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2014 - January Testimonials

Adrian Webb – Meander River, Meander & Montana, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

FINALLY GOT BACK TO A RIVER FOR A SPIN SESSION.
23-1-14

Well after a thirteen day lay off from working on the house I finally got back to have a spin session in a river today. I must admit I was having a tough time of it not being able to get to the river over that time too. So this afternoon I set off to the Meander River and fished a six hundred meter section of mainly fast water above the bridge. Being a bright sunny day I knew it would be the main area that would be holding a few fish today. When I arrived the sun was full on the river and there was very little shade at 3.30pm and it would stay like this here until around 5.00pm.
The river was much lower than my last trip here and it was running very clear as well, but still had good flow and plenty of fast water to flick and work the little copper #00 Mepps Black Fury into. The first thirty meters didn't fair that well and it wasn't looking good at this stage, plus a Nor- Easterly had sprung up which didn't impress me either. Anyway I wasn't chucking the towel in this early and kept on working the fast water and it wasn't too much longer before I had my hook up. It was only a small (230gm) brown but I had broken the ice which was the most important thing to me. I continued on working the fast water for the next five hundred meters and fished up catching and releasing another six small browns and lost three others. So it wasn't a bad start after nearly two weeks of not being able to have a session.
I would have fished on further but noticed someone fishing a few hundred meters further upstream and so I decided to move to another area some five kilometres downstream. When I arrived there it was all nice and shaded which was great as I this was much better than full on sun and the wind had also gone. It was now 5.20pm and I thought I would fish two separate sections of river in this area which would take at least a couple of hours. The river here was much easier to wade as the river bottom was not covered in large rocks like the last area and it was much nicer in the shade too. Three casts later and I had my first fish on here and this was a solid little (310gm) brown. Twenty meters further and I had another brown (280gm) on the little copper Black Fury. Things were looking good and I'm thinking that this is going to be a better stretch of river than the last one that I had just fished. Well, it didn't turn out that good after all as I could only manage two more small browns over the next three hundred meters before I decided to move on to another spot around a kilometre further upstream.
This section was also well shaded and had a nice long run of medium flow with a small run of fast water at the top end. Well I worked this stretch of river right up to and including the fast water section at the top end and all I could manage was three hook ups but lost ever one of them. This is when I did decide to through in the towel and call it a day. It was now 7.10 pm and I had really had a fair day on the Meander River really, plus I was feeling sore (lower back) and so it was a good decision to stop now as there's another day tomorrow isn't there!! Eleven trout caught and released for the session I was happy with that and it all adds to the season's tally. I'm down on last season at the moment but still have a total of 215 trout so far this season and with another three months to go I should build it up a lot more yet hopefully. Mepps lures have helped me to win the fishing club trophy for the past 7 years in a row and I'm sure they'll get me there again this season to make it 8 in a row.
Cheers
Adrian

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Weegena, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

