Stream trout fishing in May is one of the best times of the year to wet a line, not so much because of the fishing but because of the beautiful setting. You can’t beat a bubbling stream meandering through lush farmland or native bush, the call of a lyrebird, the smell of someone’s fire lit for the evening, and hatchings of insects on a crisp evening excites trout and anglers alike.

The first April rains and drop in water temperature energises trout activity with more feed brought in to the tributaries from rainfall run-off in the hills. Big trout will also start emerging from the hard to reach holes along the streams as they chase fast flowing water gearing up for the breeding season. This will be the last chance to catch and release trout for this season as it closes from midnight June 8 through to midnight September 4.

The Tanjil, Latrobe, Toorongo, Loch and Tarago Rivers in West Gippsland are all still providing a lot of fun for anglers but will start quietening down later in the month as trout shift their attention from feeding to spawning. The same could be said for Shady Creek, Lang Lang and Bunyip Rivers. Fish are typically ranging from 100-300gm, and are great fun on light gear. Don’t be surprised to see some much larger spawning stock swimming about as they come out of their holes and head upstream. Remember catch and release is very important for the future of these streams so catch your fish, take a few happy snaps, and return safely to the water to fight another day.

Bass at Blue Rock Dam are starting to slow down on lures as the water temperature drops, but they are still being caught if you put the time in. As you would expect, most reports are coming in when the weather is fine, and with windless, beautiful clear sky May days I’d expect a few bass to be caught over the coming month. Bass from the first stocking program are starting to hit the magical 40cm plus mark, so there are some very exciting times ahead.

Trout at Blue Rock will be good fun over the coming months as flatline trolling can be quite successful in May. Typical trout size is 300-400gm, but there are some much bigger specimens swimming about if you put in the effort. There’s also been some big redfin caught over the last few months, which is something Blue Rock hasn’t been known for. One could speculate that bass are feasting on small redfish, allowing the mature fish to gain some decent size about them.

Please send me any reports or photos from your stream fishing or Blue Rock lake trip. Happy fishing!