As I write, the Victorian stream trout season has just opened, and already I’m being teased by mates’ videos of rising trout. In return though, I’m at least able to refer evidence of some local lake action. Yep, we’re at that time of year again when the lakes and streams will be having a tug ‘o war for my attention.
Stream tease.
During the week, the relentless nor’westerly gales backed off long enough to tempt me and Daniel into a few hours fishing. (With the streams still closed, life was much simpler then!)
Perhaps sensing the upcoming confusion, it seemed like a good idea to visit Newlyn, Hepburn and Wendouree while lakes were the only choice.
The Hepburn weed had had a good cleanout – except where it had all piled up in the south-east corner.
Hepburn looked good. Having been blasted by the wind, open water was easy to find – and by contrast, the southeast corner featured a massive raft of wind-ripped weed. As with many waters at the moment, midge (chironomid) are a big deal. Still, rises were few in the hour we spent there, so not wanting to take the risk of missing out elsewhere (I had a 2pm meeting in Ballarat), we drove over to Newlyn.
Big midge buzzing overhead. Who needs mayfly!
Good move. Within fifteen minutes of arrival, the wind died off and trout started to disturb the surface – some midging, some taking smelt, which were themselves midging. (I see this combination often enough to be alert for it.) I chose the smelter possibility, and after a few attempts at covering fish with an Olive Zonker pattern, a good brown crunched it and leapt half a metre out of the water.
Newlyn midger/ smelter.
We were treated to a few more minutes of action, before the breeze got up again and the activity died away.
One option would have been to wait around and see if the wind dropped out again, but with time running short, we chose instead to call in on Lake Wendouree. Almost a good move… I polaroided two solid browns from the bank, and local flyfisher Lee showed me pics of a 48cm rainbow and a 58cm brown he’d caught and released in the last hour – both on a slowly-retrieved stick caddis.
All to soon of course, the necessary evil of the phone alarm reminded me that there was not, in fact, time for one last cast. I was due at my meeting in Ballarat’s CBD.
Over the next week or two, I hope to be reacquainted with stream fishing again, and I can’t wait. Even so, the break from lakes won’t be without a second thought.
