Birds hinder rescue of three Tas fishermen

A fisherman and his two sons have spent a chilly night on a small island off Tasmania's northwest tip after a flock of mutton birds foiled their rescue.

The men set off from Woolnorth Point on Thursday afternoon to retrieve a craypot near Trefoil Island.

Police say bad weather caused a mechanical fault on their boat, forcing them to disembark on the island.

An initial sea search failed to locate the men.

A plane and rescue helicopter were then dispatched and found them on the island just after midnight.

The chopper rescue was abandoned because strong winds and a large flock of mutton birds, leaving the men to brave a night on the isolated island.

The men were winched to safety early Friday morning.