Claret &
Mallard Journal
Ballarat Fly Fishers' Club
April 2015
Incorporation Number A2007
Contacts 2015
President:
Alan Townsend 0408615185
Secretary:
Gerry Watt 0419103836
Senior Vice President:
Greg Armstrong 53341251 / 0417383216
Junior Vice President:
Vacant
Immediate Past President
Chris Doody 0428304004
Minute Secretary:
Barry Kentish 0408369882/ 53301207
Treasurer:
Bruce Pipkorn 0409954643
Committee:
Dale Flenley 0400072769
Andrew Borg 03 53689062
Shane Stevens 0408179927
Andrew Gardner 0409705404
Alistair Lowne 0419153526
Mick McKay 53458124
Gary McKay 0353315927
Anna Taylor 0458385410
Terry Simmons 03 5335848
Newsletter Editor
Barry Kentish 0408369882
Website Manager
Brett Cirulis 042044668
Ian Hare 0428217909
Kitchen Manager
Andrew Borg 03 53689062
Bar Manager
Robert Haines 53388175/0407670207
Delegate - Aquatic Association:
Royce Baxter 53359353
Fly tying Instructors
Sean Purcell 0408501133
Delegates - BDAA
Chris Doody 0428304004
VrFish
Anthony McGrath 0408542694
Delegate - VCF:
Mark Cuthbert 0425739443
Club Librarian:
Steve Lock 53323835
Clubrooms - Keymen
Alistair Lowne 0419153526
Shane Stevens 0408179927
Casting Instructors
Barry Whelan 0408677745
John Close 03 53321688
Clubrooms - Maintenance
Dale Flenley 0400072769
Russell Eldridge 53451127
Peter Voterakis 53333842
Clubrooms - Cleaning
Roger McNeight 53324321
Club Historians
Barry Kentish 0408369882
Keith Ridsdale 0409327113
Steve Lock 53323835
All correspondence should be
addressed to:
The Secretary
Ballarat Fly Fishers’ Club
PO Box 1138
Ballarat Mail Centre
BALLARAT. VICTORIA 3354
Cover Photo - Scott Xanthoulakis on a recent trip to
South Island of New Zealand—location a secret!!
Reminders…………..
commons.wikimedia.org
What’s
happening in
April?
April 9th —Monthly
meeting 8.00pm
Casting Practise—every
Sunday—9.30am at
casting jetty
Len Walker trophy—
Sunday 5th April to
Sunday 27th September. Lake Wendouree—
midday to 4.00pm.
April 24th to 26th—
Glenelg River trip staying at Nelson—contact
Gary McKay
Minutes of the Ballarat Flyfishers’ Club Inc
Members’ Monthly Meeting, Thursday
12th March 2015
Harlock, D Hearn, D Kimberley, J
Mason, N Mason, S McArdle, A
The meeting was opened at
McGrath, C McKay, A McKinley, C
8.55pm. President Allan Town- McKnight, Roger McKnight, T
send thanked the Ballarat health Nuttall, Barry Nygaard, Brian
services for the demonstration of Nygaard, T Crawford, J Penney, J
CPR and the use of the defibrilla- Porteous, A Sarcevic, S Stevens,
tor.
R Thorne, R Wilson.
Attendees
Visitors
Minutes
G Armstrong, J Bambridge, D
Bandy, R Baxter, B Bennetts, F
Bluch, R Bolton, A Borg, C Carland, J Close, M Cuthbert, C
Doody, R Eldridge, R Fisher, D
Flenley, D Forde, R Haines, I
Hare, M Hobbs, K Howard, J
Jackman, S Jeffrey, B Johnson, B
Kentish, H Landman, J Laverty, S
lock, A Lowne, K Mason, G
McKay, B Muller, I Penberthy, N
Phillips, B Pipkorn, B Reddick, G
Richmond, K Ridsdale, J Rumpf,
T Russell, G Sandman, M Scuffins, P Smith, M Sorrell, A Taylor,
A Townsend, S Troop, P Voterakis, G Watt, B Whelan, S Xanthoulakis
Apologies
T Adams, Jaan Aringo, Jyri Aringo, V Barby, B Cirulis, C Coltman, M Condous, J Cowen, J
Cuscadden, R Dodds, G Drew, D
Eason, D Faulkner, G Ferguson,
R Goyne, C Griffin, M Hall, M
Ian Crook, Vic Denham, David
Werda
Minutes
Minutes (as circulated in the
journal) of the meeting held on
Thursday 12th February 2015
were approved on a motion from
K Ridsdale and seconded I Penberthy.
