolling, and got two blackbacks.

Got home and Elizabeth and Saranya wanted to go out. So off again. Just off the beach. Elizabeth got 8 flathead and a cod. Saranya got 4 flathead. And I got 4 flathead and a cod. All small.

Conningham

Went to the beach again at night. This time just with spinning gear. Elizabeth hooked about 5 before I got one. I switched to a soft plastic, and even though I could only cast out half the distance, I was getting a fish a cast. Stopped at 8 fish each.

Conningham

Went to the shack. On the previous evening at dusk we saw a fisherman on the shore. I had to go and speak to him, and as we watched he hooked something large that ran out to the middle of the bay, breaking his 40lb line!

I got the surf rod, some bluebait, and Elizabeth and I went down for the evening to try to replicate the trick. Chucked out the bait, but got nothing. But Elizabeth and I span of the shore and got a bunch of fish. At least, Elizabeth got a bunch of fish :( lol. All small flathead.

St Pat's

Drove to the St Pat's river. Drive is 15min to the first fishable spot, and 30 mins to the last spot on the highway. (40 mins if you go up the road into the state forest). Fished at the last spot on the Tasman highway.

Got one small brown on a nymph, and had 2 small rises I missed. Found a pool FULL of rising fish, but no response. Then got a rainbow on a royal wulff. Saw a platypuss up close.

Had two sheep come up close to say hello -- very affectionate! No eating lamb anymore!!!!

Secret Spot

Figured out someone elses secret spot. Always a danger if you post pictures on the internet!

They had lots of pictures of big fish caught on soft plastics. I managed to get to the spot, but was using fly gear. Managed one nice fish (25cm) of a wooley bugger. Was broken off by something bigger -- but who knows how big. I guess not that big -- it was in fast water and I guess it was an aggressive rainbow. Then worked upstream and found some large pools with very slow water movement. No results there -- but the water was fishy. Also, it was hard to fly cast into some of the pools -- far better with soft plastics.

Moved on to the Meander. Got a small fish on a wooley bugger. And found a great stretch to fish for the future.

Huntsman Dam

Went to hunstman dam after work. Almost an hour to drive there from Launceston. A smallish lake surrounded by hills. Not too windy -- but windy enough to make my casting abysmal. Fished the north shore, where the Meander River came in. At this point the Meander is small pocket water, with no pools for fish of any size. Didnt see any fish in the lake, and lost a lot of flies to the drowned scrub. The dam is not particularly fish friendly -- it is gated with electronic gates that close at 8:00 pm. So its hard to stay for the evening rise.

Left and stopped at the Meander river at the town of Meander. Saw fish rising immediately, and tried with the dry fly. Got two takes on a Royal Coachman, and one on an Elk Hair Caddis. But missed them all. Switched to a wooley bugger fished down and accross, and almost immediately got a nice fish (30cm), followed by losing another nice fish.

Bellerive Bluff

Went for a 1/2 hour at 6.30 am. No fish, and despite the water being mirror calm, a fair swell. So I left before I got too wet!