INDIANANGLER

Tasmanian Trout 

I am preparing my gear for trout fishing in Tasmania and I always find this preparation to be almost as exciting as the actual fishing.

It is perhaps the anticipation that causes the excitement in any angler,for who knows .. one could catch a big one on this trip or perhaps many big ones. Then there is always the chance of catching a different species.

I find that I start my preparations several weeks in advance by collecting everything under the sun .... I then fine tune things each day
until I feel that I have trimmed the gear to the absolute essentials.

Choosing the gear can be a tough choice,especially if one has not been to a new location.

How many rods and reels to take, what sizes,what lures and how many,what line should one use,braid or mono,what clothes to take for the variable weather conditions, emergency gear,rain gear,formal wear for going out to eat in the evening at the Lodge or restaurants
(very important if you are going with the wife on a trip).

Furthermore, one has to research the locations,get maps and directions,ensure a suitable vehicle is available for hire and that it is properly equipped for the journey.

One also looks at the advance forecast for the weather in the area,so that one is forewarned of any possible storms or flooding which would make some locations inaccessible.

We have not even touched upon the flight schedules,the type of luggage to be taken..... dedicated duffle bags to hold the waders and travel rods and rain gear as well as the standard Samsonite type of suitcases to hold the "good" clothes.

It is tough being a traveling angler!

Continued.....

Wish you good luck!! Looking forward for the report..

Thank you, Venkat.

This time, I am doing things a bit differently.

You are all going on this trip with me! I will be reporting on a day by day basis as the trip only starts next week.

So we have no idea what will happen and what the fishing is going to be like.

Slightly different from the trip reports filed after the event has taken place.

Regards,
Kingfish

Can't wait to see some big fish pics Good luck

Maruthu

Hello Maruthu,

Thank you for the good wishes .... looking forward to your reports as well!

I am going to try using Photobucket for the pics this time, as advised by Venkat.

Kind regards,
Kingfish

The final packing is just about done.

3 rods.... A St. Croix 4piece Triumph ,a telescopic 7ft.Abu Garcia as a standby (or if the better half wishes to fish) and a Shimano 8ft telescopic for heavier fishing( sea run trout or some shore fishing).

3 reels. ... 2 Shimano Sahara 2500 and a new Penn Fierce 4000.
The first ones with 6lb  mono and braid line and the last one with 20lb braid and 20lb leader.

Lure box full of Mepps and Blue Fox spinners,Toby and Dardevle spoons,Tassie Devils, Rapala CD5 and jointed plugs plus some other lures.

The Fishing Vest contains:

Braid scissors,Swiss Army knife, Fox whistle for emergency help,mini torch,spare glasses ,Polaroid glasses, insect repellent,
hand sanitizer,chocolate bar.

The rear pouch contains a mini first aid kit,a spare spool of 6 lb mono and 6lb fluoro leader, candle,Bic lighter ,compression bandages.

I always carry a mini lure box in the fishing vest,the present box contains the following lures (mostly tried and tested):

.Rapala CD7 in brown trout colour - it caught a 5lb rainbow trout first cast in a lake in New Zealand.

.Canadian Gibbs Croc 3/16 oz spoon ,silver with orange stripe ... It caught mini Kokanee salmon in a lake in BC,Canada.

.Blue Fox feathered spinner in rainbow trout pattern ... caught rainbows in New South Wales,Australia on the Tumut River.

.Celtas #3 spinner ... popular in Australia,it is in a green and gold colour(recommended by the lodge owner in Tasmania).

.Toby 10gm spoon ... In black with gold stripes, used to deadly effect in New Zealand on rainbow trout and sea run trout.

.Mepps #3 spinner .. Feathered, rainbows in New Zealand loved it.

.Tassie Devil. .. Yellow wing with striped body, a lure the Aussies swear by, yet I have to catch a trout on it!

So, there we have it.

Did I forget anything?

Kingfish

Yes.

I forgot to mention that I have also packed soft plastics, along with jig heads in various weights.

