President's Day is on Saturday 22nd July - come for a fish and BBQ back at the ramp for lunch (or just come for the BBQ!)
Where : Berowra waters
Time: 6am to 12 Noon
Followed by BBQ ( Byo drinks and chair )
Reply with attendance to coordinator : Mark Formosa 0404841055
Lake Lyell Convention 2023
Our annual Lake Lyell Convention is on again!
The convention will be run this year from Fri 19th May to Sun 21st May 2023.
Make sure you register now so you don’t miss out!
New Dusky Flathead and Lobster and Recreational Fishing Rule Changes will come into effect from August 1
For full details see: https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/recreational/fishing-rules-and-regs/dusky-flathead-and-lobster-faqs
Frequently Asked Questions
Dusky Flathead
Q. What are the changes to recreational fishing rules for Dusky Flathead?
A. The changes are:
Legal length (slot limit): 36 cm to 70cm
Daily bag limit - 5 fish
Possession limit of 10 will remain to enable fishers to possess double their bag limit to allow for storing and freezing of fish for future consumption.
Current rules are a minimum legal length of 36 cm and a daily bag limit of 10 fish with only one fish over 70 cm.
Q. Why are these changes being implemented?
A. Following community support from a comprehensive consultation process, the NSW Government is introducing new recreational fishing rules for Dusky Flathead. The rule changes are also supported by the Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council.
The community support for the rule changes received during the consultation process is consistent with community sentiment over the past decade for proactive, more conservative fishing rules, including a slot limit to provide for more protection of the spawning biomass in the stock.
Releasing large sized Dusky Flathead has become socially important in recreational fisheries in NSW and elsewhere in Australia. This has certainly led to enhanced fishing opportunities with released fish being recaptured by fishers over time.
These changes will help boost the stock of bigger fish and ultimately provide better fishing opportunities for recreational fishers for this highly popular species in the future.
Q. Do these changes impact other species of flathead in NSW?
A. No, these changes are for Dusky Flathead only.
Q. What impact will these changes have on the Dusky Flathead stock in NSW?
A. While the Dusky Flathead stock is classified as sustainable in NSW, introducing an upper legal limit of 70 cm will provide for greater protection of large reproductively important female fish. This will in turn result in an increase of the spawning biomass in the stock and subsequent increase in egg production. A slot limit and bag limit reduction would also promote a more natural age structure (comprising more ‘older’ fish) which may have important implications for stock resilience. It is expected that these rule changes will enhance Dusky Flathead fishing opportunities in NSW’s network of Recreational Fishing Havens. Key RFHs including St Georges Basin, Tuross and Lake Macquarie, are recognised as “trophy” Flathead fisheries with excellent populations of large Flathead.
Q. Do large flathead have good chance of survival after release?
A. Several scientific studies have considered post-release survival of recreationally caught Dusky Flathead and have shown the species to have high (~90%) survival following capture, handling and release. This suggests that survival of additional fish caught and released as a result of the proposed changes will not result in significant additional mortality.
This is further been demonstrated through the significant community interest in DPI’s Trophy Flathead program in Lake Macquarie, St Georges Basin and Tuross Lake, which encourages recreational fishers to voluntarily release all Dusky Flathead over 70 cm, combined with a targeted tagging program.
Between November 2016 and July 2021, a total of 838 Dusky Flathead over 70 cm have been tagged and released in these three recreational fishing havens. A total of 119 recaptures have to date been reported to DPI since the tagging program commenced. The high recapture rate (14.2 %) demonstrates not only the popularity of the species, but also the resilience of this species to catch and release using hook and line recreational fishing methods.
Q. Does the slot limit for Dusky Flathead impact commercial fishing?
A. Similar to recreational fishing, the current minimum legal length of 36 cm already applies to commercial fishers. Scientific monitoring has shown that Dusky Flathead greater than 70cm comprise typically fewer than 1% of commercial catches in any given year. It is not proposed for the new upper legal limit of 70 cm to apply to commercial fishing activity to avoid any wasteful discard of large Flathead.
Lobster
Q. What changes to recreational fishing rules for Lobsters are being implemented?
A. The daily bag limit will be increasing to 3 lobsters comprised wholly of any single species or a combination of species of Eastern Rock Lobsters (Sagmariasus verreauxi) or Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) (previously the combined bag limit was 2 per person).
Q. Why are these changes being implemented?
A. As a result of effective management controls since the 1990s, the population of Eastern Rock Lobster has recovered to a healthy stock biomass, resulting in the Total Allowable Commercial Catch (TACC) being progressively increased over time to the current level of 180 t in 2021/22. This has provided the basis for a bag limit increase for the recreational fishers.
