If, for some ungodly reason, you could fish Blowering Dam for only one month a year, I think most anglers would choose October.

It is one of the few months when pretty much every species in the dam is firing.

Mixed bags are common and one can never know what species is going to hit a lure, bait or fly next.

Although golden perch are the main targets at this time of year, anglers often find trout, redfin, hybrid carp and even Murray cod hitting their offerings, making for some very exciting fishing in anyone’s books.

The redfin action at Blowering has been fairly good lately with big numbers of fish being landed. But finding those schools with large fish has been a difficult challenge.

There have been plenty of fish around a kilo but those 1.5kg-plus specimens that Blowering is famous for have been few and far between this year.

No one knows why for sure but I have put it down to the unusually large amount of water that Blowering has received all through Winter. This kept the water much warmer than in previous years and warmer water is not to the redfin’s liking, especially at spawning time.

I think this warmer water messed with the redfins’ heads so much that the monster fish in the lake did not form their usual spawning schools and most have or will reabsorb there roe.

Whatever the reason, let’s hope that next Winter things are more to the reddies’ liking and the bigger fish come out to play.

Trolling can be a very rewarding way of fishing during Spring.

Trout still spend most of their time up around the surface and can be caught by flatlining Tassie Devils, Stuckeys, Nils Masters, Merlins, Trollcraft Fry and lipless crankbaits.

All these lures work really well on the trout at this time of year and the golden perch also love to hit them when slowly trolled past.

When specifically targeting the golden perch I also like to use most of the Viking range of small lures as well as AC Slim Invaders, Trollcraft Double Downers and the small Prism Murrin lipless crankbaits when I’m in less than 3m of water.

It is worth pointing out that I have not recommended any lures over 60mm long. For starters, small lures work really well but secondly and most importantly, the Murray cod season is closed and it is illegal to intentionally target them.

That means all big lures and baits should be still put away until December, when the cod season reopens and everyone can target them again.

Although there are no laws in place as yet that restrict the size of a bait, lure or fly one can use during the closed season, if you do care about these iconic fish and the future of your fishery you will do your absolute best to not target them while they are they are at their most vulnerable – let them go about their business.

Sure, Murray cod will still hit small offerings but they are far more likely to chase a bigger lure. especially during the closed season where big breeders chase off anything large enough to be considered competition.

After quite a long wait for some people, the trout season will finally be under way come October 3.

At what level the Tumut River will be flowing is anyone’s guess but whether the flow is low or high, there will be plenty of anglers out for their first trout fix for the season.

If the river is in high flow you will need your heavy trout gear to give yourself a fighting chance but if the flow is low (under 1000 megs) then I recommend you go as light as you dare.

The local favourite lure, the Tassie Devil, can be very productive in the high flows but it is always good to try something different to increase your chances of catching those big educated trout.

Lipless crankbaits in trout colours work well in the high flow, as do paddletail soft plastics like the Squidgy Fish range and the Ecogear Grass Minnows rigged on fairly heavy jig heads, around 1/4oz to 1/2oz, depending on the flow.

Bait drifters can have good results in the high flows also. Many rig so the bait is slowly drifting along the bottom of the river but a bait drifted along under a float can also be deadly on Tumut River trout.

Fly fishos get good results from weighted nymphs fished under a big dry fly and Glo Bugs also have their moments at this time of year.

All the abovementioned techniques will also work in the low flows but if the river is low it is hard to beat casting small spinners such as Rooster Tails, Vibrax or Celtas.

To achieve the best results with these lures it is best to jump in the river and walk upstream, casting ahead.

Regardless of the flow, the Tumut River fishes really well at the beginning of the season because most fish have just finished spawning and will be out gorging themselves on anything that fits in their mouths.

So dust off the trout gear and go get them – I know I will be!