Snakes alive! Back-country rivers heat up in time for holidays

Fishing the back-country rivers is an amazing experience and one of my favourite forms of fishing.

I love wading through gin-clear water with a rod in one hand, a small box of lures or flies tucked into a shirt pocket, and a backpack. There is a sense of adventure heading into the bush and with good cause, there is a very real chance of getting up close and personal with the local wildlife. By back-country rivers I mean those around 60 to 90 minutes’ drive from Canberra, such as the Eucumbene, Thredbo, Tuross, Mongarlowe and Goodradigbee. These are all streams where you can tangle with rainbow or brown trout in stunning surroundings.

Fishing recently with a good friend, Andrew, the scene in front of us was exactly that: stunning. The trees formed a perfect silhouette on the water; the river teamed with insects and was alive with the chorus of small birds. It was another unseasonably hot day and so the water was cool and refreshing. Earlier that morning we had grabbed light spin rods, sturdy boots and plenty of sun cream. There would be no need for waders today; the water was cool but not cold. I was armed with my trusty suspending Rapala lure and Andrew had chosen the classic Celta spinner. These two lures have probably caught more trout in this country than all of the other lure types combined so I felt quietly confident we could tempt some fish.

By now the sun was high, there were few shadows and the water was clear. So it was the first deep bend of the river that produced the first fish of the day. As the small minnow lure began its seductive waggle it suddenly stopped and the shiny flanks of a rainbow trout shimmered under the water as it struggled against the line. A great start but it was soon after this that we were briefly stopped in our tracks by a large red-bellied black snake casually swimming across the river in front of us.

As the morning progressed we found that the deeper pools and some of the deeper rapids were where the fish wanted to be. Sometimes in these small streams you only get one cast to hook the fish. Land the lure too far from where the fish is hanging out and all you might succeed in doing is drawing the fish out for a look, at which point it will spook and disappear under a rock.  The best casts therefore are long, landing in the white water or the head of the pool. The most productive retrieves are as slow as the current allows while still maintaining action on the lure, giving the chasing fish the longest time possible to catch up and bite. They generally aren't huge fish, often only 20-30cm long, but they are great fun.

It was while navigating around one of these deeper pools, that we had our second nature 'moment'. Hidden amongst the thick shrubs and tea-tree, curled up in a sedge was a large brown snake. Andrew had come within a few inches of stepping on it. The decision was unanimous – it was time to get away from the snakes and head back.

We strolled back downstream towards the car with a new alertness and awareness of our surroundings. We were now hyper aware – or perhaps I mean scared witless - of our surroundings. Of course, as the famous saying goes – trouble comes in threes. So as we approached the first pool again another black snake swam out onto the river and straight towards me. I lifted the rod high above my head and slapped it down on the water in an attempt to scare it away. The snake changed direction and I resumed breathing.

So as the water warms up this summer and the insect activity increases in the back country rivers, so too will the activity of the other wildlife: the frogs, birds, fish, and of course, snakes. My advice to the keen back-country fishers is to wear long trousers and gaiters, pack a snake bandage and even a personal locator beacon, if for no other reason than getting bitten by a snake at this time of year might mean missing out on all the holiday fishing fun to come.

Graham Fifield
www.flickandflyjournal.com