Carried
Business Arising from
Minutes
None
Correspondence
Inward
Information from Bendigo and
District Fly Fishers in respect
to rebuilding the trout fishery
at Barkers Creek ( Harcourt)
reservoir.
Review of trout policy VR fish circulated via email.
Outward.
Wastell information sent to Horsham & District FFC
Response to Bendigo & Dist FFC.
Journals Received
Various journals have been received both hard electronic versions.
Inward correspondence was received and outward correspondence approved, on the motion
from D bandy and seconded D
Flenley.
Carried
Wanted
This journal needs your fishing story. If you’ve been fishing
recently and have a tale to be told contact Barry Kentish
[[email protected]] and perhaps you can write a article
for the BFFC Journal. Your fishing photos are always wanted.
Reports
a Fishing reports - there
were numerous reports of fish
been landed from lake Wendouree. David bandy reported
that he had observed mayfly
hatches on evening. Gary McKay
reported that he had taken fish
to around about 2 pound from
Lake Wendouree. James Laverty
also reported that he had taken
a rainbow to 3 pounds from lake
Wendouree. Jim Bambridge gave
a brief report on his recent fishing trip to Tasmania where he
had seen, although not landed,
trout of exceptional size. Jim
Jackman has been fishing Khancoban and the threat bow river
with some success. Scott Xanthoulakis gave a brief report on
a recent fishing trip would he
caught up with cam Griffin and
their fishing exploits in the south
island of New Zealand. The best
river fishing was from Oreti
where fish from 6-8lb were taken. Keith this Ridsdale gave a report that fish had been seen
moving at Cosgrove’s rental reservoir and bead head tom Jones
appears to be the preferred fly.
d. Bunnings BBQ – Gerry Watt
read out Brian Hughes’s report.
“It was a good day. Thanks to
Geoff Sandman, Gary McKay,
Vern & Luke Barby, Brian Rivett,
Steve Lock and Bluey Bennets
for their assistance on the day.
Sold about 55kg of Sausages
and 100 cans of drink and 20
waters and 44 loaves of bread. 2
packs of Sausages are in the
clubs freezer.
e. Paddle boat and Restaurant night – this is an excellent social occasion with approximately 40 people attending. It
was a very pleasant night racial
crews on lake Wendouree on a
nice dinner at the boat shed restaurant.
f. Maintenance working
bee – Dale Flenley reported that
the working group managed to
do some painting around doors
and windows and replace the
hand rails on the deck. Dale
thanked all the volunteers who
assisted.
A motion to receive the reports
was from G Sandman and sec. Aquatic Association – conded P Voterakis.
Carried
Royce Royce Baxter reported
that the next meeting is on the
following Tuesday.
b. VRfish – no report
Membership.
Two new members had been
nominated for membership into
the Ballarat flyfishing club; Vic
Denham of Beaufort and Ian
Crook of Soldiers Hill. After a
ballot for membership both Vic
and Ian were duly welcomed into
the Ballarat flyfishing club. President Allan Townsend welcomed
to new members and hoped that
they would enjoy a long partnership with the club.
Upcoming events
Lake Wendouree 2 Fly Event –
28th and 29th March. Volunteers are required to assist
with some the numerous tasks
over this weekend competition. Chris Doody informed
members that Gavin Hurley is
the major sponsor and has donated a rod as the major prize
the competition. There are approximately 22 entries from
outside the Ballarat flyfishing
club.
VR Fish – State Council Meeting. 14th & 15th March at
BFFC. The meeting will be
held in the clubhouse with a
barbecue on Saturday night.
Eucumbene Trip 14th – 21st
March.- Gary McKay and
Brian Sainty are expected to
attend this trip .
Master Classes. 17th March.