'' TOUGH FISHING CONDITIONS PRODUCES A FEW TROUT.'' 30-1-14

Finally after a week or more of bright clear days and warm weather conditions today I woke to overcasts conditions at last. Had a few things to do during the morning and so I didn't head off to the Mersey River at Weegena until just after 1.00pm. When I arrived at Dylan's Bridge there was already two cars parked on both sides of the bridge ruling out my fishing this area much to my disappointment. I stood on the bridge for a while watching fish rising and jumping in most sections of the river above and below the bridge which meant there were a lot of insects at water level.. With the trout rising and jumping I knew it would make for a tough day on the water any way, even more so being a spin fisher. Decided to head back to the car and go to a property further upstream that I am lucky enough to be able to fish thanks to the land owner, and have around two or more kilometres of river all to myself. It does involve quite a tough walk to the river, but once there it's always well worth the effort as it's such a beautiful area. Even if one doesn't pick up a fish it's still a great place to be. The only killer is the tough walk back up the hill to the car after being in a river for three or more hours that it usually takes me to fish this area.
Well after a 1.5km walk to where I was going to start my fishing session the clouds had decided to part letting the sun break through to hit the water, not what I wanted that's for sure. I decided to use a #00 Black Fury with a black blade today given the clear water and the fact that there were a lot of black spinners hovering above the river and that's what the trout were feeding on. There were still quite a few cloud patches covering the river so it wasn't all bad for now. The first few sections of river were all good fast waters that normally produce a few hook ups. Well after working them for close on an hour I had not had a single hit or even a follow. There were a few medium size trout leaping in this area too, so it was going to be touch and go whether I would get a hook up today.
Then the next section that I fished was a nice run of fast water on a bend in the river and this water here has always given up a fish. It didn't let me down this time either as on the forth cast I was onto a nice medium sized (440gm) brown. This was a relief as I wasn't feeling that confident after that first hour of fishing. Quick photo and this fish was on it's way and I was onto the next section of shallow fast water. After a few cast I had a hit and could feel a very light drag on he lure and knew it was a fish, but it felt like a very small one at that. It was small too, actually it was one of the smallest fish that I have ever taken on a spinner. This was a little rainbow that would have been just on 100mm in length. This was a good sign really as it shows that there has been some natural spawning happening in the system.
The cloud had now completely gone and with full sun now on the river the next kilometre of river was pretty tough going both fish wise and wading, the fish were few and far between and the rocky river bottom was like an ice skating rink. I did manage to catch four browns and a solid (510 gm) rainbow all of which were released over that kilometre of river. Round rocks that move under foot are bad enough, but when they're covered in slime it doesn't make it any easier that's for sure. I was now back at the area where I exit the river to start my walk back to the car. I thought I would have a few more casts into one more small section of fast water before I crossed over the river and headed back through the bush and up the hill. Luck was on my side in this piece of water as I hooked into another solid (490gm photo & released) rainbow which was a reasonable end to a pretty tough day on the Mersey River. Even though the conditions and the fishing were tough going today, it was all well worth the effort that I put into it, and yes I'll definitely do it again too no matter how much it hurts me.
Cheers
Adrian

Jeff – West Branch Lake, Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Lure: Syclops

Fish Caught: Pike, Northern

The number 2 Hot Orange Syclops is the best pike lure I have ever used. This lure is ALWAYS tied onto one of my rods when me and my fishing buddies are fishing our favorite U.P. lakes. I bought the number 2 which worked great, next year I'm going to try the number 3 which will hopefully attract the bigger pike. My only complaint would be the hooks, I replace the original hooks with sharper ones, which is no big deal. The Hot Orange is definitely a great color for pike. I also had some luck with the gold color, but the Hot Orange is the one that is always tied on. Thank you Mepps for a GREAT lure.

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Kimberley, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

'' SHORT SESSION ON THE MERSEY RIVER.'' 10-1-14

I was sitting home today waiting for some cloud cover to move in late this afternoon so I could go and have a spin session in the Mersey River near home. The forecast was for a chance of rain and a thunderstorm. Well by 5.30 pm it still hadn't arrived and so I decided I would shoot down to Kimberley and give the Mersey a couple of hours of spinning. With the sun being much lower now I knew I would be fishing the shaded area of the Mersey River at Kimberley for most of the spin session. The worst part though, was going to be the walk through the long grass to get to the river. Just hate the long grass on warm days especially when it's waist high too.
The area I was heading to is only around ten minutes from Sheffield and so I was in the river by 6.00pm and by 6.05pm I had caught my first fish and this was taken on a brand new Mepps #00 copper Black Fury. Yes I changed the other one as it had done it's job and was starting to show signs of it too as it had caught close on 40 trout. It was a small (280gm) rainbow which I photographed while still on the spinner and then quickly released the little fella. Had another hit and miss in the next section of fast water before I picked up a small (360gm) brown which tossed the lure once it was netted. It too was released for another day hopefully.
As I worked my way on upstream I noticed there were several trout on the rise and others leaping from the river feeding on the Black Spinners that were hovering above the water. This is when it gets tough for the blade spin fisher like me as they are too busy feeding on those insects. Great time for the fly fisher now. So I will just concentrate more on the fast water sections, I do know that the fast water holds trout at most times of the day. It's just a matter of knowing were to cast and how to work the spinner in it.
With the weather now getting much warmer the trout will be holding up in these runs as the water is cooler, plus there's also more oxygen in the fast water caused by the turbulence of it. The long slower stretches get warm and there's less oxygen in them during hot weather. Well, I only fished on for another couple of hundred meters and lost three fish in a row before picking up another small brown and a rainbow before calling it a day at 7.30pm. It wasn't a bad session considering I only fished for around one and a half hours I suppose.

