Usually we have a good covering of snow by now but the season has been a little behind average.

The snow was again late arriving, which is a worry because we want as much on the ground as possible so when it melts there will be plenty of run-off for the lakes.

The lake level dropped to the same as last year, just off the minimum operational level. The boat ramp again was high and dry but the gravel base allowed for easy launching so things were not that bad.

The fishing has been very good for winter and with weed beds established even better than in 2007, there has been some great lure and flyfishing and some very big fish caught.

This is a month for anglers who brave the mountain cold to spot trout with polarised sunnies.

Polaroiding is not just for fly casters, you can also carefully cast lures and even baits to trout you spot along the lake edge. The whole idea is to first spend some time watching the fish to see what direction it is cruising and then carefully cast far enough in front of the fish so as not to spook it.

Polaroiding is an art and best done when you have a second person to help spot the fish. It is easy to lose sight of the fish when you move close to the shore.

Best lures for polaroiding are those that float, like floating Rapalas and plenty of other minnow styles that you can toss out past the fish and then slowly retrieve as the fish gets closer.

Sinking lures are not as good because the fish can often spook to the splash; you need something you can toss out and let sit there until the fish forget about the disturbance.

The Monaro has again been declared drought-stricken and nothing has improved along the Murray Darling Basin. Unless there’s rain downstream the Snowy Mountains will again be supplying the irrigation water over summer period and this is not going to be good for lake levels.

Floating lures in rainbow trout and brown trout patterns have been working around the weed beds. If the weather is dirty then orange or pink lures may work better as these are aggression colours for trout in spawning time.

For deeper water use lures such as the Tasmanian Devil in colours like pink No 55, brown No 48 and Y48.

Better times are early and late in the day but you can still catch fish near the rocky points and deep drop-offs in the middle of the day. Good areas include Creel Bay, Hatchery Bay and Curiosity Point.

When polaroiding, green nymphs fished near rocky outcrops should catch fish. Go quietly and approach the water only after trying to spot a fish.

The western shoreline from Curiosity Rocks to Hatchery Bay is excellent to spot fish during August and Sids Bay is also a good secret spot.

We have seen quite a few of the big Atlantic salmon released by Gaden Trout Hatchery and they are a lot of fun to catch. There is no real special lure to attract the salmon, you just have to be in the right place at the right time, but they do not mind a little bit of silver on the lure and the Tassie Devil No 77 has been very good.

Other good lures at the moment are Tassies 55, 72, 50 and on the sunnier days, 36.

For the bigger browns I like to troll small minnows in brown trout patterns. Minnows worth a try are the Rapala brown and rainbow patterns or the 3” StumpJumper in pink and purple or black and gold.

Lion and Cub Islands and East Jindabyne islands are excellent trolling spots at the moment.

Remember that with the cold water the fish move a lot slower so troll slower than in Summer. An electric motor or some sort of trolling baffle may be needed to get down to about 2 knots at the most.

To learn more about all this, join our trolling school on November 22 and 23 or the one-day downrigging course on October 25.

The brown trout are nearly all back from spawning and are looking for something to eat so a bunch of worms on the bottom or suspended under a float should entice a bite.

There is no doubt that the PowerBait products are catching lots of trout with lime or lemon twist the best, closely followed by rainbow or orange nuggets.

Fish the shallow bays early and late and the rocky, deep drop-offs during the middle of the day.

Call at my shop at the Snowline Holiday Park and pick up a copy of the latest fishing report or book a charter. Visit www.swtroutfishing.com.au for all the latest fishing reports and find out more about our winter tours.

Shawn and Samantha, managers at Discovery Holiday Park at Jindabyne will offer Fishing Monthly readers some very special accommodation prices for September. You have to call them on 02 6456 2099 and let them know you are there to take advantage of the excellent spring fishing before you get the best prices.

The Discovery Holiday Parks Family Fishing Carnival at Pambula Beach is sure to be great fun on the weekend of September 5 to 7. These events have an emphasis on fun for the whole family with lots of prizes even for those who don’t catch a fish. Every child is guaranteed to be a winner.

At the competition last May at Port Stephens, only three entrants went away empty-handed. There are $20,000 worth of prizes to be won at this event and I hope to see some of you there.

For more information you can go to www.swtroutfishing.com.au or give me a call. Discovery Holiday Parks are proud supporters of Fishing Monthly Magazines.