2012 - December Testimonials

Adrian Webb – Meander River, Montana. Tasmania Australia

Lure: Aglia Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown

'' THUNDER AND RAIN DIDN'T STOP ME FISHING'' 19-12-12
by Adrian Webb

Headed to the Meander River this morning with a forecast for thundery showers on and off during the day. It wasn't too bad when I left Sheffield just a light spit of rain now and then but nothing to put my plans for a spin on hold at all. Arrived at my spot on the river and found the river was low and very clear, which I didn't mind because there was very heavy cloud cover and it seemed like it was 8.30pm and not 8.30am. Boy it was dark! As I started to spin my way upstream I could here the rumble of thunder in the distance and then was hit with some light drizzle. Not sure what spinner to use for starters I decided to stick with the black bladed # 00 Aglia Mouche as this has worked really well for me in the last few trips to the rivers. Had a follow and a light nudge with the first few casts but no hook up until I had moved on 30 mtrs further and then hooked and landed a nice solid medium size (320gms) brown trout.
Then a heavy rain shower came through and I never had a touch over the next 150 mtrs of river until it stopped and then I picked up one more brown. The thunder was now getting much closer and it was getting darker which wasn't a good sign of things to come. So picked the pace up a little and started selecting certain sections of river that I knew should be holding fish in them. Hooked four more browns and landed two of them with the biggest going 365gms and was full of fight too as he had made several leaps to escape. A quick photo and he was back in the river, and it was on to the next spot that I hoped was holding fish as another downpour hit. Got in under a big willow tree and stayed there until this shower passed over and then it was back into the river. Over the next 500 mtrs I did hook another five browns (485gms) but could only keep two of them on the spinner as the others threw the lure when leaping for freedom. Now the rain had come along once more and it was again heavy and I was drenched so it was time to head back to the Trout Stalker 2 which was around one and a half kms away. Half way back the rain had eased off and it was a much better walk back from there on. So it wasn't too bad of a day on the Meander given the conditions that I had put up with plus the wind had stayed away during that time as well.
Around a quarter of the way home I felt something on my neck near my shirt collar and found it to be a leech!! Pulled over and yanked him off and then stomped on him and boy was he fat and full of my blood. He must have been on my neck for at least three quarters of an hour as I reckon I picked him up when I walked through a boggy area with low overhanging bushes on the way back to the car. Stuck a small round band- aid on it and headed for home.

River: Meander Fish: 6 ( biggest 485gms. Kept the two biggest )

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Weegena. Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown

'' ONE HOUR STINT GIVES UP A COUPLE '' 18-12-12

The afternoon was mainly cloudy skies and a gusty Westerly breeze so I decided I would head up to Weegena once again and have a spin upstream of Dylan's Bridge. The river was a little higher from some good rain on the weekend, not by that much probably around an inch. The Mersey was a little cloudy from it though not that I minded as it is often good when spinning for trout. The river bottom is very silted and slippery as usual, plus there is a lot of weed growth in this area too so it's probably more suited for the fly fisher now days.
Started of using a # 00 Black Fury w/- a copper blade and did have a hit from a brown after several casts across the river and slowly retrieving the lure, then stopping the retrieve for a second then start the retrieve once again. The trout hit it on the drop when I stopped the retrieve and doing this often results in picking up a fish. Kept doing this in most sections of the river and had five hook ups but only landed two browns of 310 gms each. Only fished for an hour today due to soreness from my weekly dose of injections to my lower back and right shoulder. It was still a nice, even though short stint on the Mersey River this afternoon. There were not a lot of fish rising today as there normally is either and not as many insects about as previous trips here.

River: Mersey. Fish: 2 Browns ( 310gms both released )

