The best times to fish are when the fish are naturally most active. But which rivers and creeks? If conditions are right, polaroid or sight fishing to cruising browns in shallow waters is available from mid morning till mid afternoon and provides the ultimate fly fishing challenge. For example, fish tend to feed more at sunrise and sunset, and also during a full moon (when tides are higher than average). Located in the Highlands, the manmade lake features Brown Trout of varying sizes, including regular catches close to five kilograms. Last Updated on July 26, 2019. Simply watch the waves for a few minutes before fishing to determine where this deep water is. Another fish was landed right in our campground. Wind lanes, polaroiding and dry fly fishing predominate. Although expensive, it is well worth spending a little extra time and money on sourcing. The Huon River Catchment - further south than the Derwent, can be a challenging area to access but well worth the effort. The fabled Macquarie and South Esk rivers along with Brumbys Creek were obvious choices around Launceston. Fishing around the Tasman Peninsula Region | Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, Tasmania Gorgeous, tea-stained, shingle-bottomed streams, they were not only visually spectacular but highly productive as well. Best wets varied with the Hare and Copper (with and without beads) and Flashback Pheasant Tails.FACT BOXTackle ShopsDoo-Gun Trout ‘n’Tour21 Malborough StLongford, Tasmania, 7301Ph: (03) 6391 1401Essential Fly Fisher105 York StLaunceston, Tasmania, 7250Ph: (03) 6331 8944 Where to StayMole Creek Caravan ParkPh: (03) 63631150 (Sassafras Creek runs right through the campground).Discovery Holiday Parks – Cradle MountainPh: (03) 6492 1395 (Short drive to Iris River).Longford Riverside Caravan ParkPh: (03) 6391 1470 (Short drive to many access points for the Macquarie and Brumbys Creek).New Norfolk Caravan ParkPh: (03) 6261 1268 (Short drive to many rivers, including the Tyenna and Styx).Unpowered campsites range from $20 – 35 per night (for two people). This late part of the season is the time for some of the fastest and most exciting dry and wet fly fishing action for the year and is always eagerly anticipated providing the novice as well as experts the best opportunity to stalk lots of big fish along the shoreline and have a good chance to hook into a trophy fish. A three-weight would have been ideal for the smaller waters, although the 5/6 did help when the wind blew up. Wind, weather and local hatches often dictating which style of dry fly fishing will work best on any day. It was our first trip to the Apple Isle and our wives’ attendance – as understanding as fishing wives come – meant that there were constraints on time and location. Around Cradle Mountain we chose the Iris River and Sassafras Creek ran right through the Mole Creek camp ground.Which part of what river?Fly fishing guides enable you to get onto the good stuff faster. The best time to go is at the beginning of February, when lavender is in full bloom and the contrasts of colors between the sky and the field even more striking. And we fished the Iris during a torrid cold snap where a couple of sleeting showers exposed our lack of preparedness for Tassie’s unpredictability. The first … It snows at times, but this is normally our most settled weather for the year with plenty of clear, calm days. The flyfishing can be sensational at this time of year. The best time to visit is during the summer as they come to life with festivals and markets. SPRING "Tailing" trout around our lake margins are providing world class sight fishing with a fly. One surprise you don’t need is to turn around three times and not … The best areas to fish are in the deep gutters that form along the many beaches. However, Tasmania, being Tasmania, you can certainly expect 4 seasons in a day pretty much all year round. More marks for novelty value!The Macquarie and Brumbys Creek did not disappoint. TECHNIQUES Given the easy waters, and even easier trout fishing, Arthurs Lake is the perfect place for anglers just dipping their toe into the hobby. After a late breakfast go out and find trout feeding on the mayfly hatches, which can produce some of the world's best dry fly fishing. Once you reach Cockle Creek, you’ll be at the southernmost point of Australia by car, so it’s time to disembark and hit the multi-day South Coast Track in the Southwest National Park, which is Tasmania’s largest expanse of wilderness. We caught 4 fish. It was hard to know where to start.Which Rivers?A combination of reference material was used to narrow down our selections. Sign-up to receive the twice-weekly email newsletter. I use it the first time today. French’s bible along, with some forum posts, led us to choose the Tyenna and Styx rivers, less than an hour from Hobart. Fly fishing guides can be expensive and your budget may not allow it. They call it “conventional wisdom” for a reason – it’s based on sound logic. With extended beaches and an extremely rich marine life the island has something to offer to suit all tastes. No time to cry in our coffee, we needed another plan.Due to the superior organisational ability of our wives, our travel plans had already been drafted, including stops in Launceston, Mole Creek, Cradle Mountain, Coles Bay and Hobart. Gary France and Fiona Dewar The prolific peaks rarely see ‘peak’ seasons, however, with wilderness to roam, crowds free, just about everywhere. These debriefs were