Last Week Of The Season

[wrasseman]

Hi all,

Well winter's coming, and down here along with the shortening days that means the end of the trout season for a few months so I had to get out and make the most of my last few chances in the last week.

Thankfully the weather was perfect and after the rains the week before last, the previously very low rivers were looking great too.

This is a 43cm brownie I took from a smaller tributary when the main river was a muddy mess on the 22/4 (apologies for the pic, phone job).

The silvery colour of this fish lead me to believe that the rain may have motivated a few sea-runners to head up river.

By Thursday, things were looking up and the north esk had cleared so I headed out for an early morning pre-work sesh, managing 2 fish, the better of which was this 40ish brownie.

By the weekend, all the rivers were looking good. On saturday (29/4) I headed out to the Meander river for a bit of a spin sesh. I had a follow from a nice one on my second cast and started seeing lots of small fish rising too, it was shaping up as a nice day. I soon caught my first (very close to where I scored my first for the season), a little brownie of just 28cm. Thankfully from there they got bigger and I finished with 7 brownies of 28, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38 and 40cm and a rainbow of 49cm.

Brownie of the day.

Fattie.

Another brownie.

This rainbow gave me hell as i had to climb throuh a tree to get to a piece of bank where I could land it whilst it wanted to set up home in the log-jam at the tree's base. it was an unusual capture in this (unstocked) river.

Spotty head.

On Sunday, I planned an early start at work to give me time for a quick evening sesh in the north esk on the last day of the season. Unfortunately I got stuck at work and only managed a very short sesh. As well, I had a bit of a shocker, jumping off my first fish and missing or pulling hooks on quite a few others, even flicking my lure out of the mouth of one nice one because I initially thought i was snagged. Nontheless, though I didn't get the thumper i was hoping for, I managed one small fish of 35cm to finish the season on, though we both got a bit muddy in the process.

Oh well, that's it for another season, guess I'll just have to chase the bream, salmon, trevally and wrasse for the next few months.

Cheers

col.

[Jewhunter]

Top report & piccies mate, well done.

Grant.

[Sharky]

Good pics mate. Well done do they have closed seasons on native fish for fresh water?

[Lunker_Hunter]

Well done, nice pics!

[wrasseman]

Good pics mate. Well done do they have closed seasons on native fish for fresh water?

Thanks mate.

As far as closed seasons go, I believe that there is a closed season on cod in some states and on barra in Qld, though i don't know the details. There may also be others I'm unaware of.

Here in Tas. though the only native fish targetted by anglers are grayling and blackfish and both are rarely targetted and have no species specific closed season. Grayling are completely protected anyway though. The closed seasons in Tas. however applies to the waters and not the species so most waters are closed from end of april to early may with some opening and closing a month later (designated rainbow waters) and a few lakes open year round. The exception to this is if using a "bush pole" basically a "ned kelly" rig ie a stick with line tied to the end which I think you can use year round though salmonids must be released in the closed season or if not licensed. Some designated bream waters (eg. derwent river downstream of bridgewater) may also be fished in the closed season but salmonids musy be released.

Cheers

Col.