The Tasmanian fishery  is a diverse, as it is extensive. For your assistance, the wealth of information on it has been divided into the following sections:

• Fly Fishing
• Lure Fishing and
• Private Fisheries

Equipment

Regulations limit the number of rods to a maximum one per angler (two if you pay a special fee when purchasing your license). 

Quality spinning reels are essential for casting lightweight lures (such as Size 1 Celtas) and also remain the first choice among local trollers. Monofilaments of 2-3 kg (0.17 - 0.25 mm diameter) are preferred for lure casting, while lines of 3-4 kg breaking strain (0.25 - 0.30 mm diameter) are better for trolling. 

Nonetheless, the use of closed-spools, baitcasting reels and superlines are increasingly popular amongst anglers who prefer either to cast heavy lures (such as Cobras) or to troll. 

Most lures sold and used in Tasmania are locally made. The popular Cobras are Tassie Devils, Tillins, Lofty's, Bill Monks and Johnson. Devons are made by Ashley, Tillins, Lofty's and Johnson. Locally made conventional wobblers include those by Tillins and Johnson, though mainland-produced wobblers (such as Wonder Wobblers and Halco lures) remain most popular. Small blade spinners such as Celtas are popular in fastwater streams. At night it pays to have a few Mepps Floppies or small Fish Cakes as well as some bulky wet flies (for droppers). 

Colour is not critical and some very successful anglers use nothing but black. Generally, though, most freshwater enthusiasts use colour combinations of green and gold, green and black, and red and black. Silver and green are popular when fishing estuaries. 

The maximum number of lures is two per rod. Locals often fix a Matuka style fly on a 15-20 cm dropper from the anti-kink about 60-80 cm in front of the lure.

Vinyl chest waders are adequate for most fishing conditions, though in summer you may prefer to wade wet, perhaps wearing thermal stockings.

Remember that ozone depletion results in the Tasmanian sun being unusually harsh. Always wear long sleeves, sun-smart gloves and a broad rimmed hat. Cover up any exposed skin with 30-plus sunscreen and don't forget the lip balm. Wear polarised glasses with a 100 % UV rating at all times when on the water.
 
 

Lakes

The most reliable and consistent sport for good-sized fish is found in the lakes of the Central Highlands. Most trout in Tasmania are caught in shallow water close to shore and, further out, close to the surface. This is largely because these are the places which usually have great concentrations of food. Marshes teem with frogs, tadpoles, and aquatic insects, flood plains are awash with drowned worms and grubs while the lake surface is littered with drowned beetles and aquatic hatchlings. Furthermore, the Tasmanian summer rarely gets so hot that fish are forced to retreat from the surface to the cooler water deep down.
 

Spinning

Most lakes in Tasmania are well suited to spinning from the banks or a drifting boat and generally lightweight lures in conjunction with 2-3 kg monofilament are preferred. Fish spoon wobblers, Cobras and Devon spinners will cover most daytime situations.

You will find that effective lake fishing is not simply a matter of chucking and chancing. Lake populations are less dense than those in streams and the fish are prone to be highly mobile (rainbow trout will often swim ten kilometres or more in a day). If you spot a fish and are slow to act (or if you spook a fish) you may not see it again. The likely haunts and lies are also much harder to determine - and if you fish in the wrong part of a lake you may not intercept any trout at all.

To get the best results you must learn to differentiate habitat types and recognise how the fishing is affected by changes in the weather and the progression of the seasons. It is also vital that you appreciate that each lake is different and that the best habitat in one water may not necessarily be the best in another. 

In a small lake or tarn, experienced anglers can get a fairly good feel for where to fish by simply exploring all of the available water. However, if a lake is very big it might take most of a lifetime to become familiar with the vagaries of the whole shoreline. Visitors should rely heavily on local information - just grabbing a rod and wandering down to the nearest bit of shore is hardly good enough.

Think about the following hot spots:

Marshes : Very good in spring when brown trout are feeding heavily on frogs and aquatic insects. Concentrate your efforts on the outer edge where lures are unlikely to become snagged. 

Submerged weed beds: In lakes where the bed is mostly 'barren', any lush weed beds will be real hot spots. In clear, shallow waters these beds can often be seen, especially if it is sunny and you are wearing polaroids. Commit them to memory so that you can target them during foul weather when visibility is low. 

Flood plains: Various conditions will tempt trout to vacate the weed. When adjacent marshes fill in spring, or when an impoundment begins to rise over long exposed ground, brown trout will quickly migrate towards the shore. At these times the hot spots will be over freshly inundated grass flats and amongst drowned bushes.

Emergent trees and scrub: In summertime Tasmanian dragonfly larvae (mudeyes) migrate towards emergent trees and sticks where they crawl out and hatch. Browns and rainbows concentrate in these areas and feed furiously. Things are best when it is balmy and, for spinning, a bit of a chop on the water is a definite advantage. The fishing can be magnificent during the day but often is at its best around dusk and after dark.