Royce Baxter will presenting
a talk on trout vision and
florescence. Dale Flenley
gave a brief report on the
previous master classes
New Zealand trip - Robert
Haines reported that the
bookings have been finalised and that the invoices
for each member attending
have been sent out. It is
important that those people
attending pay the invoice
before the end of March.
Nelson trip 25th – 27th April Gary McKay has organise
accommodation at the hotel
in Nelson. Gary needs confirmation of numbers as
soon as possible
museumvictoria.com.au
General Business.
Oceania Competition. 2nd to
7th Nov.
Royce Baxter gave a overview
of Ballarat flyfishing club’s involvement in the Oceana competition. Royce organise a list
of volunteers in due course
with further explanation of
what is required from those
volunteers.
Harcourt Reservoir Project –
this proposal from the Bendigo fly fishing club is a request
for support from the Ballarat
flyfishing club to consider fisheries research involving Arthur
Rylah Institute. BFFC have
responded supporting the proposal but made the additional
device that the water quality
may need some analysis prior
to conducting fisheries research.
Proposed Education Bursary/
Scholarship. Barry Whelan
had circulated in open letter
to members in relationship to
BFFC offering educational
scholarships. This letter was
tabled and discussed at
length. It was decided that
members should should consider this matter over the next
month and address the issue
at the April general meeting.
Website addition - Ian Hare
posted developing the
webpage that is incorporated
a booking system for the
Purrumbete Lodge. Members
thanked Ian for developing
the webpage.
Fly casting. Casting practice
will continue to be at 9.30
a.m. on Sundays at the T jetty. Barry Whelan reported
that attendance had been reasonable. It was noted that the
Brunn shield competition commences in may that most of
the Brunn competition will be
held at Ballarat.
Calendar - the current BFFC
calendar is available on the
webpage or a hard copy is
available in the clubhouse.
Fly Tying- fly tying classes are
aligned to club trips. The first
class commences on Thursday, March 19 and then the
following Tuesday 24th of
March. These fly tying session
will be dedicated to New Zealand flies start time is 7 PM
Angler Access at Hepburn Lagoon - Chris Doody reported
that this matter is in hand
with the BDAA applying for a
suitable grant.
New Zealand - Scott Xanthou- ing closed at 10:15 p.m
lakis informed members that
Social item
cam Griffin is offering guiding
Members of the Ballarat
services in New Zealand and
flyfishing club were treated
in any members are fishing in
to a slideshow from Frank
New Zealand they should conBluch who showed phototact Cam.
graphs from recent fishing
Email contacts - Barry Kentish
trips to Canada. Members
asked all members to ensure
were treated to some specthat their email contact details
tacular photography with
are current.
some equally spectacular
fish.
Current items before the
********************
Committee.
Carpet cleaning
Fines Session
Jim Bambridge returned to
the pig to extract money from
members for all sorts of reasons.
At least these donations will go
to a good cause i.e. flyfishing
club library.
Close
President declared the meet-
www.mdfrc
.org.au
History of BFFC—By Rod Stapleton
Well known and respected Life Member of BFFC wrote a history
of your Club in 1994. It is with great respect and honour that this
history is published in the BFFC Claret and Mallard Journal.
The Ballarat Flyfishing club
An essay of the club’s history 1919 to 1994
Researched and written by Rod Stapleton
Prologue
In compiling this treatise of the club’s journey through the years,
1919 to 1994, I have endeavoured to show only the steady overall
progression by the club, through the years, in response to changing
times; an overview of the amount of effort which members willingly
subscribe to the club in order to achieve the goals a set themselves
and the amount of self-reliance with which they discipline themselves to achieve these goals.
This is primarily an essay, based on the Clubs odyssey and as such,
one is not able to portray in detail all the activities, the adventures,
the successes and the setbacks which occurred during that journey
through the years.
Such a detailed portrayal would need considerable greater research
and space than that which this essay permits and will have to wait
another time and perhaps, another hand.
In the meantime, my apologies to those who I may not have mentioned or for important episodes I may have omitted. It was not
possible within the ambit of this essay to include all of it and I crave
your indulgence for the time being.
