These included rainbows around a kilogram and browns slightly bigger, taken on bait fished very productively from shore. Dozens of anglers were afloat too, and while brownies to 1.6 kilogram were hauled aboard mainly on lures, other boaters were pleased with trout numbers but disappointed by their size.

Success along northern rivers varied as usual. An angler on the North Esk at St Leonards had no bites but said another fishing worms just below the picnic ground weir landed three brownies between 8 and 8.30am, two of them sizeable.

A regular on the South Esk near Evandale started as usual at 5.30am, but by 9am reported only one nip. Rain met his wish for higher water, but some days later.

The popular South Esk starts well above Mathinna and is Tasmania’s longest river. Into it flow 37 streams, including the Macquarie and Meander Rivers.

A new Inland Fisheries Service brochure about improved South Esk access details parking areas, gates, stiles and paths and was recently launched at Hadspen by Minister Jeremy Rockliff, with Anglers Alliance members joining him in thanking the 18 helpful landowners involved.

The brochure is available from the IFS online, from tackle shops and information centres at Deloraine, Evandale and Longford.