The trout are back! September and October has seen some sensational trout fishing in the Kiewa River. After last year’s poor season, it’s good to see trout being caught in good numbers again.

I’ve heard several reports of 10-15 fish being caught in an arvo session, which is what the Kiewa used to be renowned for. I haven’t heard of any real monsters caught but the average size would be around the 1lb (0.5kg) mark, with a few around 3lb (1.5kg) popping up as well.

Most fish have been caught using small Rapalas and Vibrax bladed spinners, but I recently had a good arvo using the Strike Tiger 3’’ curl-tail grub in the ‘black and gold’ colour. I managed to land 4 trout but lost quite a few as well.

The benefit of fishing with plastics is with a missed hit the fish is likely to come back and hit the lure again because of the soft, life-like body of the lure.

Very rarely a trout will hit a bladed spinner, fail to hook up and come back and hit it again. It does happen, but it’s a lot more common with soft plastics.

Every lure has its purpose, so don’t be afraid to mix it up a bit. If something isn’t working, try something completely different.

The tributaries of the Kiewa and Mitta rivers are fishing exceptionally well. I suspect that towards the end of November these streams will slow down fishing wise. When the summer days arrive and water temperatures skyrocket, the trout will shut right down and in some severe cases, possibly die! So be sure to get out there and have a crack at them while you can.

Number 1 size bladed spinners or Strike Tiger 1” nymphs would be your best options for the smaller streams. The new Strike Tiger Froglet has also been having a lot of success.

As we start getting some warmer nights, we should start getting some good insect hatches, which makes for great fun fishing the evening rise with the fly rod. By mid November there isn’t many places along the Kiewa River that won’t be bubbling, with trout sipping insects during the low light periods of the day.

Lake Hume has also been fishing exceptionally well throughout October and should continue to do so through November. The Yellowbelly have really turned it on over the last month. Most fishos are getting fish in about 20ft of water, either by trolling, casting or using bait.

The best bait for a springtime goldens would have to be small yabbies, with scrubworms coming in a close second. Try tying up to a tree in about 15-25ft of water and something should steal your bait and hopefully your hook along with it.

There’s always plenty of redfin and stinking carp that can be good fun between bites. Just remember, if you don’t get a fish in the first 5 minutes, try a different spot.

As for lures, when casting, the Jackall Mask Vib and TN60 would be my preferred option. It’s not often you don’t catch something when your using one of these.

In short, November is a great month to be fishing in the area with options everywhere you look. I hope you all hook into a few.