Arrived today. Read it here. Some key points:

• Murray cod and crayfish closed seasons
• Evidence of Macquarie perch in the Georges River
• US trout streams failing in heat … (This discusses a river I fished in 2015, the North Platte)

A very full one this month. Key items:

• RFA’s submission to Legislative Council on floodplain harvesting copy now available
• Check your life jacket meets Australian standard
• National Fisheries Plan have your say

Has arrived and available here.

Top items.

• Many NSW dams near capacity
• The Murrumbidgee River’s wet season height has dropped by 30% since the 1990s
• Kosciuszko National Park: Draft Amendment to the Plan of Management: Snowy Mountains Special Activation Precinct I’ve put in a personal submission and I know MAS has prepared one plus I envisage NSWCFA. The big concern is that angling is not discussed at all.
• ‘John Barilaro is privatising Kosciuszko National Park’ In public policy commentator John Menadue’s Pearls and Irritations blog, Carolyn Pettigrew writes that John Barilaro’s Snowy Mountains Special Activation Zone Precinct effectively wrests the control of developments in Kosciuszko National Park from the Minister for the Environment into the hands of the Minister for Regional NSW, John Barilaro. The plan is to heavily develop Jindabyne and surrounding areas for tourism, with little thought for the environment.
• ‘Real truths’? John Newbery looks at C&R Writing in Fishing World, John Newbery looks at some of the issues about catch-and-release and how the ongoing arguments will lead to pressure on recreational fishing in the future.

Next Burley Line will have all the news from the AGM earlier this week. Lots of smiling faces receiving trophies. The committee and the additional members we call the “council” are unchanged. Now that we are into the 2021-22 season there have been some consequent updates to the website.

Our 2021-22 program has been uploaded … http://canberra-anglers.asn.au/blog/program/

Reminder that 2021-22 membership fees are now due, unchanged rates from last year. Information on how to pay are on the web … http://canberra-anglers.asn.au/blog/canberra-anglers-association-membership-application/ Can you please use the webform on that page to advise us of any changes to your contact details?

Our trophy rules have been reviewed and images of our most recently added trophies been added … Redfin and Bass. http://canberra-anglers.asn.au/club_process/caatrophyrules2021.pdf

Our calculator to compare/score natives to account for any changes to NSW records has been reviewed but no changes made. http://canberra-anglers.asn.au/club_process/rate_my_catch.htm

Our ‘corporate’ email addresses for contacting the club roles have been revalidated.

This has just arrived and a very full one it is. You can see it here.

Top items for us appear to be:

• Bromadiolone mouse poison knocked back RFANSW, supported by NSWCFA and others have convinced authorities of the inappropriateness of this measure.
• Melbourne to host 2023 World Recreational Fishing Conference I’d envisage in a COVIDSafe manner.
• Trout season operation detected 36 offences DPI Fisheries pursued checks during the close of the season
• Clean For Life, Fish For Life DPI’s Fish Care team getting runs on the board and are looking for sites to work on.
• Federal intervention to protect Kosciuszko from feral horse damage We will have to see what will transpire.
• Gone Fishing Day is on again 10 Oct
• National Recreational Fishing Conference 2022 the organisers are looking for volunteers to help organise

Did people see this, possibly via DPI’s Facebook page?https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/about-us/media-centre/releases/2021/the-great-winburndale-trout-translocation

I had mixed feelings about it. The article is carefully crafted but are we still portraying trout in an undue bad light here? A quick exchange with Secretary Central Acclimatisation Society relaxed me. (CAS are Affiliated to NSWCFA same as we are) .

Brown trout are somewhat piscivorous and it was only sensible to reduce the numbers in an impoundment where they were of no benefit to recreational fishing, thereby maximising the survival chances of the Macquarie Perch fry,   and putting the trout where they will be a benefit to rec fishing.

We’ll probably repeat that yearly for the next few years.
It’s all about population dynamics. In the 4 years or so until they reach sexual maturity the Perch need the scales tilted their way. After that it might be interesting to see whether the two species coexist but I think that experiment might better wait until there are more recovering populations of the Perch.”

