Now that the rivers are closed, the focus in August will be on the Mount Beauty Pondage and Alans Flat Waterhole, which were both stocked with yearling rainbow trout in late June.

Both waterways have excellent access however I have a preference for Alans Flat Waterhole, which always seems to fish better than the Mount Beauty Pondage.

Small soft plastics such as the Strike Tiger 1” Nymph fished nice and slowly with a small jighead is a great way to target these rainbow trout, so too is using bait such as worms, mudeyes and Powerbait suspended underneath a bubble float.

A little further across to Sandy Creek and the Upper Sandy Creek Dam will be a great place to take the kids to try and catch a trout in August. This little dam receives a decent stocking of around 500 yearling rainbow trout each year in time for the winter school holidays, which provide fantastic fishing through July, August and even into September and October.

With all of the above mentioned waterways, please be mindful that these are classed as family friendly waterways and are stocked in time for winter school holidays to encourage kids to get away from their video games and outside into the fresh air to enjoy this great past time, so please be mindful before removing too many of these trout.

These are all great places to take the kids to teach them to fish and enjoy the full fishing experience. Another positive of these waterways is that they are all chosen with easy access in mind so that not only kids, but people with mobility problems can also get out and enjoy catching themselves a feed of fresh trout. I think these family friendly fishing waterways are a fantastic initiative for the betterment of this great sport.

For the more experienced angler, Lake Dartmouth and Khancoban and Dartmouth pondages should all offer some pretty good fishing during August. The giant Lake Dartmouth is easily the most reliable fishery out of the three mentioned, and in August, flat line trolling with winged lures such as Tassie Devils is sure to catch a fish. If the sun is high in the sky during the day, try getting your lure down deeper with the use of paravanes or even downriggers.

Another great idea is to use the dual depth Tassie Devil lures that have a hole in the top, meaning they can be threaded in such a way to make them dive between 2-3m, which can be a huge benefit during the bright parts of the day.

At the Dartmouth Pondage try casting blades from the bank. Blades of 7gm can be cast out of sight and be retrieved with a variable speed and the trout will readily hit them. I find with trout that the darker, more natural coloured blades usually work the best.

Khancoban, as I have said plenty of times in the past, can be very hit and miss. Trolling little minnows or winged lures can be very successful in the pondage during August, so too can angling with mudeyes under floats if you can get your hands on a few.

August in the far north east of Victoria is all about trout, so rug up, stay warm and good luck on the water.