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I've been doing a bit of research and they are definitely netted, reported by snorklers and have been caught by baitfisher and on soft plastics. But they seem not to be a targeted species here at all. I'd love to get into a basically untouched fishery of blackfish.

It has been some time since I posted previously and I'm only just getting my finger out trying to locate blackfish in the Tamar River, TAS. The Brother in law and I (he's keen to learn) spent some time trying, at absolute low tide, to find some green weed growing in the Tamar. This will hopefully give us a bit of a guide for places to fish. There seems to be no shortage of green weed about. This pier was just off the Beauty Point boat ramp: On the opposite shore to Beauty Point we spied a very green line of rocks and checked it out. There was a stretch of about 150m of very weedy rocks just North of the woodchip mill wharfs. The tide was really ripping through on the in run. Maybe closer to the top of the tide when the rocks are covered it'll be worth a good go. Still, I'm trying to find some places on the Western shore for land-based blackfishing. Also, I found a photo of my dad blackfishing on Lake Illawarra, my older brother and myself- sometime in the late 70's. He taught me and his dad taught him. Now I have a son, I want to do my bit to keep the skills going.

Of course it depends what you're after but some spots that have been very good for me are the drop-off of Curruther's Bay between the Port Hacking Conference Centres (Telford and Chaldercot), the channel near Lilli Pilli, Drifting near Maian Bar. The National Park side is bonzer.

Thanks Howard. I got some drummer and blackfish on bread but were all too small. Cabbage weed really produced good fish. I missed more than I got, though. I got a good lesson in strike timing when the vaso was wearing off the line. Too much belly slowed my strike down and produced more fish. Gotta control that rush of adrenaline when the float shoots down.

My wife's family had a get together at Blackfella's Point just North of Narooma. I spent some time out on the rocks fishing, at first, just with bread on a Blackfishing rig. I spent more time rebaiting than actually fishing because of all the toadfish that the berley brought in. Still, I got a few little drummer, luderick and some silly lookin gernard-type fish. Nothing worth keeping, though. I found a perfect blackfish hole the next day and scored some really nice drummer and blackfish there for the next two days. It was just the thing to restore my fishing spirits- catching blackfish like my dad taught me to. I haven't done that since moving to Tasmania Four years ago. It always amazes me how you can catch blackfish in clear water and you'd swear blind there was no fish there until the float shoots down. Is there any better type of fishing? I'll have to spend some time sorting them out down here.

Even if you go to Prince Edward Park and go up the creek that goes under the road bridge, I forget what its called (maybe Heathcote creek?), you'll find plenty in that brackish. Some nice sandy bits up there too. Near where the pipeline crosses.

Bonnie Vale is the place to go. It's between Maianbar and Bundeena. Bonnie Vale camping ground (74 sites) Campsites are suitable for: caravans; camper trailers; camping beside your vehicle. Facilities: Drinking water, flush toilets, hot showers, picnic tables, electric/gas barbecues More details: The main feature of Bonnie Vale is its large sand spit, where there's good swimming. Wood fired and solid fuel barbecues are prohibited. There are no powered sites. Bookings: Booking essential, fees payable in advance. Phone 02 9542 0683 Location View Map Bundeena Royal National Park NSW 2230

It would be better to fish at Como than Oatley. First, you're closer to the water if you're travelling by train. Second, you have access to the marina where you can hire a tinnie, if you want. Fishing off the swimming baths can be productive but it can be better walking around untill you are under the railway bridge and casting out to the first pylon. I've seen huge mulloway caught there. My dad has seen a bloke's dog taken by a shark there. I've caught excellent bream and flathead and tailor there. There are also many excellent spots for blackfish all around the "Pleasure Grounds" and near the boat ramp. There are also many unusual catches to be made too. The brackish water "mono" fish is there. ie. mondactylus argenteus.

The Hacking is excellent. One side of it is almost completely national park with no unnatural contaminants. Have no fear about the fish you get from it.

Hello Roberta, Yes, the ice was made by Tiewell. The site I saw thefly on was: http://www.learntoflyfish.net/Fly_Weed.htm Thanks for the link. I've had no experience tying flies at all so it's a bit hard getting my head around the tying instructions. I'll have to get experimenting. Thanks for the help.

Thanks for the kind words, Roberta. How do you fish your fly? Do you strike earlier than you would with weed? Do the fish want to spit it earlier than with weed? I looked at a weed pattern that uses "ice" material in the fly. It appears to be very similar to the photos in your first post. I looked at some "ice" at the fly shop today and it looked a bit too shiny. The bloke who worked there recommended olive seal fur. Had any experience with other flies or fly material?

G'day Rob, Sounds like a good day. A good drifting and casting spot for flathead is the mangroves opposite Gundamain point. Gray's Point would be the closest boat ramp there. Another good spot to drift is in front of the Telford boat shed. Absolutely monster bream and blackfish there. Also groper but they're protected, I think. Excellent squid in the channel just off the Rathane boat shed, over the weed beds. Can get excellent schools of salmon and tailor in the deep water off Warrumbul. Flathead, bream, whiting and blue swimmer crabs at Maianbar and Bonnie Vale. Great stuff! Matthew

This is a great thread! Thankyou. I grew up in The Sutherland Shire and I was taught to blackfish by my father and he was taught by his father. Most of our time was spent on a few rocks on the Woronora River at Bonnet Bay. We were sure to get a few there until the pylons of the new Woronora bridge went in. After that the water flow was confused and the spot become less productive. The rest of the lackfishing time was spent at Burrill Lake off the rocks at the horseshoe near Dolphin Point or in the vacinity of the bridge. I know that my grandfather and dad used to fish at Lake Illawarra and on the Minnamurra River between Dunmore and Kiama. I've inherited all their gear- traces my grandfater made in the '60s (wrapped around newspaper wads), spirals of lead that he used instead of split shot, hooks, swivels rods and reels. Most of his tackle was in tabacco tins- handy in your pocket. I remember him telling me that sometimes he used to rub some of his tabacco in with his weed to bring them on the bite... Sounds a bit funny to me, but he swore by it. We used to use bicycle inner-tube valve rubber and a match stick for a float stop. Now I get some of the beading strip out of some old vinyl cover chairs and use 2-3 mm lengths of this tube with a tooth pick broken to the same length. It's narrower and goes through the runners easier. When I was young I was always wondering why I'd find doctors in the throat of blackfish if they were only vegetarians. Now I'm a bit more clued up. My mate's uncle used to fish for blackfish with earthworms ONLY as bait. I haven't done any blackfishing for about 6 years. I've moved to Tasmania and only have just started exploring the blackfishing possibilities in the Tamar River near Launceston. I feel like a beginner again because very few people fish for them here but blackfish are apparently abundant. I read an article where the writer said that he's only encounterd ex-Sydneysiders fishing for blackfish and then they were exclusively estuary fishing and never off the rocks. Luderick So, I'm in the dark as to where to go (other than using my own powers of deduction), where to find weed and specific tackle. I'll have to get into making my own. I'm also looking at using a weed-like flies if I cannot get weed itself. If anyone here has any Tasmanian blackfishing experience and cares to share I'd greatly appreciate it.