Adrian Webb – Meander River, Meander. Tasmania Australia

Lure: Aglia Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown

'' MEANDER RIVER STILL GIVING UP A FEW FISH'' 12-12-12

Had to run a mate and his son to the Launceston Airport this morning and seeing it was overcast conditions I thought I might just put the rod in the car as well. If the conditions stayed as they were I was going to hit the Meander River on the way home, and it was still overcast when I left the airport.
Arrived at one of my favorite stretches of river on Longridge Road and the river level was a little lower than last week but still plenty of flow and it was running clear too. Started off with a #00 Stonefly Bug spinner and had a couple of follows and a few light bumps to the lure but nothing really aggressive yet. Fished with this lure for around 20 minutes with the same thing occurring over and over so a change of lure it was to be. This time it was on with the #00 Aglia Mouche (red tag) spinner the same one that I used last trip to the Meander. This change worked a treat as I had instant success in catching three solid little browns ( 240gms) in the next piece of fast water. Caught another two around the same size and lost four others over the next 500 mtrs before deciding to pack it in here and head over to another part of the Meander that usually fishes okay.
When I arrived there the sun had started to break through the clouds and this was something I didn't want. Any way headed off and walked downstream for around ¾ km and started to work my way back and did have a hook up on the second cast and this was a solid Brown of some 2-1/2 to 3lbs. Hooked onto him in a shallow fast water section and did he give me merry hell, but after his third leap out of the river he tossed the spinner. Would have been nice to have netted him taken a photo and released him, but it wasn't to be. Fished on for another hour and covered plenty of river and finished up catching another 8 medium size browns from 15 hook ups .These fish were mainly in the 240 -290 gm range and in very good condition as well. The cloud had really parted now and there was plenty of sun on the water and besides that it was dam hot!! The Nth Easterly breeze was also starting to strengthen and so it was time to call it quits and this I did..
So the Meander River is still fishing pretty good even with today's North Easterly breeze and clear water, just hope it continues to do so. Still a few caddis moths about but nowhere near a thick as last week, but there were quite a few Black Spinners about today. Finished up catching and releasing 13 Browns for the session today, another top day with the Mepss Aglia (black) Mouche Noire spinner.

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Weegena. Tasmania Australia

Lure: Aglia Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

'' BETTER FISHING IN TODAYS CONDITIONS '' 14-12-12

Well it was much better conditions this morning with foggy,light drizzle and a little humid plus the barometer was steady. Shot off to Weegena and had a spin in the Mersey River and on arriving the fog had lifted and I noticed the water was nice and clear but there was a lot of water weed and algae in the river. Stayed with the same lure that I had on during yesterdays failed fishing trip to Merseylea and it was the # 00 Aglia Mouche Black Blade spinner. After bashing my was through the willows that have now taken over one side of the river that was always easy to access, I finally hit the water and had a rainbow hooked on my first flick of the spinner. This fish gave me one hell of a battle and I thought this is the way to start the day off that's for sure. Couldn't work out why he was so hard to get this fish to the net then I spotted the reason why. He was hooked in the tail with the drop fly. Finally got this medium sized rainbow into the net and unhooked him and of he went, he was around 360gms and in very good condition. Wasn't long after that and it was fish on once again and this time it was a proper take of the spinner by a ripper of a rainbow that did give me one tough battle in the fast water. This fish went 710 gms and was in prime condition too, kept this fish for the smoker.
Fished on for another 150 mtrs or so and have a few follows and light nudges and like yesterday they were not aggressive fish. It wasn't to much longer when working the spinner downstream along the edge of some bull rushers that I hooked my first brown for the morning and it was a nice solid fish that went 565gms, another kept for the smoker. Caught another two browns in very good condition and these were released for another day, these two fish went 540 gm & 580 gms. Kept working on upstream and had a few more hit and misses and hooked and lost another four fish, three browns and a rainbow.
All four fish made their escape as they made their leaps for freedom which they succeeded in doing.
Next and last section of fast water I was to fish before calling an end to the mornings session I did hook and land the best brown of the day, a brown that went 695 gms and he did give me a good run for his money too. But I won this battle and it wasn't long before he was in the net. This fish was also kept to be given to the lovely old couple next door to me in Sheffield. Caught one more medium brown of 355 gms that was released for another day as well before hauling myself out of the Mersey River. So it was a much better day in the Mersey today that's for sure and the Mepps Aglia Mouche Noire (red tag) still keeps on picking up fish.

**River: Mersey **Fish: 5 Browns 2 Rainbows

Will Knapp – Corpus Christi Bay , Texas

Lure: Syclops

Fish Caught: Redfish

Others had reported the fishing slow, but, we were soon into an amazing day of fishing. We caught redfish, speckled sea trout, lady fish, flounder and a number of other fish species that I haven't yet identified. All were caught on the gold or silver Syclops saltwater lure. A great product... I will have them next trip and would recommend them to anyone.

Dillon Thompson – Sanora Pass ,ca, California

Lure: Aglia & Dressed Aglia

Fish Caught: Bass, Largemouth - Bass, Smallmouth - Bluegill (Bream, Brim) - Trout, Brook - Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

In one weekend camping off of Sanora Pass, I personally caught 23 rainbow trout ranging from 10 to 17 inches. By far, this is the best fishing product I have ever purchased, the plain Aglia 1/8 oz. rainbow trout or gold blades.

