These big flies have become more numerous over the strong flows continuing down Brumbys Creek, and despite the heat a floating dun copy attracted four good takes last Saturday afternoon.

One trout previously unseen even rose to a prospecting dun, unlikely in summer on the top weir.

Dissection showed most trout had been chasing dragonfly and damselfly odonata as expected but, in a sheltered channel between bank and rushes, one that swirled and then quietly sipped the dun was feeding on tiny beetles.

Although only a few red spinners appeared near evening, numbers will increase during their secondary hatch in autumn, when grasshoppers will be another attraction.

Flows down the linked lower Macquarie are naturally also strong, but water in other northern rivers, like the nearby South Esk above Longford, remains low and clear. Last Monday afternoon, however, three South Esk brownies also took a floater well - this time, a small Red Tag.

Yet most of the hefty jumpers ignored it, and while a smaller trout netted was indeed packed with dragonflies, the other two had been taking stick caddis. Most productive were faster flows, understandably down stretches too deep to wade.

Up top, dragonflies and damselflies are also drawing trout skywards, but more likely to take floaters are those feeding on gum beetles in waters such as lakes St Clair and King William, Dee Lagoon and Great Lake, where fishing well out in wind lanes remains popular. Termed shark-fishing and best practised in bright sunlight, this involves spotting and casting to trout cruising along these lanes of calmer water.

In the salt, anglers using bait out to sea from the Tamar estuary last Saturday morning boated several real sharks, including a big gummy. Their varied catch also included blackback salmon, cod, gurnard, squid and a sergeant baker.

In Georges Bay at St Helens, the Stockyards Flat area was again productive, with big trevally boated on lures cast over channel edges on incoming tides.

Marine and Safety Tasmania has improved landings in local gulches, with one replaced at neighbouring Binalong Bay and southward a new northern section ready at Bicheno.