A look at a typical Tassie Season

The most fascinating thing about fishing in Tasmania is the variety it offers. It is multi-dimensional, with almost every month providing a new challenge to fishermen. To be successful over the length of the season, one has to try and master almost every facet of the art. Let me explain:

The season begins in August, when the brown trout have finished spawning and are looking to put on weight for the coming summer. If rising water can be found in the highlands, tailing fish can be prevalent on most shallow shores. Although snow is often falling, this doesn’t seem to affect their activity and, in fact, cloud cover can prolong their shallow water hunting. First and last light provides the best sight fishing. For every fish seen tailing, their are many in deeper water and those wanting to catch good bags of fish will find wet fly fishing on sinking lines very successful.

For the warmer weather enthusiast, some of the lowland estuaries are being frequented by sea trout feeding on white bait as they spawn. Although not as predictable as other forms of fishing, it’s exciting, and the fish can be very large. It is not for the beginner, however, as good, fast, accurate casting is essential

September continues to be prolific for the wet fly fishermen (especially those fishing from boats). Stoneflies can be found on some lakes in the right weather conditions and catching fish on a dry fly is commonplace. Trout will continue to tail all through September – and become more consistent. The Nineteen Lagoons usually open towards the end of the month, providing excellent polaroiding and wet fly fishing for the adventurous angler. September is also the best month for sea trout fishing, as more estuaries start to get good numbers of fish further up the rivers.

The end of September also brings about excellent river mayfly fishing with the lowland streams coming into their own. Both Duns and spinners can be found in good numbers on the calmer days. Streams can also fish very well if they are low enough after springtime rains. As soon as they clear, the fishing hots up. Enthusiasts of tiny creeks will have been catching fish on dry flies since opening day.

Frogs can also around in good numbers, and this gives fly fisherman the chance to experience adrenalin-pumping action. With frogs wanting to spawn in the shallows, coupled with rising water levels, the edges of many lakes provide sight fishing that’s almost unrivaled. Wading in ankle deep water and casting around flooded grass with large wet flies can be met with savage takes. Trout are often waiting in the shallows for frogs to jump off nearby structure – and as soon as they detect such vibrations, they explode towards them immediately. A fly imitating this action is just the answer, and heart-stopping action is just a cast away.

October has long since been the domain of the lowland mayfly enthusiast. Traditionally, this is a great month to find fish sipping and jumping enthusiastically as the weather and wind start to settle. It’s still not too late to chase those tailing trout, either, and sea trout start showing up in more estuaries throughout Tasmania. Some of the rivers that were exceptional earlier may start to peter out, but this is more than compensated for by the rejuvenated activity on the others. Stick caddis are high on the menu of most trout at this time. It’s not uncommon to polaroid good numbers of fish in the shallows chasing this food.

Warmer days mean dry fly fishing is certainly an option, even on the highest of lakes, but bad weather usually means that large wet flies are the first choice for lake anglers. Galaxia (native fish) are spawning around this time, and rocky shores are a good place to look for fish. Very large specimens are often caught at this time as Galaxia provide a great protein source for trout. On some of the lower lakes, Mayflies make their first appearance, and dry fly fishing along with traditional loch-style fishing are obvious choices. Last season, this was the month that produced the greatest rod average of fish, per angler per boat per day!

November is the time when the sea trout fishing starts to die off. There is still good fishing to be had, but finding it is much more difficult. This isn’t a bad thing, because the serious Mayfly fishing in the highlands is about to start. Wet fly fishing with traditional loch style flies on floating lines produces excellent numbers of fish, but dry flies shouldn’t be forgotten. Big wets are still producing good bags, but with the prospect of sight fishing, this is better left for the worst of the weather. Any day on the creeks should be full of opportunity at this time. Good numbers of caddis can be found on almost every river. Larger rivers can be polaroided with success and those fish chasing Galaxia can still be found.

Over the past decade, December has been the most prolific month in the highlands. Last year was the first exception to this and this can be put down to unusually low and unstable water levels. It’s always been the month in which the mayflies get into top gear and the fish feed on them with gay abandon. The weather is the warmest it’s been all season and a wet fly is a thing of the past. Nymph fishing is very productive – both in deep and shallow water – as fish hunt the weed beds. Polaroiding in open and shallow water is exceptional at this time, while beetles can fall in good numbers on bright, hot days. First light is again productive, but this time in the slicks as fish feed heavily on midges in little to no wind. For those on the rivers, it’s like being in heaven. Although the slower midland rivers can become a little bit warm for the trout, the creeks are full of life and fish. In all but the worst of floods, the fishing is top class. Wade polaroiding in the western lakes is also fantastic at this time and, as the weather improves, so does the highland fishing.