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Weegena, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

'' GOOD AFTERNOON AT WEEGENA ON MERSEY RIVER'' 3-12-12

With an overcast day and extremely windy conditions, I decided to head off to Weegena in the afternoon and have a spin and to see how it compared to the Meseylea /Kimberley areas. The river was much clearer and not quite as slippery as those two plus there wasn't quite as much algae either, but still enough to foul the spinner from time to time. There was a lot of water weed in the river and that made for tough wading and spinning here and silt in most areas too.. So after a 1.5km walk I started working the river and a section of fast water that always gives up a rainbow or two, but it didn't today. Started off with the same little #00 Mepps Black Fury gold that has caught the last 62 trout I have caught since the 10th of November. Had two very light taps on a few retrieves, but couldn't hook up so then tried a #00 Stonefly Thunder Bug spinner without even a sniff of a fish,the same with a #00 Aglia Mouche red tag and a #00 Copper Black Fury.
Onto the next section of fast water and it was back on with the ever reliable little #00 Black Fury and I had a hit and a miss straight away, but, it was only a small fish at that. The wind was really gusting and was making it pretty tough casting the light spinner today, plus the sun had now broken through for now and with the clear water this just made it that much more difficult. With nothing caught in this stretch of river it was onto the next and this bit of river has always produced a fish or two as well and it didn't let me down this time either. With three hook ups and two hit and misses, I caught and released a pair of nice fat little rainbows of 300gms each. The next part of the river ahead was all fast water and it was a nice long stretch of around 400 or so mtrs long and better still the cloud cover was back. It wasn't too long before it was fish on, and then fish on again and again. After only 70 mtrs approx, I had caught another rainbow and six browns, this was more like it should be too. Kept working on up stream with a bit of slipping and sliding, cursing the wind and algae that was making things a little tough but it didn't stop me picking up a few more browns on the way. The wind had eased a little and also changed direction from a Nth westerly to a westerly and it had cooled down quite a lot. Over the next 300 mtrs or there abouts, I caught and released another rainbow and two more browns plus having several hit and misses and losing three browns.
With only approx 500 mtrs to go before I was going to call it a day, I did catch and release 2 rainbows and 4 browns, hooked and lost two others. Caddis moths were now out and about in the thousands and at times it was like walking through snow flakes, they were that thick. Trout were now starting to leap out of the water in most areas along the river and this was my time to give it away and start the long climb up the hill and back to the Trout Stalker 2. The fishing may have started off a little slower today than I had expected, but it certainly picked up not that long after in what turned out to be a good three and a half hours on the Mersey. The best fish today was a rainbow that went 430gms and a brown of 340gms and most of the other fish averaged 300gms and were all solid well conditioned fish. So the Weegena area did turn out to be just as good as the Merseylea and Kimberley areas as today, and that little Mepps #00 Black Fury gold has now a tally of 80 trout to it's credit. I will have to replace it soon as the trebles are starting to go off from continued sharpening whilst fishing. One other thing, all fish caught today were released.

Adrian Webb – Meander River. Meander, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Aglia Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

LATE START AND STILL BAGGED A FEW '' 7-12-12

Great morning to be on a river with light fog and a cool morning, but it wasn't to be as I had to do the fortnightly grocery shopping etc in Devonport. Not that it took that long as I was in there and back home by 9.45am and on my way to the Meander River by 10.30.
Started off spinning from below Barrett's Bridge on Longridge Road and had a Mepps #OO Stonefly Bug spinner on as it was now 11:25am and the sun had burnt a lot of the cloud off. So with the sun on the water plus the river being low and clear that was the way to go as I thought. Had a few follows, but no hits at all so decided I would try an #OO Aglia Mouche ( Black Blade )with the red tag treble set up on it. Cast across the river and into a shaded area and had instant success not on the Aglia but on the drop fly (black spinner)that I had set up on the anti-kink, it was a nice brown that went 375 gms on the scales. Then over the next 200 mtrs, I caught and released another three medium size browns before deciding to try a few kilometers further upstream where I knew there would be more shade on the river.
Stuck with the same MEPPS #OO Aglia Mouche (red tag) spinner and it wasn't too long before I bagged another nice brown and this was a little better than the last one as this fish went 440 gms and finished up being the biggest for the day. Kept on plodding along in the river which was a little deeper and did have reasonably good shade on the opposite side from the heavy vegetation along the river banks. I just kept working the shaded areas and picked up several more browns over the next three quarters of a kilometer plus a 330 gm rainbow that took the drop fly in a fast water section of the river. It was now 4:45pm and time to give it away as the last 100 mtrs I could only manage three hook ups but lost ever one of them, plus I was buggered as I had been in the river for over 5 hours. Still it was a reasonable days fishing in these conditions and one that I thought would be a struggle to get a few fish in. I finished up catching 16 browns, one rainbow and lost seven other fish in that time plus had at least a dozen or so hit and misses. So,yes, I went home quite satisfied today for sure and I did keep two browns and the one rainbow for the smoker. The light weight Mepps #OO Aglia Mouche (red tag) did the job today that's for sure.
Cheers, Adrian.

