Fishing Australia

ALL ABOUT TROUT

The Eucumbene and Thredbo Rivers have good numbers of spawn run brown trout, along with a few rainbow trout, but you will have to stay on the move to find them because they inturn, are moving regularly.

At Eucumbene, some pools have schools of 20 or more brown trout while others are empty. But just a few days later the situation can be reversed, so you will need to check a few spots if you want to find some action. Once a school is spotted you can slow up and fish a bit harder.

Finding them is one thing, catching them can be another. Last week when the river was lower and clearer the fish were very spooky. Better fishing was had by anglers who were up early and first to the better spots.

Fly anglers did well using strike indicators with just a tungsten or bead head nymph. Drifting the fly back to the trout and watching for a bite offered the best odds.

When the river is lower and clearer you have to be super careful not to spook the fish. Some trout will bolt when anglers approach within 50 meters, while others know you are there and will sit still and you almost have to step on them before then move. This is typical of late Autumn River fishing in the Snowies.

The river has since lifted a little and the fishing has been a lot easier with the trout relatively easy to approach and catch. All anglers need to do is use heavier flies to get to the bottom, but when the river clears the trout will again become spooky and you’ll have to revert to the earlier strategies.

Spinners have done well on celtas and bibbed minnows that sink. The hot lure this year has without question been the Rapala CD 5 and CD 7 in the new Golden Alburnus Color.  This lure gets down as deep as needed and looks for all the world like a small brown trout trying to move in and steal a few eggs. Bigger trout hate this and smash the lure accordingly. Numerous fish to 6 pound have been recorded during daylight hours and some anglers are even finding the lures metallic finish works well under a bright moon light.

Good numbers of rainbows to 45cm have also been recorded in the Eucumbene river at times.

Anglers are reminded that the Eucmbene and Thredbo Rivers are trophy trout fisheries and as such any fish caught from the start of May to the Long Weekend in June has to be over 50 cm before you can take it. There is also a one fish bag limit. Most anglers go for the sport and release the fish as lake fish are typically better eating but some of the fatter river fish can smoke up very nicely. If needed, grab a free copy of the rule book from your local tackle shop for more details.

There are still loads of trout stacked up about a kilometer down stream from the river mouths, but they are pretty hard to tempt as they sulk and wait for the next big rain so they too can shoot upstream and join their mates.

Further back in Lake Eucumbene, Col Sinclair reports that the water seems to have turned.  This is a phenomenum where the surface layer has cooled rapidly and become denser, at which point it sinks below the lighter, warmer water trapped underneath. This will make the trout move from earlier holding areas to find the temperatures and food they need.

As a result deeper trolling in general has gone a tad quite for the moment, while better fishing has been had in closer in against the shoreline. One angler scored a magnificent 77cm brown trout that was in good condition and reasonable numbers of rainbows have been caught by anglers, fly and lure fishing from the bank.

FICKLE FIN

Rough weather at the recent Canberra Yellowfin Competition meant anglers could only fish two out of the three days. To make things even harder, local tuna technician Paul Blacka reported that a hot flush of 24 degree water came through and pushed most of the bigger fish south.

As a result only about 8 or so tuna were weighed in and a few more were tagged. The fish were however of good quality mostly above 40kg with the biggest going 66 kilo.  A good fin in anyone's books. A few marlin were also about.

While the action wasn’t hot, I am told a fun time was had by most which is the whole idea of these events. Sure beats working over the weekend!

The currents look much better around Eden at the moment so if you wanted a big LBG yellowfin, it looks perfect off Greencape.

Meahnwhile kingfish to 10kilos have gone ballistic at times at Montague Island and nearby kingfish haunts.

See you on the water.
Rob Paxevanos