The Odyssey-Part one and continuing:
Wednesday, 27th of August, 1919 at the Ballarat mechanics Institute, a meeting convened by the late Mr. Victor Wastell, was held
which result in the formation of the club, now known simply as the
“Ballarat Flyfishers Club” and the following gentlemen became the
inaugural membership:
Mr TF Wilson, VH Wastell F Foster, RG Redcliffe, WRA Porter, AR
Morrison, HC Horsfall, P Tonkin, JJ Lowther, R Mitchell, JC Rowe, W
Rowe, W Fraser jnr., W Graham, C Hutton, GR Valentine, and Dr. RJ
Ball. Of these, Mr. Wilson was elected the first President and Messers Foster and Wastell the first Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
Mr. Wastell later became the second President of the club. These
foundation members decided the primary objects of the club will be
to encourage and develop the art of flyfishing: to encourage and
assist new members to become proficient in the art of flyfishing; to
help improve members knowledge of the subject through their
united experiences and to work on the restocking, protection and
general improvement of trout fishing in Lake Wendouree and other
district waters.
To ensure the achievements of these aims a set down only one
qualification from membership-the prospective members must be
devoted to more interested in the art of flyfishing.
Despite the rewriting and a member of the club rules on occasions
through the years these objects have remained constant and relevant to the present day in the continue work of members has been
18 constantly at their fulfilment.
During early years the club held its meetings are variously in the
mechanics Institute, Mister GR Valentine’s offices members homes,
but then settled to meetings in Miss Brazenor’s ‘Alexandria’ Tearooms where it remained until 1946 when, after suitable negotiations with the Ballarat anglers club, it removes itself to the anglers
Lodge where it has since remained.
Even though there appears to have been no limitation on the size
of the club by it rules, it remained a relatively the small club, numerically, until after World War II. Nevertheless what was lacking
in numbers was more than made up by the enthusiasm and endeavour of the members. This is best illustrated by a few examples:
The Club, in 1920, and only months after its formation, became an
affiliate at the Victorian Piscatorial Council and has maintained its
membership ever since.
At first it was by direct membership and representation and in later
years, by its membership of the Ballarat District Anglers Association. In 1953 the Victorian Council was reorganised into zones,
covering the state, with the idea of better looking after anglers’ interests and so came into being the Ballarat District Anglers Association.
The inaugural president of the Association was Mr. Gerald
Armytage-the then President of the Club.
However, earlier this year, 1994, the Association, dissatisfied with
the operation and methods of the Victorian Council withdrew its association from that body and we, being in agreement with the Association’s decision, have as a consequence, ceased our long association with the council.
Of the more practical and meritorious projects which the club embarked upon, in its early history, was this was the establishment of
a ‘Restocking Fund’ to which members contributed, from their own
pockets, to provide the where-with-all to purchase young fish,
mainly from Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society, to assist the restocking of various public, district waters, including Lake Wendouree.
Another project was the installation, at the Newlyn reservoir, of a
small trout hatchery. Instigated by Victor Wastell, the hatchery
commenced with one hatching box but was later expanded. Its operation was fuelled mainly, with ova purchased from the Acclimatisation Society and was, principally, dependent on that source for
the supply of ova, which supply seem to vary greatly from year to
year, apparently dependent on a fluctuating supply of ova from
year to year.
.
This operation also involved the active cooperation of the then
caretaker of the reservoir-Mr. E Burton. At the time he was an employee of the former Clunes Water Trust-supervising authority for
that reservoir. This hatchery was carried on successfully by members, with Mr. Burton’s ready assistance, for many years until the
Second World War.
Trout ova was obtained from the then fisheries Department and
from Tasmania in addition to that obtained from the society.
The hatchery project lapsed during the war and efforts to resume
the operation after the war appear not to have been successful.
The effort finally came to an end about 1950. None the less it had
been a fine effort, sustained over a long period of time and many
thousands of fry produced during the period appeared to have
been responsible, primarily, further good fishing experienced in
Dean and Newlyn reservoirs in the Birch’s Creek system during
those years.
Examples of other matters, related to their angling, which occupy
the active attention of members, from the club’s inception have
been the perennial bane of Lake Wendouree’s fishermen-the ‘weed
problem’ -and the protection of young fish liberations, into Wendouree, from the predations of those ‘ Rats of the Air’ -cormorants.
