The sun shone, but the wind blew. The trollers huddled over their tiller. Small white caps formed and wind lanes formed. An encore. Winter reminding us it hasn’t quite left the building.

This was last Sunday and it was a cracking day. I took the boat to Providence thinking 48% of lake water might be enough to launch there. 50% is my normal minimum launch level off the bank but I was hoping the Hydro website was a bit behind the real level when it said 48%. Seeing the water creeping across the now-well-greened banks was a great sight. It was so easy to imagine the midge and caddis action we’re going to get in the next 2 or 3 months. In the end I drove back to Anglers Reach to launch off the headland. I might have got away with a launch at Providence but hey, I’m risk averse.

Apart from the numbing cold, the trip up the lake by boat was quicker than by car and the water in front of Providence Lodge looked amazing.  The portal from Tantangara was running flat out with a pall of mist over the raging water.  Anthony seemed pretty immune to the cold until his first Albright knot failed with cold fingers taking the blame.

We only had the morning so did a bit of bank-edge work with the electric motor; then set the drogue and fished in the 2 to 3 metres of water from directly in front of the Lodge, to the dirty water line from the portal.  The little action we did get was in that mixing zone. The shags were out in numbers. It always freaks me a bit when I remember the science says an adult B52 needs 500 grams of fish a day to survive.

Really encouraging to see the lake coming up like this and I know the fishing will be exciting once the cruisers start moving across the new ground. This rainbow had a pronounced cormorant strike scar.

Gossip corner: Col reports fish from Seven Gates drifting nymphs under an indicator. We mixed it up way too much to call any one fly, but a home made fly from Briggsy’s (the kelpie) fluff did the trick – but that was probably the orange tungsten bead. If it works next time I’ll take a pic. Buckenderra is producing some good browns for bait fishers. The run of fish up the Thredbo has been late to get going with only a few fish caught in the trap at the hatchery.

Lake Eucumbene is rising and is now at 49%; Tantangara inflows are still beating the portal and is rising at 52%; Jindabyne’s cruising at 82%. All we want now is for a few more fish to show up on the surface – I am getting a little tired of hearing “the trollers are getting plenty”!

Tight tippets

Steve (Snowy Lake Charters)