January and the New Year bring more of the same (and no one is complaining), with excellent beetle falls on bright days and good dun hatches in overcast weather. Nymph fishing on the toughest days is a reliable fallback, but even when things seem hopeless, a dry fly fished in a 'likely' spot normally brings the desired result. For those wanting to walk into the back lakes, January is a very good time. If you can afford the luxury, be sure to pick the right weather pattern.

The tiny creeks are a delight at this time of year, using small, lightweight rods. Levels are becoming low and although some fish can be flighty, they are always a sucker for a well-presented dry fly. If you like fishing at night, the caddis hatches after dark are amazing on both the lakes and rivers. Mudeye migrations are also underway in some lakes, and these often bring the larger fish out to play!

February has always meant beetles. Although in years gone by, armadas of beetles could often be found floating down almost any given lake by mid morning, more recent years have provided more of what you’d call a good ‘smattering’ of beetles for the angler. This month can produce outstanding sight fishing to Rainbows and Browns looking for beetles. The deep water polaroiding is quickly becoming popular but wade polaroiding should never be under-estimated.

Mayflies are still hatching when the weather is right and spinners do produce excellent daytime activity on lee shores. Being the month that normally has the most settled weather, midge fishing at first light is at its peak. With great polaroiding during daylight hours, caddis and mudeye hatches at night and midges at first light, it is not inconceivable to fish successfully for 24 hours a day! The long-awaited appearance of the grasshopper also occurs in this month. Although known predominantly as a lowland food source, grasshoppers also give lake trout an energy boost. Closer to sea level however, the hoppers are really on the menu. A trout that was hard to tempt with the best of presentations and flies one day will fall for the sloppiest cast of the largest fly the next. In fact, a sloppy, slapped-down presentation helps! If you like sight fishing in small streams, this has to be the month for you.

March can be similar to February in many ways. The fish are little flightier, the water a little lower and little bit clearer and the fly life slightly less predictable. However, Grasshoppers still abound, beetles are prevalent and duns are still hatching! Mudeye fishing is still producing the goods and fish are still midging in the morning. But after what is often a warm summer, the fishing does get a little tougher.

This is in no way a bad thing. In fact, I love it. There are so many challenges to be had from the beginner all the way through to those of us who realise how little we actually know (the 'experienced'). The lowland rivers can start to fire up again with mayflies hatching again in the calmer weather. Then there is the annual talk of Jassids…

April was always the last month of fishing season until the Inland Fisheries decided to leave a few lakes open over the winter months. Jassids (a small, red bellied, black-topped leaf hopper) hatch around this time. There are as many rumours about Jassids and their whereabouts as there are about the Yeti. Some believe that they come in seven-year cycles and others simply say that it is weather related. But all agree that when they’re on the water, the fish will eat nothing else. If you ever wanted to see a difficult fish become much easier to catch, be there when the Jassids are falling. They often arrive in amongst many thousands of gum beetles, and fish will swim around picking them out of the beetles they previously found so hard to refuse. They’re like chocolate cake to a Diabetic. Unfortunately, they’re anything but predictable. However, if you’re not here at this time, you’ll surely never see them – or the phenomenon that follows.

If the latter part of the month coincides with good rainfall, the brown trout will have coloured up and be ready to spawn. Any bay that holds a creek will surely have fish milling around in it. For me, this month is all about the rivers. The weather is often settled and warm, with the most perfect days imaginable. The best day’s fishing I had all season last year was in the final week of the season on a lowland river in which every fish in the water I fished seemed to be rising to duns and spinners. It was magic. Interestingly, it’s also a time when very few people seem to visit the State to fish. Why? I have no idea. On the rivers, April would rank just about number one.

It’s important to remember that as is the case with trout fishing anywhere in the world, if you get unseasonable weather, the fishing is going to suffer and you could find yourself in a scenario you did not plan for. A good angler will adapt. This is not to say that bad weather brings bad fishing. The first three months of the season are exceptional in bad weather. The key is not 'bad ' weather, but ‘unseasonable’ weather. Nobody I know of can control this.

As you can see, Tasmania has more angles to its fishing than a trigonometry lesson. There is boundless opportunity for any angler of any skill level. The rewards are great and the challenges endless. One lifetime isn’t enough to explore the options we have here. It’s a good thing the memories will last forever.

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