I had a lucky break. I should have been in Forster getting the boat reconfigured but the welder got overrun with work. So I had to go fishing instead. This time of year the Snowies can be pretty quiet. After the initial October and early November rush, the end of the trout festival, and with Christmas and all its priorities looming, people just can’t seem to fit in a weekend away so it felt like I had the place to myself, other than a couple of chaps who trundled past in their ute with a slab of beer on the table top and no sign of fishing gear. I thought I’d start with a quick overview of lake levels. Lake Eucumbene has been falling which has driven a few people nuts as the fish have run for cover. Some hardened souls have been reduced to tears. The new lake levels calculator website now gives levels to 2 decimal places so I can tell you that right now, Lake Eucumbene is at 55.78% (I hope they didn’t spend too much on that new feature!) down from a high of 56.82%. The mysteries of unexplained Hydro water movements continue, I mean it would be great if we knew what water was being released in real time and even better if we could have some advance notice, just a heads up when the plug’s being pulled. Jindabyne, is rising and is at 85%. Tantangara is at 60.76%, tanking down from its majestic high of 71.43% on October 21.

Back to the weekend, a mixed bag mainly due to the weather – which followed the forecast to the letter. Gale force winds, deluge rainfalls and hail, and at times just above freezing (I can’t even tie on a fly) temperatures – interspersed with spells of spring sunshine.

Lake reports generally are all about tough fishing with few fish being caught. Jindabyne is reportedly struggling with fish numbers at the moment despite having all the water, but if you can get onto a fish there are some crackers in there. Fisheries are proposing a reallocation of 50,000 rainbow trout fingerlings to bolster Jindabyne’s stocking this year to give it a bit of a shot in the arm. But you probably know my views. I’d like to see a stocking of some bigger fish and maybe try lowering the bag limit?

The Eucumbene River was a bleak and lonely place but there were still plenty of fish bumping deep weighted nymphs bounced along the bottom. And when the sun came out there was a burst of surface activity as the stoneflies and duns decide to take their chances. I haven’t changed rigs that often in a log while, fishing the runs and riffles with a dry, and the deeper pools with tungsten. I fished a big Royal Wulff most of the time if only to keep the junior burgers at bay. I spotted one fish rising right against the far bank and after a range-finding shot (i.e. the gale force wind propelled my fly a good 3 metres from the target) scored a perfect drift, saw a flash of silver – but kept my nerve – and then moments later what I think was a different fish took it “by the book”. Only a 1lb and a bit, but it went aerial half a dozen times – a beautifully coloured river brown. Not the biggest fish of the weekend but easily the most rewarding.

Tight tippets all

Steve (Snowy Lakes Fly Fishing Charters)