Soft plastics seem to be used quite successfully for catching trout and are in the top list of lures used by quite a few anglers in this part of the world.... we shall see!

Camera ... of course, in fact two (small Canon digital and an iPhone).

Kingfish

Contd...

Hey Kingfish,

Looks like you are fully prepared and ready to go. It sounds like a wonderful trip in the making so I wish you a great time. And of course we are all eagerly waiting your report.

I remember seeing a picture of a massive Tassie trout with a rapala cd 7 hanging from the corner of it's mouth! It was a beautiful fish caught in a picture perfect river, which flowed through an amazing virgin forest...:) and the funny thing was the author of the piece said this fish was just 'average' for the area!

all the best, Scott

Thanks Scott.

Please do give any tips that you can, as you have fished extensively in Australia.

Tasmania is big tiger snake country !

How did you deal with snakes when you fished the Northern Territory (?), I seem to recall reading your article a while ago.

I do have waders as well as heavy nylon lined trousers, which I used extensively in India.

Regards,
Kingfish

Hi Kingfish,

To be honest I didn't see as many snakes as I expected. Those that I did see usually heard me coming and cleared out pretty quick, whether it was into the river or into some thick undergrowth.

I was actually more concerned with the crocodile threat, particularly of course when I was camped in the vicinity of the river.

The crocodiles were obviously there, but could easily be avoided by following some simple rules, much like the snakes. The real pests were the swarms of mosquitoes and hoards of biting march (horse) flies and spiders.

I would suggest you take some good insect repellent/head net just encase you encounter these little menaces. And if you plan to camp at all, make sure your tent is 100 per-cent insect proof.

As for the snakes; I imagine you will be fishing well vegetated banks and rocky rivers- good conditions to surprise a snake so move slowly and confidently so they hear/see/sense you coming and have time to move away, which they will do unless they feel trapped/cornered. But I wouldn't be overly worried...just watch your step and don't go walking through deep swathes of grass/brush where you can't see your feet. If you have too walk in such places, then announce your presence with a stick...

A pair of thick gaiters might be a good idea too if you are wearing your trousers (as opposed to waders) while fishing. I don't personally wear gaiters but many people rate them highly because they keep out any unwanted pests such as spiders. I doubt there will be a leech problem in Tassie but gaiters will be a very welcome bit of kit if there is!

Your waders will be the other option. If they are neoprene then it is a nice bit of padding/insulation and protection. But saying that, neoprene waders usually have in-built boots, which might not be the best. It might be better to have a look at some felt bottomed wading boots..these could be invaluable if you are walking over slippery rocks.


All the best, Scott

Some valuable advice there,Scott.

I will try and get a guide with a boat,although I understand that most of them are fully booked for the season.

This would avoid the reptile problem and also get me into the better fishing areas.

Failing this, I will try and avoid the more dangerous areas although this may minimize my chances of catching fish.

Regards,
Kingfish

A bit about Tasmania.

As most of you will know, it is an island off the southern tip of Australia,with a population of about 500,000 or so.

The main attributes of the island are it's varied and scenic beauty and it is called the Apple Isle because fruit,such as apples and now cherries, grows well in it's climate.

Furthermore, it produces excellent wines,great seafood and cheeses.

It has a thriving tourism industry and all types of tourists are catered for,be they campers or rich folk who are catered for by some rather nice hotels and resorts.Food of every type is available in the restaurants, be it Asian fusion or Thai,Chinese and also Indian.

Some good beer is made here and my relatives from India were full of praise for the James Boag beer they tasted on a visit here.

Quite a large part of the tourist numbers consist of anglers, who are drawn to the trout fishing in the numerous rivers and lakes in Tasmania, which has the purest strain of wild,brown trout in the world.
The trout were painstakingly transported ,in the 1800's, as roe from England and it took several attempts before they were successfully transplanted.
By the way, Atlantic salmon are farmed in the ocean around Tasmania,although I understand there are escapees one may catch occasionally in the lakes and rivers.