important to maximising the overall learning experience and the knowledge and processes we’ve gained will be applied to our local rivers.FACT BOXHandy WebsitesGuides: Tasmania has a lot of trout guides, here are a couple that come with excellent reviews:Peter Hayes – www.flyfishtasmania.com.auDaniel Hackett – www.riverfly.com.au – Daniel even has free Google fly fishing maps already prepared.Locations and access:http://www.ifs.tas.gov.au/ifs/ – Tasmania’s Inland Fisheries Service. Sometimes the fish took generic patterns and sometimes you had to be specific. ANGLING SEASONS - Fish Wild Tasmania offers trout fishing tours and fly fishing tours from the start of August and we go through to the end of April. november saw new catch and size limits introduced in tasmania and i expect there will be some leniancy shown for a short time frame. Fish everywhere. These locations, limited time and our penchant for stream fishing led us to drop the highland lakes and focus on the rivers and creeks. As soon as you see pictures of the Lavender Fields at Bridestowe Estate, you will be convinced to go. Tasmanian winters are typically cold so it is advisable to bring warm layered clothing that you can peel off at midday when it gets warm. The clear water is filled with large weed beds and stands of dead trees. The creek endeared itself to us when the first Adams to kiss its crystal sheen was snapped up by a speckled brown. Highland weather can be tricky, windy and sometimes very cold, however the fishing is generally good with lots of big brown trout chasing any fly they see. Turn over a rock, see what you can find and get as close to that as possible and add some bling if you feel in the mood. Stuff Yourself at Salamanca Market. Brown trout have spawned, they are hungry and are feeding on anything they can find. Conditions crossing Bass Strait are generally not extreme and weather in Tasmania is fair to stunning. In this pure island state you can collect freshly caught fish from the hands of the local fisherman and enjoy some of the best seafood restaurants that Australia has to offer. This is Tasmania's premium stillwater trout fishery. Big fighting searun trout are moving down coastal rivers into the salt water estuaries after spawning and provide a true sight fishing challenge as they crash through schools of whitebait. WINTER All rights reserved. Whatever your reason, Tasmanian wine culture won’t let you down. Best dry flies were Royal Wulff, Parachute Adams, Black Spinner, Red Spinner and Possum Emerger. A dry and warm period from December through February is the best time to visit Tasmania. Or a guide may not be available. As worshippers of conventional wisdom, we sought the services of multiple guides but could not tee anything up on such short notice. Summer’s maximum temperatures vary between 17 and 22 Celsius and it’s normally quite dry (winter being our rainy season). Blue fin tuna will be available up to the end of June but most of the other salt-water game fish have left, however there are still plenty of reef fish, Atlantic salmon and other species to be taken. The autumn months of March, April and May are quieter. 2. Try early starts on the shallow lake margins casting to "tailing" or "Midge"feeding trout before the sun gets up, or the other early morning challenge of "wind lane" fishing during a "midge" hatch, which is a true challenge and can continue well into the day. OTHER SUMMER SPECIES AND OPPORTUNITIES The best time to try your hand at fishing it is when there is a reasonable amount of swell and chop working. A fishing trip in Tasmania can take you to some of the most beautiful wilderness areas on Earth. ... we sought the services of multiple guides but could not tee anything up on such short notice. The Huon River Catchment holds the record for the largest brown trout caught in Tasmania. We caught fish on all rivers except for the Iris. Winter. Elsewhere on the East Coast during late March and April you can polaroid big brown trout chasing Galaxid in very shallow water around the lake margin. Good casting and a stealthy approach is best. Wine Regions of Tasmania; Best Places To Eat in Hobart; The Land. Rainbow trout are still in spawning mode and will attack a fly or lure with aggression. Most Trout waters are closed from the end of April to the start of August for the winter spawning run but several good public and private waters with huge fish stocks are open year round. Chucking flies into a sleeting headwind seems like hard yards to me.The tiny Sassafras Creek produced a couple of beautifully coloured, small-but-feisty browns and provided an excellent test for our short-range casting skills. Tasmania's wild brown trout fishery, established in 1864, is one of the best in the world. The Iris is a pretty river that apparently produces some disproportionately large trout to those who put in the hard yards. Deep-water fish such as Trumpeter Perch and Morwong are present in East Coast waters for most of the year. Best time to fish is around the turn of the tides, dusk and dawn and into the night for sharks and rays. Our wilderness fishing is unique with thousands of lakes and tarns offering fishing like nowhere else. You know the scene, a bubble line running invitingly under an undercut bank where caddis flutter in the afternoon haze. Month by month guide The summer months of December, January and February are peak season in Tasmania. There are three good boat ramps at Jonah Bay, Pumphouse Bay and the Dam wall. Another