Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Adrian-Webbs-Trout-Tips » Flashback Season Starter 2013-14
Flashback Season Starter 2013-14
By Adrian (meppstas) Webb
With the Tasmanian trout season closed and Adrian prepping his gear for the 2020-21 season, he sent us this flashback to his first trip back into the rivers from the 2013-14 season. We hope the gear prep and reflection on last season is keeping you busy and fired up for the season ahead Adrian and we salute your commitment to the sport that you love. Fish on!
Thought I would head off to the Meander River and Western Creek this morning to see how high they were running, in the hope of maybe having a wade for a change. Not that I haven't enjoyed several stints of bait fishing as it was a nice change, but really deep down nowhere near as good as being in a river chasing trout. I was still suffering soreness in the back, from having some thirty plus injections in the lower back and spine two days ago and was wondering how I would manage the trip.
Well, I put on the fishing gear, went out to get in the Trout Stalker 2 and walked straight into a strong North Easterly breeze. So, with that wind blowing, I decided not to go and it was back inside and into the trackies... a false start. After lunch (12.30pm) I checked outside again and noticed that the wind had dropped off, so it was back on with the fishing gear and off to the Meander River. After a quick back rub down with some Rapid Gel (anti-inflam for horses) that is. The anti-inflam gel is just great for aches and pains, that's for sure.
Once at the Meander River I found it to be running pretty high and not safe enough to wade, so I then headed over to Western Creek. This was ideal for wading and the water was slightly clouded but fishable. What a relief it was to see that I could finally get in and wade a river for the first time this season.
I thought I would start off using a #0 (2.5g) Mepps Aglia Fluo (Fluoro) Fire Tiger, with blade colours of green, yellow and orange. I fished the first one hundred metres of river without having a follow or seeing a fish, which was a little deflating. It was still great to be in a river and I kept thinking this to myself. The next stretch of river I knew often gave up a fish or two and after several casts upstream I finally had my first fish on the spinner for the season. It wasn't a big fish, just a nice 320g brown that was in prime condition. After a quick photo it was quickly released for another day.
This one fish made the whole trip worthwhile as there is nothing better than hooking into a river fish... and size doesn't matter at all. Well it doesn't to me as it's always great to catch a river fish, any day. You can fish the lakes, dams or go trolling, but for me it doesn't compare to catching a trout in a river or stream. I know a lot of you will disagree, however this is only my opinion though and that's how I see it, as I have fished and caught trout in those places mentioned also.
I do know that it's different for the fly fisher fishing lakes, compared to someone spinning them and that I understand. Anyway back to the fishing in Western Creek. After the quick release of that little brown I fished on for another five or six hundred metres before I spotted a bow wave following the spinner downstream and I was waiting for the strike to occur. Bang, it struck and this was a solid fish that would have been close to a kilo too. The problem was that I didn't get to weigh this fish. After a couple of fast runs, one back upstream and then another back downstream past me, followed by a leap and a twist out of the river and he was off.
Oh well, at least I had around thirty seconds of fun with this trout and that was only the second hit in over a kilometre of river. The rain had now started and so I thought I would call it a day. It wasn't all bad, I still had two hook ups for the trip and to me, it was well worth it too. One thing is certain, I will return to this little creek for another crack at catching a few more trout. Hopefully it will only be another few weeks and the Mersey, Leven, Meander and a few others will all be at the right height to get in and spin my heart out.
Adrian (meppstas)