Gear: 2021 Tide Guide and Angler’s Almanac

Fishers and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts all along Australia’s eastern coastline have relied on the annual Tide Guide and Angler’s Almanac, produced by Peter Layton, since 1991.

Both publications cover a 14-month period to December 2021 so they overlap with the previous editions.

“Once again we’ve unravelled the complexities into easy-to-understand guides,” Layton said.

“We’ve produced the books in a form that enables instant reference to the best dates and times for fishing and have packaged them in a convenient format so they can be kept in a car glovebox, a boat, a tackle bag or your pocket.”

This year, the Angler’s Almanac has expanded to include a new section on the best months to target specific fish species, as well as a guide to seasonal recreational fishing closures.

There also are new colour images used to identify key species of fish, including the ones you can keep, the ones that are protected and must be returned to the water, and the ones that are likely to carry ciguatera.

Regular sections include a ready reckoner for the best days and times to fish according to solar and lunar cycles, fishing knots, and the gradual southern migration of fish normally found in the northern part of Australia.

The Tide Guide is useful on and off the water, as handy for a boater who wants to cross a bar or avoid being stranded in the shallows as it is for an off-road enthusiast looking to cross a tidal stretch of beach.

The price of the pocketbooks, printed in Australia, remains at $8.25 each. They are available through tackle and outdoor equipment stores, select marine dealerships, convenience and related stores in river and seaside locations generally located along the east coast of Australia from Bundaberg to Mallacoota-Eden on the NSW-Victorian border