What a crazy summer we’re having! Rain then sunshine then more rain; the rivers are going up and down faster than a venetian blind, it seems.

The trout don’t seem to mind though as they continue to be caught, and hopefully released, by those many anglers who come here every year to fish the rivers and streams of the Victorian alpine region.

Rocky Valley Lake on the Bogong High Plains is 100% full and continues to provide some exciting fishing for shore-based anglers who report taking numbers of brown trout to 800g on live drifted baits including mudeyes, which are a favourite with the fish there.

Pretty Valley Lake is also at capacity and fishing is excellent around the southern end, towards the overspill. There, numbers of good-sized trout begin rising at dusk on most evenings for about 30 minutes or so in waters that are easily covered from the shoreline by an average cast.

However, the water there is quite shallow and a careless angler is quickly spotted by the feeding trout.

The Kiewa River was fished fairly heavily over the holidays but now most anglers have long gone home, allowing the rivers to settle down again and the fishing is really good. It doesn’t really matter what type of fishing anglers use this season (bait, lures, fly), as they seem to come up trumps every time. There have been several recent reports of anglers fishing the Kiewa River and taking their bag limit of brown trout that weighed around 650-850g each, while other reports from holidaying anglers indicate ‘no fish caught’ over 2 or 3 days, but that’s fishing I guess.

The Ovens River is currently in excellent condition and fishing has been very rewarding for anglers fishing around the swimming pool at Bright, especially towards evening, when trout begin to rise.

Most fish caught recently were brown trout and sizes tend to average 450g, although some much larger specimens have been reported.

The upper reaches of the Ovens River are also producing mostly brown trout at present. Most fish are falling for a variety of dry flies in sizes 16 and 18, according to reports.

The lower Mitta Mitta River from Mitta Mitta to Eskdale is in excellent condition and fishing for trout has been exceptional for a number of weeks now and that should continue for some time. One of the best places to fish the lower Mitta s behind the Magorra Caravan Park in Mitta Mitta, where ideal features for attracting and holding feeding trout are abundantly provided by nature.

The Snowy Creek at Granite Flat has been fishing quite well last month but has fallen off somewhat over the last two weeks. Although mostly brown trout can be seen feeding during the day, they are proving to be finicky and difficult to get to take a fly or lure.

However, fishing very late in the afternoon and at dusk is more successful, with trout to 600g falling for a variety of size 16 dry flies.