Fishing Australia Magazine

Fishing
September 2012

A U S T R A L I A
www.fishingaustralia.com.au

FAM C on t e nts September 2012

Fresh Water Rod Building
Cold Water Cod The Rod Builder
Long winter nights, frosty Perspective
mornings and cold water. Fishing Master Rod Builder Steve
Murray Cod in these conditions Duff shares his thoughts and
may not be easy can be big. knowledge about the evolution
Young Gun cod angler Joe Press of the not so humble bream rod
shares his knowledge about how and what it takes to create that
to catch cold water cod perfect bream rod.
By Joe Press By Steve Duff

Sections
How to Editorial
How to tie The Mrs Grant Johnson
Simpson Fly
Have you ever considered DPI News
tying one of our most popular How to’s
and effective trout flies? Sean Knots and Rigs
O’Rourke takes you by the hand Grant Johnson
with a step by step tutorial how
Barometric Pressure
to tie the perfect Mrs Simpson
Fly. Grant Johnson
By Sean O’Rourke Fishing Web
Cover Image Joe Press With a Grant Johnson
Beautiful Cold Water Murray Cod.
Image Courtesy Joe Press Fly Fishing Freshwater Fishing Kids
Saltwater Estuary Fly Fishing The Dams Of Darren Beesey
The Central Tablelands
Catching Fish Can Do Product Reviews
NSW
Your Head In John Coles is a fulltime Jason Harrip
With a little research, forward Professional guide, armed with Product Spotlight
planning and local knowledge the knowledge of this area.
can be the difference between
Screeming Reels
John takes you on a tour of the
catching a cold or a feed. Darren central tablelands NSW dams.
Beesey takes you through his Fishing Reports
Practical advice to Fly Fishing
thoughts and tips on making the these waterways. NSW
most of your time on the water. By John Coles Captain Roscoe
By Darren Beesey VIC
Saltwater Sportsfishing Fly Fishing Saltwater Chris Pitman
Will Thompson
Mackerel On High Speed Simon Rinaldi
Metal Just Add Salt
From Mako’s to Barra saltwater
Heart Stopping Adrenaline
Pumping action packed sure fire
fly fishing is as challenging as Kayak Fishing
it is addictive. Chris Beech a Australian Kayak
technique for nailing mackerel.
commercial fly fisher of 26 years Specialists
Malcolm Brown explains the
shares his thoughts on many
how-to tips and tricks of
consider the ultimate form of
targeting these speedster on
sportsfishing. Boating
sliced metal. Boatnames.com.au
By Chris Beech
By Malcolm Brown

Fishing Australia Magazine Issue 1 September 2012 Edition

Editorial

Our First Cast
W
elcome to the first issue of Fishing Australia www.fishingaustralia.com.au

Magazine. In 1974 I started a journey that has led
Editor Grant Johnson
me to where we are today the first issue of Fishing Ph: 0468 454 870

Australia Magazine. 1974 my dad Noel took me to Woody fam@fishingaustralia.com.au

Point Jetty which is the southern end of the Redcliffe Peninsula
30 minutes north of beautiful Brisbane. That afternoon he Contributers Darren Beesey

introduced a 5 year old to a life long love affair with all things Malcolm Brown
www.fishingtownsville.net
fishing I clearly remember catching two small Dusky Flathead Joe Press
that afternoon and I was hooked. From that point on I fished http://codonthecast.com
joe.press@hotmail.com
every chance I had. Throughout my teenage years I fished
Sean O’Rourke
mostly around Redcliffe but had some memorable trips north www.rorkflyfishing.com.au

to 1770 and as far south as Ulladulla NSW.
John Coles
2004 I had my greatest catch when comes to fishing I www.jcflyfishing.com.au

purchased fishingaustralia.com.au and a new journey into Chris Beech

fishing opened up to me. Over the past 8 years that I have Steve Duff
www.duffrods.com.au
owned Fishing Australia it has cemented its place among the steve@duffrods.com.au

