At least the sunsets are good.
The perfect conditions for hoppers involve plenty of grass, hot weather, and especially dry conditions. When it rains a lot, the hoppers and their eggs can disappear. Over the last few weeks on the Eucumbene River we’ve seen a lot of small hoppers. Then we have our weekly deluge and we don’t see them for a day or two – and then they’re back once it dries out the next day. Those that have survived to this point are now big enough to start being noisy and the trout are definitely aware they are around and are keen enough to take a close look at big hopper patterns, as well as the usual selection of dries.
Droning the Eucumbene River.
That’s not all. Check out this fly feasting on some riverside pollen – it was a good centimetre between wing tips. That small tree was covered in native bees and these obese flies – and there have been several reports of successful blowfly pattern fishing.
A feast of pollen gave the anglers a rest.
My unusual sighting of the week was a school of fish sitting in and near an old riverbed pool after we’d had a deluge the night before, and the river was running several degrees cooler than the lake. I’m sure you can add to the many theories about what was going on here. I caught two small rainbows but only by anchoring and dragging a Woolly Bugger through the school. They were not actively feeding as far as I could tell.
If you’ve been wilting in the heat, spare a thought for the trout. It’s been an uninspiring week on the lake and in the rivers with a lot of moaning anglers. Near the lakeshore the thermocline is 2 or 3 metres down and the fish aren’t all that keen to venture through it. The sooner this heatwave is over, the better.
Lake Eucumbene is pretty steady at 49.07%, just down a smidgin; whilst Tantangara is rising slowly at 20.89% now the portal has been closed – probably a hot tip for near-the-bank fishing. Jindabyne is down a touch at 84.16%. I don’t have any reports from the southern waters as most people seem to be resting although the Murrumbidgee has apparently turned off in the heat.
Tight tippets all, I’m off to Tasmania for 10 days.
Steve (www.nakedtrout.com.au)
Briggsy just didn’t care any more – too hot in her PFD
