A controversial proposal by the Inland Fisheries Service to ban petrol motors on Penstock will be discussed at a public meeting on Saturday at 6pm at the Miena Community Centre.

All interested anglers are welcome to attend.

In wanting to regulate for electric motors only, the IFS cites damage to Penstock caused by increasing angler numbers, plus numbers and size of boats.

While practically everyone would consider big boats unsuitable for this shallow fishery - only two kilometres long and scarcely half a kilometre wide - angler numbers will be debated, and with highland weather so unpredictable, so will safety.

Petrol motors are seen as necessary to return boats to base with far more certainty; leaving boats to walk back is unappealing, especially to older anglers, and especially following recent pilfering of valuable gear.

Penstock Lagoon was the last diversion of Great Lake water before it rushed downhill via penstocks to Waddamana power station. With this station now closed, Penstock flows ceased and water turbidity increased until the Hydro agreed to much reduced flows from Shannon Lagoon in 1996.

Concerned about the effects of intensive fishing on water quality and the ecosystem, the IFS states it is working from a precautionary position.

People concerned about issues like importing salmonid diseases may sympathise, others quoting foxes may not.

The Launceston Angling Club's next outing will be to nearby Woods Lake, from Friday, February 10 to weigh-in at the campground by noon on February 12.

Fly-fishing action on Woods can be brisk - but with dun hatches unpredictable, is often localised in time and place.

Although weed from feeding swans proved a nuisance, two persistent trollers boated limits to 0.7 kilograms.

Using three and five leadline colours in Arthurs Lake over two days, they reported 26 browns to 0.8kg, young, silvery and well-conditioned.

Most effective lures were coloured blue and white.

Meanwhile, a veteran fly-fishing near the dam early last Sunday before the heat was busy covering brownies rising to tiny ants blown down by north-easterly breezes.