Adrian Webb – Meander River, Meander, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown

REWARDING DAY ON THE MEANDER RIVER� 26-11-12

What started off a little slow this morning certainly didn't finish that way in the end of a 6 hour spinning session on the Meander River today. When I left Sheffield, the sun was trying its hardest to break through, something I didn't want to happen. The morning was quite mild and a little humid which is my favourite conditions for trout fishing the rivers. Headed off to the Meander River in a hurry hoping to get an hour or so of spinning before the sun burnt the cloud off, but it didn't happen. The cloud cover stayed around all day in the Meander area which was a blessing that's for sure. Walked downstream (2 kms) through the paddocks until I came to my entry point to the river where I picked up a small brown on the 5 th cast. That was it for the next hour as I could only manage one follow and 2 hook ups which I lost just as quick as they hit. The river was a lot lower and very clear today so the overcast conditions were going to help some what. Kept on trying several different spinners (Comets, Thunder Bugs, Aglia's )before going back to the ever reliable #00 Black Fury Gold. Over the last kilometer of river, I did catch 4 more small browns from 6 hook ups overall. The fish were holding hard up against the river banks and I had to lob the lure within 6 inches from the bank to get a fish to strike the spinner. Any further out and they would have nothing to do with it.
Finally, I had fished my way back to where the Trout Stalker 2 was parked, so I decided I would fish on for another kilometer or two. Then another car drove up and parked 50 mtrs up from me and three fishers got out a went and started fishing right in front of me and that ended my plan to fish on any further. So headed off to another spot around three or so clicks further up the river, and this turned out to be a great move, too. In the first section of fast water, I picked up 6 browns without having to move, so now things were looking much better. Kept on working my way up the river, still with the same spinner and over the next two & half hours or there abouts finished up catching a total off 23 browns from 38 hook-ups in a great stint of spinning the fast waters of the Meander River. I would have had a better catch rate had I used the landing net more often, but when the trout are small I don't usually bother and many flicked themselves off as I lifted the fish and spinner from the water. The river bottom is still quite slippery in most sections of the river I fished today, but a little less than the last trip here. The best fish for the day only went 330 gms and the average weight around 260gms. Did not hook, sight or see any decent size trout at all today but I'm sure they won't be too far away, still had a great time anyway.

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Merseylea, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

'MERSEY GIVES UP A FEW FISH EARLY'' 28-11-12

Overcast conditions again this morning made me decide to shoot to the Mersey River at Merseylea for a spin before the sun burnt the cloud off as the forecast was for fine and sunny weather. Arrived around 7:30am and took off bush bashing my way downstream for around a kilometer before deciding I was far enough down now to hop in and start working the river.
The Mersey was reasonably low and a little cloudy and actually smelled like fresh overturned soil. There are a few dairies along the Mersey River in this area and it may have been run off from them that made the river this way, not sure what else good cause it.
Using the same little old #00 Mepps Black Fury that I had on in the Meander the other day, I hooked and landed three small browns in the first section of river that I fished. Went on working my way upstream and casting the spinner across and under the willows on the opposite river bank and picked up another two browns along the next stretch of river. These were not big fish either with the biggest one going 370gms. The next strip of water had a log sitting in it about three mtrs from the bank and had a nice bit of fast water whipping past both sides of it and it looked the perfect spot for a trout. First cast to the left of it yielded a hit and miss from a small brown and then the second cast, I picked up a plump 390gm rainbow that was in prime condition too, a quick photo and she was on her way.
I had been fishing for around one and a half hours now and the cloud was breaking up and the sun was starting to show, not what I wanted this early in my fishing session. Any way kept on spinning my way upstream and did pick up another two browns and one more rainbow plus, I lost another three fish over the last 800 mtrs. I had been in the river for not quite three hours and the cloud had vanished and the sun was full on the river and that was the finish for me. There were massive amounts of very small insects around now( midges I think) and several stretches of river had trout rising and feeding on them, so the fly fishers would have been in their element. None of the fish were large and there were no signs of any real big fish around this morning, though I did have a couple of around the 600- 700 gms give the Mepps a nudge a few times but that's as far as it went. We often sit around talking of catching a trophy trout some time in our fishing lives, but this never bothers me at all as just being on any river flicking a spinner out suits me fine. Many years ago I caught(what I call) my trophy Brown in the Mersey River near Mole Creek. That fish tipped the scales at five and a quarter pounds, so I'm happy with what I'm catching now days and I still catch the odd few in the one kilo range. Can't ask for any more than that can I???

