# TAS - Meadowbank Lake Atlantic Rainbow Salmon Trout



## yakko (Feb 18, 2013)

Recently won a new combo from the Pirtek Challenge and was keen to check it out. So I decided to head up to Meadowbank Lake to try and pick up an elusive trout or even better a stocked Salmon.

Arrived around 9:45 to perfectly calm and glassy conditions with some good weather. Rugged up with the thermals and gloves in the 5-6 degree temps and watched a Platypus swim across the boat ramp too quick for me to photograph.



Trolled for around 45 minutes to the top end of the lake for an explore, spotting platypus after platypus, or pii? swimming across the surface I suspect like the trout it might be there sexy time as well.



Paddled through a very shallow section, almost like an underwater island, of water around 1-1.5 metres deep. As the lure was bumping off the bottom I wound it in. Close to the boat I got a light strike, initially thought it was a snag but had head shakes on the retrieve. Was calling it for a small redfin as there was no fight and coming straight to the boat. I had that feeling already that the hooks weren't set properly and the fish would get away so was okay with the small fish. 
Near the yak I got colour and it looked to be a small trout, grabbed the net and pulled it alongside the boat to discover a good sized Rainbow of around 2 pounds, we eyeballed each other and then it was on. The fish took off past the boat and leapt into the air, I could feel the hooks pulling and was praying to the fish gods it stayed hooked, a couple of short run's later and the lure popped out of the water. A short dummy spit later I was back into the trolling. Minutes later I was again dragging the bottom so I again reeled the lure in to change it to a shallow. Again a fish hit the lure with an eruption of water behind the boat but no hook up this time.

Yep, It's gunna be one of those days I was thinking. Paddled into some deeper water and trolled a couple of deep lures with no success. Pulled up for lunch at midday and was contemplating how to explain to the missus we'd be buying tea despite my definite assertions that morning I would put Dinner on the table.



Decided to head back down the river and made a beeline for the shallow spot on the way. Arrived there and threw a few casts around without success so headed off trolling to the far side of the lake. Even with a shallow minnow it was tap, tap, tap against the bottom then all of a sudden the rod bent and fish on. Played it very tenderly and kept the rod and pressure low to stop this one from jumping. A good fight later and I boated this nice Rainbow (which I called originally for an atlantic salmon due to it's black and silver colouring and small dots, but have since been corrected???).



Into the hatch and trolled round the area again thinking it possible that a school was about. Again I was bottom bouncing in less than 1m of water when the reel starting screaming, thinking snag I stopped paddling but the line kept peeling from the reel. Finally turned it's head and brought it to the boat where we started to dance. The fish literally pulled me in three full circles around the same point before finally hitting the net.



Spent another few minutes trolling and casting around for another without luck, so happy with my haul I started to paddle back to the car. The platypus were still everywhere and I had around 15 sightings of many different Pii's.



Around 200 metres before the car I hooked up to a nice fish on the troll. This one put up a small fight before filling up the net. A very skinny but long fish that almost was too long for the net. Turns out I'd landed it a little green and it then started flapping about and I literally had to hold it in the net. It kicked about so hard it ripped the treble's off the lure. Finally sedate I took a photo and reached back to grab the measure when the fish jumped out of the net, cleared the boat, gave me the middle flipper and swam off. I've called this as a brown but it's very silver so maybe this is the Atlantic I called the bow's for? Little fish ID help people? I've never actually caught an Atlantic and only a couple of rainbow compared to a few hundred browns.



Paddled back to the car after around 5 glorious hours on the lake, spotting platypii, swans, ducks, magpie geese and catching fish as a bonus.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

great stuff yakko

Atlantics are easily spotted from the lack of teeth in the roof of the mouth .
Browns have big teeth in their roof of the mouth compared to atlantics .
They are differently marked but can look very similar to trout at times. when die by side you'll notice this, also fins are set back further down their belly .
Another good diagnostic on the salmon is the maxilla (the upper "lip" of the fish in your photo)
On salmon it appears curved and stops below the eye
On a brown trout it appears straight and will extend beyond the eye
Finally tail wrists on salmon are slimmer but again this can be hard to tell sometimes unless you have 2 fish next to each other

On the basis of the maxilla in your photo, that seems to be a salmon


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## Stealthfisha (Jul 21, 2009)

Awesomeness


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## spork (Jan 21, 2012)

Couple of nice salmanoids (coves all the bases) there Nath.
That 3rd one looks like the famous spotted eel.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Quite the pastoral setting.
Smoke em up and tell us how they taste. Sure way to tell.


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## yakko (Feb 18, 2013)

Zed said:


> Quite the pastoral setting.
> Smoke em up and tell us how they taste. Sure way to tell.


Oven roasted with lemon and thyme in the cavity, even though I overcooked it, it was delicious. I forget how delicious wild trout are.

Pretty pissy I let the Atlantic go though thinking it was a brown.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Gives you an excuse to go back then :-D


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## yakko (Feb 18, 2013)

anselmo said:


> Gives you an excuse to go back then :-D


Ture, so I did today with a mate. Conditions were terrible. Despite the forecast of mild winds it was pretty gusty with whitecaps across the lake.

Did manage to pick up another bow from the same spot and my mate a couple of resident brownies. Please feel free to comment on my awesome fishing attire.


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

yakko said:


> anselmo said:
> 
> 
> > Gives you an excuse to go back then :-D
> ...


Ok Cap'n Striper


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

anselmo said:


> yakko said:
> 
> 
> > anselmo said:
> ...


Get those from Miley Cyrus?


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## yakko (Feb 18, 2013)

cjbfisher said:


> yakko said:
> 
> 
> > Please feel free to comment on my awesome fishing attire.
> ...


Whoa, steady on there a second. Did you not see the light radiate off that most awesome of beard? Just the right amount of grey to give that salt n pepper distinguished look ;-)


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## anselmo (Aug 26, 2008)

Does a beard count as fishing attire?


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## RhubarbTheYeti (Oct 28, 2013)

anselmo said:


> Does a beard count as fishing attire?


Definetly  
Long hair helps too


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