FISH & BOAT, February 2019- P35 Fishing From previous page better understanding the Southernreer in waterway monitoring and Saratoga. management. Right, from top to bottom: After trading notes and reviewingLife has been kind and has provid-I look forward to sharing some ofThe surface take of a patrol- the sizes of fish caught and taggeded opportunity for me to establishthe knowledge and insights gainedling saratoga is one of the in the lagoon, we worked out thatan environmental advisory and guid-with the readership in the future, somost enjoyable aspects of the fish had been tagged earlier thating fishing venture called RISE En-watch this space. this style of fishing. In this day by Peter Griffiths, a visiting an-vironmental and Guiding Services. gler from Bribie Island SportfishingThis venture will focus on studyingInset Pic: The Author with asituation a walk the dog pat- Club. and guided tours targeting Saratogasaratoga tagged on a recon-tern is worked and paused to On the topic of increasing fisheryamong other matters and will drawnaissance mission that wasend up on top of the toga’s knowledge, I have recently madeheavily on my interest in all thingslater recaptured. nose – how could it resist! the decision to devote more time topiscatorial along with a 20-year ca- Fishing for Toga with lures and Flies Flies/Lures Southern Saratoga are prolific surface feeding fish. They are not overly fussy and will feed on baitfish, frogs, various insects, small lizards and anything else that ventures into their view or is blown into the water from the trees. For fly fishers, various dry flies, poppers and slow sinking insect imitations work well. For Lure casters, poppers, walk the dog and shallow diving or sub surface lures are good options. So too are spinnerbaits, including inline spinners. Tippets/Leader Water is generally turbid, so ultra light leader/tippet isn’t necessary. Having said this, the saratoga do not have teeth or grinding plates that are likely to cut through, so a heavy leader isn’t required either. We would recommend something in the order of 10-15lb just to give a bit more abrasion resistance for the logs and sticks in the water. Line For the lyfishers, floating forward weighted fly line is your best option. Lure fishers should seek out braid in the order of 10-15lbs.f Rods & Reels For flyfishers a shorter (7-8 ft) rod in 6-8 wt is best given the tight country that is fished paired with a reel that matches the rod and a stripping basket is a good option on foot. Rod length is less critical when fishing out of a boat, so a 9ft rod is fine in these situ- ations. For lure casters, a 6-7ft fast action rod paired with 2,000 to 3,500 spin reel are going to be the best option. Those who like to flip, pitch or skip cast may like to use their baitcasting outfit. Technique When fishing from the land, the banks are generally steep and have a lot of overhanging trees and fallen timber. Casting can be very tight, so accuracy is going to pay dividends. Practice fishing tight backcountry in your local area before your trip for best results. Lure casters should be comfortable running a short amount of line between the top guide and the lure and casting accurately with overhand, side, pitch and skip casting. Accessories A set of polaroids are invaluable when fishing for toga. Long clothes and sturdy shoes are necessary when pushing through the scrub. A snake bandage and plenty of water is also important. LAWBREAKER siren sd Bk125 k hyper jerk 90 It c h in g t o C a t c h a spectre 85 viper vibe 120MM viper vibe 95MM ONLY AVAILABLE FROM COMPLEAT ANGLER STORES GLADSTONE • LJ's Compleat Angler Gladstone • Bryon Jordan Drive, Gladstone Marina 4680 QLD • 07 4972 7283 • gladstone@compleatangler.com.au MARYBOROUGH • Camping World & Compleat Angler Maryborough • 123 Lennox Street Maryborough QLD 4650 • 07 4122 4793 • compleatanglermaryborough@yahoo.com.au INGHAM • Compleat Angler Ingham • 2/57 Herbert Street Ingham 4850 QLD • 07 4776 2929 • ingham@compleatangler.com.au MACKAY • Nashy's Compleat Angler Mackay • 25 Harbour Road Mackay 4740 QLD • 07 4957 2272 • bnashy@bigpond.com AYR • Eathorne's Sportspower & Compleat Angler • 138 Queen Street Ayr • 07 4783 5744 • eathornessportspower@bigpond.com a Ta ThhnneddennLLeTeTtitiee''s s oo FFnniix xaa TT YYhhaaaaktta IImttcciitthho !!!!