In regard to the former it appears that the weed problem was no
less trouble then than it is now; the satisfactory solution for which
being just the elusive then as it is now.
Deterring cormorants was done by shooting, with licences to do so
being obtained for a limited number of shooters, from the City
Council.
The members then mainly hunted the birds just prior to liberations
and for several weeks after the liberation of young fish. Also there
are occasional other shoots when it appeared appeared that the
birds were congregating in unusual numbers it was felt that they
could constitute a menace to the fish population of the Lake. During the early, formative years are right up to World War II, the
Club was responsible for inflicting action on, and taking part in,
many varied matters affecting the fishing in this district. While its
efforts were not always rewarded with success nevertheless the
Club, individually on occasion, and in concert with other Clubs in
the district, did contribute to the success of fishing in those times.
It established a sound tradition because of its willingness to work
actively and determinedly for the protection of, an improvement of,
the trout fisheries of the area. A tradition which is still carried on
today, by the present membership.
In all it’s worth the club had a continuing, and generally mutual,
cooperative relationship with the Ballarat Fish Protection Society
and Anglers’ Club and the Ballarat Acclimatisation Society as well
as a, generally, harmonious relationship with the then Fisheries Department and its Chief Inspector-Mr. Lewis.
Other clubs with which this club appeared to have had contact during the early years, but which no longer exists, are the City Anglers
Club, the Smeaton and District Anglers’ Club, and the Bolwarrah
Anglers’ Club, the Austral Wranglers Club, the Newlyn Anglers’ Club
and the Linton Anglers Club. One wonders whether there are still
members of those former clubs were able to recall the life those
clubs.
My divided by a spirit of selfless cooperation and effort, as they appear to be, the members of these clubs were responsible for the
stocking maintenance of the trout population in the districts’ waters
for many years and it is to them that all anglers owed the good
quality of their sport fishing over a very long period.
The quality of fishing is reflected in the records of this Club where
reports of fish-4, 5, and 6 pounds, and sometimes better, appear to
be quite common and seem to have constituted a fairly normal
state of affairs. This is quite a contrast to today’s fishing in the district, where regular reports of fish, this size, are not nearly so common. The quality of fish is also reflected in the results of the Cuthbert Medallion competition which was an internal club competition
for the heaviest fish taken on dry fly, over the whole season, within
a 30 mile radius of Ballarat, by a member of the Club. The competition continued over a number years and appears never to have
been won with a fish of less than 4 pound, 6 ounces in weight.
A further indication of the quality the fishing, in the district of that
time is a record of Jim Thomas’ fishing in Lake Wendouree in the
spring and summer of 1934-1935 when he fished on 39 occasions,
taking 112 fish for an aggregate weight of 281.55 pounds and averaging 2.51 pound per fish or 7.2 pounds of fish per day.
The Club continued to function right through the war years, but on
a much reduced scale due to the demands of the war effort. When
peace came the cover game began to pick up its impetus with the
return to normality with the increased leisure time available due to
the introduction of the 40 hour working week. It was just at that
time, in 1952, however, that the Club took what, in hindsight can
only be regarded as a retrograde step in that it formally limited its
size to a maximum of 33 members.
The disadvantages this situation created, soon became apparent
and, on the initiation of Mr. Geoff Cornell, the limit on the membership was removed at the Annual Meeting of 1954. The Club, however, took some time to recover it was not until 1957 that any significant influx of members occurred following the disbanding of the
Ballarat Fly and Plug Casting club whose members were absorbed
into this Club.
Among those former Casting Club members was Mr. Artie McAdam,
who was to play an important role in the progress of the Club.
With the then Fisheries and Wildlife Department taking over the
responsibility the stocking of all the state’s trout waters, the early
1950s, the emphasis of the club’s activities began to change members and it was here the influence, of the members of the former
Casting Club, manifested itself-Artie in particular.
Although competitive flycasting competition have been conducted
by the Club from as early as 1920, but under very different rules
to those existing today, and the club became an affiliate of the
Australian Casting Association when the body was founded in 1938
-and has remained a member ever since, it was not until 1952 that
a club member-Mr. Alex Wallace-brought home the Club’s first National Title, winning the Medium Line Distance event of that year.
