Lake Eildon has decreased to 40.5% capacity, but this hasn’t stopped the good fishing on the lake. Trolling continues to be the most effective method with the Big River Arm really pouring in the reports of Murray cod and yellowbelly taking large StumpJumper and Oar-Gee lures when worked around the many timber structures in the lake.

Eildon Pondage that was stocked last month with big brood stock trout is now seeing the fruits materialize with trout being caught from 3 pound to 6 pound in weight. All methods of fishing are working with earthworms; scrubbies, maggots and pink Powerbait the best for bait fishermen.

For the lure caster Wee Wobblers have accounted for some nice trout and fly-fishermen are taking good trout on woolly buggers with the most productive area at the football ground section of the lake.

The Goulburn at the time of writing was flowing at a high 5000 mega litres with a water temperature of 12.2 degrees and an oxygen content of 7.7 part per million. The fishing on the river isn’t particularly good to normal fishing methods with the only real chance of taking a trout throughout the day by searching the backwaters and polarioding with a good pair of polarised sunglasses. The angler needs to look for trout slowly cruising the backwaters amongst the riverside bush with the sun directly overhead. Anglers that put in the hours are being rewarded with trout up to 2 pounds in weight that are in great condition.

Bait fishermen are also taking the odd trout in the backwaters with the use of earthworms, scrubbies and Powerbait, and lure casters are taking trout up to a pound in weight with small Tassie Devils and Wee Wobblers and the bigger sized bladed spinners.

For fly-fishermen the evening rise has been disappointing with very sparse hatches of insects with some anglers reporting no hatches and devoid of rising trout. This can be attributed to the unseasonal cold periods of weather-experienced intermittently throughout the last month and the coming month ahead will see more consistent hot weather improving the fishing.

The Rubicon River is a better proposition with a good river flow that is just a little high and discoloured, but anglers are just starting to see grasshoppers in both the natural and artificial form take the odd trout up to two pounds in weight.

Still the river isn’t at its peak and the coming weeks ahead will see better and greater fishing.

Bait fishermen will do well drifting a natural hopper down the faster runs leading into the pools and fly-fishermen will also produce trout in the same manner presenting small size 14/12 hopper flies like Nobby Hopper, Sparkle Hoppers, Latex Hoppers and Banjo Hoppers.

The Acheron River is improving to all methods and on a recent trip I fished the lower section a little up from the Breakaway and found the water to be high and slightly discoloured, but very fishable, even though I didn’t catch any trout. Higher up around Buxton bait fishermen are taking small trout on earthworms and fly fishermen are catching the odd small trout during the evening rise on caddis dry flies.

The Delatite at Merrijig is fishing well for fly-fishermen working weighted nymphs like size 12 gold bead head nymphs and seals fur nymphs. Dry flies imitating beetles throughout the day and caddis during the evening is accounting for trout of around 500 grams in weight.

Reports indicate that within the lower reaches that are fairly discoloured, bait fishermen are taking pan-sized trout and redfin on earthworms and maggots. Best times have been in the early morning and late evening.

Earthworms and scrubbies are the only baits that are taking trout from the King Parrot with any consistency at the moment. The Flowerdale section of the river has been the most successful with also the odd trout taking the natural and artificial grasshopper.

Anglers fishing the lower reaches of the river have had success with red Celta spinners taking many small-sized redfin. The Goulburn at Seymour isn’t fishing well and this can be attributed to the high water release of 5000 mega litres at present.