Brrr ... partial TR (of sorts) Tassie.

[Stephen Welsh]

No pictures yet, not that I took many. The dashed weather
was appalling much of the time spent in Tassie this year,
and I didn't want to risk exposure of the camera (among
other ... err more personal items 8-)

However, the fish were out in the weather! Polaroiding
the lake shores was very difficult with the low light. Throw
in scudding rain, hail, sleet, antarctic blasts and conditions
could be described as challenging. Sure enough,
rather sickly-looking pale shapes could occasionally be seen
slowly cruising the margins and porpoising through the waves.

It shouldn't have been that surprising, the water
was a relatively warm 12 C compared with an a air temp of 4 C
- with wind chill thrown in I reckon it was -12 C. Certainly
the hoped for caddis hatches didn't eventuate but the fish
were moving and happy to take woollys and the like. Those
cleaned for the pot had a collection of scud and tiny water
beetles size #18 at most, more probably #20.

We were chuffed at getting a brace of fish in those
conditions - and never was the humble "Cup o' Soup" so welcome.
Eventually the enjoyment factor was completely washed away
or more likely frozen. One of my companions quaffed the last of
the hot water "neat" to help dampen his shivering. That done,
we struck out for the truck faster than an absconding lawyer.


It had been raining in one form or another continuously since our
arrival, and now, clear water is pouring out of the surrounding forest
into the lake - and not only in conventional streams, though they are
running hard.

Seeping from the buttongrass edges of the forest, sheets of crystal clear
water two to three centimetres deep flow down to the lake covering
sections of bank perhaps a hundred metres long and twenty metres wide.
The water, having washed away any mud and soil, completes its usual
tricks. While seemingly polishing and enhancing the colour of the
impervious rock and living plants, it penetrates and darkens the
unhealthy grey of long since fallen branches and driftwood. Grasses,
lichens, moss, pink granite rocks, pebbles and fallen leaves appear to be
set in liquid crystal, radiating their colours in a cheerful counterpoint
to the sombre tones of the black clay earth, sodden wood and leaden sky.

Anyhow ...

Steve

[Tim J.]

"Stephen Welsh" wrote...
> No pictures yet, not that I took many. The dashed weather
> was appalling much of the time spent in Tassie this year,

Tasmania, I presume? I thought this was the warm season down under.

<snip>
> Seeping from the buttongrass edges of the forest, sheets of crystal clear
> water two to three centimetres deep flow down to the lake covering
> sections of bank perhaps a hundred metres long and twenty metres wide.
> The water, having washed away any mud and soil, completes its usual
> tricks. While seemingly polishing and enhancing the colour of the
> impervious rock and living plants, it penetrates and darkens the
> unhealthy grey of long since fallen branches and driftwood. Grasses,
> lichens, moss, pink granite rocks, pebbles and fallen leaves appear to be
> set in liquid crystal, radiating their colours in a cheerful counterpoint
> to the sombre tones of the black clay earth, sodden wood and leaden sky.

Very nice. Thanks.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

[djo]

Steve:

Great report. I only had the opportunity to fish the plateau lakes
once two years ago and was blown off by terrible bone chilling snow
squalls. Tassy land is a wonderful land for flyfishing - including
the much under appreciated rivers. I hope to have a shot at it again
in a couple of years. Maybe this time it will not be necessary to
cast into 30 mph winds in a blizzard.

David

[Peter Charles]

On 22 Jan 2004 05:06:21 GMT, Stephen Welsh
> wrote:

>
>
>Seeping from the buttongrass edges of the forest, sheets of crystal clear
>water two to three centimetres deep flow down to the lake covering
>sections of bank perhaps a hundred metres long and twenty metres wide.
>The water, having washed away any mud and soil, completes its usual
>tricks. While seemingly polishing and enhancing the colour of the
>impervious rock and living plants, it penetrates and darkens the
>unhealthy grey of long since fallen branches and driftwood. Grasses,
>lichens, moss, pink granite rocks, pebbles and fallen leaves appear to be
>set in liquid crystal, radiating their colours in a cheerful counterpoint
>to the sombre tones of the black clay earth, sodden wood and leaden sky.
>
>Anyhow ...
>
>Steve
>
>
Sounds more like our weather than yours -- must be the highlands, eh?

Despite the cold, sounds like a great place to be.

Peter

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[Peter Charles]

oh ya, did you fish any of those caddis?

Peter

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[Stephen Welsh]

"Tim J." > wrote in news:101036g15aeed13
@news.supernews.com:

> Tasmania, I presume? I thought this was the warm season down under.
>

Yep, Tasmania. Once you get up to 3000 feet all bets are off - last year
I fished the same waters in shirt sleeves.

Steve

[Stephen Welsh]

(djo) wrote in news:631aa5ad.0401221352.48f7ec12
@posting.google.com:

> Great report. I only had the opportunity to fish the plateau lakes
> once two years ago and was blown off by terrible bone chilling snow
> squalls.

