Shades Fishing News

TASMANIAN freshwater anglers, normally content to cast a line and forget about distractions such as the economy and politics, are mobilising for the fight of their lives.

They fear the centrepiece of a $115 million world famous trout fishing industry — Arthurs Lake, in Tasmania’s highlands — is under threat from an ill-conceived irrigation scheme.

More broadly, they are concerned the rush to “drought-proof Tasmania” with a series of 11 irrigation schemes, costing taxpayers $240 million, could create an ecological disaster on the scale of the Murray-Darling.

“We have got a crisis on the doorstop of Tasmania’s lakes and the Government is talking about 11 irrigation schemes for which there is no known science and which promise to alter the nature of Tasmania,” says Richard Dax, executive officer of Anglers Alliance Tasmania.

Mr Dax is marshalling his forces to oppose one of the first ofthe irrigation schemes, the Arthurs Lake Pipeline.

It is a $61 million plan to take up to 28,000 megalitres of water each year from Arthurs Lake to the lower midlands, where — 73km away — decades of drought have farmers in despair.

The problem is that Arthurs Lake, like many of Tasmania’s highland lakes, is also feeling the effects of record low rainfalls.

A mecca in Tasmania’s brown trout fishery, Arthurs Lake is already 5.4m below full supply, according to fishermen.

If it drops further, they fear turbidity — murkiness — will become a problem here as it has in other “over-exploited” lakes, such as Lake Sorell and Lake Crescent.

Turbidity is a turn-off to anglers and cashed-up tourists who flock to the region.

Former guide Neil Grose, publisher of The Tasmanian Sportsfisher, says: “The whole economy up here is built around fishing — the place exists because of trout fishing.”

Mr Dax will next week begin talks with the conservation movement to broaden the fight beyond the state’s 30,000 anglers.

Turbidity is already an occasional problem in Arthurs Lake and Mr Dax says the water level has fallen 1.5m below a level set in 1993 in an agreement between fishermen and Hydro Tasmania.

Anglers are demanding a full environmental impact study before the pipeline proceeds and argue endangered species, including freshwater crayfish and several species of galaxias fish, are also at risk.

The body responsible for the Arthurs Lake Pipeline proposal is the Tasmanian Irrigation Development Board.

It argues the loss of 28,000ML a year from the lake for irrigation will be compensated by Hydro no longer diverting exactly the same quantity for power generation.

But with Hydro dams still only at 30 per cent capacity because of lack of rainfall, the argument is not washing with fishermen.

“If these drought conditions continue, it is quite likely the Hydro will want their bit as well,” Mr Dax says.

Water is already being diverted from Arthurs Lake to Lake River to meet the uncapped rights of a number of irrigators.

Irrigation Board chief executive Jock Chudacek concedes there is no guarantee Hydro will not decide to divert water for power generation, but argues the irrigation deal does nothing to increase the potential demands on the lake. He agrees, however, that action is needed to end uncapped water rights for the Lake River irrigators.

And he assures anglers that all irrigation schemes will be subject to environmental impact studies.

Alan Harradine, the Tasmanian Government’s general manager of Water Resources, is urging calm. He says all water development proposals will need to meet state and federal statutory approval processes and National Water Initiative requirements.

Source: The Australian

The annual trout season in NSW will close at midnight on Monday 9 June to allow brown, rainbow and brook trout a chance to breed uninterrupted, Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald said today.

“Designated trout streams will be closed to recreational fishing after the June long weekend and will reopen prior to the October long weekend at midnight on Friday 3 October, enabling trout fishers to fish during both long weekends.

“All trout dams remain open to fishing all year, which will allow fishers to continue their sport throughout the year,” he said.

Mr Macdonald said NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in conjunction with the acclimatisation societies has been stocking our trout dams and rivers for many years.

“During the previous 12 months, about two-and-a-half-million trout have been stocked into our waterways.

“The recreational fishing industry is a major part of many local economies and in the Snowy Mountains region alone, it is estimated to inject $70 million a year into the local economy and support 700 jobs.

“Other renowned trout fishing centres include the New England region and the Central and Southern Highlands.

“Keen anglers will continue to flock to popular winter fishing spots such as Lakes Jindabyne and Eucumbene, Oberon Dam near Bathurst, Tantangara and Talbingo Dams near Tumut and Lake Wallace and Thompson’s Creek Dam near Lithgow,” he said.

NSW DPI Supervising Fisheries Officer South West Zone, Peter Tilbrook, said any rain in the mountain areas would assist with the natural breeding of brown, rainbow and brook trout. Murray crayfish cannot be taken from trout waters at any time.

“NSW DPI fisheries officers will be out in force during the June long weekend to advise anglers on the fishing laws, enforce size and bag limits and ensure NSW fishing rules were being obeyed,” he said.

Anglers should check they have a current NSW Recreational Fishing Licence, available from more than 1100 agents including bait and tackle stores and K-Mart, online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/licence-fee or on 1300 369 365.

People found without a licence can be issued with on-the-spot penalties of $200.

“Money raised from the recreational licence is placed in Trusts, overseen by angler representatives, and can only be used to create better recreational fishing opportunities,” Mr Tilbrook said.

Detailed information on trout fishing rules can be found in the NSW DPI Freshwater Fishing Guide, NSW DPI fisheries offices, the website www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/recreational/regulations and most bait and tackle stores.

Photo available from sarahc@sf.nsw.gov.au

Media contact: Sarah Chester (02) 6036 2110 or O417 207 669

GREAT salmon were caught in and around the Leven River last weekend, mainly on silver lures and bait.

