Category: Fly fishing

Four Springs and a new Traum reel

Gary in the boat holding a lovely wild brown trout from Four Springs

Four Springs is producing some very good fishing as mayfly numbers and hatches are in full swing now.

The fish are very strong at all sizes and there are some over 2 kg. Wouldn’t be surprised to see some bigger specimens reported this season. The water level of the lake is staying high, generally quite clear in most areas.

This fish is the first one I’ve had take a fly off the surface, others up until now are coming to the nymph near the surface film, or down deeper when there’s no visible rises.

Traum Reel

This is also the first fish I’ve taken using the new Traum reel. The fish was hooked up on a long cast of more than 60 feet, and there was no loose line on the deck as I had not yet begun to strip line back. The fish did pull away a few times, but did not get to make any searing long runs, so I had the fish on the reel all the way to the boat.  This fish was 2.2 kg and these strong fish do put a serious test on a reel when you’ve got the drag tightened up a bit. Yet the Traum reel did not falter, and it felt smooth the whole time. I will be leaving this reel set up on a rod for dry fly fishing for the rest of the season.

Traum Reel with black case

 

 

 

Three lakes, early season: quick review

Four Springs, Lake Leake, Penstock Lagoon

There are generally high water levels around most Tasmanian trout waters. Here’s a quick review of three of our favourites.

Gary holding up a trout fish on Four Springs, trout fishing lake, TasmaniaFour Springs

Four Springs is a low altitude lake, only a couple of hundred meters above sea level. With warmer water temperatures, it’s primed for the first mayfly hatches and dry fly fishing over the next week or two.

Gary holding a wild trout caught on Lake Leake TasmaniaLake Leake

Lake Leake, mid altitude on the eastern mountain ranges. Good wet fly fishing and a few fish seen rising. Once it clears up and temperatures come up a little more we’ll see mayfly hatches and windlanes. Currently there are millions of stick caddis. The trout are in really good condition. Anglers Alliance have installed a new webcam at Lake Leake which gives a great shot of the lake throughout the day. There’s a new pontoon addition. Water levels are spilling. Check out all the webcams, they’re really helpful.

Penstock Lagoon, in Tasmania's highlands, treelined shoreline and shallow rocky water close to the shorePenstock Lagoon

Penstock Lagoon in the Central Highlands is the highest altitude of these three lakes. There’s great wet fly fishing at the moment and the mayfly hatches won’t start until the weather warms up a bit, probably in late October.

 

Very good fishing

Wally sitting in a boat with a Four Springs brown troutThere are no visiting anglers to the state at the moment however we are seeing some very good fishing since the opening of the season. Water levels are excellent, with many lakes and rivers covering new ground and the fish piling on condition with plenty of snail, stick caddis, and scud in their stomach contents. Some are chasing Galaxia very close to the shorelines.

On the brighter days fish can be polaroided over sandy bottoms, sometimes very close in to the shore. Galaxia imitations, i.e. we’ve been catching fish on the Wigram’s Robin and Bill Beck’s Green Machine.

Gary sitting in a boat with a Four Springs brown trout