Spring has sprung, the snow is melting from the peaks of the mountains and the lake levels are rising at last.

This of course means that the fish will be cruising the edges, making this the best month for spotting trout through polarised sunglasses and casting lures or flies to the fish.

Winter was a little milder than previous years with not as much snow as we would have liked but lake levels should still be about the same as in recent years, meaning we will have good, established weed beds with lots of places to live for the creepy crawlies that trout like to eat.

That will mean another good year of shore-based angling.

Warmer conditions last Winter also resulted in slightly warmer water so expect the lake to warm up a little quicker this year, meaning more active fish.

Trollers may have to wait until the end of this month before the fishing really improves with the usual hot early morning bite.

The rivers and streams remain closed until the Saturday of the October long weekend.

This month will the biggest tip for trollers is to slow the boat down.

Lures with a good action at low speeds will also be a great help.

With the lake rising slightly you will find the fish close to shore and you will need to be a little careful about rocks.

The sheltered bays are holding some good brown trout amongst the weed.

Around daylight has been best and the weather hasn’t been that cold, so it’s been great watching the sun rise while you land a trout.

Use darker lures early in the day and as the sun rises, go to yellow wing Tasmanian Devils, especially Y48 and Y96.

Jointed Rapalas in rainbow or brown trout patterns have been best for trolling through the shallows. The jointed Rapalas have a better action and are best by far before the sun rises over the mountain.

Soft plastics, even the Gulp baits, trolled behind Ford Fenders are also well worth a try.

I prefer to fish the township end of the lake in September because the water coming out of the rivers is very cold and the fish can be a little less active.

East Jindabyne islands and Lion and Cub Islands have been fishing very well.

PowerBait again has been catching most of the fish. Gulp Chunky Cheese and Sherbet Burst are popular at the moment.

Let the PowerBait float about 1m off the bottom and team it with a bunch of worms for better catch rates.

It is always best to put some line floatant like Mucelin on your line to keep to reduce the drag when the fish take the bait.

Always fish with the reel bail arm open to allow the trout to run with the bait. Strike only when you think the fish has had time to swallow the bait.

Worms off the bottom and a PowerBait dropper will be the best in the middle of the day for brown trout.

Best areas have been the boat ramp, Wollondibby Inlet in deeper water, Curiosity Rocks Bay, The Haven and Rushes Bay over at East Jindabyne.

The fish are cruising around the edges and are very spooky so it’s better to fish the deeper water unless you know how to cast small floating minnows without spooking the trout.

Spin close around rocky outcrops for best results and later in the day use smaller lures. Celtas or Gillies Spinners are also worth a try around the shallow bays after dark.

Don’t stay in one place too long and put in only a couple of casts in each area.

The best overall lake lures have been Tasmanian Devils in No 48 and S12 and don’t forget the Steve Williamson red nosed yellow wing.

Floating Rapalas in rainbow and brown trout colours are also worth trying.

The polaroiding is definitely improving and we should see some great fishing over the next few weeks.

I don’t expect the lake to rise all that much so it is highly unlikely that the weed beds will be drowned out. This may even mean that we will get great lake polaroiding right through to December.

On bright days use small green nymphs under an indicator fished very slowly. Trout caught in the shallows have been full of small shrimp.

At night, bigger flies like Woolly Buggers allowed to sink and then stripped quickly will work best.

Remember, we have a full range of fishing tackle for hire at my shop and fishing tours are now available. For updates call my shop in the Snowline Centre on 6456 1551.

My next Learn to Fly-fish Weekend will be on October 24 and 25, $380 for 16 hours’ instruction with accommodation and meal packages available at Quality Resort Horizons. All tackle is provided free and there are specials on tackle purchased during the weekend. Fishing Monthly Readers receive a free fly rod if they book and pay by the end of September.