These fish were down deeper than usual, so a heavier lure, sinker or jighead is the ticket, especially when the current is running.

The rain earlier this week may have flushed these fish out for a few days, but they have been super consistent over the last few months, and are very likely to return.

Give it a few days to settle and the fresh to flush out and the Leven would be well worth a look.

Good salmon are also being caught at Marrawah, and have also been running in the Inglis on and off.

With more and more fishos switching to braided line, especially for winter casting and bottom fishing, we are getting plenty of queries about this style of line.

Braided line is super low diameter, so it improves casting distance, and also has very little stretch, so you can feel everything happening at the end of the line.

The low diameter also allows you to fish significantly heavier line if required - it is possible to spin cast with lines of up to 50lb!

Following are a few tips that will allow you to enjoy all the significant benefits of braid and minimise the frustrations.

Not all reels are suitable for running braid, plastic spools are a definite problem as the line will cut the spool.

A `worm drive’ oscillation system on your reel is a big advantage as it lays the braid on the spool much more smoothly and evenly, this minimises looping and tangles when casting.

When loading spools with braid, run a couple of layers of monofilament on first and then attach the braid - otherwise the braid will slip on the spool under load.

As a rule, fill your spool only to about 80 per cent full.

Buy the best braid you can afford, as better lines have coatings or additives to stiffen the braid slightly, again minimising tangles.

Keep an eye on the line, especially during the first couple of winds after a cast when there is less pressure on.

If you see a loop on the spool, don’t keep fishing - run the line out behind the boat or along the shore.

If fishing very light jigheads or lures, especially into the wind, looping is more likely.

In these conditions, every 10th cast or so I turn around and fire a long cast with the wind or with the current.

This straightens the line out and allows you to wind back onto the spool with pressure against the line.

Finally, I recommend investing in a good pair of braid scissors - these make cutting this line much easier and stand up to the braid, unlike many pliers and nippers which very quickly go blunt.

If you would like more info regarding braid, knots to use, leaders to tie on, or anything else, feel free to call in.

Tight lines.

Source: The Advocate Tasmania

The Director of Inland Fisheries, John Diggle, today attended the Trout Weekend at Liawenee, Great Lake, along with anglers and their families, to celebrate the wild Tassie brown trout, the icon of Tasmania’s world-class trout fishery.

“The Inland Fisheries Service Trout Weekend, which is held at Liawenee in May each year, is a very popular social occasion for both anglers and their beloved fish,” Mr Diggle said.

“It’s based on the annual spawning migration of the famous wild Tasmanian brown trout, which was introduced to the state over 140 years ago,” he said.

“Hundreds of adult fish swim upstream in the Liawenee Canal from Great Lake at this time of the year to lay their eggs.

“These magnificent fish are offspring of the original trout shipped as eggs from England in 1864,” said Mr Diggle.

“Service staff trap the fish and harvest the eggs over the weekend. The eggs are taken to the Service’s hatchery at New Norfolk and the Salmon Ponds and grown into young fish.

“During the following season, when the fish have matured to ‘fingerling’ or ‘handling’ stage and have a good chance of survival, they are released into selected waters throughout the state.

“This harvesting and restocking of wild brown trout has been carried out in Tasmania for many years and the angling community has always been closely involved.

“The Weekend has become a family tradition in the highlands and amongst anglers, and over recent years there’s been significant public and tourist interest in the event.

“The good turn-out of people today marks another successful year for the Service and shows just how much Tasmanians love their trout fishing,” said Mr Diggle.

Mr Diggle went on to thank the angling clubs, the local highland community and the fishing tackle businesses for their ongoing support to the Service and this weekend’s event.

Source: Tasmanian Inland Fisheries (Tas.gov.au Media Site)

Extensions to Jindabyne’s Gaden fish hatchery will be officially opened today in the Snowy Mountains.

The new hatching room at the government-owned operation has cost almost $280,000 to build and replaces a facility that has been in use since the 1960s.

The Member for Monaro, Steve Whan, will perform today’s opening at Jindabyne, representing the Fisheries Minister.

Trout fishing in the Snowy Mountains is a $70 million industry and is estimated to support up to 700 jobs.

Mr Whan says the new building at the Gaden trout hatchery will better accommodate the increased production and produce higher quality, stronger fish which will be better equipped to survive in the wild.

Most of the money for the new hatching facility has come from the Government’s recreational fishing licence fees.

Source: ABC News

WOMEN anglers will pit their skills against Dartmouth’s wily brown and rainbow trout on November 23 and 24.

The Dartmouth Women’s Fishing Classic carries more than $5000 in prizes.

A catch and release tournament, the event is restricted to women anglers, although under tournament rules, men can participate as skippers of boats and guides.

And the men won’t miss out in the prize stakes — a Minn Kota trolling motor is the prize in a major draw for skippers.

Club president Robyn Scales said competitors could fish on their own, in a team of two, or as a club with a team of four.

Mrs Scales said there would be a prize each day for the best brown and the best rainbow.

Competitors had to photograph each fish caught before releasing it.

The weekend would also involve a “fashions on the fishing fields” competition and country music entertainment.

Registration can be made through www.dartmouth.net.au or by phoning Ann Shipcott on (02) 6072 4364 or Mrs Scales on (02) 6072 4233.

Source : The Border Mail

If you haven’t been to www.gvffc.com I suggest you make the effort You can subscribe to various news feeds and podcasts, and don’t miss their video fishing reports! GVFFC is the place to check out if visiting the Goulburn Valley region of Victoria, Australia, and wanting to find out the lay of the water.