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Autumn tops for trout
  |  First Published: March 2010



Autumn is a great time to be out on the water chasing a trout in the Victorian High Country.

The days are just delightful, mild daytime temperatures and cool nights and some pretty good fishing as well.

Our rivers are all flowing beautifully. We have been very fortunate to have received good rainfall in the mountains in early spring last year and to have had regular follow up rains over the summer months. Every time the rivers have looked a little on the low side and started to warm up the rain has arrived and conditions have been ideal for trout for the summer period.

The rain has also promoted the growth of grass and other vegetation along the rivers which has attracted the grasshoppers and other bugs and insects.

The Mitta Mitta River is flowing well and when I was fishing it at the weekend it was running at a very nice 15C. Grasshoppers were everywhere and the trout were eager to take them. Fellow writer, Rod Brooker, fished in the Hinnomunjie area and caught 18 browns to 1.2kg, all on hopper patterns.

Together with a couple of mates, I fished the Mitta well upstream of Glen Wills. This is a truly remote area. A 4WD drive track leads off the Omeo Highway to the river but after that there are very few access points. Wading up the river is about the only option. We fished well above Wild Horse Creek.

In the section below Wild Horse Creek, we caught trout to 1.3kg but we only saw a few "sardines" above the creek. It was then a 4-hour walk back to our vehicle. This is not the sort of fishing that everyone enjoys as it is a hard slog.

In reality the fishing was no better than in other, more accessible, sections of the river but we enjoyed the wilderness aspect and saw some country that few anglers will ever see.

The Bundara River is very clear and not fishing very well. There are a few small, spooky browns to be had but not really worth the trouble.

Nearby the Cobungra River is fishing a little better. This is renowned hopper water and there are plenty of hoppers along its banks but it has not really fired up, although a reasonable number of fish are being taken.

Middle Creek is flowing well and producing some small to medium browns. Lots of hoppers are about in this area.

Livingston Creek is fishing well to the usual small browns. The best section is above Omeo and around Cassilis. Bill Fisher and Christie Aaras fished it recently for 13 trout up to 450g. They were all caught on hopper patterns. The Indi River is also producing some smallish to medium browns in the top end. Once again, you cannot go past a grasshopper.

Any novice anglers wanting to catch a fish can do no better than the Gibbo River at the moment. It is full of small, free rising rainbows. The best spot to fish is along the Benambra/Nariel Road. Once again, natural and imitation hoppers are the go.

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