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A couple of days spent casting flies at wily trout in small waters like this is our idea of heaven!
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For us, it had been the perfect escape in every way: some challenging and rewarding small stream fly fishing with our beloved cane rods, punctuated by memorable meals and stunning scenery.
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A week or so ago, Jo and I slipped away for a late season trout fishing trip to the delightful little town of Bright, in Victoria’s north-eastern high country. Despite cool, drizzly weather and a near total lack of insect activity along the streams, we still managed to catch a dozen and a half trout on our little split-cane “twig” fly rods. They were all small fish. Some would fit neatly into the palm of your hand, and the biggest wouldn’t have been much over a pound in the old money. Not that it really mattered, as we let them all go, anyway.
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The trout we caught were tiny, but totally gorgeous: bedazzling little jewels from bubbling mountain streams.
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Driving home from that quick two-day sojourn to Bright, Jo and I both wore the biggest smiles on our faces. For us, it had been the perfect escape in every way: some challenging and rewarding small stream fly fishing with our beloved cane rods, punctuated by memorable meals and stunning scenery. (Bright is justifiably renowned for its vivid autumn colours, and we’d hit them at their peak.)
Another source of our deep contentment was directly related to the user-friendly nature of the trout fishing we’d encountered. Public access to streams was abundant and easy. This contrasts markedly with what we so often find in our home state of NSW. In place of the proliferation of locked gates, barbed wire and stern “Keep Out!”, “Private Property!” or “No Camping!” signs we constantly run up against locally, we found much gentler instructions along the lines of “Please Shut The Gate” or “No Littering”. There were also many, many great places to camp, most of them free!
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We love our little cane fly rods! They are lovingly hand made by master craftsman, Derek Crosdale.
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While I’m sure it’s not all wine and roses south of the border, there seems to be an entirely different mindset towards angler access in the Garden State — one more reminiscent of the enlightened attitudes so often encountered across the ditch in New Zealand. Perhaps it’s a top-down reflection of the Victorian Fisheries Authority’s very positive and nurturing approach to recreational fishing as a whole? Whatever the case, I think it’s an example and a model our other states would do well to emulate.
The string of images I posted on our Starlo’s Fishotopia page on Facebook and @starlos_fishotopia Instagram account during and after our trip attracted lots of attention and some lovely feedback, but I thought it was rather interesting that one bloke took us to task for basically wasting our time flogging small, overgrown streams for “sardine-sized” trout when we could have gone to a dam and caught some much bigger fish with a lot less effort.
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Small but perfectly formed. These beautiful little fish embody the spirit of the waters they live in.
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Of course, at one level, our critic was correct. Both Jo and I enjoy lake fishing and do plenty of it. We know we’d have potentially caught much bigger trout at Eucumbene, Jindabyne or Eildon. But the fact is, we have a real soft spot for small waters and their lively little fish. We’ve both reached a point in the arc of our fishing lives where success is no long predicated purely on the size of the catch. The overall experience is increasingly important to us. We suspect that many of you who follow our path share that view.
In the final analysis, we all fish for slightly different reasons, and we pursue a diverse range of rewards and experiences along the way. Importantly, those motivations evolve over time. A fishing life is effectively a journey and — like all epic journeys — the trip itself ultimately becomes far more important than the final destination.
Tight Lines.
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----- > SCROLL DOWN! There’s much more below.
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Catch My Drift
| Thoughts, reflections, insights and epiphanies that occurred to Jo this month... |
What Every Angler Ought To Know About Harvest Strategies
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HARVEST STRATEGIES. You’ve probably started hearing the term bandied about. You may have even heard bad things. I’ve personally read conspiracy theories and cynical twists, suggesting they’re a play by government to introduce tighter, unwanted, or unwarranted controls. Don’t you just love fear-mongers?
