JM has out done himself. Not only has he offered this gear review on a Berkeley Nomad pack baitcaster rod, it turns out that the report encompasses a trip report on snapper fishing in the Bay of Plenty New Zealand. Thanks muchly Jason and keep up the contributions.
A Victorian angler who Ian, Lyall and I met on a secret river in NZ has pointed me to this link. http://www.waterwaysguide.org.au/river-levels. It looks more oriented to kayakers (especially with its judgement on whether to visit) and doesn’t have many of our favourite trout streams, but I thought a useful resource and I’ve added it to our useful link page.
Claude found this interesting research paper undertaken by Curtin University’s Centre of Excellence for Science, Seafood and Health. The key findings were summarised as:
considerable health and well-being benefits can be gained through involvement in recreational fishing. Encouraging young children, youth, adults and families to fish offers a cost effective and healthful outdoor recreational activity that can be enjoyed throughout life. Benefits were evident for individuals and groups. Recreational fishing was also noted to provide significant benefits to children and youth with behavioural and mental health issues. Finally, educational strategies that focus on how to minimise the environmental impacts of recreational fishing can ensure today’s and tomorrow’s recreational fishers are aware of sustainable fishing practices.
The original piece is available at the university’s website, specifically here.
In his previous visit to Tasmania Jason M did very poorly. With his later family visit over Easter, he decided a different approach would be needed if his boys were to catch a Tasmanian trout. Three days and some nefarious methods eventually brought success.
Jason’s report on Natone Trout Ponds
Notes from our instructor (Lyall)
This month, we kicked off at 7:00 pm with a few basic techniques for beginning fly tiers then at 7:30 we began tying a simple Elk Hair Caddis. No matter what style of fly fishing I am doing in Canberra or it’s surrounds, I always have an Elk Hair Caddis in my fly box.
Materials list:
Hook: size 10 , 2 x long, light weight hook (doesn’t have to be dry fly but must not be heavy)
Thread: tan 8/0 or 6/0
Body: polyester yarn (hard to find in fly shops). Substitute Sullivan’s Nylon Knitting Ribbon available at Lincraft sewing shops. I paid $5 for ninety metres so have enough to tie 1,800 Caddis so everyone is welcome to a metre!!!
Hackle: palmered brown and/or black hackle (preferably cock hackle which will retain its structure rather than hen which will pulse while stripping)
Wing: elk body hair, natural brown colour
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The latest brochure is up on the Government website, available by clicking here. Mention is made of the issue of white spot disease of prawns so clearly it has been recently updated.
I’d not seen this before but one sentence puts paid to that urban myth of having to kill carp and redfin “You can keep them or return them to the water where they were caught.”
Jason Q found this item in a weekly newsletter he gets from the US. Makes for interesting reading, especially for those of us who tied the squirmy wormy this month.
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This month’s issue is a bit smaller than previous but still lots of good stuff here. An excellent report from Stefan on our recent trip to Tumut (along with very nice photos). There’s additional articles from other contributors (many thanks folks – keep up the help here).
Click on link below.
I guess living in UK gives you a head start in the race to get to the marble trout of Slovenia. Geoff’s trip report shows how much good fishing there was – along with some great underwater shots. (His photo album has got some optional treatment of photos for those shutter-heads amongst you).
Report click here: Slovenia report
Photos click here: Photo Collection
Notes from our lead, Jaime, below:
We are going to tie the SQUIRMY WORMY. It’s a heavy fly (weird to call it “fly” cause it doesn’t have a single feather or hairy material). It’s one of the flies mentioned in the video we watched during our April meeting, about European Nymphing and is becoming more and more in this style of fly fishing.
One of my rainbows in Tumut’s outing was caught with one of these flies in fast water.
I think this fly was created and inspired on the San Juan worm but it’s heavier than that and has a special action given by the material. We are going to tie the original (version 1: squirmy wormy, properly) and a lighter version (version 2).
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