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Spring will be very welcome
  |  First Published: September 2011



The weather has continued cold and wet but in between the nasty lows we have had a run of the best weather all Winter with clear days, no wind and pleasant sun, a sign that Spring is around the corner.

Last issue I reported the success of those anglers heading out wide to chase southern bluefin tuna.

They experienced some great action but the short window of opportunity was slammed shut by a huge swell and strong wind. When the seas had settled and boats headed out wide, anglers found the fish had moved on, so now it’s fingers crossed for next year.

One boat dropped some big baits down to the bottom out off the continental shelf and had a bit of luck landing six hapuku, which is the only success I’ve heard from those venturing out wide.

On the inshore reefs there has been little to report on the kingfish scene. The cold water is here and the kingies will fire up again as things warm up.

Those working the inshore reefs for snapper have been catching pan-sized fish along with some morwong and on the edges of the reefs, sand flathead. All in all, the offshore fishing has been pretty quiet.

One fish that doesn’t mind the cold water is the salmon. These fish have been caught off all the local beaches and headlands.

Salmon are a Winter saviour for those fishing on the Far South Coast, with fish averaging around 1.5kg with some to 4kg. They are great fighters at any size on light tackle, but when they get to 4kg they area real handful on any gear.

Many people enjoy eating salmon as long as they are eaten fresh because, like tailor, they are no good if frozen. I love salmon, particularly if they have been smoked.

Fishing in the local rivers has been slow with some yellowfin bream caught in the Kiah River, with the best success towards the entrance. Those fishing with bait around dusk have been catching good fish.

The odd dusky flathead is still being caught in the cold, clear water.

The second entrance, that blew out after the major flood, has now closed and all the water is moving in and out of the usual entrance to the south.

Down at Wonboyn there have been some good reports from anglers chasing bream around the oyster leases and in the river, with some good estuary perch also caught on lures.

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