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Merseylea. Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown

'' FINALLY BETTER CONDITIONS TO BE ON A RIVER.'' 7-1-14

What a great day it was here in Sheffield today with hardly a breath of wind and warmer conditions. After spending another few hours working on the house in the morning I thought I was worthy of a late afternoon session on the Mersey River. Headed off around four o'clock. I hit the river at Merseylea close on 4.30pm and was greeted with a light Nor-Westerly breeze. The river was just the right height and was slightly discoloured from a full days rain last Sunday which made it even better for spinning. The area that I was fishing today has been running a little hot and cold over the past few trips and I reckon it's because of the amount of other trout fisher's that have been here in larger numbers than other seasons. Being the holiday period there seems to be quite a few more fishers on the rivers this season than in previous years. Now with the new Angler's Access areas on many of the rivers across Tasmania it has opened up a lot more sections along the rivers that were rarely fished by most angler's before.
Any way back to starting my stint of spinning and after the first 300 meters I hadn't sighted a fish let alone have a strike. I knew that the next section of river usually gives up a fish or two as it has a nice little run of fast water that flows under the willows and the trout hold up under them. It does take some accurate casting though, as one misdirected cast and your hooked into the willows, and if you have to go and retrieve the lure then you'll also spook the trout. It only took me three casts into a covered section before I had a fish on the Mepps #00 copper Black Fury. Not a big fish (270gms) but it was still a fish and the first for the session which was a relief. This fast water run under the willows stretches for probably 400 metres and I did catch and release another two solid little (310gm) brown and had five hit and misses as well before I reached the end of it and called it a day. It was now nearly 7.30pm and time to go home and put the feet up and prepare for another few hours working on the house in the morning and maybe, just maybe, sneak in another afternoon session!!!
I may not have caught a lot today but it was still a great afternoon to finally be on a river in much calmer conditions.
cheers
meppstas

Adrian Webb – Meander River, Meander. Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown - Trout, Rainbow

MEANDER RIVER FIRES UP TODAY. 8-1-14

After putting in six hours on the house today which is now nearly finished I new I deserved a trip to the Meander River for a spin session. Arrived on the river close to 4.15pm and as I was about to enter the river when I came across a couple of other trout fishers who had just fished the section of river that I was heading to. Now I don't normally fish an area that has already been fished, but when they told me that they never caught any thing at all, well this made for a challenge to see if I could pick up a few fish on the Mepps #00 copper Black Fury.
The first fifty meters of river I fished didn't show any signs of me catching any either as I did not spot a fish at all. But then with a cast across a nice piece of fast water and just letting the little copper Black Fury drift with the flow I was onto a nice rainbow that once landed tipped the scales at 580gms. Was this going to be it, or was I going to pick up a few more fish over the next 800 meters of river that I intended to work at. Two casts later and I was onto a small brown and then another on the very next cast as well and this was still in the same piece of fast water. Kept on working my way upstream and cast the little spinner directly upstream and parallel to the river bank and picked up another brown and this one was a nice solid river fish that went 490 gms. So over the last 20 meters of river I had already caught three browns and one rainbow and I was pretty happy with that too.
Ahead of me now was all fast water and I was very confident that this water was going to give up a few more fish before I reached the end of it. It did too. The next 600 meters gave up another seven browns plus I had hooked and lost six browns and two rainbows as well as having a dozen or so hit and misses. It was now 7.10 pm and so I called it a day and a good one at that it was.
It was a good decision to take up the challenge to see if I could pick up a fish or two in a stretch of river that had recently had two other trout fishers in it. Better still was the fact that I did catch fish that they couldn't manage to do which made it even better again. I did keep the rainbow and the 490 gm brown for my mate Craig so he can now fire up his smoker.
Cheers
meppstas

