Long summer days relieved intermittently by cooler weather and rain equals great trout fishing in all alpine waters.

The good news is that these conditions should continue right through March.

Rocky Valley Lake is 85% full and producing brown trout averaging 750g for anglers fishing around the shoreline and rainbows to 1.5kg for boaties trolling out deeper. Best baits are mudeyes and hoppers drifted under a bubble float and medium sized Tassie Devils in a variety of patterns are the favourite lures, according to reports.

Lake Guy is fishing well but one needs a boat or canoe to reach the best spots. The two inflow streams, Pretty Valley Creek and the East Kiewa River, are in excellent condition and producing numbers of brown trout to 550g on medium-sized bladed lures and drifted scrub worms.

The Ovens River at Porepunkah is in excellent condition and producing mostly pan-sized brown trout and a few rainbows on live drifted bait and lures. Hoppers and wattle grubs captured locally and rigged unweighted under a bubble float are proving the most productive baits, according to a local report.

With such good trout fishing this summer in the nearby rivers the Mt Beauty Pondage has not been fished to any extent in recent weeks so there are no reports of captures to hand. However, the pondage forms part of the bi-annual state and national flyfishing championships venues as it holds rainbow trout to 1.75kg and brown trout to around 1.25kg. Boats are not permitted although anglers in canoes and belly boats account for many of the heaviest fish caught right through the year.

The Kiewa River has, like other waters, received several freshes from timely rainfalls in recent days and trout are responding well to the ideal conditions with numbers of brown trout to 1.25kg and some rainbows to 950g caught on drifted live wattle grubs and medium sized Tassie Devils. Flyfishers may have good fortune using a double (weighted nymph and dry fly) rig rather than just a dry fly as few trout are to be seen rising during the day.

The lower Mitta Mitta River at Mitta Mitta is fishing extremely well and numbers of large trout are being caught by anglers using all types of fishing methods. The recent advice from some cheeky locals is, “if you can’t make it for the fishing this month, bad luck!”

Snowy Creek from Granite Flat to Mitta Mitta is flowing nicely and producing brown trout in good numbers on a variety of live baits and lures. Best live bait is wattle grubs, with many trout absolutely stuffed with them coming to net in recent weeks.

Drifted hoppers on an ultra-light rig are also doing well with brown trout in excess of a kilogram falling for them around dusk in the deeper runs.

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