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Kimberley, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

'TAKE THE GOOD WITH THE BAD'' 24-11-12

Dull overcast afternoon and quite humid conditions made for a trip to Kimberley and the Mersey River. On arriving, noticed the river level was down quite a bit since my last trip here 15 days ago, but there was still good flow and reasonable water depth to fish comfortably. Problem was going to be the slime and slippery river bottom that's the one thing that hadn't changed since my last trip. Headed off for a 1 kilometer walk to my starting point of fast water that I love to fish and it didn't let me down either. Third cast with the #00 Mepps Black Fury and I was on, but not for long, a small Rainbow jumped and spat the lure. Same thing happened again on the fifth cast as well so things weren't really going to plan! After 3 more hook ups and lost fish, finally one stuck fast to the spinner. It was another small rainbow, caught another two of them and one small brown in this 50 mtr stretch of fast water.
By the time I had reached the top end of my favorite bit of river, I'd had 15 hits for 11 hook-ups but only three rainbows and one brown landed and released. My average was about as good as Glen McGraw's when he batted for the Aussies.
Moved on up to the next section of fast water some 400 mtrs further upstream and this area much the same as I did get a a few more fish after having another 17 hits for 8 hook-ups and two rainbows and three browns caught and released. All of the fish caught today were really small fish too and would have only averaged around 22 cms which was pretty disappointing too. Even the lost fish were not big either and that was also the same for the ones that I did see when they hit and missed. It started raining as I was making my way upstream and I did not have one touch once it set in, so decided it was time to pack it in and head for the car which was some three clicks away. All in all it wasn't a bad afternoon on the river really.

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Merseylea, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

'' MERSEY GIVES ME A PB RAINBOW '' 30-11-12

Another overcast and humid morning again made for an early session on the Mersey River at Merseylea down the lower end of the river. I was heading to the Meander but could see that the cloud wasn't heavy and thought it may burn off pretty quick once the sun got up. Hit the river at around 6:00am and started flicking the small Mepps #00 Black Fury gold across the river in the fast water and then just let it drift and let the current do the work as I slowly retrieved the spinner with an occasional jerk. It didn't take long to get a strike at all, but it didn't stick. Several more casts and as many hits and hook-ups I finally landed my first fish for the morning and it was a nice fat little brown of 330gms.
Sent him on his way and kept working my way upstream using the same drift and spin method I picked up three more browns, not big fish but fat well conditioned fish. The river was just as low as a couple of days ago and a little more cloudy, the river bottom was still as slippery as ever.
Had quite a few more hit and misses, and then same as earlier I picked up a few more browns and these were also fat fish. I had now been in the river for around an hour and it was much brighter now and the cloud was thinning out, plus now there were a lot of duns hovering along most stretches of river. Fish were starting to rise in many areas of the river sucking the duns down as they settled on the surface. I knew I didn't have too much longer on the water now with the conditions starting to change, so I passed a few sections of the slower water and concentrated on the fast water. This proved to be a good move as I caught my personal best Rainbow from the Mersey River when I hooked and landed a beautiful 730 gm fish that fought all the way to the landing net. A quick photo and off she went for another day, my previous best rainbow in the Mersey went 720gms, and that too was taken on a Mepps #00 Black Fury.
It was now 8:45 and the sun had burnt off the majority of the cloud and was now on the water, and that changed every thing. I thought I would give it another half hour and just cast into the shaded sections on the river. This worked for a while and I did pick up a few more browns. I lost count of the amount of hit and misses I had during my three and a quarter hours spinning the river, as I stopped counting them after twenty. Also hooked and lost 15 fish overall during that time and finished up catching and releasing 10 Browns and 1 Rainbow for the mornings spin, in what wasn't a bad trip after all. Every fish caught today were extremely well conditioned and really solid fish. The browns, though not big fish, averaged 340 gms with the biggest tipping the scales at 390 gms.

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