Wildlife... they have the unique Tasmanian Devil, a ferocious little guy.Sadly, the Tasmanian tiger (actually a dog like creature with stripes on it's body) is now extinct, the last one died in captivity in 1930.

There are reports of occasional sightings of the latter but nothing concrete,perhaps I may be lucky to spot one!

Lots of sheep farming and dairy cattle.

Oops...I forgot the most important part. Tasmania produces a single malt whiskey which is rated No.1 in the world (it is named Sullivan's).Rest assured it is going to be my first drink in Tasmania!

Kingfish


Contd....

hey Kingfish, thanks for the write up about Tasmania. I think we are all a little more envious now!

Beautiful surroundings, good fishing, good beer and whisky.....It is definitely a gem of a spot. I wish I had made it there while I was in Australia :) looks like a return trip will be needed one day! I'm really looking forward to your trip report so make sure your camera works hard throughout the trip!!

And I really don't think you should worry too much about our reptilian friends. Chances are they will keep a low profile.

All the best, Scott

Thanks Scott, hope you make it to Tasmania someday.

We reached Launceston in Tasmania last night, it is only a short flight of 2 hours from Sydney.

Sad to say that the restaurant we had booked for the Sullivan's Cove malt whisky was out of stock!

They said this was "due to a worldwide scarcity" of this whisky...can you believe it?

Anyhow, the first order of business today is to pick up the inland fishing licence from a tackle shop and also to buy some local lures ... will post pictures of these in due course.

After that, we leave Launceston and drive for 2-3 hours to reach our lodge where we will spend three days, interspersed with fishing the lakes and rivers in that area.

The weather should be fine with highs of 22 degrees Celsius and mainly clear.

To be contd....

Right, got my fishing licence. It is valid for 7 days and cost A$37.

Secondly, I picked up several of the following Tasmanian lures:

.Lofty's Cobra ...very similar to a Tassie Devil. The shop assistant advised me to choose a green and gold frog pattern and a red and black banded
one.I also chose a "spotted dog" pattern which is unique to Australia.

. Ashley spinner .... To those of you who remember a Devon Minnow lure, this is the Tasmanian version.I got 2-3 in smaller sizes and colours for river spinning and a silver one for possible sea trout at a river mouth flowing into the ocean.

We left Launceston midday and then I stopped at a good looking spot on the Mersey River,which had a deep pool and then a riffled section.

I put on the Spotted Dog and did a couple of casts to see how the lure ran.
You have to reel it very slowly for it to work properly so that it darts from side to side,any faster and it simply barrel rolls.

I made several fan casts across the river and into the pool but there was no action.It was perhaps too hot and the sun was overhead,so any trout in that place would be down deep, where I was not willing to send the lure in case I lost it.

I think that at a later stage, I will explore these deeper pools with a soft plastic that can sink to the bottom and be jigged back ... a valuable lesson
learnt in a few minutes.

Inland Fisheries in Tasmania also produce "Angler's Access" maps for each area that one can fish,,detailing shore based access as well as boat ramps
plus other info of interest.

These are available free of cost at any tackle shop and I did pick several, covering likely areas where I will fish.

Kingfish

To be contd.....

Yesterday, it was decided to drive to the West Coast of Tasmania with a two fold purpose.

Firstly, it was for sightseeing and secondly to try for seatrout at the Henty and Pieman River, which flow into the ocean.

The drive was through mountainous country and we underrated the drive time required, overshooting our schedule by several hours.

I stopped at a mountain lake which held rainbow trout and fished with the new Spotted Dog colored Cobra lure, which did get a bite but the fish left it quickly before it could be caught.

The problem with the Fisheries in Tasmania is that they produce great
" Anglers Access" maps but do not signpost the accesses, unlike New
Zealand.

As a result, we missed the various tracks leading to the rivers and when we did take a turn off that we thought would lead to the river mouth, we wound up walking amid endless sand dunes with no ocean or river in sight.

Quite frustrating!

