Many of the very best fisheries in Tasmania are shallow and feature extensive weed beds which provide the basis of the food chain that supports the trout fishery. 

Aquatic invertebrates such as snails, crustaceans and insects thrive in these underwater weedy habitats and in turn, the trout thrive on the extensive food source they provide. Revered insect species to fly anglers such as mayflies (duns), dragon/damsel flies (mudeyes) and caddis all rely on weed bed habitats to thrive. 

The importance of protecting these weed bed habitats in maintaining and enhancing quality fisheries cannot be understated.

Weed beds are fragile and can take many years to re-establish if damaged, significantly reducing water quality and performance of the fishery.

This is one of the main reasons there are 5 knot speed limits on many lakes, along with other initiatives such as boating corridors, exclusion zones and limitations on motorised boating.  Waters such as Four Springs Lake, Ada Lagoon, Penstock Lagoon and Little Pine Lagoon all feature these fragile shallow habitats.

Please enjoy boating on these shallow waters responsibly. Remember - if it's white it's alright, if it's brown slow down and trim up! By trimming up the force of the wash off a boats propellor is angled towards the surface, away from the lake bed and its weed beds. This reduces sediment disturbance, weed bed damage and keeps the water clear and not clouded.

Let's not take it for granted and do everything we can to protect it.