For my part, I’m a strong believer that this form of fisheries management is our best hope of securing the sustainability of our fish stocks and ensuring a robust fishing future for us all. And given the level of scuttlebutt that is bound to sprout across our social media feeds (nothing generates more eyeballs than inspiring fear against the establishment… just ask D.J. Trump!), I think it’s best to demystify harvest strategies for all anglers. So, please read this layperson’s look at harvest strategies: the intention; the concept and the implications for recreational fishing.
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ATTENTION VICTORIAN ANGLERS
A Control Area has been declared following the detection of AVG near Cape Nelson. Agriculture Victoria is conducting further testing and assessments and is working closely with the Victorian Fisheries Authority to respond to this detection.
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The Control Area spans along the coastline from Bridgewater Bay in the west to past Narrawong in the east and is varied offshore to 30 m ocean depth. This includes Portland.
The control order for the control area prohibits the:
- taking of abalone and other shellfish;
- use of commercial fishing equipment, commercial abalone equipment, recreation hoop nets, bait traps, hauling nets;
- practice of both commercial and recreational diving for abalone;
- taking of rock lobster, all shellfish, sea urchins and any of the substrate or sea floor; and
- movement of any abalone or shellfish out of the control area unless the movement is in accordance with a permit issued by an inspector.
Boats, vessels and fishing equipment cannot be anchored in the Control Area.
However, a vessel can move through the area provided it does not stop. All line fishing is prohibited from shore or boat within the control area.
Activities such as swimming, surfing, paddle boarding and walking along the shore/rocks are allowed.
Special arrangements are in place for boats required to anchor in the Portland anchorage area.
For more information, click here.
Thanks to Inner Circle member, Jay Barrett for bringing this to our attention.
Image and content credit: Agriculture Victoria
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The INDT World Sooty Championships at Queensland’s Eungella Dam have just wrapped up for another year.
Despite some reasonably tough fishing, 100 competitors were able to record 139 scoring sooty grunter with an average length of close to 38cm.
Senior winner for the weekend was Nicholas Moore, whose six best fish averaged close to 42cm apiece. In second place was Mick Slade, and third went to Trent Power.
Champion Junior was Cooper Slade, who actually out-performed all the seniors with a stunning six fish bag averaging just over 44cm apiece! Balin Tweddle was second in the Juniors and Darcy McFarlane came third in a highly competitive field of keen young anglers.
Biggest sooty for the weekend was a 50cm football landed by Junior angler, Jai Hunt, and there were several other 47 to 49cm fish recorded.
Starlo was pretty chuffed to finish 5th in his first World Sooty Championships, but he reckons full credit for that result must go to his boater, Daniel Grech, who’s won the event on multiple occasions and knows Eungella like the back of his hand. Steve was so impressed with the whole event and MAFSA’s wonderful work that he immediately handed his $100 prize voucher back and kicked in another $200 out of his own pocket to help their fish stocking efforts.
Mackay Area Fish Stocking Association Inc. (MAFSA) did an awesome job of running the comp in its 16th year and, as always, the funds generated go straight back into stocking fish in local waters... a real win-win for recreational fishing! In fact, 2,000 sooties and 500 barra were released into the dam by MAFSA during the event... How good is that!? |
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Do you fish off the Sunshine Coast?
If so, the Switch Your Fish community would love to hear from you!
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Switch Your Fish challenges recreational fishers on Queensland's Sunshine Coast to enjoy a different range of fish that are fun catch and good to eat. The different species are mahi mahi, amberjack, cobia and school mackerel. This innovative initiative will help spread angler effort, allowing popular, but struggling, species a chance to bounce back.
Get involved and get in touch.
Click the button below.
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— BONUS GIFT —
Exclusive Fishotopian Blue 80mm Shaker
from RTBroughton Lures.
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Legendary Aussie lure crafter, Ray Broughton, is a wonderful friend of Fishotopia, and has provided us with exceptional support for some time now. On top of stepping up to be a 2021 sponsor of Jo’s “Barra’Prentice” team in this year’s Secret Women’s Business (SWB) Barra Challenge on the Top End’s Corroboree Billabong, Ray has crafted an exclusive run of his exceptional Shaker divers for us in this striking “Fishotopian Blue” reverse counter-shaded finish!
