Even native fish can find the warmer temperatures of February hard to handle. The key is to fish very early in the morning, lower light levels and cooler water temperatures encourage fish to come out from there daytime haunts to hunt for food.

Active native fish in Wyangala Dam will patrol timbered edges and shallow drop-offs searching out yabbies and baitfish.

Lures such as lipless crankbaits cast and worked at a reasonable pace can work quite well. Fan-cast areas quickly looking for these active fish.

If lure fishing in an area which has water movement from river flow or wind-generated current, the fish will be more likely to hold close to some form of structure and will wait in ambush.

Lures worked close to the structure and retrieved in the same direction as the current will work the best. Remember that a lure that is fished slightly above where you think the fish are holding is generally taken more readily.

As light levels and surface water temperatures increase, these fish will move closer to the structure and move deeper, where they will hole up for the majority of the day.

Wind-generated currents in dams are not talked about much but they do exist. These currents position fish in predictable areas. Places to look for are where the dam narrows or chokes somewhere.

Windamere and Burrendong dams have areas where these conditions are present.

Late-night fishing trips on the region’s trout dams will be the norm this month for those who want good fishing.

Flyfishing with mudeye pattern flies will be hard to beat. Thompsons Creek Dam has had a sudden fall in water level recently so it will be interesting to see how this affects the fishing.

Casting a bubble float with a fly attached can be very effective at this time of year. This technique seems to work better if there is some chop on the water, which makes sense as it possibly disguises the water-filled float a little.

Buoyant beetle pattern flies work really well. Most of the time it’s just a matter of casting out and then keeping in contact with the bubble as it drifts, although I have seen occasions where a slow retrieve worked.

If your trout adventures are limited to daytime activities, it will be time to work deep, especially in our dams.

Local creeks and rivers have suffered from low water levels for some time now but there is still some reasonable fishing. Presenting small lures and flies around any current which is shaded for most of the day is quite often the best plan of attack during these hotter months.

Remember, you can catch me bright and early on Saturdays, usually around 5.15am, on Australia’s No 1 fishing and boating radio program, Hi-Tide on 2KY, with Kieran and Bruce.