Wild rainbow trout water, Tasmania

Yesterday saw the end of the 2009-2010 brown trout season, but the rainbow trout season is still open. Waters such as the Weld and upper Mersey rivers offer great fishing and beautiful surrounds during May. 

Wild Tasmanian hopper feeder

Gone Fishing…

 It’s been three months since our last fishing report, but with good reason: we’ve spent more than 50 days on the rivers since our last note, guiding through pre-Christmas red and black spinner falls, summer hopper hatches and the beginning of the autumn mayflies, and spent another 30 days out in the World Heritage Listed Western Lakes region, experiencing not only the sightfishing, but nature itself. We’ve found remnants of late 19^th century grazing operations, old forgotten horse and cart tracks, not to mention a world of detailed minutiae: cushion plants and orchids, blue and red mountain hoppers, and ancient remnant pencil pine stands. 

 There have been many surprises this season, some owed in part to the end of the drought, some to new river venues, and some to our expanding Western Lakes Campouts. One common theme throughout them all has been constant: wild Tasmanian trout. Whether it’s been the super-conditioned trout of the Meander or lower Macquarie River, the flats cruising trout of the Western Lakes, or the hidden monsters of the fast-water river gorges, the aim of our days has revolved around core values of inspiring places, visual fishing opportunities and wild trout. If we can find these three goals, we know that the enjoyment of the day will take care of itself.  

 Current fishing report

 Autumn fishing has started in northern Tasmania, with large baetid mayfly falls on the lower Macquarie and Esk rivers, and ants appearing on humid days. This has created some classic match the hatch fishing, both from the raft and wading. Grasshoppers are still around and on the menu, and are proving effective at times–again, this has particularly been the case on the lower Macquarie River and a few of our other favourite haunts. The strong baetid hatches are expected to continue through March and April, to the close of the brown trout season at the start of May. 

 Summer highlights

 Summer highlights at RiverFly have been many and varied: young Rory sightfishing and landing a 4lb trout on the Meander, Frank and his six days of sight-fishing nirvana, high flows and great rafting on the post-drought Macquarie river, and the sight-fishing experience of the Western Lakes campouts with the three amigo’s Jappy, Mark and Curtis, the team of four Septuagenarians’, and many others. January was probably the best month of the season to date, with loads of blue-sky days, and early season hopper fishing. March could be a close contender to take the title though, especially if the ants and baetids keep on coming! 

Fishing Tips

1. When casting, always plan to present the fly ahead of the trout, rather than directly at it.

2. When practicing casting, focus on efficiency: learn to (1) cast line out quickly, (2) re-adjust casting length effectively, and (3) change casting directions smoothly.

 That’s all for now. If you have any questions about fishing in Tassie, don’t hesitate to Email us. Thanks from the RiverFly team–Daniel, Simone and Patrick. 

 Stay tuned to the RiverFly Blog for weekly updates and fishing reports.

Western Lakes Fly Fishing

       

Meander river mayfly feeder

The autumn mayfly have started on the Meander, South and North Esk, and Macquarie rivers. Highlights have been the morning beatids on the Macquarie, and daytime spinners on the Esk and Meander rivers.  Grasshoppers are still on the menu during warmer periods, and our WMD Hopper is doing the trick, whilst daytime ant falls are providing exciting ‘match the hatch’ fishing to studious sippers. Our go-to pattern for these situations has been our CDC F Fly, and proved the undoing of the pictured 2 1/2lb wild brown trout. Send us an Email now if you would like to experience some match the hatch fishing during March or April.

Rory and his wild Tasmanian trout

The river fish are well and truly on the hoppers, with the our WMD Hopper proving deadly. It’s been a freaky fortnight on the rivers, with more than 13 three-pound trout coming to hand, all polaroided, and all on the WMD hopper.

We’ve also been busy with Western Lakes Campouts, with the usual mix of blue sky days, and cracked up cloudy days providing both polaroiding days and mayfly days. January was an extremely dry month on the Central Plateau (19mm of rain compared to the average 120mm), so the best waters to head to have been deepwater lakes and their drop-off edges. These cruising trout have been averaging 2 1/2  to  3 1/2 pounds.

Finally, with a break from routine, here is a second pic of the day created by Mother Nature and fires on the West Coast: picture location, Western Lakes three nights ago.

Bushfire sunset, Western Lakes Tasmania

Flats style fishing for trout - Western Lakes Tasmania

The Western Lakes trout are on fire, with flats-cruising brown trout averaging between one and two pounds heavier than normal, due to the great winter and spring flooding. Main food items are early morning caddis, late evening midges, and daytime galaxia, with the average trout size ranging from 2 1/2 pounds to 6 pounds.

 Back down on the lowlands, and juvenile hoppers are starting to interest river trout on the South Esk, St Patricks and Meander rivers, and most of the creeks in between – the tiny granite-spring creeks of the north-east are fishing exceptionally.

If you would like to join Patrick and I for a Western Lakes wilderness campout, Email us now. We have a couple of spaces left on trips booked for January and April. RiverFly Tasmania is Tasmania’s only guiding operation licenced to work in the Western Lakes World Heritage Area.

Catch Magazine is an American based E-Zine (electronic magazine) showcasing some of the best fly fishing photography and film getting around. January’s edition (which is free to read) features a chapter from FlyLife Magazine www.flylife.com.au photographer and In Season Tasmania www.inseasonflyfishing.com.au co-author Brad Harris. Check out Tassie and the rest of the chapters here www.catchmagazine.net

Meander River mayfly feeder

 RiverFly guide Patrick Horan with 4lbs of wild mayfly-feeding trout: today’s location scouting was certainly a success, with three other trout around 3lbs landed during an early morning caenid mayfly hatch!

Tasmanian fly fishing - mayfly hookup

Ronald from Belgium, setting the hook on another Tasmanian mayfly feeder. Spring has sprung, the mayfly are on, and the fisheries are firing. My picks for spring are the South Esk, St Patricks and Upper Macquarie rivers, but the Meander is also producing some great fishing, along with the Mersey and Brumbys Creek.

Wild trout, Upper Macquarie River

  Hatches are starting on Brumbys Creek, Four Springs and Brushy Lagoon, while frog feeders remain active at Lake Leake and the Western Lakes. The Whitebait and sea-run trout are also running on the north coast, with fish up to 8lbs landed so far.