As autumn draws to a close and in the final few warm days that the season has left, the streams and impoundments in northeast Victoria see hatches of myriad small insects.

One of these is a small black fly that hatches in large numbers.

On these warm days fish can be found rising quietly all day sipping down a constant stream of these flies.

This can be frustrating for the unknowing angler as he will see fish rising and pick a large nondescript dry fly thinking that the rising fish will be a cert, only to be frustrated beyond despair.

For the most part trout are opportunistic feeders except for in those areas where regular steady hatches of any particular insect occur; like the dun hatches in the central highlands of Tasmania.

If you are being frustrated by such instances get down close to the water surface and you will be amazed at what you will see on a mirror that looks completely blank.

When the micro blacks (for want of a better or true scientific name) are about, any small black fly is readily accepted by the trout – the emphasis being on small.

Trout seem to feed a little more freely at this time of year as if knowing there are some lean months to come. However they can still be selective if there is enough of a particular insect around

Low flows in stream will funnel food into more concentrated feed lanes and it is in these areas that trout will tend to congregate. To find these lanes look for bubble lines or areas of flow that contain leaves and other bits and pieces, the insects will be there as well.

Sighting is another factor to consider, as age progresses and eyesight diminishes seeing even a normal size fly in varying light conditions can be a problem. To try and aid this I have added a white polypropylene hackle post that should make it easier to locate your fly and therefore the take.

You can further assist the sighting by not launching huge long casts, they may look impressive and build your ego but more than likely they will spook fish in skinny water, and you would have to be superman to see a size 18 at even 20m.

Be stealthy, spot and stalk your prey, use available cover and attack from close quarters it’s much more fun.