Trout anglers are experiencing improved fishing in the Snowy Mountains lakes and streams following rain in the catchment, a trickle of snowmelt and falling air and water temperatures.
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At Eucumbene increasing numbers of pre-spawning brown trout are moving into the Providence Portal area, Providence Flats and the Eucumbene River. Most of the fish are still in the lower reaches of the river but occasional groups have penetrated further upstream. There are some quality fish amongst them, with plenty in the 3kg-4kg range and occasional specimens to 4.5kg and better.
Many have been taken on heavy, sinking or deep diving lures, especially the CD Rapalas in the Spotted Dog pattern. Rapala X-Raps in the same pattern also have done well. A lot of fish also have been taken on the weighted Glo Bug and trailing nymph rig, especially with heavy tungsten nymphs. The trick is to get the rig down deep, where most of the fish are holding. Fly fishers also have fared well with the Glo Bug and nymph rig or with small, dark tungsten nymphs fished alone.
Providence Flats have yielded some good fish on the above rigs and on Craig's Nightime and other large, dark flies. Best fishing has been in the late afternoon and at night. Boat anglers working the old riverbed have done especially well.
Elsewhere in the lake a few nice browns have been taken on scrub worms and bardi grubs fished from the shore at Yens Bay, Wainui Bay and Coppermine. Trollers using yellow-winged Tasmanian Devils on lead core line or downrigger reported some large browns at Braemar and near the dam wall. Rainbows are still hard to find but an occasional fish was taken on Power Bait and scrub worms at Yens Bait and Cemetery Point.
Fishing has been much slower in Jindabyne although deep-trolling specialists such as Steve Wiiliamson can still manage good bags. Browns are steadily moving into the Thredbo River and the section as far up as the Gaden Hatchery is worth a try. As in Eucumbene, rainbows are hard to find.
Public Meeting
The lack of rainbow trout in Eucumbene and Jindabyne is now so acute that a public forum is being arranged to discuss the matter. The meeting will be held at the Cooma Ex-Servicemens Club at 6pm on Thursday May 29. Anglers and others will be invited to discuss the entire Snowy Mountains Lakes fishery with scientists and managers from the NSW Department of Primary Industry. Also attending will be leading New Zealand fisheries scientist Dr. Michel Dedual who has had experience with a similar decline in rainbow populations in Lake Taupo.
Burrinjuck Slowing
Catches were down at Burrinjuck this week, presumably as a result of the cooler weather. Nevertheless some medium-sized Murray cod were caught on spinnerbaits and hard-bodied deep divers. Most came from 7m-10m down with a slow retrieve. A few were taken on bait, with bobbing flooded trees with yabbies, shrimps and worms the most productive technique.
Golden perch were taken around flooded trees, also on shrimps, yabbies and scrub worms. Most were found holding at about 10m but one group found them on the bottom in 50m. One group also trolled eight nice specimens in the lower reaches of the Goodradigbee River.
Googong Stocking
Golden perch stocks in Googong Reservoir were boosted this week with the release of 30,000 new fish supplied by NSW Fisheries at Narranderra. Charles Diedo from the Canberra Anglers Association, Steve Samuels from the Monaro Acclimatisation Society and myself looked on as Senior Googong Ranger Dean Darcy organised the release.
The 3cm-5cm fingerlings looked to be in superb condition and should be of catchable size in two or three years. Googong is at full capacity and fishing well for redfin, golden perch and occasional Murray cod. Well worth a visit.
Flathead Galore
Flathead dominated estuary catches this week, with excellent reports from Durras, Conjola, Corunna and Wallaga. Stuart Fagan and Nathan Walker bagged out on good-sized fish in Tuross, using 13cm Berkley Gulp Jerk Shads well up the river and in the main body of the lake. Curiously, bait fishers reported poor fishing in the same areas in the lake.
The run of big kingfish continued at Montague Island last weekend. Numerous fish over one metre were taken on jigs and live bait. One angler reported that the average waiting time for a hookup was about 30 seconds. Plenty of bonito were around the Island, taking bait and lures, and there were small mahi mahi and occasional school yellowfin out wide.
Elsewhere the good run of snapper continued at Merimbula and Durras and plenty of sand flathead came from 20cm-30m of water off Ulladulla.