Drop-offs: Deep water is rainbow territory. If the shoreline is uniformly deep you will spot these fish cruising hard in on the edge and you can cast to them just as if you were fly fishing. Often, though, you will find a band of shallow water close to the bank followed by a sharp drop-off further out. Although spotting may prove difficult here, be assured that trout will almost always be cruising along the lip. 

Inflows and outflows: In Tasmania, big congregations of fish at stream mouths are likely to occur only immediately prior to and after the main spawning runs. In most lakes it is illegal to fish within 50 metres of the main spawning creeks, but you can still pick up good bags immediately beyond the restricted zone. 

Some anglers insist that it is useless to fish when lake levels are falling. However, the water in Tasmanian lakes tends to rise quickly for brief periods and fall slowly over extended periods. Furthermore, the lakes are usually on the wane during peak holiday periods in summer and autumn. If you refuse to fish at these times you probably won't find much time for fishing at all.

The fact is that falling levels can actually promote frenzy feeding. In places as diverse as Lake Echo, the Western Lakes and Lake St. Clair, falling water just prior to Christmas (a common occurrence) results in the concentration of marsh dwelling tadpoles and can cause some of the best edge-of-the-weeds spinning that you will ever encounter. 

In reality, fish live and feed in the lakes year-round and if they have moved offshore you simply have to think about where they have gone to.

Best time of year:
September to December; March to April
(summer is good too, especially on overcast and/or windy weather)

Best lures:

• fish-spoon wobblers
• Cobra
• Devon spinner
• small Fish Cake (after dark)
• Mepps Floppy (after dark)

Flat-line trolling

Excessively warm water is not a problem in Tasmania, so trout are rarely forced from the surface down to cooler clines. And, unlike some New Zealand and mainland fisheries, no waters contain forage food such as smelt which might encourage trout to feed at great depth. Consequently, most locals flat line small lures such as wobblers and cobras close to prominent structure, (such as that outlined in the notes on spinning).

Very early in the season, you might find that fish are further out from shore feeding on the weedy bottom - but we are talking about fishing at 2-5 m rather than, say, 10-20 m. It is tempting to try some of the deep-diving bibbed lures, though the ones that dive deep enough tend to be overly large and not especially attractive to local trout. Lures such as Baltic Minnows which easily sink to the required depth when trolled slowly enough are a better bet. Tassie Devil Cobras and big spoons are also quite efficient, especially if used in conjunction with the finest line practicable (say 0.22 to 0.17 mm; 2.7 to 2.0 kg) and/or some lightweight to medium trolling sinkers (30-45 g). 

Sinkers can sometimes be annoying when fished among structure as they make any snagged lures difficult to retrieve. However, the substrates you will be are targeting are generally flat and with practice you can become quite proficient at keeping your lure just above the weed. Many anglers use depth sounders to locate and monitor the appropriate bottom but if you are observant enough you get a real feel for doing things manually. 

Remember that it is an offense to fish within 100 metres of an angler on the shore unless the boat is securely moored.

Best time of year:
September to December; March to April
(summer is good too, especially on overcast and/or windy days)

Best lures:

• Spoons
• Cobras
• Devon spinners
• Baltic minnows

Hot spots:
Great Lake
Arthur's Lake 
Lake King William
Lake Echo
Brady's chain of lakes
Lake St. Clair
Lake Pedder
Lake Gordon 
Lake Burbury

Deep trolling

Down rigging and deep trolling with lead core lines are of little advantage in most waters, although they can offer distinct advantages in Great Lake when trout are feeding on offshore weed beds in 4-8 metres of water.

Streams

The quality of fish in Tasmanian streams is generally no match for that in New Zealand nor even the best mainland waters. Nonetheless, our creeks and rivers teem with wild trout and extend the chance for visitors to sample early success

Fastwater Streams

Small intimate fastwaters are a delight to fish no matter what degree of experience an angler has achieved. In Tasmania such streams usually carry an oversupply of small, eager trout and on good days the fishing can be fast and furious. Such streams mostly have overgrown banks and wading is all but essential. In places you may be able to fish a pool or riffle from the banks but generally such sites are few and far between. This means that there is downtime during floods. 

The usual method is to wade up-current and cast ahead. This way small disturbances are carried away by the current and you have the added advantage of approaching the fish from behind (not technically out of its range of vision but usually out of its field of concentration).

The most effective lures are small blade spinners such as size 1 Celtas. These are so lightweight that you will need to use fine monofilament (2 kg test or about 0.17 mm diameter is ideal) in order to achieve reasonable casting distance. You might also consider investing in a 'bait-casting' reel, which will improve casting efficiency whenever you use lightweight lures, though a conventional spinning reel will usually be okay. 

If the water is moderately high and discoloured you can catch fish throughout the day from all accessible parts of the river. Such conditions usually occur in spring when the water is quite cold so the fishing can be relatively slow. However, the persistent angler will rarely be skunked.

Undoubtedly the best action occurs in summer and autumn when the water is low and clear and at these times experienced spin fishers commonly take limit bags.

