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Hume close to rock bottom
  |  First Published: June 2007



After a very long, hot and extremely dry Summer, the cooler weather has finally hit us and the native fish scene has ended for another season.

It is now time for anglers to pack away the cod gear and pull out the lighter trout arsenal.

Unfortunately we didn’t get the Autumn rain we were desperately waiting for so Lake Hume is currently sitting at around 3% capacity and falling rapidly.

With the lake at this level, launching a boat is difficult as all boat ramps are well and truly out of the water and with the lake still falling, the edges are very soft and boggy. Launching a boat from the bank is impossible for conventional vehicles and very difficult for 4WDs.

With the lake level so low, a couple of concrete boats ramps have been extended by the local council to allow access when the water level is around 8%. These ramps can be found on the Victorian side at Eden and Ludlows Reserve.

It is a shame that Hume is so low at the moment because June normally offers some good trout fishing. In previous years I have caught browns to 4kg although most fish are around 500g.

Trout can be caught from the bank by casting lures or with garden worms but most anglers at Hume troll winged-typed lures such as the Tassie Devil.

But with the lake so low and people unable to launch boats, most anglers in the Albury-Wodonga area this Winter are heading over the border towards Dartmouth Dam, less than 90 minutes’ drive from Albury.

Dartmouth Dam is presently at 12% capacity but there is still heaps of water to fish because this is a massive body of water, Victoria’s biggest. Even there, authorities have had to build a new boat ramp and they have done a fine job, with conventional vehicles having no difficulties on the new ramp.

Dartmouth is an amazing place with some brilliant scenery and some great trout fishing. The place is fishing pretty well at the moment with good numbers of trout up to 2kg being caught on winged lures.

Most people who fish Dartmouth prefer to use a boat but the dam also offers some good trout fishing from the bank, particularly with bait early mornings or late afternoons.

The old garden worm on a running sinker rig is good but an unweighted scrub worm is dynamite.

The Queen’s Birthday long weekend on June 9 and 10 marks the running of the annual Dart Cup Yamaha Fishing Classic. This is a great weekend with over $25,000 in prizes.

The major prize is an Ally Craft boat and trailer package with a 25hp Yamaha engine. There are also more than 100 other great prizes. The competition caters for everyone with several prizes in men’s, women’s, junior and teams categories.

Entry is $35 for adults and $10 for juniors so the Dart Cup offers great value for money. For details contact Lorrane Saxton at the Dartmouth Tavern on 02 60724263.

If you have any reports of fish being caught in the Albury-Wodonga region or any photos, please feel free to email them to me at: --e-mail address hidden--

Josh McKenna with his first ever Lake Hume trout. With all boat ramps high and dry now and very boggy lake edges, there’ll be little boating on Hume until some rain.

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