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NSW national parks are now no smoking areas.

The smoking ban applies to almost all areas throughout NSW national parks and reserves, including picnic areas, camp-grounds, accommodations, beaches, lookouts, walking tracks, and on national park roads. The ban doesn't apply to some commercial lease or licence areas, or to private residences located within a park.

National Parks has an FAQ page on the ban at this link.

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Generally at this time of year there is an expectation that the midge would be starting to move and that there would be plenty of fish feeding on them and mayflies nymphs in Jocks, Cobrerbald, Coppermine and Wainui bays. Well on my latest visit I saw no evidence of that so I had to go to plan B.

These nice fish ( the best was 60 cm) were all taken working amongst timber in Breamer Bay on a very windy day. I fished a team of three woolly buggers with a brown on the point, a black sparkle bugger in the middle and an olive/orange MKII on the bob on a type 5 line.

The fish are there you just have to work hard to find them.

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A total of 861 wild rainbow trout have been trapped this year at Gaden. Along with rainbow trout broodstock held on site, the rainbow trout allocation target for this year has now been reached and the permanent fish trap has been removed. A total of 152 litres of rainbow trout ova have been laid down, for a total of 1.2 million green ova. Egg picking has begun and the ova fertility success rate appears to be high.

Atlantic salmon stripping was completed and a total of 403,000 ova were laid down. After egg picking the result was 275,000 eyed ova for grow out at 68% fertility success rate.

Brook trout stripping was completed and after egg picking there are 125,000 eyed ova for grow out at 83% fertility success rate.

Screens to the permanent fish trap were installed on 23 May 2014 to target spawning brown trout. Since that time 1,204 brown trout have been trapped. A total of 490,000 green ova were sent to Dutton Trout Hatchery at Ebor for on-growing. A total of 504,000 eggs were laid down at Gaden Trout Hatchery. After egg picking there are 462,000 eyed ova for grow out, a 91% fertility success rate. The brown trout allocation target was reached.

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This summer's fin clipping at Gaden Trout Hatchery, Jindabyne is scheduled to start on Tuesday the 13th January 2015. As usual there will be 37,500 rainbows to clip (which is 25% of the 150,000 to be stocked into Lake Eucumbene). Fisheries will provide lunch, morning and afternoon tea on the day(s) of clipping, so if you feel like helping trout research and can spare some time, feel free to join in. Much debate has occurred about rainbows in the past couple of years, so this is a good chance to play a part in the research that helps understand the fishery.

Fisheries staff are on site setting up Monday afternoon, but all the action takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, starting at about 8.00-8.30am.

As last year, Fisheries staff will be using the coded wire tagging machines to tag the 50,000 trout to be released into Jindabyne.

All are welcome to join in (spouses and children included), but remember that you will need covered-in shoes for safety reasons. And don't forget your glasses...the fish are very small.

Feel free to forward this message on to friends and clubs.

Contact Jamin Forbes, Senior Fisheries Technician, Department of Primary Industries NSW on 0400 368 816 or [email protected] if you have any questions, and most importantly to let him know if you're coming.

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'This is the busy time of the year at the Hatchery, with egg picking commenced for this production cycle.

403,000 Atlantic salmon ova were laid down. After egg picking there were 275,000 eyed ova left, a 68% fertility success rate. The Hatchery currently holds 400 1 year+ Atlantic salmon, 155 2+, 90 3+, 60 4+ and 30 5+.'

'150,000 Brook trout ova have been laid down. The Hatchery holds 350 1 year+ fish.

Screens to the permanent fish trap were installed on 23 May 2014 to target brown trout. Since that date, 1,204 brown trout have been trapped and stripping of the brown trout is now complete. 504,000 ova were laid down at Gaden and 490,000 green ova were transferred to Dutton Trout Hatchery at Ebor.

Only a small number of rainbow trout have been captured this season. The Hatchery currently holds 1000 1 year+ rainbows, 320 2+ and 280 3+.'