Following community support from a comprehensive consultation process and finalisation of the Lobster Harvest Strategy, the NSW Government has increased the Lobster bag and possession limit for recreational fishers. This rule change is also supported by the Recreational Fishing NSW Advisory Council.
Q. What is the current stock status of Eastern Rock Lobster?
A. Eastern Rock Lobster is currently classified as sustainable in NSW. The latest Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports can be viewed at www.fish.gov.au.
Ongoing stock assessment modelling by DPI scientists have shown an approximate threefold increase in biomass of Rock Lobster within the legal size range (104 mm -180 mm) since the mid-1990s when the stock was in a depleted state. As a result of effective management controls and the implementation of ongoing monitoring programs, the population of Eastern Rock Lobster has recovered to a healthy stock biomass.
SBFC v CHRSLFC Interclub 6th March 2022
Sunday March 6th!
Our third Inter-Club Competition against Castle Hill Fishing Club.
Individual prizes are up for grabs, as well as a Perpetual Inter-club Trophy for Champion Club.
Free BBQ: 1pm at Brooklyn Oval. Presentation at 1:30pm
Major Prize for Interclub Champion:
(Dometic Cooler - Valued at over $100)
Angler with the most points
Minor Prizes for:
Best Boat: Most points (divided by number of anglers)
Best Angler: Longest Targeted Species (Excl. Flathead)
Best Flathead: Longest flathead
And for: (as judged by Club Contacts
Best Offshore Catch: Best offshore/reef catch
Best Estuary Catch: Best fish caught in estuary
Best Pelagic Catch: Best pelagic fish
Final meeting for 2021
Our last meeting of the year is Wednesday week the 8th December.
As well as some awesome fresh prawns for supper we are planning our annual 'Swap 'n Sell'.
All of us have extra fishing gear and tackle that we no longer use, require whatever. Tonight is the night to bring your unwanted gear for a 'Swap or sell'.
Should be a fun time.
The meeting will be at the Crestwood Community Centre, Baulkham Hills (Cnr Crestwood and Chapel Lane, Baulkham Hills – Hall 2), Doors open at around 7:30pm and the meeting starts at 7.45pm.
What's coming up for the club.
NSW Animal Welfare Reform - Discussion Paper
NSW ANIMAL WELFARE REFORM - DISCUSSION PAPER
The Animal Welfare Reform – Discussion Paper (Discussion Paper) is now open for public consultation and it marks an important step towards implementing up-to-date animal welfare laws.
Of interest is that squid are now proposed to be included as an 'animal' as defined by the act. A quote from is:
“There is considerable scientific evidence that cephalopods have the physiological capacity to experience pain. While the situation with crustaceans is possibly more open to scientific debate, our understanding of consciousness and pain perception is rapidly evolving and this should be taken into account when framing new animal welfare legislation.”
It also states:
"To ensure that the lawful activity of fishing is not unintentionally affected by this change, we will also introduce a provision that clarifies that using a live fish, cephalopod or decapod crustacean as bait is not an offence"
The Discussion Paper is based on the feedback of more than 1,100 stakeholders who had their say in the first round of public consultation.
Go Fishing Guides for Sydney
Some light reading if you’re looking for something to pass some time in lockdown!
Attached are the 4 Go Fishing Guides for the Sydney area.
This includes Botany Bay, Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour and Parramatta/Lane Cove.
To quote the guides;
This series of guides to popular fishing locations is a great example of the proactive approach by the NSW Government to promote recreational fishing.
With much thanks to Sophie Johns. Fisheries Education Officer, Fisheries & Aquaculture Management
90,000 mulloway released into NSW Recreational Fishing Havens
With thanks to Fishing World:
AFTER several years of highly technical behind-the-scenes work, NSW DPI hatchery experts say they have “cracked the code” when it comes to developing and refining mulloway breeding technology.
The end result of this work is the successful stocking of 90,000 mulloway fingerlings into two key recreational Fishing Havens – and DPI says there’s plenty more to come.
The DPI’s Port Stephens Fisheries Institute marine hatchery team has been working with wild-caught mulloway broodstock – which are notoriously fickle and difficult to handle – and earlier this year managed to produce a successful spawning event, resulting in thousands of mulloway eggs which eventually turned into fry and then healthy fingerlings.
For full story see https://www.fishingworld.com.au/news/90-000-mulloway-released-into-nsw-recreational-fishing-havens
Lake Lyell Report 2021
The annual Lake Lyell Convention was held over the weekend of the 30th April to 2nd May 2021.
94 anglers from 7 clubs participated with 29 fish caught.
A full report is available here.
A picture gallery below.