Dustin Long – Great Miami, Kiser Lake, Ohio

Lure: Aglia & Dressed Aglia

Fish Caught: Bass, Largemouth - Bass, Smallmouth - Bass, Striped - Bass, White - Crappie (Black) - Crappie (White) - Perch, Yellow - Pike, Northern - Sunfish (shellcracker) - Walleye - Catfish, Flathead

From 0 to number 5 these baits always work. Best baits in the world. My go-to bait every time I'm out. These lures will catch just about everything. Caught my 38-inch northern pike out of the Great Miami River. My mounted 29-inch northern. Catch smallmouth all day long with these. Double blades are also great. Silver blades with white bucktail. Also, the ones without a bucktail with the orange plastic piece works great. Great product, good prices. Wish I could fish for a living.

Adrian Webb – Mersey River, Merseylea, Tasmania Australia

Lure: Black Fury Ultra Lites

Fish Caught: Trout, Brown

NOT THE BEST CONDITIONS FOR TROUT FISHING. 3-1-14
Well Craig and myself went for another spin session together yesterday in what wasn't the best weather conditions for trout fishing that's for sure. With a very strong Nor-Westerly breeze and a change on the way I thought it was going to be a tough day on the river, and it was too. We arrived at Merseylea close on 3.30pm and after a one kilometre walk downstream we hit the Mersey with the hope of catching a couple of smokers for Craig. The first section of river we fished looked like it would produce a fish or two, but it didn't. I did manage a follow from a small brown and poor Craig started his day off by flicking his Mepps #00 Copper Black Fury into a willow on the opposite bank. Luckily he retrieved it without too much difficulty.
The next stretch of the Mersey was a fast water and I cast into a small pocket of water that flowed around a log and instantly had a hook up from a nice solid brown that was a keeper. This fish didn't stay on though, as soon as it made the first leap from the river it tossed the spinner. That brown would have been close on a pound and would have been a nice fish for the smoker, but it wasn't to be. We kept on working or way upstream having the occasional trout follow the spinner but they weren't really that interested in them at this stage. The sky was fairly clear with a few clouds building up which is what I was hoping for, as once we had full cloud cover the fishing may hopefully improve. The wind was playing havoc with casting the light weight (1.5gm) Black Fury's and Craig was really having a few problems casting the lure with accuracy in these tough conditions. This was mainly due to the fact that he hasn't been able to get out and have a fish for so long due to his work commitments, but this will all fall in place with a few more trips under his belt.
We had now been fishing for around an hour now and I finally hooked and landed a smoker for Craig. This brown (380gm) was the ideal size for smoking too. Finally we had a score on the board and we were hoping for a few more fish similar to that one. As we worked our way upstream I managed another six small browns on the copper Black Fury that were just legal size and were nice solid fish, but I released all of them.
They weren't big enough for me to keep for smoking as 220mm legal size just seems too small to me, I would prefer to see the size limit increased to at least (11 inches) 275mms. Craig would have to had one of his worst days in a river today I'd reckon, as nothing went right for him at all. He did have a few follows, I said to him I think you had your spinner in the willows more today than you had it in the river. The wind gusts were the reason for a lot of this, as it would carry the spinner in various directions making each cast much harder for accuracy. He agreed too, it was just one of those days for him and hopefully the next trip we will see him bag a few decent fish,as he deserves to get into a few that's for sure.
cheers
"meppstas"

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