It’s been a mild and dry start to winter here in the Wimmera, with all our waters still badly in need of good rains. Our few trout waters that have remained fishable over the big dry are thankfully still producing some good fishing.

The trout fishing continues to be good at Lake Wartook, with both rainbow and brown trout being taken. These trout have been averaging 1kg, with the occasional bigger brown to 2kg being caught as well.

Fishing off the wall has been a good option, with peeled yabby tail and scrubworms fished unweighted, or on a light running sinker rig, doing well. Lure casting with Tassie Devil style lures and small spoons has also taken a few nice trout.

The boat ramp is now well and truly high and dry but small boats can still be launched with care. Boat anglers are taking some good trout, along with the occasional redfin, on trolled Tassie Devils and small minnow lures. Flyfishing early in the mornings has been productive with good numbers of rising trout to be found in the wind lanes. Good flies up here include Mrs Simpsons, Weirs Ruffys and the Bloody Mary.

On a recent trip to Wartook I found drifting while casting lures at likely looking areas to be a very productive method. I caught a number of nice browns at a rocky area of the lake casting a small Bushys Stiffy lure. On this particular day the trout were feeding heavily on minnows and it made for some very exciting fishing. Flyfishing with a large wet such as a Mrs Simpson can also be very productive while on the drift.

The redfin fishing in the Glenelg has been very good lately, especially in the stretch downstream of Rocklands and at Cherrypool. Casting small lures has been the best method and most reddies have been averaging around 400g, but there are a few bigger ones amongst them too.

Best lures have included Rapala Husky Jerks, Stiffys and Ondex spinners. Baitfishing with worms and yabbies has also produced a few reddies.

The early mornings have definitely been producing the best fishing and the fish have usually been caught in good numbers once a school is found.

This great little lake is still fishing well for the rainbow trout that are really thriving in this water. The average rainbow here is around 1kg, but there have been many larger trout caught to 2kg. The mornings and evenings always produce the best fishing here.

Lure casting from the banks with Tassie Devils and small minnow lures has been working well, with the bonus of a few redfin being taken too. Flyfishing the lake margins with small wet flies such as Woolly Worms and Mrs Simpsons has also been working well. On most days many free risers or minnow chasers will be found here quite easily, which makes for some very exciting flyfishing.

Small boats and canoes can be launched from the shore easily and are ideal for this water, but only electric motors are permitted.

This water is now extremely low but there are still plenty of people fishing in Rocklands, mostly for redfin. A few good redfin to 1kg are being taken from small boats and from the shore at the wall area. The best baits have been minnow and gudgeon, but small minnow lures have also taken a few nice fish.

The trout have been a bit quiet here with only the occasional brown being taken, mostly on lures cast from the shore.

We are in desperate need of good rains to bring the water level up a bit here, it is the lowest I have ever seen it.