Easterly winds and drifting seaweed upset surf anglers, but in better weather one at Beaumaris beached five substantial Australian salmon and several flathead in a few hours.

With crabs taking much of his bluebait, he landed most on more reliable popping bug lures.

The latest game-fishing contest out of St Helens resulted in albacore to 15 kilogram being caught, along with mako sharks nearly ten times bigger. Broadbill swordfish also hooked proved difficult to boat.

In the Tamar estuary, hefty King George whiting were boated off Kelso using prawn bait while some big flathead took soft lures near Little Badger Head.

Inland, many anglers have been pleased with the number and size of trout caught of late from northern rivers.

An example is the South Esk, where one enthusiast afloat on stretches near Evandale has been averaging three or four nice brownies a day, with most activity coming several hours before dark.

Up top, however, few boats have been about on Great Lake from mid-afternoon on, with hatches of midges on some mornings promising surface action then. Also encouraging are all the galaxids recently seen swimming along some Great Lake shores.

Highland still waters favoured by fly fishers have been Bronte, Little Pine and Penstock Lagoons and Lake Echo. Well-liked on the lowlands are Four Springs Lake and in the North West Talbots Lagoon, described by some as currently offering the best action from trout, all hefty and in top nick.