Registrations are now open for those interested in meeting well known fly angler, casting instructor and photographer Peter Morse when he visits Bluewater.

Please contact Melville (9330 7766 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Morley (9375 9800 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for your free booking and to be eligible for 10% off all fly gear plus bigger discounts on sale items.

Peter will be holding tackle demonstrations at two Bluewater stores in early October.

He will be at Bluewater Melville on Thursday October 8th from 6:30pm and Bluewater Morley on Friday October 9th from 5:30pm. Keep these nights free if you're a keen fly fisho!

Peter will be on hand to answer any questions from the floor, as well as handing out some general advice on tips and techniques.

But the highlight of the night for keen fly fisherman will be some of the latest fly gear from Sage on show.

A few of the new Sage saltwater rods will be introduced - including the Xi3's and a big range of TCX's (5- 10 weights). There will also be the new range of Gillies Wildfish rods on display.

Peter will also talk about a few of the new fly lines from Rio.

Special in-store discounts will apply on both nights.

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While our staff here at Bluewater love catching almost anything that swims, using surface lures and getting a good hit is what really makes us excited.

Which is why the story of Dixie Monkhouse has really touched our hearts. 

The Flyfisher's Club of Oregon's first female member has been fly fishing for a good while and has a passion for surface strikes just like us - even if they are mostly from trout.

You see, she will only use dry flies (ones which sit on the surface).

Check out the full story on Dixie here.

Guess we should also mention she's 100 years old.

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Fisheries Minister Norman Moore has announced new management arrangements for the commercial West Coast Rock Lobster Fishery for the 2009-10 fishing season.

The arrangements include reductions in pot usage, restrictions on days when fishing is allowed and minimum and maximum size changes, and are intended to achieve an overall catch of 5,500 tonnes.

"However, I recognise that under the fishery's current input-based management system it is extremely difficult to manage an exact catch figure," Mr Moore said.

"The catch range around this target is likely to range between 4,950 and 6,050 tonnes."

The Minister said that the catch target was set to protect the sustainability of the western rock lobster fishery, smooth the catch and reduce the economic impact of the record low puerulus count in the past three years.

"Poor puerulus settlement in recent years means the number of lobsters available to the fishery is expected to be significantly reduced in seasons 2010-11 and 2011-12," he said.

"By setting a target of 5,500 tonnes in 2009-10, it should be possible to maintain a similar catch in the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.

"As well as ensuring there is a more consistent catch over the next few years, it is also important to improve the economic return from the available catch.

"To assist this, separate catch targets and likely ranges will apply to the three fishing zones and for the first and second halves of the season."

The catch will be monitored on a weekly basis during the season with a formal review scheduled for January 2010.

"If the catch level in any of the zones differs significantly or looks like it will differ significantly from its target, adaptive management action could be taken," Mr Moore said.

"Any action will focus on varying the number of days available for fishing in a particular zone, to ensure the catch targets are achieved," he said.

"This approach of varying days fished, rather than unit values, reflects feedback from fishers."

The Minister said that a set of business rules was under development to help guide how such adjustments should be decided. The rules will be made available to industry before the start of the season.

"In developing these management arrangements, I have considered advice from the Western Rock Lobster Council, the Rock Lobster Industry Advisory Committee and the Department of Fisheries," he said.

"I have listened to industry's views and believe this new management package balances the sustainability and economic objectives at the same time as providing a practical operating environment for fishers and processors."

Mr Moore added that the 2009-10 season would also be the first time that the Integrated Fisheries Management shares of 95 per cent commercial and five per cent recreational for the rock lobster fishery would be implemented.

The Department of Fisheries will keep fishing groups informed of management issues, through its regular newsletter.
 

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Here's a preview of this week's Sunday Time's fishing report...

METROPOLITAN 

Graham Stewart, Johari Rochfort and Joff Weston used soft plastics offshore from Hillarys to record a good mixed catch. Using a mixture of 145mm Flick Baits, 5" and 7" Gulps and Slams on 6-8kg lspin outfits, the group tricked many samson fish, most around 50-60cm long along with the odd reef fish such as sergeant baker and jewfish. Rochfort caught two size jewies and the party had a few bust-offs on much larger fish. Weston reckons a couple of very good hook ups were most likely pink snapper, and he re-captured and released a dhufish he had previously tagged. The men found that the bites mostly occurred during the first and second drifts over a spot with bites far less frequent after that.

Squid are reacting to jigs close to Hillarys with fair numbers still in Cockburn Sound. The Sound's snapper fishing was quite patchy but near Carnac is an okay area. One shore angler is making the best of tough conditions to catch and release buffalo bream on soft plastics from the white water over the Yanchep Reef.

Brave hearts working North Mole during recent storms for pink snapper have had some activity - but one fellow lost a snapper estimated at 10kg when it wasn't able to be gaffed at the base of the rocks. South Mole is a skippy hot spot but they're not big fish. There is a sprinkling of herring too. The odd salmon has come from Yanchep/Two Rocks. Inside northern marinas have yielded  yellowtail, an odd herring and whiting.

Redcliffe Bridge has turned up some decent black bream, with better fish from the Mosman/Claremont area.

MANDURAH 

Peter Thomas was berleying for snapper at the Five Fathom Bank when he hooked a surprise dolphin fish of about 4kg before adding small dhufish, skippy and harlequin fish for a good mixed bag. There's no shortage of snapper at the Five Mile. Inside the James Service Reef many sand whiting should send you home with a tasty meal. There are heaps of herring in the Cut with small tailor about, and a mulloway was caught from the Mandurah Marina.

Fresh water is pushing bream further downstream in the Murray where spots like South Yunderup and Ravenswood are firing. The average size is 30-35cm.

BUSSELTON

Those able to find a gap in the weather have found some snapper and jewies inside Geographe Bay.

Blue manna crabs are plentiful and squid are about when conditions allow boats to go out.

FRESHWATER 

Harvey Dam has yielded plenty lof trout with the best rumoured to have nudged 4kg. Lures are working better than fly. Waroona and Harvey Dams are holding numbers of redfin perch with deep running lures best.

MOORE RIVER 

Al Hunton and Jason Rushton fished the Moore River for black bream. The fish caught were  mostly around 30cm long with hard bodied lures providing the best results. The pair used soft plastics to be workthe bottom of deeper holes. 

KALBARRI 

Kalbarri conditions have settled down after some boisterous seas. The coastal gorges are  turning up some decent pink snapper when fishable with some tailor. Chinaman's tailor to 79cm are about for both shore and dinghy anglers casting poppers and baits to the reefs and rocks. Dinghy anglers working lures toward Oyster Reef were rewarded with some 3-4kg tailor. Red Bluff and Wittecarra Beach had some herring around but only patchy garfish numbers. Tailor fishing improving at Wittecarra.

Boat fishers have mostly been unable to get out but when possible they have found jewies, pink snapper and other mixed reef fish in 20 metres of water.

Yellowfin whiting are a target down river but the best bream fishing is better further up. The local club broke its catch-and-release record for bream in a day recently. Blue manna crabbing has improved and drop netters are just as likely to return home with a mix of muddies and blues.

EXMOUTH

This week's Exmouth newsletter can be viewed here.