fish … Has information regarding licensing, bag limits and access points for key rivers.www.troutguidestasmania.com.au – detailed overview of rivers and useful flies and techniques.www.tasfish.com.au – links to weather forecasting sites, and a list of Tasmania’s top 10 fishing spots.Blogs/Forums: Places where anglers detail their experiences, including access point and tactics. Google was our friend and we found a range of helpful websites, from guides to fishing reports to blogs. If you fancy a walk, take a detour to the alpine region of Hartz Mountains. November to February Wet fly fishing is at its best on our low altitude lakes, rivers and estuaries. Known by many as “stripey”, this fish is literally one of the best eating fish in the sea. The mayfly hatch will be tapering off in March with midge, Gum beetles and Jassids taking over as the main surface trout food, providing challenging and spectacular dry fly fishing. If you want to fish with the best, you may have to book up to six months in advance in peak season. This information was then cross-referenced with Greg French’s book and the result was a good baseline of locations for further research.Once there, we hit the tackle shops for up-to-date information on specific access points and tactics. Mayfly driven dry fly fishing in the Highlands is at its best during the months of December, January and February with the months of Nov and March also providing great fishing on most waters. We encountered a few situations – like selective feeders on the Macquarie – where no doubt a guide would have helped but we always sought to “close-the-loop” on these events through a bit of post-session debriefing with the locals. Open from August until May it is open to all trout angling methods including bait, lure and fly fishing. For a seafood lover, Tasmania’s east coast is pretty close to paradise. Traditionally the best polaroiding month, January is a month in which bright and warm weather produces the best fishing. 1317 Powranna Rd, Cressy, Tasmania, 7302 Welcome to Tasmania. However you visit Tasmania, just be sure to check out these 10 amazing places before you leave the island: 1) Freycinet National Park. It was simultaneously exhilarating and frustrating, until an afternoon release of cold water from the Great Lake resulted in the fish going completely off the chew.But the highlight of the trip proved to be the Tyenna and the Styx Rivers. SPRING August to October Most trout waters open on the first Saturday in August following the annual winter spawning run. With its crystal-like waters and pristine beaches Tasmania is one of the top countries for scuba diving experience. We’d read about the legendary red and black spinners on the Macquarie and ensured we had suitable imitators in a variety of sizes. When your leave pass only extends for a half a day, you do not want to waste time finding that magic bend. Arthur’s Lake, Great Lake, Bronte Lagoon Lake Echo the Western Lakes and Little Pine Lagoon providing the best of the action. From accessible areas to remote wilderness, there is something for all anglers. Located on the east coast of Tasmania, nestled on Georges Bay, the township of St. Helens gets special mention for its great fishing all year round, with the best game fishing to be had from December to June. This national park is of the most popular places to visit in Tasmania for a reason. Striped Trumpeter. The best time to tackle Arthurs Lake is early morning, when the trout are out and feeding on the midges from the night before. Check out those days when they happen during sunrise or sunset for an extra boost. The Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) and its many lakes, tarns, rivers and streams offer anglers one of the world’s greatest trout fishing venues. There was snow in the campground at Cradle Mountain and the riverbanks seemed barren of any insect life. Note, password and login required – easy registration.http://www.sportsfishtasmania.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=15 – freshwater fishing reports forum with loads of posts regarding trout fishing in Tasmania.http://riverfly.com.au/blog/ - guide Daniel Hackett’s blog site.FACT BOXGearWE both fished 5/6 weight rods which proved to be a good “all-rounder” for the rivers and creeks. Best time to cruise to Tasmania. Best fishing times are indicated by the four solunar periods of high feeding activity. Basic hare and copper nymphs in a variety of sizes and colours were used, with and without beads, some with a little flash for sex appeal. In Tasmania, the weather is good everywhere in January, The Tassie Fisheries department publishes very useful maps with best access points for the Macquarie and Brumbys Creek but determining suitable access points on other rivers and creeks took a little bit more work. Having said that, the fishing is rarely easy on the lakes. For the most part we got away with generic imitators such as Parachute Adams, Wulffs and Stimulators, frequently combined with a nymph dropper for an each way bet. Given it was December, either a single dry or a dry and nymph combo was the rig we used most.Results & reflectionsSo how’d we do? Content Manager - Brisbane Web Designers. Stunning! The Sun, Moon, tides, and weather all influence fish activity. Sometimes the fish refused everything. The two major solunar periods last for two hours or more and normally produce best results. March and April … Pin it . 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