We then headed back inland and fished various small lakes without success
and then reached Lake Mackenzie in the evening.

This is a beautiful lake next to a craggy mountain with a clear shoreline so that one could safely walk for long stretches and cast lures into the tannin stained waters.

The conditions were perfect, slighty overcast sky with a gentle wind ruffling the lake surface and I tried using a wide variety of lures, with no luck.

On this trip, we saw our first two tiger snakes.The first one was trying to cross the road while I was driving, so I swerved and avoided running it over.
Live and let live... Hope the snake reciprocates!

The second was a smaller one near the edge of the road but it was dead,
possibly run over but there was nothing to indicate that,so who knows?

Yeah, it was a frustrating day but you have to accept that this happens in fishing.

Kingfish

to be continued.....

Thanks for the report Kingfish!

Can you please share some pics of landscapes that you come across?

Hope you enjoy the food and the local wine there after a hectic day....

In the mean while, there are plenty of big fish waiting for you. Good luck!

Maruthu

Hello Maruthu,

Yes, I am taking a lot of pictures of the scenery and natural features which will be posted upon my return to Sydney shortly.

Tasmania is really quite spectacular with rain forests ,as well as scenery reminiscent to that of Canada what with high
mountains and lakes..... the seacoast has beautiful beaches.

The food and wine ... the lodge promotes fresh Tasmanian produce and wines at it's meals and the resident chef is very good!

All the best,
Kingfish

Yesterday morning was spent resting from the really long and tiring trip to the West Coast.In the evening, we left for a walk and fishing at the nearby Dove Lake,which is a lake resting in the foothills of the Cradle Mountain.

This is an iconic Tasmanian high lake and is extremely popular with tourists,who come from all over the world to trek around it's perimeter.
The walk is beautifully maintained with tracks cum boardwalks and takes about 4 hours to complete,with shuttle buses running back and forth from a designated station to the lake and back.

The lake is in a National Park and you have to buy a day entrance permit,which cost us A$ 37.

We had our rods and fly vests with us as Dove Lake has a population of brown trout which average about 400 grams,with an occasional fish going over the one lb mark.The fishing guide leaflet had suggested that Cobra and smaller Rapalas were the most productive lures for this lake.

On our way, we saw a person flyfishing in the shallows while we proceeded to a beautiful small beach with white sand pebbles.

On my third cast with the Spotted Dog Cobra lure, I had a fish on. It fought strongly,albeit briefly, jumped and spat the hook out.I then tried to raise it again without success,tried changing to a Rapala CD5 in the brown trout pattern but there was no further interest from it.

We then left for another beach we could see some distance away and tried the same lures again, interspersed with some Celtas spinners but there was no more action.

We were being constantly interrupted by tourists asking if we had caught any fish,whether there were fish in the lake and of what type .Some of them were from China and Japan,others were English and we also had a trio from the subcontinent interrupt us,making it difficult to concentrate on our fishing.

We waited until it was late evening so that we could target rising trout but there were no rises.

It was time to return to the lodge.

Kingfish
contd......

Out of Internet coverage , will resume later.

Kingfish

It is sad that you missed the fish!! yes it is sometimes very frustrating when people come a ask some unrelated stuff when the bite is on..
Waiting to see pictures of the place and fishes!! Gook luck.

Venkatesan.

A lot has happened since the trip to Dove Lake.

The last two days were earmarked for fishing in Great Lake and Arthurs Lake in the middle of Tasmania.These lakes are vast bodies of water and are considered to be the Mecca for trout anglers,with the average catch being quite high.

We arrived at our chosen lodge, manned by a very knowledgeable person who spent a good deal of time explaining to us where to shore fish and with what type of lures.

He also promised us that he would find either a guide to take us out in a boat on the lake or make some other arrangement which would be suitable.

It was now late afternoon and we started fishing various bays with Cobras and the Ashley spinners as these were the only lures heavy enough to be cast into the strong wind blowing against us.

