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Streams gain a reprieve
  |  First Published: February 2007



The little rain and few storms lately have been great and have extended the dry-fly season on the streams and rivers.

Normally in the mountains the stream fishing starts to slow down by now but this year we will have a few more months of great fishing to come and with a little extra rain, maybe well after Easter.

The lake level has remained steady over January and this also has been great. The water temperature is not as hot on top as last year so the early morning surface fishing has been good.

Early January was a little cooler in the mountains, (remember the snow on Christmas Day?) so the fishing was better than average for those surface fishing. We didn’t really do a lot of downrigging until mid-January.

Trout fishing in Summer and early Spring is often best in the early morning and late evening as the fish cruise the lake edges looking for a feed. Never totally discount the middle of the day because the trout are always looking for a feed, especially on the river.

Trolling in the middle of the day can also be productive using deep-diving lures or deeper trolling methods such as leadlines and downriggers.

Bait fishing is best early morning and late evening on the shallow edges or in deep water at other times. Remember you can bait-fish only in the lake, it is illegal to fish the rivers and streams with bait. Worms and mudeyes (dragonfly nymphs) are the best Summer baits.

The best lures to use spinning in summer are Tasmanian Devils in colours such as green and gold/yellow or brown. During the day such colours as my lime green yellow wing and No 50 frog will work with the best early and late in the day lure the No 48 red nosed brown bomber. Other lures to try include Rapalas, Predatek Min Mins or Rebels in rainbow trout, brown trout and gold.

Spinning the Thredbo River has been great over the past couple of months, especially late in the day. Help look after our river by returning any fish caught and take only those fish that are very big and might dominate other fish in the river. Best lures have been spinners like the Gillies Spina and Celtas in gold and red.

FLY FISHING

Fly fishing is best in alpine streams during the day when a variety of grasshopper patterns or Humpy flies are best. On the lake mornings and evenings will be good in the shallower bays with mudeye patterns like Hammill’s Killer, Mrs Simpson or Craig’s Nighttime.

This is also the time to tie on a Williamson’s Goldfish fly and try the inlets where the real goldfish hang out. Fish it deep and slow for best results.

On the lake, the trout have been coming on late at night because the water edges have been very warm and the trout have been late coming in close. Widows Creek, Taylors Inlet and Mill Creek Inlet have been great.

TROLLING

Action this month will continue to be excellent but still be best early morning and late evening, when you should try Tasmanian Devils in colours like the Steve Williamson lime green yellow wing, No 48, No 36 or Y82. Use No 6, No 23, No 50 or the yellowing Freddo frog during the day.

Lures det on downriggers from 8m to 12m have been best and it’s a toss-up between Tassies No 36, No 48 or No 50. The deep water just off Lion and Cub Islands or down at the South Arm has been producing rainbow trout to 1.5 kg.

The most popular livebait is a mudeye fished about 1m to 2m under a float and early and late in the day. A bunch of tiger worms or even a scrub worm fished with a running sinker fished in deep water often catches a cruising trout even on the hottest of days.

The deeper rocky drop-offs have been producing the best fish. The South Arm and in front of the township have been great places. If you would like to learn how to catch trout or get a bit of local knowledge drop into Shop 1 at the Snowline Holiday Park, call me on 0408 024 436 or visit www.swtroutfishing.co.au . There will be a beginner fly school on February 17 and 18 and I have two positions left. I have a free Gillies fly rod for those who mention that they are Fishing Monthly readers.

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