In the middle of the day, when the sky is blue and the air uncomfortably hot, the trout which frequent the bigger, slower pools can be infuriatingly unresponsive. Sometimes they will repeatedly follow your lure right to the tail of the pool but not display much aggression and then it pays to concentrate on fishing the riffles. Trout residing in this heavy water cannot afford to waste energy swimming backwards and forwards. They get used to making quick decisions before their food is carried away by the current. Moreover, the ruffled surface hides the angler and disguises the initial splonk of the lure.

On these hot days the fishing gets better as the afternoon progresses. By evening there are usually fish rising all over the place and a good many will now be prepared to have a swipe at the lure. 

As the sun moves off the water the deep pools become the real hot spots. This is where the bigger fish hang out so it pays to fish them as soon as is practical. 

For night fishing you can use blade spinners and wobblers quite effectively though it is worthwhile trying a surface lure such as a small (2.5 cm) Fish Cake in conjunction with a wet fly dropper.

Best time of year:
December to March

Best lures:

• Celtas
• fish-spoon wobblers

Hot spots:
River Leven (at Gunn's Plains and Loongana)
upper Meander River
Tyenna River
Styx River
Weld River
St. Patrick's River
upper North Esk River

Meadow streams

The most famous trout streams in Tasmania are in the South Esk catchment. These sluggish rivers mostly flow through flat pasture and are generally fished from the banks. Many pools are long, deep and weedy.

The combination of bright weather and low water can cause the trout to become very suspicious of lures. Effective spinning is then pretty much confined to periods of low light early in the morning and at dusk - and some spots will be too choked with weed to be of much use. Much better results are to be expected during springtime floods when the water is lapping at the banks and breaking out into adjacent gutters and depressions. Under such conditions the trout forage about in the murky edges hunting worms, corby grubs and the like - and they are prepared to strike savagely at lures.

Covering all of the water here is an inefficient method as the trout are concentrated in specific areas. Sweet spots include the deeper edges of the partially submerged banks and the places where gutters and ditches empty into the river proper. 

Much of the best water will be shallow and or weedy so it is usually best to use small blade spinners. Heavier wobblers should be reserved for use along the deeper verges.

Don't ignore other water completely - the rip at the head of a broadwater is always worth a cast or two and even the current in the middle of the pool is worth brief inspection - but concentrate your efforts along the edges.

Best time of Year:
October to December (most waters)
December to March (Brumby's Creek and the lower Macquarie)

Best lures:

• Celta
• fish-spoon wobblers

Hot spots:
South Esk River
Macquarie River
Brumby's Creek
Meander River
Elizabeth River

Sea Trout

Fishing in the estuaries is at its best in spring when sea trout and river-resident browns are chasing whitebait. At times fishing these waters can be a little like lake fishing, especially when the trout are slashing about in sheltered bays. However, locating suitable current is often the best way of finding your quarry. Remember that whitebait tend to swim up along the edge of the main current  and that this water is easily covered by upstream casting. Trout also like to ambush bait from cavities in the bank or from the calm pocket-water down current of small points and bars - get you lures in there!

Finally, one whitebait species (Lovettia) often spawns on shallow reefs, while other species (galaxias and smelt) often hold up in the same places. Consequently you will find that some rapids and riffles are renowned springtime hot spots - Lawitta on the Derwent, the Huonville bridge and the Pieman rapids upriver of Corinna being classic examples. Such waters are perfect for fishing across the current from a boat.

Best time of year:
September to December

Best lures:

• fish-spoon wobblers
• Cobras
• Devon Spinners

Hot spots:
West Coast rivers (especially, the Gordon, Henty, Pieman and Arthur rivers)
River Derwent 
Huon River
Lune River
Esperance River
Great Forester River
Inglis River
Duck River

Tidal Broadwaters

The tidal reaches of many rivers are wide, deep and sluggish and harbour plenty of resident brown trout, some of which attain truly gargantuan proportions. The pick of these fisheries are dark, mysterious broadwaters on the West Coast, though there are others scattered all over the State. 

Since most banks are heavily overgrown with dense forest you really need to fish from a boat, but once on the water careful spinning is often more effective than trolling.

The West Coast rivers hold plenty of 0.3 - 1.5 kg fish, especially in the shallower riffly sections, but special tactics increase your chances of connecting with something of 2 -3 kg or even bigger. Trophy fish tend to lurk deep during the day and for best results you need to get your lure right down amongst the drowned roots and logs - snags and break-offs have to be accepted as part of the deal. The edges of rips and currents are also ideal. 

While a slow retrieve will usually allow heavy Cobras and spoons to sink deep enough, in places there is merit in using deep-diving bibbed lures. Retrieving downstream helps get the lure down but by winding slowly you will find that you can fish effectively across current.

Best time of year:
September to April

Best lures:

• fish-spoon wobblers
• Cobras
• Devon spinners

Hot Spots:
Henty River 
Arthur River
Huon River
Gordon River
Pieman River