By Jim Ferrier
Over the years, certain waters provided some of the most exciting and difficult fishing that Tasmania has had to offer. Brumbies Creek and Four Springs would fit in this description well.
I first fished Brumbies under the auspices of Charles Peck in the 70’s. This was after Poatina Power Station had been commissioned and the drop structures had been installed. This effectively destroyed Brumbies Creek as a renowned red spinner fishery so treasured by David Scholes but, in turn, provided a new and unique fishery requiring different techniques and flies.
Over the years, certain waters provided some of the most exciting and difficult fishing that Tasmania has had to offer. Brumbies Creek and Four Springs would fit in this description well.
I first fished Brumbies under the auspices of Charles Peck in the 70’s. This was after Poatina Power Station had been commissioned and the drop structures had been installed. This effectively destroyed Brumbies Creek as a renowned red spinner fishery so treasured by David Scholes but, in turn, provided a new and unique fishery requiring different techniques and flies.
Of the three weirs, the ‘Top Weir’ was most notable.
From December to mid-January, Caenids hatched in their thousands. They went through their life cycle in a morning. Nymph, dun, spinner and spent spinner. To be on the water just after dawn was essential and more than a token breeze would limit, even stall, the action as these tiny flies were blown ashore and lost in the surrounding paddocks.
The technique was to be positioned opposite one of the runs and locate a feeding fish. Not difficult as the fish became quite intent on feeding and oblivious to all else. They held position as the tiny duns floated down and were picked off.
The real skill was to present the fly exactly on track at just the right time as the fish took the next fly. You hoped that it was yours. Many naturals and artificials would pass over the fish between takes. The fish remained oblivious to inaccurate and bad casting. Casting technique improved these early mornings!
The better runs were beyond the wading angler. The deep clinging mud made wading dangerous even then. So, a canoe provided the perfect method of approaching these fish.
Dan Dempsey’s skill in building fibre glass canoes was well known and he made me one specifically for Brumbies. This canoe proved to be the perfect fishing platform for some years. Light in weight for transport and movement, comfortably quiet and manoeuvrable, tho’ a small electric motor was eventually added.
This canoe remained under “the Pines”, unlocked at the top weir for friends to use for some considerable time until it disappeared (stolen) never to be recovered.
At dawn, on a favourable morning, the canoe would be anchored opposite a good run waiting for any sign of the nymph. Caenid patterns could be used but it was quickly replaced by a dun as emergence would increase quite suddenly and dramatically.
Trout interest would soon follow. Conventional duns and spinners were studiously ignored by the fish but it didn’t ‘put them down’.
After a bit, the duns would thin out and spinner would dance over the water in columns and on to the angler’s clothing to be followed by spent spinner on the water.
The dun pattern was a simple dry spider in size #16 with a black tail, black silk body with a pronounced thorax of tying silk and a very small badger hackle.
The spinner was similar but with a more pronounced hackle while the spent spinner was back body and tail but with a very fine deer hair wing tied across the shank of the hook and trimmed to float in the skin of the water.
Fish would take each of these ties as they became available until at the end of the morning hatch, fish would hunt and mop up spent spinner in water side vegetation.
By the time the sun was fully up and a breeze had developed (usually by 9.30), it was all over for another day. Time to go home!
Since the fantastic days of the 70’s and 80’s, this water has deteriorated and silted up further and wading is now too dangerous to be undertaken. Boating and canoes are likewise not recommended.
Management of the flow promised to be the panacea of the fishery by removing the sudden irregularity of the levels has not eventuated. If anything, the holding ponds have accelerated the demise of Brumbies Creek as the iconic fishery that it once was.
Caenid hatches are also prolific at Penstock and Four Springs on cool calm mornings tho’ fishing to Caenid feeders in these waters presents the additional problem of the randomness of fish movement in still water. Accuracy of fly placement and repeated casting to moving fish is essential to tempt lake feeding Caenid takers.
