8/16/2023 0 Comments Squeed invasionThere are not a whole heap of vessels that have power winch or windlass (the term windlass is an engineering term for a horizontal drum used to raise and lower something via a rope stored on the drum). Now I say easily as it’s simple to drop anchor, but it is the pulling up that is the crux of our issue here in Tasmania. This trip highlighted once again, just how much we are missing out on in Tasmania by not having the ability to easily fish at anchor. I did however spear a good-sized one once but Mozz was quick to point out that didn’t count. Snapper, of course, were on the target species list as Mozz had never caught one and I have only ever caught little ones off the Mornington Pier. I was again lucky enough to be away with Adrian ‘Mozza’ Morrisby and we managed to get out on Port Phillip Bay for the very first time. Grasshoppers are not just confined to the fly fishing fraternity and everyone can enjoy this time of year when the grasshopper becomes the number one food of choice! Good news for fly fishers is the start of the hopper fun. The last few weeks will see the mayflies start to dissipate until their return in mid to late February. There will still be plenty of action from the array of hatches right into mid to late January. To avoid frustration and busting your treasured fly rod over your knee a couple of times you may wish to delay a visit until you have already notched up a few trout from easier waters. The catch rate is on average a bit lower but the satisfaction of sighting and tricking a wild western trout makes it worth the effort. The Western Lakes are equally exceptional in their fishing and degree of difficulty. Lake St Clair is also an awesome area to try your luck. Having limited knowledge of the best places to have a crack I asked a guru and the word came back to try the bays of Lake Echo, the western side of Great Lake, and shores of the Brady's chain of lakes. If you are just starting out, find some areas that have clear water and not too much for the fish to hide themselves under (you won’t be the first person to make repeated presentation to a fish-shaped rock either!). Traditionally this is between 10am and 4pm. Sight fishing is best when the sun is high allowing great penetration into the water surface. The clear bright conditions will allow you to use your polarised eyewear to great effect. If you are a fly fisher of any kind these are happy days as it will allow even a novice to try their hand at polaroiding. If we all cross our fingers together we should see some hot, cloudless blue sky days in January. Squid, mullet, striped tuna and salmon are all great baits to have on board. Mako are voracious eaters but at times they can be surprisingly finicky. Fear not, as that is also the beauty of shark fishing – expect the unexpected! Get into your local tackle store and get some gear that will tailor to Tasmanian conditions, find out any info and stock up on a variety of baits. Once we get over the 6 hour mark and not see a fish, the bottom lips start to drag. When they are in good numbers a 4hr stint should have something of interest at the back of the boat. If you come across some schools of bait on the sounder or on the surface visually, pull up and make a start. Do not get sucked into thinking you need to find a lot of depth. They have the ability to pull hard and go on scorching runs, bog down deep and then scream for the surface and on into the air, which is why we don’t fight them from a static boat and trundle off as they take the bait. These are without doubt Tasmania’s adrenalin fish. It was a quite strange sight given the early appearance and water temps. They are normally found cruising with Oceanic white tip sharks and favour the warmer water. They are banded black and white and can grow as large as 60cm in length. These little fish are of the same ilk as a remora, apart from they don’t suck on they just swim beside their host, and they feed on the ectoparasites and the leftovers around the shark. What was of interest on one particular session was the pilot fish swimming alongside the sharks. These guys are ok to have the kids practice on but hardly put up a fight, and I am yet to find a way to make them taste any good. Some anglers were suggesting makos were getting thick, as being harassed while bottom dropping was quite regular, and in very early December we saw an increased number of blue sharks seen in berley trails. The temps came on in the later half towards Christmas and they look set to continue to rise well into January. This had the mako shark fishers scratching their heads. The weather was a little indifferent at the start of December and the water temps were slow to come up.
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