Summertime fishing in the High Country – it’s good to be alive!

Days are much warmer now and trout are responding accordingly, with excellent fishing conditions in all streams throughout the Victorian alpine region.

Rocky Valley and Pretty Valley reservoirs at Falls Creek are full and providing good prospects for trolling and loch-style flyfishing. Just don’t fall in because the water is freezing. Wild trout to 4kg are often caught in Rocky Valley Reservoir during summer.

Pretty Valley Creek is settling down nicely since receiving full flow last month following heavy rain. The creek contains many small trout and conditions are ideal for inexperienced fly fishers to develop their skills.

Lake Guy at Bogong Village is full and rainbow trout to 400g have been caught around the flow-in end of the lake on worms and mudeyes under a bubble float. I’m told that canoes are available for hire again and they’re worth considering if baitfishing. The east Kiewa River at Bogong is running well and trout are rising to a variety of size 14 dry flies, especially from mid to late afternoon.

The Mt Beauty pondage is in perfect condition and 1,000 yearling rainbow trout and 1,000 browns were released in November with another 500 due for release in March. Fish tend to grow quickly in the pondage due to an excellent food chain, usually doubling their weight within a few months of release. The area around the reeds at the western end provides good flyfishing to rising trout in summer.

The Kiewa River at Tawonga is producing lots of rainbow trout and a few browns to 400g on bait and lures, with good sized trout rising to a variety of dry flies, sizes 12 to 14, throughout the day. These risers tend to be a bit larger at around 450 to 550g on average. Larger fish are about after dark. Mongans Bridge at Coral Bank is one of the best locations to find rising trout this month.

The west Kiewa River is also providing lots of action, with fish falling to a variety of small dry flies throughout the day. Most are rainbow trout, ranging from 350 to 500g.

The Ovens River from Bright to Porepunkah is producing rainbows to around 400g on bait and lures, and dry flies in the afternoon.

The Buckland River is also fishing well after a long spell of poor returns. There’s good flyfishing throughout the day in the Buckland as rising trout are hungry for size 14 to 16 dries in a variety of patterns.

The upper Ovens River around Freeburgh is fairly shallow in places and producing trout to 300g and some a bit larger, mainly on dry flies.

The Victoria River at Dinner Plain is in perfect condition and producing trout from 400 to 550g on dry flies throughout the day. Bait anglers are also doing well with very light running sinker rigs. Park well off the road when fishing, as campers use it as well during the holidays.

The upper Mitta Mitta River at Anglers Rest is in ideal condition at Glen Wills and trout are being taken in good numbers along the entire river by anglers using all fishing methods.

The Bundarra River is running nicely and fishing well, as is the Cobungra River. Watch out for snakes, they’re plentiful this year.

The lower Mitta Mitta River from Mitta Mitta to Eskdale is running at normal summer levels as water is released from Dartmouth. Lots of small to medium sized trout, mostly rainbows, are being taken from all popular locations around Magorra Caravan Park at Mitta Mitta.

The Snowy Creek is also producing rainbows and a few browns to 450g on bait, lures and fly. Concerns over muddy water in the system during December have now evaporated.

Dartmouth is full but I have no current fishing reports concerning this water.

Lake Banimboola, or the pondage, and the Mitta Mitta River below the pondage, are both producing redfin on big bunches of live red garden worms, not scrubbies.

Everything’s looking perfect for a summer of fishing delights up here. The new hydro power station is finished and the pondage is full again. More people are about than previous years. The river and the pondage are holding much larger trout on average compared to the last few seasons, with very healthy-looking specimens taken by bait and lure anglers. Fly fishers are doing well in the pondage, fishing to rising trout in the shallows towards dusk. The river from Dartmouth to beyond Eskdale was a bit murky late last year but has now completely cleaned up.

Lake Mokoan, near Benalla, is two thirds full. This water has been popular with Melbourne and regional fishing clubs since the cod opening last month, with many anglers participating in events with excellent results. Good-sized yellow belly and Murray cod are being taken on fresh yabby tails and shrimps, with the best fishing around the edges of the lake.

Alpine fishing conditions can change very quickly, even in summer, so for the latest update phone Geoff Lacey at Angling Expeditions Victoria on (03) 5754 1466 or check out the website www.anglingvic.com.au