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Persistence pays at Purrumbete
  |  First Published: June 2007



It seems Purrumbete is always in the headlines – and nothing has changed. It is now near impossible to get a boat in, but all is not lost. There are some nice fish to be taken along the rocks on the western side.

Browns to 1.8kg and rainbows to 1kg are being taken by both fly and bait anglers. Mudeyes are the pick of the baits. This won’t surprise many, as they have been the top performing bait for years. And yes, fishing them under a float is still the way to go.

For the flyfishermen both Shag Rock and Hoses Rocks are producing fish on bead-head nymphs during westerly winds. If there is no wind, or an easterly, the eastern beach in front of the gravel pit around to Rainbow Point is the place to be fishing with a smelt pattern. There are good numbers of fish chasing smelt along this section of the lake, and this should continue into the winter. 

At Lake Bullen Merri, brown trout to 3kg have started making an appearance, with some having been caught by anglers trolling Lofty lures. There are also Chinook salmon to 1kg, which would be last year’s fish.

Fish stockings are being conducted in the area again, so if you happen to start catching little tackers do everything in your power to release them unharmed. The drought has reduced the numbers of fish available, especially Chinook, so every fish is important.

Wurdi Buloc is still excellent for big redfin, either with bait or artificial lure. Some nice brown and rainbow trout are available to lure and flyfishermen as well.

The river trout season is fast coming to an end. The lower section of the Gellibrand River is about to be part of an environmental flow project. With a big emphasis on native species in the estuarine section, this project may also be of benefit to the population of very large trout that inhabit the lower reaches. Lets hope so!

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