That's not so good especially if you've travelled to get there. On the
plus side there can be some good dun hatches in snow - apparently - I'm
not entirely sure I want to find out :-)

> Tassy land is a wonderful land for flyfishing - including
> the much under appreciated rivers. I hope to have a shot at it again
> in a couple of years. Maybe this time it will not be necessary to
> cast into 30 mph winds in a blizzard.
>

The rivers are relatively untouched from what I've seen.

The general consensus is March (then Feb) are the most stable
weather months in Tassie ... hatches start again too.

Steve

[Stephen Welsh]

Peter Charles > wrote in
:

> oh ya, did you fish any of those caddis?
>
> Peter
>

I've had a lot of success with the material I described
to you in email ... and a friend has developed a complimentary
adult ... One species down, lots to go ;-)

Steve

[Wolfgang]

"Stephen Welsh" > wrote in message
. 1.4...
> (djo) wrote in news:631aa5ad.0401221352.48f7ec12
> @posting.google.com:

> > Tassy land is a wonderful land for flyfishing - including
> > the much under appreciated rivers...

> The rivers are relatively untouched from what I've seen...

Why is that?

Wolfgang

[Stephen Welsh]

"Wolfgang" > wrote in news:bus8j0$lfeae$1@ID-
205717.news.uni-berlin.de:

>
> "Stephen Welsh" > wrote in message
> . 1.4...
>> (djo) wrote in news:631aa5ad.0401221352.48f7ec12
>> @posting.google.com:
>
>> > Tassy land is a wonderful land for flyfishing - including
>> > the much under appreciated rivers...
>
>> The rivers are relatively untouched from what I've seen...
>
> Why is that?
>
> Wolfgang
>
>

I think the main reason is that lake fishing is sensational,
and easier. Access to a good many streams is difficult with
natural physical barriers (bush, terrain) and some man-made
ones like the use of some streams as hydro channels.


Steve

[Wolfgang]

"Stephen Welsh" > wrote in message
. 1.4...
> "Wolfgang" > wrote in news:bus8j0$lfeae$1@ID-
> 205717.news.uni-berlin.de:
>
> >
> > "Stephen Welsh" > wrote in message
> > . 1.4...
> >> (djo) wrote in news:631aa5ad.0401221352.48f7ec12
> >> @posting.google.com:
> >
> >> > Tassy land is a wonderful land for flyfishing - including
> >> > the much under appreciated rivers...
> >
> >> The rivers are relatively untouched from what I've seen...
> >
> > Why is that?
>
> I think the main reason is that lake fishing is sensational,
> and easier. Access to a good many streams is difficult with
> natural physical barriers (bush, terrain) and some man-made
> ones like the use of some streams as hydro channels.

Sounds like a challenge......um, how far is that from Milwaukee?

Wolfgang

[George Cleveland]

On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 21:59:09 -0600, "Wolfgang" > wrote:

>
>"Stephen Welsh" > wrote in message
. 1.4...
>> "Wolfgang" > wrote in news:bus8j0$lfeae$1@ID-
>> 205717.news.uni-berlin.de:
>>
>> >
>> > "Stephen Welsh" > wrote in message
>> > . 1.4...
>> >> (djo) wrote in news:631aa5ad.0401221352.48f7ec12
>> >> @posting.google.com:
>> >
>> >> > Tassy land is a wonderful land for flyfishing - including
>> >> > the much under appreciated rivers...
>> >
>> >> The rivers are relatively untouched from what I've seen...
>> >
>> > Why is that?
>>
>> I think the main reason is that lake fishing is sensational,
>> and easier. Access to a good many streams is difficult with
>> natural physical barriers (bush, terrain) and some man-made
>> ones like the use of some streams as hydro channels.
>
>Sounds like a challenge......um, how far is that from Milwaukee?
>
>Wolfgang
>
>
About as far as a person can get.

g.c.

Nothing personal, I'm sure.

[Wolfgang]

"George Cleveland" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 23 Jan 2004 21:59:09 -0600, "Wolfgang" > wrote:
>

> >Sounds like a challenge......um, how far is that from Milwaukee?
> >
> >Wolfgang
> >
> >
> About as far as a person can get.

Holy ****, farther than Bevent?!

> g.c.
>
> Nothing personal, I'm sure.

Well, when ALL of ROFF moves there, I'll take it personally. Till then, I'm
willing to shrug it off as coincidence.

Wolfgang

[Stephen Welsh]

"Wolfgang" > wrote in news:busqij$lh3a9$1@ID-
205717.news.uni-berlin.de:

> Sounds like a challenge......um

River fisheries tend to be lowland affairs where streamside
modification have taken place ... i.e. farming.

Casting my "scrabbling through the bush for a fish" eye over
some waters leads me to believe there are unexploited opportunities
there. The easiest (best? only?!) way to access them seems to be
from a lake walking up the guts of the stream. The bush is _that_
thick...did I mention the leeches yet? On the upside, untrammelled
places with untramelled scenery. On the downside, these streams may
only hold any sizeable fish during the spawn when they are closed to
fishing.

Distance from Milwaukee? Three plane rides and a 1.5 hour 4WD
(preferable) jaunt should about do it. You could be into a lowland fish
in less than 24 hours assuming you make it past the beagles at Hobart
International. A remote highland stream? Just about as far as you care
to take a hike.

;-)

Steve