10 fishing websites on google.com.au and seen more than Jason Harrip
www.yakkintackle.com
few great websites come and go in that time.
Captain Roscoe
2007 I had an idea I wanted to take fishing Australia www.mvsigna.com.au

and create an online digital Magazine which was practically info@mvsigna.com.au

impossible even with broadband speeding our internet Chris Pitman
www.qtackle.com.au
browsing creating the Magazine was not impossible just not Will Thompson
realistic at the time. allwaysangling@bigpond.com

2012 the game changer MagCast is unleashed a publishing Simon Rinaldi
redhotfishingcharters.com.au
platform to create high quality online digital magazines that
are media rich and specifically developed to publish to Apples Advertising Grant Johnson
Marketing Ph: 0468 454 870
Newsstand for iPad. Design fam@fishingaustralia.com.au

The Concept. Fishing Australia Magazine is like no other
Fishing Magazine in Australia. The primary goal of the Publishing MagCast
www.magcasting.co
magazine is to help not just myself but to help all Australian Distribution Newsstand. Apple Inc.

recreational fishing business or services find an audience. Subscription Rates
Its simple our goal is to create high quality content for 1Year/12 issues $23.88 - $1.99PM
fisho’s that is relevant and timely. Our goal for business is to 6Mths/6 Issues $17.94 - $2.99PM
3Mths/3 Issues $11.97 - $3.99PM
create a platform where you can showcase your products and Per Issue $5.97 - Single

service for free in exchange for creating content to promote
yourself or business/service that has value to the reader and Fishing Australia Magazine.

subscribers of Fishing Australia Magazine. All content in this magazine is copyright by Fishing
Australia Magazine or the respective owers of third
With that being said I would just like to thank all the party digital content. No part of Fishing Australia
Magazine maybe reproduced without the express
contributors to Fishing Australia Magazine for their efforts permision of Fishing Australia Magazine or owners
of third party digital content. The opinions offered
bringing this great content and Magazine to you. Without by the contributors to Fishing Australia Magazine
are considered as a guide and the opinion of the
their support FAM would not have been possible. And also contributor. Pricing of products within Fishing
Australia Magazine is considered correct at the
a huge thankyou to MagCast for making dreams Possible. time of publication however prices may change
before or after publication Fishing Australia
“AWESOME”. Magazine take no responsibilty for price changes.

I dedicate this first issue to my Dad, brother, best mate Fishing Australia Magazine
and drinking buddy “Noely” Ph: 0468 454 870
ABN: 33 316 291 360

Saltwater Fishing | Estuary

CATCHING FISH
CAN DO YOUR HEAD IN By Darren Beesey

Y
ou have all the gear, a beautiful boat, We have embarrassed a few of these
enough bait to feed a small African ‘big boat, big ego’ fellas over the years
nation and a super positive frame of with big bags of our target fish, often only
mind. At this stage you can’t wait to get 50 to 100 metres away. A little research
your line wet and simply can’t imagine why goes a long way. What do I want to
the fish won’t be queuing up to jump on catch, what do they eat and how do they
your lines. I have watched this scenario find it when we aren’t presenting it on a
play out in my local fisheries time and time hook? There is plenty of great info on the
again. My fishing buddy and I watch these internet these days, you just have to look.
people and generally have a friendly chat FishingAustralia.com.au is a great place
as they are putting their beautiful boats in to start!! My recommendation, though, is
the water. “Don’t need
any advice champ”, is a
common retort. I don’t
blame them really.
My buddy and I fish
in a beaten up, plenty
old, 12ft blue tinny that
sports a 9.9hp little buzz
box on the back. We have
it set up with the stuff
we need, not ALL the
stuff you might need in
a year’s fishing. We have
comfy seats, a couple of
rods usually one set up
for bait and one rigged
for lures, we have enough
bait for the session, a
few drinks and maybe a
bite to eat. These guys
usually fly out, plonk
their boats anywhere,
anchor up and toss their lines in. A few to chat with the bloke at the local fishing
get lucky and land a few. Most get unlucky store. And I don’t mean the cheap fishing
with a couple of toadies and sun burnt section at a supermarket! Go into the local
faces. Even the best fisho’s don’t catch fish tackle shop, spend what amounts to a few
every time they venture out. But there are extra dollars on the stuff you need and
a couple of things they do BEFORE they go listen to what he has to say. You are about
out that greatly increase the chances of to fish in this bloke’s back yard. It’s in his
hooking the fish they are targeting. interest to help you catch fish. >>

