Had I been writing this report a couple of weeks ago it could have been aptly titled ‘Slim Pickings in the Goulburn’. However a slight change in the weather patterns in early spring has seen a dramatic change.

I have fished quite a few locations along the Goulburn River from the Trawool Bridge to Mitchelton Winery. Many of these sessions have only been short, but most have resulted in at least three or four redfin being taken.

At this stage the fish are not large, averaging around 750g. These are still very nice fish to catch and result in a great feed. As well as the redfin the odd brown trout is helping to add a little variety.

All of my fish have been taken on No.2 and 3 StumpJumpers, both cast and trolled. The best colours have been green and purple. Casting spinnerbaits around the willow trees is also very productive. Other anglers have had similar results.

As the water warms up the bigger redfin will make their presence felt, so now is the time to be hitting the Goulburn. A word of warning though – the Murray cod will also start to become more active and anglers need to be aware that it is still closed season. If caught, these fish must be immediately returned to the water.

Many of my recent trips have been in a canoe. One thing that I have become aware of when using this type of craft is just how many doors it opens to you. So often in our bigger boats we want to get to a certain place, only to find we can’t. With a canoe most of these areas can be reached with ease.

The upper reaches of the Goulburn around Alexandra and Thornton have been quite consistent for both rainbow and brown trout. They are not large fish but give a very good account of themselves when hooked. These fish are being taken by all methods.

Lake Eildon has been very good on some days but then sending anglers home fishless the next. A recent trip to Goughs Bay returned two reasonable browns on pink and blue Loftys lures trolled on a flat line. We followed this up with a session fishing around the trees for redfin with no result. By November the reddies should be running hot.

The coming months are looking very promising up this way, so start planning your trip now.