Fishing - Rain and snow to make for good trout catches

September is a great time of the year, it's a time for football finals and it's usually one of the best times of a season to be trout fishing.

A fair amount of snow and rain has been falling over the last week which in turn means a lot of run off is now flowing and flushing rivers which is a good thing.

We can expect water levels and also trout fishing to improve in our highland lakes and lagoons which should provide good opportunities to anglers over the next few weeks and months.

In IFS stocking news the Mersey River received a boost in the first few days of September and this will hopefully reinvigorate trout populations into the future.

Around 28,000 brown trout fry weighing around 1 gram were released into the Mersey River, the Dasher River also took 40,000 and Lobster Rivulet took another 20,000 all at the same size.

Brady's Lake received some more mature fish and will continue to get them with around 50 odd trout released weighing .500 kg from late August through to last week.

Some interesting facts were released recently in regards to performance assessments and in particular that of South Riana Lake which is located around 20 kms South West of Penguin in the States North.

South Riana Lake has been a very popular water for the last couple of seasons and during Winter the Inland Fisheries Service stocked the lake with 600 adult brown trout that were marked by clipping their adipose fin.

In 2024, 800 adult trout were released and in 2023, 590 with this year’s stocking complimenting these since South Riana Lake was first opened back in 2016.

From 2018 to 2021 nearly 200,000 trout fry were stocked into the lake to help boost populations as well.

A fisheries performance assessment was completed in August which involved surveying the lake with 30 box traps which were set over two nights.

Results showed a total catch of 46 brown trout with an average weight of 1.17 kg and average length of 487 mm and in that total only two fish had a clipped adipose fin identifying them as recently stocked trout.

This result proves the lake is still holding a good number of quality, good conditioned fish making it a great option for anglers fishing in the area.

There is also one tagged trout in South Riana Lake worth $5000 waiting to be caught as well.

Shore based anglers are catching fish on baits like worms and grubs either on the bottom or set under a float and lure casting around the deeper Eastern and North Eastern shores with soft plastics and hard bodied lures is also getting the job done.

A canoe or kayak is a useful way to access and fish the lake with motorised boats, including those with just electric motors not permitted.

The Inland Fisheries Service (IFS) has started their Freshwater Angling Forums with the first held in Hobart last week.

The IFS said they appreciate the interest and positive engagement from the Hobart angling community and would like to thank Anglers Alliance Tasmania and Hydro Tasmania for their attendance and input as well.

There's still time to book a ticket for the upcoming Launceston and Devonport forums but spaces are filling up fast so be quick to get a spot.

Forum locations dates and times are Launceston – Wednesday 10 September (6:00 pm to 8:30 pm) Tailrace Centre, 1 Waterfront Drive, Riverside.

Devonport – Wednesday 17 September (6:00 pm to 8:30 pm) paranaple Convention Centre, 137 Rooke Street, Devonport.

There is no cost to attend the forums but as mentioned before be quick to book tickets which can be done from the IFS Website.

Fishing reel maintenance is a key to prolonging performance and long term life.

Saltwater, sand and dirt are the enemy of any fishing reel and the best way to clean a reel is to spray and clean them with freshwater.

To do this firstly tighten the reels drag or tension to stop water penetration and using a garden hose or spray bottle, tighten the nozzle down until only a fine mist of water is coming out.

Lightly “mist” rinse the outside of the reel to remove any salt, sand or dirt and also spray the fishing rod paying attention to the rods guides.

After this hold the reel seat or handle joining it to the rod and shake off any excess water, then wipe it down with a clean rag.

After that loosen off the drag to stop over compressing the internal washers and then dry your outfit in the sun.

Never submerge your reel underwater and especially in salt water.

Always cradle your rod and reel in your arms or look to sit the outfit up out of the water, sand or dirt at all times.

Tip Of The Week – Be prepared to replace your fishing line more often if you fish regularly or participate in tournaments where line performance and reliability is crucial.

Send in your fishing reports, pics and tips to valleyfishes@gmail.com.

Tight Lines until next week.