The Rapala CD 5s ,Mepps and other spinners would have been too light to cast out under these conditions.The shoreline was littered with large rocks and one had to be careful of one's footing, so as not to sprain an ankle and more importantly, not to step on any snakes.

The spinning was nonproductive but we did meet two anglers who had caught a rainbow trout in a boat, trolling Ashley spinners.They offered the fish to us but we politely declined.

We then checked out various other bays and realized that it was going to be quite tough to catch anything on such huge bodies of water.

Upon our return to the lodge,we had some good news!

The lodge manager had been true to his word and introduced us to an elderly gentleman, who had a boat and was willing to take us fishing on the lake. As a bonus, he was also a lure fisherman ,so things were looking up.

At the bar, we exchanged notes with the other anglers staying there and everyone was griping upon the lack of success in catching a trout.

Somewhat placated, we retired early for the night.

Kingfish

to be contd.....

The next day dawned with very strong winds blowing from the northeast,causing huge waves to form on the lakes with whitecaps.

We spent the morning trying to find sheltered spots from where we could cast lures with the wind behind us ... the flyfishers were having a tough time in these conditions and had to wade out quite far into the lake to get their flies into the productive areas.

At the designated time of 3pm, the boat owner duly turned up and told us that it was too windy and dangerous to be out on the lake that evening.
Instead, he would arrive at 7am the next morning when hopefully conditions would be better.

We spent the evening traveling to check out Arthurs Lake and find spots out of the wind,there were very few of these and a long distance away.

Still, we managed to get some casts into shallower waters with no results.

One of the sad things we noticed while driving in Tasmania was the very large number of wildlife that were killed on the roads.Kangaroos,wombats,
echidnas (small spiny anteater),quolls,wallabies and snakes had all been hit by cars when crossing the roads,taking a grim toll.

It was easy pickings for the currawongs (crow like bird) as they had plenty to feed upon.

For this reason, one has to be careful when driving at night on the roads. If you hit a large animal at speed ,it could quite easily cause severe damage to the car as well as to it's occupants.

So we just have tomorrow morning for fishing before we return.

Kingfish
contd......

We were ready to roll at 7am next morning,the wind had abated somewhat and the sky was partly overcast.

We followed the guide in our car while he towed the boat to it's launch ramp and we clambered aboard when everything was ready.The wind had now picked up again so he quickly amended the fishing so that we would not have to cross the lake,instead we would troll around the near shore.

He quickly rigged four rods,each one with a different Cobra lure on it and started a slow troll in about 20 ft of water.We had a chance to look at his gear, it was tried and tested with midrange rods and reels that had performed well for him over the years.

He had trays full of Cobra lures,which he used exclusively ... he had a look at our collection of Rapalas but did not seem too keen to use them. He did admit to my wife that he had well over 500 lures! so life is a bit easier for me now!!

We slow trolled for nearly an hour and then one of the reels screamed..in an instant, I struck and had a lively fish on.

It fought well for it's size and took a while before it could be netted and brought on board ... it was a lovely,silvery colored brown trout of about a pound or so.

Further trolling had no hits and we now entered a shallow bay about a kilometer away from our lodge.I tried various spinning lures but again there was no action.

At this stage, the wind was blowing quite fiercely and my wife was feeling a bit queasy,so we dropped her on shore at that point so she could walk back to the lodge.The guide had very graciously offered to go back alone in the boat and bring his car to take us back to our vehicle but I was not going to let him do that,insisting that I accompany him in the boat.

We now headed back into the wind with large waves thudding against the boat,spraying us with water.The skies also opened up at this stage with heavy rain,making steering the boat difficult without standing up and looking out from the open cockpit.

We decided to slow down to stop the pounding the boat was getting,although it meant we would take longer to reach the launch ramp and also get wetter.

We eventually made it back but now the guide could not put the boat alone onto the trailer in the water as the wind was too strong and kept pushing the boat away from him.There was no other option for me but to wade out in the waist deep water and help him out, our combined efforts eventually succeeding in getting the boat safely onto the trailer.