Saltwater Fishing | Sportsfishing

M
ackerel would have to be one of species. Mackerel can be caught using dead
the most targeted offshore species bait, live bait, trolling lures, plastics, hard
in North Queensland. Relatively bodies or metal slices. In fact, just about
common, hard fighting, easy to locate anything will catch a Mackerel, even a dirty
and fantastic on the plate, Mackerel could old sinker! But for my money, the most
almost be considered a bread and butter exciting way of catching these ferocious
species of the North. There are several predators is with high-speed metal slices.
species of Mackerel that frequent Northern It's a very simple technique, but is the
waters, including Spanish, Spotted, Shark, most adrenaline pumping, heart stopping,
Grey and School or ‘Doggie’ Mackerel. and action packed technique you will ever
But by far the most commonly targeted use! It is also a technique that will often
are the offshore Spanish Mackerel, and continue to produce fish throughout the
the more inshore Doggie Mackerel. While day when all other techniques fail. >>
Mackerel can be found all throughout the
year, the fish favour cooler water, making “It’s a very simple
winter time prime time for chasing these technique, but is the most
speedsters off Townsville. The technique
discussed here will work equally well on all
adrenaline pumping, heart
Mackerel species, but I will concentrate on stopping, and action packed
these two extremes in size. technique you will ever
One of the biggest draw cards to use”
chasing Mackerel is the varied number of
techniques that can be used to target the

Tania Brown
with a nice
Spanish
Mackerel
spun up
on Maggie
Shoals.

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Freshwater Fishing

W
ith the Murray Cod season coming must still feed and average size of fish
to a close I must now sit back will often be improved greatly. To find fish
and reminisce upon the season through the tough conditions, having the
past, but most of all those ‘hot’ sessions right lure in the right place is almost crucial
experienced during the colder end of the with many of those one off or hits in the
season which seen many unforgettable most unlikely place becoming very rare.
memories being made. Many choose to Casting into structures of all varieties and
stay home and keep warm as the water attempting to think as a fish would, will
cools down and the frosts move on in, find you running into many more fish. What
however those that do stick it out, prove structures to fish and how to target them
their patience and battle the often trying will depend mostly on what style of lure
conditions will mostly find themselves you’re using and the time of the day.
rewarded with some great fish and A common trend which I follow

memories. These rewards can be viewed throughout the year but certainly in colder
by some as more-or-less flukes but more conditions is earlier in the morning, fish
often than not they’re the results of time, the shallower water and snags which are
effort and carefully placing your well held up closer to the waters edge. As the
chosen offerings where they’re needed. day moves on and the sun rises higher,
The cold months are far from easy and focus more strongly on the deeper sections
they do involve many long, quiet and often of water, scouting around for likely fish
unsuccessful sessions in very cold and holding structures such as drop offs, rocky
even windy conditions. This does leave outcrops and large timber snags often
the fishing up to those who are often very found by ‘reading’ the banks lining the
dedicated and considered mad. There’s water for old broken river gums. >>
endless proof that the cold water does
greatly slow the activity of fish, but they

There are some flies you tie with more vigour
than others because they have caught you
trout in the past and will most likely do so in
the future, this fly is definitely one of Them.