However after joining the Club Artie McAdam commenced the
Club’s Flycasting School, which still continues at the present time,
by encouraging many younger members, who introduced to the
Club-Kevin Arnold, John Close, Fred Eva, Graeme Latter and John
McKay readily come to mind-he created great interest in the sport,
leading to a greatly increased membership, generally.
..to be continued in May
Vic Fish Stock – meeting outcomes 2014
Water
Brown trout
Beaufort Lake
Bellfield reservoir
Lake Bolac
Bostock reservoir
Bullarto reservoir
Bullen Merri
Burrumbeet
Calembeen Lake
Cosgrave
Dean
Deep lake
Elingamite
Lake Esmond
Fyans
Gong gong
Greenhill
Hamilton lake
Hepburn
Jubilee lake
Konong Wootong
Learmonth
Moorabool
Newlyn
Purrumbete
Rocklands
St George’s
Toolirook
Toolondo
Wendouree
Wombat
1000
2500
500
5000
5000
1000
500
1000
2000
6000
1000
2000
2000
5000
2000
10,000
4000
5000
2500
1000
3000
20,000
11,000+6000
1000
Rainbow
trout
1000
8000
2500
500
5000
10,000
400
1000
500
1000
1000
500
6000
500
2000
3000
5000
400
2000
5000
10,000
2500
1000
4000
10,000
10,000
1000
Estuary
perch
1000
15,000
5000
..a river somewhere
in the South Island
A few of the members visited Cam Griffin on the South Island of
New Zealand for some intensive fishing. These photos tell a story
of a fantastic trip.
Wild Trout Fisheries Management Plan –
source http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/fishing-and-hunting/recreational-fishing/wild-troutpopulation-survey/wild-trout-fisheries-management-program
Background
Anglers in north east Victoria have expressed concerns regarding
the status of wild trout populations with reports of poor fishing
across many streams, particularly during summer of 2013-14.
Similar reports of poor fishing in wild trout streams have also
been reported in locations outside Victoria including New South
Wales, Tasmania and New Zealand.
In response to Victorian concerns, Fisheries Victoria (DEPI) commissioned Arthur Rylah Institute researchers to conduct population surveys of four north east trout streams in February 2014.
The results were presented to a trout reference group, a public
meeting in Mansfield and the state-wide Recreational Fishing
Roundtable forum. In July 2014, a "Wild trout fisheries management program" was developed and later approved in September. It is a collection of eight projects over three years that
aims to deliver:





A clearer understanding of the cause(s) of the decline in wild
trout fisheries,
Better understanding of priority trout populations' health and
status,
Improved engagement with fishers to share our understanding
of trout fisheries management, science and factors that drive
the fishery,
More responsive management of wild trout recreational fishing
in Victoria, and
Improved fishing opportunities for wild trout in Victoria.
Project 1. Are summer temperatures adversely impacting
river trout fisheries?
Trout are a cold water fish species and high summer water temperatures can reduce feeding and increase mortality. It is not known
how trout respond (behaviour, movement and mortality) in Victorian streams experiencing high summer water temperatures.
Action: Conduct a trout tracking study using acoustic tags and listening stations in the Delatite River to determine how river trout
respond to annual fluctuations in water temperatures e.g. mortality or movement. If they are moving, where are they going?
How will this help? The trout behaviour study will help anglers and fisheries managers understand the behaviour of trout
in response to water temperature. Anglers may be able to adapt
their fishing practices in response to trout movement. Fisheries
managers, in conjunction with climate experts, will better understand how water temperatures affect the fishery in the future.
Project 2. Is there a decline in wild trout populations and
breeding?

Wild trout populations rely on natural recruitment of young fish into the population to maintain stocks. Monitoring trout populations,
especially looking at fish numbers and for evidence of young fish
and upcoming year classes, provides insights into the health of the
population and may highlight management intervention opportunities.
Action: Conduct annual fish population surveys of 12 priority rivers (3 - 4 sites in each) to provide a health check report card
of each river with respect to historical trout population information.

