By now most of the trout are back in Lake Eucumbene after their spawning runs in rivers and creeks.
With the water now rising, they are closer to the banks during the mornings and afternoons, making them easier targets for bank anglers using lures, bait or flies.
The snowmelt is now well under way and large areas of Lake Eucumbene are underwater for the first time in many months. These newly covered areas are a haven for fish.
In the early mornings and late afternoons large fish have been caught within 1m of the banks.
On bright sunny days, polaroiding the edges is great sport and size 10-14 Woolly Worms, Mrs Simpsons and Muddler Minnows, among a host of other wet flies, will usually produce fish.
If fishing deeper water, don’t be frightened to use an intermediate line with slightly larger flies.
Suggested areas include Seven Gates, Frying Pan, Rushy Plains, Braemar and Homeleigh Bay.
On October 3 the streams reopen and all the fun begins for another season. All the signs point to great flyfishing from October to January.
Early in the season the rivers and creeks will be flowing quite hard and tungsten-headed wets or lead-weighted flies will be needed to get down to where the fish are. Large Woolly Worms or Woolly Buggers are frequently used this time of year and account for many fish.
It now pays to troll close to the banks early morning and late afternoon. We work the banks in 5m to 8m and them move out to 10m to 16m during the middle of the day and use two to four colours of lead line to get close to the bottom.
But we also always have some rods just flatlining for the fish higher up.
You’ll be right if you just follow the rule and use darker lures during morning, evening and overcast days and brighter ones when the sun is high in the sky.
We mainly use Lofty’s Cobras or Tassie Devils which are amply stocked and well-priced in our local tackle stores, where you’ll get advice about what to buy for the time you’re here.
Worms, grubs, PowerBait or mudeyes are all great bait. Remember the water is still cold and the fish are hungry after the winter and their spawning run.
It’s a great month for walking the banks spinning and keeping an eye open for cruising fish. Cobras or Devils are very good and soft plastics can be very useful around rocky outcrops and clusters of trees, where you should retrieve a little slower.
For regular fishing updates visit www.alpinetouristpark.com.au/fishing.shtml and www.adaminabyangler.com.au/reports.shtml . For Eucumbene weather scroll under the Alpine Tourist Park’s fishing report and click the link to the weather station.