Both of us were now thoroughly wet and the wind was chilling the body.. I could sense the first onset of hypothermia and wasted no time in getting into my car.It started at the first turn of the key and I put the heating on full blast.

The dirt track had now become muddy and slick,making driving treacherous but I made it safely back to the lodge.A quick mug of hot tea and a change into dry clothes soon had me back to normal.

So... our Tasmanian trip ended on a positive note with some excitement thrown in!

Sure, I did not catch a fish but landed one only but that did not detract from the enjoyment.

Pictures and a wrap-up to follow.

Kingfish

Well written report Kingfish!
Thanks for sharing. Felt like I was there.

Can't wait to see the pics of the landscape and the fish you landed....
And off course the pics of tackle and the lures used....

BTW, how is the saltwater fishing in Tasmania?
I understand that you were in the middle of the island (far from the ocean).
Just curious on what the shore fishing is like in Tasmania.



And hurt the large animal too I guess Sorry, couldn't resist that part

Kingfish, Thanks so much for posting. A very interesting read. And yes I am also looking forward to see some pictures :)

All the best, Scott

@lure_fisherman

Hello Maruthu,

Thank you ... pics should be ready by the weekend.

Although I did not get a chance to go shore fishing in Tasmania, I was told that it is quite good.

The dominant species one may catch would be Australian salmon (not at all a salmonoid .... see one of my posts on it) with bream and flathead also in the mix.There is always the chance of sea run trout if you are near a coastal river.

One may also catch gummy sharks( toothless,good eating apparently) and the other sharks as well.

Regards,
Kingfish

Thank you,Scott.

As advised earlier,the pictures should be posted coming weekend.

What do you use to post your pictures? Imageshack or Photobucket or some other tool?

Regards,
Kingfish

Hi Kingfish,

I use photobucket at the moment since imageshack started introducing new regulations. I seem to remember that now, unless you pay, you may only post thumbnails with image shack, which is really not much good for what we want to achieve.

All the best, Scott

Thanks for the response Kingfish!

I looked up "Australian salmon" and they sure sound like a lot of fun to catch.
Those tailor fish you guys got there also seem great on light tackle with lures from the shore.

Maruthu

Hello Maruthu,

Firstly, the pictures are going to be delayed for a few days until my son has time to set them up.

My personal favorite fishing is for tailor from the shore, as these fish attack lures and poppers readily and are great fun on light tackle ... someday,I hope to put up a report on these superb sports fish.

However, I do not believe these are found as far south as Tasmania.

I forgot, these tailor are the same fish that are called bluefish in the USA.

Kingfish

Start of the trip


Travel rods


Selection of lures with Ashley spinner at bottom


Cobras, Ashley spinners and Angler Access maps


Guide's favourite Cobras


Just a selection of over 500 Cobras the Guide has


Varied Tasmanian scenery





On the way to Dove Lake

Our saviour, boat and guide


The only fish of the trip (brown trout) on board

A bit of the wildlife of Tasmania
Currawongs (crow-like birds) - these were mother and son and kept begging us for food


Pademelon (a marsupial related to the kangaroo but smaller in size)

Ok guys - it's been a long trip and I am tired, so I am going to have a couple from the bottle below and say goodbye!


Kingfish.

Wrap-up

So, what are my impressions of Tasmania?

They are varied and colored by my experiences and I pass these on to members of the forum, if they intend visiting these parts.

Firstly, Tasmania is beautiful with mountains,lakes and sea shores with almost all four seasons possible on the same day...so dress accordingly!
The roads are generally good although there are sections that are graveled but these can easily be tackled by normal two-wheel drive cars.

Plenty of wildlife on the roads at night, so you have to drive carefully so as not to run into them and cause heavy damage and injury.

The accommodation is good, suitable for any budget but some of the outlying lodges are very expensive,especially the meals as everything has to be brought in from a distance.

As for the fishing, I have mixed feelings.

