Little Fisher Road (TAS) to Long Tarns etc. - any tips?

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Little Fisher Road (TAS) to Long Tarns etc. - any tips?

Postby Andrew » Fri 06 Oct, 2017 6:23 pm

Hi all,

Planning a 5 day fly fishing/walking trip at the end of January 2018.

Park at the end of Little Fisher Road and walk to Long Tarns.
1st camp Daisy Lakes
2nd camp Lake Butters
3rd camp Western side of Pillans Lake
4th camp Lake Gwendy
walk out past Pencil Pine Tarn

Does that sound like a good plan?
Is the bridge still out?
How long is the walk say from where we can park the car to Long Tarns?
How hard is that part of the walk up the hill etc and is the track OK?
Assuming getting around the circuit above is doable like most parts of that Western Lakes area?

Any info greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Andrew
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Re: Little Fisher Road (TAS) to Long Tarns etc. - any tips?

Postby Son of a Beach » Mon 09 Oct, 2017 8:47 am

The main thing is to pay attention to the vegetation on the map. Most of that area is easy walking once you're up there, but there are still some heavily vegetated areas that can be difficult to navigate through. Eg, there is some thick Pencil Pine forest going up Richea Ridge towards Daisy Lakes, but easy to walk around.

I've not been to Pillans or Butters, but I've been close to Pillans, and there was a lot of eucalypt forest there (ie, North end of Lunka). I came into Lunka from Ada, so I can't comment on walking between that area and Daisy/Long/Gwendy. But it looks like it should be doable - distance-wise.

I'm not a fisherman, but even I've seen LARGE trout in the Long Tarns, and a few decent camp sites along there also. Camping at Gwendy is lovely, and walking out from there via Pencil Pine Tarn is what we did last time.

I've not been there since the bridge over the Little Fisher River was condemned. It should have been condemned years earlier - driving over it was a rather nerve-wrenching experience every time.

It's a lovely walk in, but without that bridge it would be about an hour longer each way, making it about 4 hours to Long Tarns from the bridge.

I believe that there are no plans to replace that bridge at present.
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Re: Little Fisher Road (TAS) to Long Tarns etc. - any tips?

Postby north-north-west » Mon 09 Oct, 2017 5:32 pm

I don't recall any good camping near the southern end of Butters, although there are plenty of small open sites up on Richea Ridge. Might be better on the east. Richea Ridge is easy enough if you go up from that bottom end - it only scrubs up towards Mersey Crag (or in the aforementioned forest sections).

Pillans is generally easy walking around, although I've seen more of the northern and eastern sides than the west. But it looks fairly similar on most sides. A lot of dodging and weaving to get around the numerous small twisted and connected pools, plenty of followable pads and leads, and some lovely potential tentsites.
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Re: Little Fisher Road (TAS) to Long Tarns etc. - any tips?

Postby Mark_O » Thu 12 Oct, 2017 2:05 pm

Regarding access. The Little Fisher Rd still has a closed sign and tape across it where it meets Dublin Rd (6km from the bridge). The road itself is fine up until approx 1.3km from the bridge across the Lt Fisher but large landslips there mean that you can no longer drive to the actual bridge. You can still walk it though.
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Re: Little Fisher Road (TAS) to Long Tarns etc. - any tips?

Postby Andrew » Thu 12 Oct, 2017 4:53 pm

Super info thx all
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