When I asked if the electrofishing was also used to remove redfin, Don responded. 

There are no redfin in the Dam, which is why it was chosen for the Macquarie Perch, and hopefully will remain that way. The redfin are so inimical to the Perch that there’s no point reintroducing the Macquaries where redfin are present or are likely to turn up.
Further, the redfin are such hardy prolific breeders that there probably would not be much point trying to reduce their numbers using the approach we took with the trout, a reflection of the degree of threat each represents. DPI see removal of some of the browns as an exercise in abundant caution.

A couple of interesting reflections arising from the exercise:
Anglers are not permitted to enter the area for health reasons, the Dam being for potable water supply, yet the indications were that quite a significant number of wild pigs lived in the area, which is bounded by a nature reserve. Given all the diseases that wild pigs host, it’s rather contradictory of the concern re anglers.

I had the opportunity observe the use of a calibrated electric shock to stun a fair number of trout of various sizes, fingerlings to 5lb stonkers, which were netted and held captive; all recovered within a few minutes, as did a few Macquarie Perch fry that were incidentally caught and released. Having seen this, I have no concerns about the use of electro fishing for research purposes on fish, including trout.

By the way, Ray Tang Wallerawang CAS organised the development, stocking and eventual opening of the Millpond, an old quarry at Portland with the aid of the Portland Trust.

Don provided some extra photos.

This message has been received from Monaro Acclimatisation Society. The gate has been installed due to anti-social behaviour occurring at Paddy’s Corner.

As agreed at a MAS general meeting last year a new gate has been placed at the entrance to Paddys Corner Reserve on the Thredbo River just below the Gaden Hatchery.  Due to the number of people camping at the Reserve during the snow season it was agreed to install the gate and restrict vehicle access to the reserve during the snow season to deter the camping, fires and defecation in the Reserve.  Members need to be aware that the Reserve gate will be open for the entire trout season and only closed when the Thredbo River closes to fishing.  The reserve is open to foot access at all times.  The Crackenback Trust is the MAS Trust for Reserves.

Due to the damage done over the past snow seasons we will need to seek options to have the access road and reserve roads repaired.

Steve Samuels

President, Monaro Acclimatisation Society Inc

Got some news from Steve Samuels, Pres Monaro Acclimatisation Society.

Dear Supporters, I just thought I would take this opportunity to share with you a photo of the completed bank stabilisation works at Providence Portal.  From my perspective the contractors have done an excellent job and the clay ridden water of the past should be gone forever.  I hope you have had a good season.

Looks good eh? Almost like a real river. 🙂

If the mice plague does come to Canberra might we see this effect?
https://youtu.be/xH_sopgRC6A

Received from MAS. Good news but also a concerning issue

I am pleased to report that the bank stabilisation works at Providence Portal have now been completed.  A small amount of water has flowed down the system ( too small for fish to move up) and this small flow has remained clean.  The Monaro Acclimatisation Society has been in negotiation with Snowy Hydro over the commissioning date for the project and we have asked Snowy Hydro to delay any significant flow until after the close of the trout season (June long weekend), to avoid unnecessary impact on angling.

However, I have received a number of complaints about many anglers driving across the river and this is causing the water downstream of random river crossings becoming turbid, disturbing spawning trout and potentially destroying already laid eggs.  Anglers should note that Snowy Hydro has delayed commissioning of the works and have made a commitment that on commissioning the flow will be regulated to avoid turbidity in the water – but on the other hand anglers see fit to drive across the river, potentially damaging spawning redds, laid eggs and causing unnecessary turbidity in the river.

The MAS will be speaking with Snowy Hydro and NSW Fisheries in the near future to decide how to approach and deal with this issue, but the MAS is committed to ensuring that our trout are protected as are their eggs.  Anglers can assist by not driving across the river, the walk downstream will do you good.

Steve Samuels

President

Monaro Acclimatisation Society Inc