How to Tie the Mrs Simpson Fly

The Mrs Simpson Fly by Sean O’Rourke

O
ne of the most popular lake flies on the feathers can vary slightly. So you
used in Australia and New Zealand. It can vary your flies as well such as a dark
originated in New Zealand to imitate brown, light brown and tan and a mutant
baitfish found in New Zealand lakes. green version. This fly could represent
There are quite a few feathers used many things, I think it is an excellent mud-
in this particular style of tying, but the eye (dragonfly nymph) representation
resulting silhouette created when retrieved foremost, as well as crustacean and of
through the water makes it worth the course small baitfish.
effort. Use an intermediate or sinking line on no
The feathers are off a ring neck pheasant less than a 6wt rod with a 9ft leader and
and they have a very buggy looking pattern some 4 to 6 pound Tippett and vary the
on them. As you can see in the photo speed of your retrieve. If you are searching
(Bottom right) the patterns and colour the water or “blind casting” as they say
and you want to cast good distances with
less false casting and less effort and still
have a shoulder left at the end of the day,
then I suggest a 9wt rod. >>
Tying instructions Next Page.

Fly Fishing | Freshwater

T
he Central Tablelands has been a conditions hopefully warm a little. Much
Mecca for fly fishers since the late of the insect life is not available in winter
1940's. Many fly fishers make a bee- so foods such as snails, small bait fish
line for the streams of the area and often and yabbies are main food items for the
ignore the impoundments. The still water trout. Many dams hold large amounts of
fishing of this area should not be over snails and the fish feed eagerly on them,
looked there's some very good fishing to particularly on windy days when the snails
be had, about a three hour drive west of are dislodged and float sub-surface, it’s
Sydney.  The area has several large dams, almost like dry fly fishing. You can Polaroid
Lake Oberon, Ben Chifley, Lake Wallace, trout often less than a rod length of the
Thompson’s Creek Dam and Lake Lyell and shoreline. The secret of polaroiding in
numerous smaller private dams stocked by winter is to wear clothing that blends you
in with your surroundings
and move very slowwwly.
When the trout go deep
an intermediate line with
a Woolly Bugger or a
bead head Mrs. Simpson
have brought good
trout unstuck. In winter
the mature trout that
are ready to mate will
make their way up the
feeder streams looking
for cool, fresh water
and suitable gravel's
to lay their eggs in the
redd (nest). Some dams
do not have suitable
spawning streams. The
trout in these dams can
be seen close in around
the edges trying to mate
farmers and anglers. Each dam has its own on windy days in the waves. This is usually
rules, some do not allow boats so check not very successful for the fish, but anglers
before you set off, there's plenty of public can target them with egg imitations such
access points on most dams. In general the as Glow Bugs or Red Setters. >>
dams have been low for many years but
after the last two years of rain the dams Photograph: Peter Smith With a
are spilling, Oberon Dam last spilled in Nice Rainbow
August 2000! The new water levels cover
new knee high grass, it will make for great
fishing.
In winter when the streams are closed
the dams can produce good fishing as long
as you are prepared for possible Siberian
conditions. The fishing in winter is usually
mid morning to mid afternoon as water

Fly Fishing | Saltwater

T
he mention of fly fishing often
conjures up images of fresh water
trout sought by the privileged few.
However, in recent decades itinerant
anglers have traveled the globe in search
of new and exciting fish species and
experiences – much of it involving a salt
water environment.
Salt water fly fishing has grown in
popularity since the 1950’s and has spread
world wide, as anglers seek the challenges
and rewards offered by a coastal
environment. The combination of stunning
scenery that is readily accessible and
close to amenities means that destinations
such as those found around Australia are
popular with holidaymakers who, whether
out of good will or guilt, include their family
in a fishing holiday or cunningly include
fishing in their family holiday.