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Fisheries Victoria would like to hear your ideas! Join Fisheries Victoria for a public forum with VRFish to learn more about what they are doing to improve recreational fishing across the state.
Go along and share your ideas or, if you cannot make it along on the night, email your ideas to [email protected] or post them on www.facebook.com/DEPIFisheries

• 16 July 7-9pm Albert Park Yachting & Angling Club, 129B Beaconsfield Parade, Melbourne
• 22 July 7-9pm Snapper Point Angling Club, Mornington Yacht Club, Schnapper Point Drive, Mornington
• 24 July 7-9pm Greensborough Angling Club, 161 Para Road, Greensborough
• 30 July 7-9pm Torquay Angling Club, The Esplanade, Fisherman’s Beach, Torquay
• 5 August 7-9pm Ballarat Fly Fishers Club, Cnr Wendouree Parade and Pleasant Rd, Ballarat
• 6 August 7-9pm Bendigo Legion Angling Club, 26 High St, Kangaroo Flat, Bendigo
• 13 August 7-9pm Warrnambool & District Anglers Club, Cnr Simpson St and Otway Rd, Warrnambool
• 20 August 7-9pm Gippsland Lakes Fishing Club, Bullock Island, Lakes Entrance
• 26 August 7-9pm DEPI Offices, 1 McKoy St, Wodonga
• 27 August 7-9pm Nagambie Angling Club, Mcleods St, Kirwins Bridge, Nagambie

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Fishers are reminded that the annual trout spawning season commences in the Snowy Mountains from 1 May 2014.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Inland Senior Fisheries Manager, Cameron Westaway said:

"The annual trout spawning season fishing rules apply to the Thredbo River and its tributaries and the Eucumbene River and its tributaries (upstream of the Lake Eucumbene dam wall and including Providence Portal).

Restrictions are in place from Thursday 1st May to provide protection for early spawning trout while also providing fishers with the opportunity to catch a trophy sized trout.

The Eucumbene River in particular has provided excellent fishing for large brown trout over the past two years.

A minimum size limit of 50cm, daily bag limit of 1 and possession limit of 2 trout will apply to these waters from 1 May to the end of the Queens Birthday long weekend on Monday 9 June.

Anglers will be permitted to use 1 attended rod and line with up to 2 hooks with artificial flies or lures and up to 3 treble hooks attached to any lure is permitted. Fishing gear rigged for bait fishing is prohibited.

The annual closure on fishing in trout streams throughout NSW will then be in place from Tuesday 10 June 2014 allowing brown and rainbow trout to breed uninterrupted until the trout fishing season re-opens on the October long weekend on Saturday 4 October 2014. Trout dams remain open to fishing throughout the year.

The minimum size limit of 25cm, daily bag limit of 2 and possession limit of 4 trout will again apply to the Thredbo and Eucumbene Rivers when the season opens in October.

While 150,000 rainbow trout have been stocked into Lake Eucumbene and 50,000 rainbow trout into Lake Jindabyne each year for more than a decade, it is important to provide increased protection for brown and rainbow trout during their annual spawning runs.”

Fisheries officers will be patrolling the Thredbo and Eucumbene Rivers to ensure that fishers are abiding by these rules.

All fishers are reminded to respect other users, use facilities provided, dispose of any rubbish or refuse responsibly and not interfere with other fishers by parking or camping too close to the water (where permitted) when fishing these rivers.

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Some of the undersized kingfish seized by DPI fisheries officers during the operation.

A recent compliance operation targeting fishers retaining prohibited size kingfish in the Sydney region, has resulted in the apprehension of a number of fishers and the seizure of many small fish, says DPI Supervising Fisheries Officer, Chris Clarke.

“The operation was conducted last month by DPI fisheries officers in the Sydney North District after receiving information that there was allegedly a number of prohibited size Yellowtail Kingfish being caught by recreational and commercial fishers,” Mr Clarke said.

“Yellowtail Kingfish are a highly valuable recreational and commercial species and are listed as a ‘priority’ species under the Fisheries Management Act 1994. Fishing in and around Sydney is currently very good, with lots of Yellowtail Kingfish being caught. The operation targeted fishers in Middle Harbour, Pittwater, Sydney Harbour and Blackwattle Bay and resulted in the apprehension of three commercial fishers and four recreational fishers and the seizure of 35 prohibited size kingfish, between 48.6cm and 64.3cms in length.”

The minimum legal length for Yellowtail Kingfish in NSW is 65cm and the possession or bag limit is five per person.

”Prohibited size, or “rat” Yellowtail Kingfish can occur in large schools off the NSW coast at this time of year and although great sport to catch anyone found keeping or in possession of these prohibited size fish can expect harsh penalties,” Mr Clarke said.

“Ten separate offences were detected including possess and sell prohibited size fish as well as the Master of a boat being fined for allowing an offence to take place . The Master of a boat commits an offence if they allow another person on the boat to commit a serious fisheries offence.

“They are all facing fines of $500 per person per offence.

“These offences each carry maximum penalties of up to $22,000 or imprisonment for 6 months (or both) for a first offence or $44,000 or imprisonment for 12 months (or both) for a second or subsequent offence.

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