What does the future hold? It is a question that applies to all things we do – work, family, business, the environment and of course our fishing. Many aspects of the future can be manipulated by smart thinking and prudent actions in the present, while others are quite simply in the lap of the gods. While the key element that freshwater fishers consider for the future of our trout fishery is rainfall, the other part in the equation is water usage. We have had drier spells than the current one, and our lakes have been lower than their current levels (Arthurs Lake and Great Lake as an example).

The key difference these days is water usage, and by this I mean irrigation. Twenty years ago most farms that currently irrigate were grazing properties, where almost zero water was taken from streams. It is no surprise that the collapse in the wool price in the early 1990’s coincided with the beginning of broad acre irrigation, and the decline in both river flows and fishing quality. You only have to compare aerial photos from the 1980’s to now to see the great proliferation of pivot style irrigators in many areas of the state. Our highland water storages no longer are just needed to generate power – the need to feed crops is also becoming an imperative.

The current government has a plan to ‘drought proof’ Tasmania, and while on the surface this seems like a good thing to do, it could have wide ranging consequences for many streams that Tasmanian anglers traditionally enjoy, such as the St Patricks and Great Forester. Up till now the government has begun proceeding with these plans with no consultation with the peak angling representative body Anglers Alliance Tasmania (AAT). The head of AAT Richard Dax has gone to great lengths to ensure that anglers are represented in this ‘drought proofing’ program; the AAT website will have some more information as it is updated – www.anglersalliance.org.au for more information.

In the immediate future we have a new trout season on the horizon, and I like many other anglers look forward to this time like no other. This season sees some new regulations for the management of our trout fishery, as the Inland Fisheries Service continues its work to manage our fishery. While there are always detractors on how IFS conducts its business, it does do a fantastic job – bear in mind no other state in Australia has such a proactive trout management agency: in fact Victoria and New South Wales are quite antagonistic towards trout.

To help bring in the new season we have some stimulating trout articles, including William Horan’s piece on Little Pine Lagoon, and Plinio Taurian’s advanced look at lure fishing for trout which will help the growing number of lure casters find some success.

The salties aren’t ignored, with Justin Rigby giving us a great insight into surf fishing and Emma Heynes injecting some sport into the humble squid – and there are quite a few about too!

As usual we are spoilt for choice, so buy your trout licence and have some fun in the freshwater this season!