This strictly limited run of one-off wooden lures (25 only in existence) are only available as our latest thank you gift for new Inner Circle members who choose an annual subscription. These are set to become instant collectors’ items, so if you've been considering joining our unique fishing community, NOW’S THE TIME!
Meanwhile, be sure to go to Ray’s RTBroughton Lures page on Facebook and follow it for all the latest news on his superb (and growing) range of hand-crafted timber lures… Support our Aussie lure-makers!
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BAFFLE CREEK FAMILY FISHING FESTIVAL
Annual "Catch, Snap & Release" fishing comp for all ages.
Baffle Creek is located roughly halfway between Bundaberg and Gladstone and is one of the last untouched pristine creek systems in south-east Queensland.
Monday 20 – Saturday 25 September
Find out more!
GREAT LAKE TIE-IN
Saturday, 16 October
Find out more... Click to go to Facebook Group now!
ONKASTOMPA FISHING COMP 2021
Onkaparinga River, Noarlunga Downs, South Australia.
Sunday, 7 November
Raising money for the Childhood Cancer Association. Find out more!
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Tips like this can be found throughout the public area of Fishotopia.com
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“Spooled” is a fantastic on-line fishing publication that’s available to all readers completely FREE! The latest issue is live now at this link and is packed with articles, reviews, info’ on the latest gear, along with some cracking imagery & embedded video.
It also contains a major feature from Starlo about the role of anglers as genuine conservationists and environmentalists: something he feels very passionate about. You can also read past issues on the Spooled website at any time.
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Feeling SUPER-STOKED for our good friend and fellow Inner Circle member, Romen Dicovski of Roaming Productions, who managed this epic Murray cod during the Pirtek Fishing Challenge, taking out top tier of the podium for the Murray–Darling Basin. How does he do it?!
Inner Circle members can pick his brains on our forum, but there are also options for the more shy amongst us... Whilst Romen doesn't drink, he did share a kombucha with Starlo in a recent episode of "A Beer With Starlo". Check it out here. AND, for those who love our cosy fishing community, you can claim a free inspirational and instructional DVD by Romen, all about these glorious fish. Find out more by clicking here, or scrolling down ;)
CONGRATULATIONS to all participants and winners this year. The Pirtek Fishing Challenge is a fabulous and worthwhile initiative achieving great things in support of mens health!
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New Episode Now Available
Fishotopia’s Inner Circle members now enjoy unlimited, round-the-clock access to episodes of “A Fisherman’s Life with Starlo”.
This no-nonsense, advertising-free series of cutting edge programs is made exclusively for Fishflicks.tv and is normally only available to subscribers to that streaming service. However, thanks to a special deal between Fishotopia and Fishflicks, our members can now access these shows without paying anything extra on top of their Inner Circle subscription fee.
Eight episodes are now available, with new episodes coming on line across 2021, making this far too good a deal to miss! Find out how to join the Inner Circle (and enjoy all the other great benefits of belonging) by clicking the link below.
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Premium Membership to Starlo’s Inner Circle - MONTHLY
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A$5.50
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Premium Membership to Starlo’s Inner Circle - Full Year
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A$55.00
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DID YOU KNOW
Members of the Inner Circle enjoy their own private social media forum?
It works just like Facebook, but without the trolls and haters.
If you ever wonder what sort of conversations happen in our gated community, this regular section of our newsletter is your peep-hole.
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The Clubhouse Wall is our Inner Circle Members’ private forum. This section of our monthly newsletter highlights some of the topics discussed in our virtual “Clubhouse” over the past month. The above collection of pics has been collated from some of our favourite posts of late.
