It’s official; Tasmania has just had the wettest three months on record. There’s no doubt that sections of the Mersey, Leven and Meander will be subject to patchy and un-predictable fishing conditions, and we need to be mindful of farmers and landowners who are busily repairing damage along rivers. But don’t let the localised damage and the wild weather of late winter dampen your enthusiasm, as these events have brought many fisheries to life with brilliant opportunities for keen fishers.
To help you make the most of the early season fishing, here are some of our fly fishing tips and favourite locations for the Tasmanian 2016/2017 opening weekend:
- Fish the edges! Whether you’re heading to a favourite river or lake on opening weekend, focus on the edges. With continually fluctuating water levels, the edges become the most fertile area containing freshly drowned worms and beetles.
- If you are fishing through newly flooded bays at places like Great Lake, Echo or Lake King William, then keep moving till you find the first fish. This saves wasting time fishing barren areas, and helps ensure you are at the right place, at the right time.
- Fish light! With fish on the edges, un-weighted flies are the best option. We use a very large pattern to initially locate fish, and then focus on individual fish with smaller patterns.
- This is going to be a big fish year – Tooms Lake and Crescent are obvious choices, and both will fish best between opening day and late November.
- The Earthworm, MK2 Woolly Bugger, Fuzzle Bugger, Woolly Caddis and Black and Peacock Snail are our top five early-season flies. Check them out in-store, and don’t leave home without them!
New to stock at RiverFly 1864 (28 The Kingsway, Launceston): Redington Zero reels, a super-light click drag reel, ideal for creek fishing set-ups and great value at $174.95. Heaps of new fly tying materials including Spirit River Diamond Brite, UV2 Diamond Brite, hen and cock capes from $19.95. New Patagonia 2016 Ultralight II boots are in stock, and should prove to be a favourite this season, with more from Sage, Patagonia and Simms arriving this month. Contact us here if you have a question.