Now moving into Spring, we're only a month away from the opening of the NSW Fishing Season. The anticipation of getting back on our rivers and streams is high, however, let's first recap on the fishing we've experienced this Autumn through Winter.
The annual brown trout spawning run - similar to previous years, had its challenges on the back end of low river levels while outside temperatures remained warm (up to 16 degrees) in late May. This meant the 'runs' would come late and fish were particularly hard to find. With a lack of rainfall and snowfalls, the 'lake runners' were perhaps holding up in deeper pools, possibly in low-light conditions providing them more protection against predators (birds). Some anglers alluded to this and sought out the deeper holes independently, rather than working all 'likely holding water.' However, I wouldn't have been surprised if masses of fish dropped back down into the Portal (the larger body of water below the river that's part of Lake Eucumbene), awaiting more rainfall.
We did receive a large dump of rain before the season's closure, which provided better fishing, especially at Denison Campground and Providence Portal, where targeting the softer edges in higher flows proved successful. Anglers were mixing it up fishing several nymphs, wee wets, large streamers and lures, often requiring lots of weight to get down.
Similar to recent years, it was a challenging spawning run battling the elements of Mother Nature that only discouraged better fishing conditions; however, anglers that put in the time were still rewarded with some great fish.
Winter lake fishing - although we experienced a relatively mild winter here in the ACT and NSW, lakes Eucumbene and Jindabyne fished exceptionally well. Plenty of reports came through on social media of good 'browns' being caught from both boat and shoreline, with the odd rainbow trout tossed in amongst them. During this time of year, in the latter stages of spawning, the 'browns' are known to cruise the edges looking for food; and yabbies, which offer plenty of protein for the trout, make up a large part of their diet.
Polaroiding shoreline 'browns' - this was something I was itching to do this winter and although, admittedly, I was late to get out onto the water, I did several trips up to various locations on Lake Eucumbene. Receding lake levels - Eucumbene's lake levels had receded by astounding amounts, making bays unrecognisable from previous visits; however, recent lake-level reports are showing a rise in levels, which is positive. Yabbies were smashed up and left in pieces on the muddy shorelines, providing a good indication of why these fish put on great condition this time of year. Dead sunken timber - was more exposed than ever on the lake; however, these structures always create interest for anglers to cast around the wood in searching patterns for 'browns.' Yabbie (crayfish) beds - were also more exposed around shorelines and although I polaroided these areas with intent, I didn't see any activity; however, I do think the 'browns' would patrol the beds with great interest. Windy points - these I targeted intensively. In sunny, calm conditions, the lakes are known to become 'glassed out,' which often leads to tough fishing. On the contrary, the points being more exposed to the elements meant that even a gentle breeze would chop up the water before waves began lapping at your feet. At Yens Cove on Lake Eucumbene one late afternoon, I caught a solid 'brown' fishing a rocky point in these conditions. Drop offs - always an area of the lakes worth fishing thoroughly. Fish are known to cruise beneath deep drop-offs in search of food, and this was another successful area where I picked up fish. Weed beds/margins - are another ideal habitat for trout in our lakes, and fish are often seen cruising oxygenated weed beds, as well as holding on the margins. Flies of choice/fly lines - I fished mid-to-large sized streamers ranging from olive, brown, and black Woolly Buggers - with some dual-mixed colours as well. I fished both weighted and unweighted, depending on the type of water I was fishing and the depth I was targeting (shallow bays versus drop-offs etc.). I fished them on a standard intermediate sinking line from I Love Fly Fishing. My go-to fly was a large Black Woolly Bugger from I Love Fly Fishing with its shiny tint through it. From time on the water this winter, I'd also recommend carrying several spools of sinking lines with different sink rates (ips), if your intention is to cover an abundance of water and depths around the lakes. Style of retrieve - I varied the retrieve from long, even strips to short, sharp movements, while also experimenting with a jigging-style retrieve. To bring the fly to life, I used lots of wriggles in the rod tip or sudden jerks of the fly line, before pausing the fly, trying to best imitate a yabbie coming up off the bottom and fleeing from predators. I found that giving the rod tip more action produced more takes. 'The browns' - many were similar in colour - motley pale brown spots with a yellowish complexion and a bluish tinge; extremely attractive-looking fish, although the trout's markings nearly always vary. The majority of brown trout I've seen caught from both lakes this winter have been in exceptional condition, with solid shoulders and girth, especially the larger fish. Another interesting find was seeing red on several of the fish's adipose fins (quite striking) - apparently a hormonal development from spawning.
Winter fishing on our Snowy Mountains lakes definitely has its charm. If you're prepared to rug up and brave the cold, icy, or even snow-melt mornings, you needn't walk far from your vehicle to be part of the action. Next year I plan to cover more kilometres around shorelines with a keen focus on both lakes (Eucumbene and Jindabyne), to continue the learning curve. However, with the weather now warming up, we look forward to the opening season — but make no mistake, it's not just the rivers and streams I'll be targeting this Spring through Summer! From across the Tasman, I hope we're all getting out and finding some fish — tight lines!
Matt Hoole
Introduced to the backcountry and rivers of the North Island early, I began fly fishing from a young age. The Waikato region offered an expanse of rivers and streams to immerse myself in and learn to fly fish. After immigrating to Australia in 2007, I’ve spent the last sixteen years exploring the waters around greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains region of NSW and more recently the rivers and streams in the ACT, Canberra, after moving our young family here. Framed by the Brindabella, Namadgi and Kosciuszko National Parks, Canberra offers a variety of top-class fisheries. The Snowy Mountains in the Australian Alps are regarded as one of the best fisheries in Australia. Drift nymphing under indicators has been my long-time passion, but nowadays I spend as much time dry fly fishing, Czech nymphing or stalking lake edges for big browns with streamer patterns. I share most of my missions on the riverbank with my wife and kids, and enjoy writing and documenting these experiences for future enjoyment.