How will this help? While substantial monitoring has occurred
in the past, limited monitoring of trout populations has been undertaken in the last 5-10 years. Recommencing annual fish population surveys will inform anglers and fisheries managers of the
relative health of key wild trout populations. The results can be
compared to past surveys. Understanding trout population
trends and performance indicators (e.g. recruitment (spawning), growth and condition factor) will help fishers
decide where to fish and enable more responsive and targeted
fisheries interventions should they be needed e.g. protect
spawning habitat, habitat restoration.
Project 3. Is fishing pressure adversely impacting trout
populations and the quality of the trout fishery?
Excessive angler take of fish can impact the trout population by
diminishing brood stock numbers and possibly impacting on the
numbers of young fish produced. Finding out how many fish, and
what size of fish, anglers take is important information to gather.
Action: Conduct a targeted angler / visitor feedback creel survey
and tag return reward program in one case-study river (Howqua
River) to understand catch and harvest levels.
How will this help?: Conducting a targeted survey will provide
indications of fishing pressure, fisher behaviour, visitor preferences, fisher avidity and expenditure over a broader area in the
wild trout streams of Victoria. A tag return program will also
provide a quantitative measure of fishing catch and mortality on
a wild trout stream to test whether fishing pressure is significantly affecting the trout fishery and provide an indication of
whether current regulations are adequate.
Project 4. Are research results well understood by fishers?

Trout population dynamics can be technical and complicated. Presenting the complex information in an easily understood format is
vital so that many people can better understand the results of the
trout recovery program.
Action: Hold annual seminars/conferences with fishers and local
community groups, and& prepare user friendly progress reports.

How will this help?: Anglers will be invited to attend annual
seminars/conferences to hear results of the trout response plan
and provide feedback on each project. This will enable anglers
to gain a better understanding of the factors at play in managing fisheries, and provide fisheries managers first hand feedback on angler observations. The seminars will enable better
communication and a more informed debate between all, to ensure better outcomes for the fishery.
..more to come next month….
Welcome to the Shannon Rise
Lodge
Located in the heart of Tasmania's World Class Trout Fishery.
The Shannon Rise Lodge is a fully self contained lodge. Accommodation for up to 8 people in comfortable surroundings.
Great rates. Overlooking the shores of Great Lake, at the
township of Miena in the Central Highlands of Tasmania.
Have a look at http://www.shannonriselodge.com.au/
more information
Spectacular local fishing.
If interested please contact Shane Stevens 0408179927
for
Ballarat Fly Fishers thank the following
sponsors for their continued support in 2015
Shannon Rise Lodge -0353343851
Ray’s Outdoors 03 5331 1888
Home Hardware 03 5339 5033
The Flyfisher 03 9621 1246
Aussie Angler 03 9432 1501.
H. Rehfisch & Co. 03 53313677
Angus Eeles 03 5332 2117
Reece Ballarat West 03 5334 3877
Eason’s Car Centre 03 5332 1013
Telstra Countrywide
Ballarat Marine Centre 03 53356810
PRD Nationwide — 53311111
Midvale, News, Post & Lotto - 03 53301703
Grant’s Auto Electrics 03 5338 1466
R.F. Scott & Co. 03 5331711
Campana’s Stockade Cellars 03 5331 2422
Travelscene 03 5331 5122
Creative Framing Gallery 03 53316554
Pro Angler – Geelong (03) 5248 8338
Ballarat Plumbing Centre (03) 5334 3208
Mayfly Tackle (see advert in journal)
Torquepower (03) 5339 6008
Neil Goad Automotive (03) 5339 2056
E.E. Day & Sons (03) 5339 2211
MAYFLY TACKLE
Mayfly Tackle imports and distributes a wide range of fly
fishing related products including the full Scientific Anglers fly line range for both fresh and salt water, Korkers,
RL Winston fly rods, C&F Design fly boxes, Scott rods,
Ross reels and Innovator rods.
Web: www.innovatorrods.com
Emal: [email protected]
Wastell 2014—Allan Townsend (President BFFC ) congratulates
Geoff Lay (Mornington Peninsular FFC) on winning the Wastell
Mayfly Tackle
Address: PO Box 1176, Box Hill, VIC 3128
Phone: 03 9899 0034 Fax: 03 9899 0302