Sure, the trout are there but it was one heck of a job catching them.This view was endorsed by all the anglers we met during our stay of nearly a week.The maximum success was had by those trolling with a boat, as borne out by our own experience.

The difficulties are many and I am sure if one had arranged a guide beforehand (as suggested by Scott @worldfisher) there would have been more fish in the bag.However, the best guides get booked out almost a year in advance and cost nearly $700-900 per day per person!

Secondly, the access to the rivers and lakes as marked on the Anglers Access maps provided by the Tasmanian Fisheries is very poor and we had great difficulty in finding the proper place to fish.

Thirdly, the fact that ALL snakes found in Tasmania are poisonous makes it dangerous to blindly push through tall grass,rocky terrain and bushland to gain access to places ,which other anglers avoid,in order to get better fishing.

With these factors in mind, I am sorry but for me New Zealand is a far better and safer bet for trout fishing.

Regards,
Kingfish

Through your photos I have visited the Tansmanian terrain. The place looks awesome.
Thanks for sharing the photos..

Kingfish,
That is one well written report starting from preparation for the trip.
Thanks for sharing the pictures of some beautiful landscapes of Tasmania.
For shore fishing, I have noticed while fishing for trout that it is easier to catch them in the creeks and rivers than lakes. Probably because it is easier to read a river and cast to likely fish holding spots. In a lake the fish are spread out, and you have to put in time to find structures.

Great report Kingfish.
That is one good looking trout. And the landscapes are beautiful.

Thanks for sharing and wish you many fish on your next trip.

Cheers! Maruthu

Thank you Venkat and Maruthu.

@binu

Firstly, thank you for your kind words.

I fully agree with you as I have caught plenty of trout in other destinations from the creeks and rivers.

In Tasmania, it turned out differently. The guide had a depth cum fish finder
enabling him to see the lake bottom structure and he was conversant with the areas holding fish as he has been fishing there for ages.

I personally do not like fishing with electronic gadgets.

Regards,
Kingfish

Hi Kingfish,

Great report. Very valuable to other anglers who plan to visit Tasmania. It really does look like a great country and I can tell by your photos that I would also enjoy it there!

I wanted to ask why you didn't to fish more of the rivers...Was it logistically easier to target the fish in the lakes? It's interesting that you say it was difficult to find which places were for fishing? Were the guide/leaflets out of date or were they never good in the first place?

And i'm amazed at your guides collection of cobra lures. It seems colour might be more important than some anglers believe!

I hope over the next weeks to start fishing seriously here in France so I will put up a report of how it goes!

All the best, Scott

Hello Scott,

Thank you for your appreciation of the report.

The leaflets were quite recent,I believe. They had good information with a map and details of the types of trout in that particular lake or river,as well as any applicable rules or warnings.The problem seems to be that they have marked the access on the map but not on the actual ground, making it difficult to find the tracks.Compared to this, I found the access points clearly marked in New Zealand so that one knew where one was vis-a-vis the map.

Because we could not find access, it curtailed our fishing on the rivers.

Trying to bush bash our way to a stretch of a river at an unknown distance was not feasible for us and we certainly did not find any river winding its way along the road,as in New Zealand,where one could just climb down and start fishing.

That is not to say such stretches do not exist in Tasmania, we just did not find any in the areas we were in.

The lakes,on the other hand, were very accessible and had clear shores to walk and cast from.

Good luck with your trip in France.

Kind regards,
Kingfish

Nice report Kingfish. Nice pictures , would have loved to see some more fish from the wild rivers there.

cheers,

Jeen

Hello Jeen,

Nice to hear from you and thank you for your kind words.

Unfortunately, we had access problems with the rivers ,as explained earlier,and were mostly confined to lake shore fishing.

Hope to make up for it by fishing the New Zealand rivers later.

Kind regards,
Kingfish

Lovely pictures Kingfish

Hello Bobby,

Nice to hear from you and glad to see that you are still with us on the forum.

Regards,
Kingfish

Thanks Kingfish,

Still around, not very active on the forum though, hope I can log on more often.

Regards,

Bobby