From 4 days out, it looked as if snow was likely around our central highlands home from yesterday. Sure enough, it started falling at 3 pm… then stopped… then started. But by bedtime, none had settled. I was woken by a weird predawn glow around the edges of the curtains. When I was a kid growing up near Mt Buller, that glow meant snow – and a day off school because the bus couldn’t make it up the unploughed 2 km driveway. Maybe that’s why all these years later, I’m so excited when the world turns white.
Morning view. Our Jack Russell cross pup loved her first snowfall, though she was happy to retire in front of the wood heater after half an hour of mayhem.
The landscape was transformed and our property was almost unrecognisable.
The back paddock is suddenly a ski slope!
After a quick tour, I headed off to Millbrook Lakes just down the road. From Black Hill saddle, I could see the snow cover stretched at least as far as Warrenheip over 20 km away, and at least as low as 400 m asl.
The view west towards Ballarat.
Though a little less elevated than home, there was still an impressive cover around Cabin Lake.
Black Hill above Cabin Lake, looking not so black!
Maybe it wasn’t just the days off school that made me love snow – it really lights up the landscape and can turn a plain scene into something magical.
Even the old boat looks new.
So what has all this got to do with flyfishing? I could say that snow melts into water which trout, being a cold water fish, subsequently live in.
But I think the better connection is that if you flyfish, you soon end up travelling to – and perhaps even living amongst – some beautiful sights.