where shallow sand flats and reef edges
are explored in the quest for fish. Boat
hire is often unnecessary – simply gain
permission from the local authorities,
maybe hire a local guide who knows the
area and head off on foot. It’s a matter of
carrying a rod, a few simple supplies, and
you are off along the shore in search of
your quarry.
Inshore fly fishing encompasses that
Sight fishing, referred to as ‘polaroiding’ which exists between the shallow flats and
(a name derived from the use of polarized off shore waters. Many pursue this fishery
sunglasses to spot the fish) is perhaps the for the sheer variety of fish species that is
most rewarding aspect that salt water fly on offer, not to mention the thrills of the
fishing has to offer. The fish is located by environment that often includes bommies,
sight before an accurate cast is made to crystal clear waters and all manner
delicately place a hand tied fly in front of of creatures that pass by. A common
it. The combined concentration and skill adversary found Australia wide will be
necessary to pull off such a stunt offers the one of several species of trevally, many of
punter rewards that aren’t always a fish in which carry spectacular colour schemes
hand… that appear in varying sizes and states of
Flats’ fishing is the most readily mind. >>
accessible form of saltwater fly fishing,

Rod Building | The Rod Builders Perspective

Evolution of Bream Rods
I ’d like to welcome all the readers to the
first edition of “THE ROD BUILDERS
PERSPECTIVE”. Each edition I am going
40mm lures, some we bought but a lot
that we made ourselves for bream. Now I
fish the weed beds, edges and drop offs of
to share my perspective of what I do for the Gippsland lakes to get my fix.
a living, designing and building fishing From that day to present the drop shot
rods. We’ll run through the thought behind blank has been the most popular in our
certain designs and uses and I’ll through sport. Back then the material was mainly
up some rod recipes for everyone to try fibreglass were as today its ultra-sensitive
from time to time. carbon with attention to guides and handle
This edition I thought I’d run through the set ups to match the sensitivity. These
rods that I have built the most of and that days the array of different blanks and
have bought me personal success over the tapers is immense however a large part of
years from tournaments to work. the rods I build are still based on the drop
From the time I was 13 years of age I shot, but now with the ever increasing use
have been throwing small hardbodied lures of fluoro straight through we find ourselves
for bream. Back then some 33 years ago developing blanks to suit this style of
as kids we used to wade the flats at Speers fishing. >>
point on lake Macquarie throwing small

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Victorian

Fishing Reports
Geelong and further aboard success is clean water. With some of the
windy conditions of late big swells have
Report by Chris Pitman of Q-Tackle / rolled through dirtying up the water but if
Queenscliff Bait & Tackle. you find this just head round to the mouth
of Swan Bay as the water clarity is fine
With the arrival of August squid is on the most of the time.
mind of most anglers around the Geelong Each year the biggest squid taken
region. Reports of the annual run of large usually fall to a well presented bait jig of
squid off the Queenscliff bight have started either silver whiting or tommy ruff. As well
to come in. Most successful method has as squid, large numbers of whiting have
been to fish large jigs size 3.5 & 4 in continued to stay on the chew with St
natural looking colours down deep over Leonards a firm favourite, here pippies or
the kelp beds, another common factor to mussels have been the stand out baits with
anglers finding bag limit captures realistic.
Most of the whiting at St Leonards have
averaged around the 33-35cm mark.
Around to Portarlington and Australian
Salmon have showed up making the pier
their home. These fish respond well to
small metal lures and soft plastics and
make the perfect target for someone
looking to get into lure fishing. On the
lead up to high tide the salmon schools
will move in and around the shallows.
Most fish average 600-700grams but for
what they lack in size they make up for in
numbers.
The Geelong waterfront has seen the
large winter snapper continue to bite with
customers reporting the rocks at St Helens
boat ramp still producing fish to 8kg for
those prepared to put in the hours.
This time of the year most of the
standout reports we hear in the shops
come from the Victorian western district
lakes. Lake Tooliorook just outside of
Lismore has to be the standout so far this
year. Fishing from the bank with power
bait has been a fantastic approach. Just
Above: Queenscliff recently I gave this method a try and
Caught Squid managed two very nice rainbow trout of
1.5kg and a smaller fish of 1kg. >>

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