Topics of interest have included:
• Cold water fishing hotting up
• Parenting — reaping the rewards when the kids grow up
• "Big baits, big fish" VS "elephants eat peanuts"
• Barracking for Carl Jocumsen
• Weipa!!!
• What’s working on duskies
• Testing out a "Quick Boat"
• The Pirtek Fishing Challenge
• Lots of spot intel sharing
• Habitat restoration
... and much more.
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Tight Lines Magazine
Tight Lines Magazines are unlike any fishing magazine you’ve seen before. They each feature one super-sized exposé on one topic, drilling as deeply into the how-to’s and species knowledge as possible, ensuring you become the best angler you can be.
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“PHONE A FRIEND” MEMBERS’ OFFER
Courtesy of Romen and Roaming Productions, we have 14 copies of his wonderful, 93-minute “Green & Gold On The Road” DVD (valued at $25 each) to give away exclusively to Inner Circle members! This action- and information-packed production covers Googong, Burrendong and Pindari Dams and explores a range of techniques targeting cod and goldens.
To pick up a copy, all an existing Inner Circle member needs to do is to convince a friend or family member to join us on the inside before Christmas by signing up for a full year’s membership (and YES, they can take advantage of the book and lure BONUS Offer already described above!). As soon as they sign on, we’ll send both you and your mate a copy of the DVD! How good is that? But only the first seven sign-ups score this double-barrel giveaway, so pick up the mobile now and “phone a friend”!
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You may have noticed that Mako Oil have been advertising with us here in the newsletter and on Fishotopia.com since day one. We really appreciate their wonderful support… but we appreciate the amazing product they produce even more!
Steve was first introduced to Mako Oil back in his days as a TV presenter for “The Offroad Adventure Show” and he quickly became a “believer”. Mako Oil now plays a vital role in all of our tackle and gear maintenance regimes, as well as many other jobs around home, and we absolutely swear by the stuff. We particularly like the fact that it seems to have no adverse impacts whatsoever on fishing lines, and that its fish-based formula means it doesn’t turn fish off biting, even if sprayed directly onto hooks, sinkers and lures… in fact, it might even attract them!
You can watch Starlo’s video explainer about Mako Oil and its many uses by clicking the play button above, or cut to the chase and view a shorter, how-to clip describing our regular after-trip tackle maintenance routine here.
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Have You Checked In On Your Aussie Anglers Almanac Today?
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THREE FOR THE PRICE OF TWO!
Speaking of special offers and Ray Broughton’s great timber lures, Ray has a ripper deal going at the moment allowing you to effectively buy three of his Shimmey timber minnows for the price of two! That’s right… buy a trio of RTBroughton Shimmey timber minnows (1 x 50mm, 1 x 60mm & 1 x 80mm) in your choice of colours (4 colours* to choose from) and you’ll save a cool $21!
You’ll receive a 50mm Shimmey normally valued at $23, a 60mm Shimmey worth $25 and an 80mm Shimmey with a standard price of $27 (a combined value of $75) for just $54, plus $9 for packaging and postage. So, you pay just $63 all-up for a pack of 3 hand-made timber lures that would regularly cost $84, delivered to your door!
How do you take advantage of this amazing offer? Simply go to Ray Broughton’s RTBroughton Lures page on Facebook, “LIKE” the page, recommend the page to at least ONE of your friends, and then quote the code #starlosentme when ordering your three-pack by messaging Ray on the page… It’s as simple as that! Get over to the RTBroughton Lures page NOW and secure your bonus offer. Stocks are limited, so first in, best dressed!
* Please note, because each lure is hand-painted, small variations will naturally occur and your lures may look slightly different to the ones shown here.
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADVERTISE IN THIS NEWSLETTER?
Our readers are enthusiastic, thinking anglers from all over the country.
If you have a product or service that benefits them, let’s tell them about it! Advertising spaces are limited.
CLICK FOR MEDIA KIT & MORE INFORMATION |
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Until we see you in Fishotopia...
Tight Lines!
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