Limestone…just the word puts a smile on the dial, but then that’s nothing new. Look at the ole’ boys of fly fishing, and the streams of their stories─chalkstreams such as the Test and Itchen. Yes, limestone streams have a timeless appeal, and abundant hatches, clear flows and fat trout no doubt perpetuate their timeless appeal.
Tasmania has a small number of excellent limestone spring creeks, often appearing in the middle of paddocks, only to disappear down the gullet of a sinkhole a hundred or so metres away. In terms of geology, the most prolific area of limestone in Tasmania is found between Western Creek and Sheffield, which is the general focus area of any search for limestoners. Mole Creek is the geological epicenter, with the area said to have more than 400 limestone caves and sinkholes. The trick is finding creeks that contain fish, which is harder than it sounds owing to the semi-permanent and subterranean nature of many of these streams─this is also the part of the fishing I’ll leave to you.
Limestone geology is spread from Deloraine in northern Tasmania, across to the West Coast. With this in mind, smaller outcrops and associated creeks are found along the West Tamar (think Beaconsfield area), as well as in the far south (below Hobart).
Happy hunting, and may the minerals you find be brown and speckled.