It’s so nice seeing Lake Eucumbene on the grass. It’s now over 30.5% and rising. It hasn’t been at that level since June 2018 – which means we’ve now got flooded ground that hasn’t seen water for 2 years and three months. This is big news for the big lake. Lake Jindabyne is at 58% and rising steadily, with Tantangara at 17% – the portal into Eucumbene is open so it’s falling steadily.

The news of fish close to the bank came mid last week; a few nice browns on Thursday; 20 fish on Friday; I was there on Saturday, launching at Buckenderra. We did catch some good fish, 2 lb+ rainbows, but after a long period when it was all browns, we didn’t see one. Another great mystery still needing to be solved! We fished bank and boat and caught fish from both.

Monday I was back, this time launching from Old Adaminaby and heading west. It was forecast to be calm, but in fact it was puffing away from the north then west at about 20 km/h, so the much hoped for polaroiding conditions were a bit marginal. Still, I saw a couple and Col, ever-patient Col, hooked a ripper (a snippet of which should by now be on his Adaminaby Angler Facebook page) with his trap. Having spotted a tail moving away from him in a small sheltered bay, he just say down and waited with a Royal Wulff /nymph dropper rig. Fifteen minutes later, a fish emerged from the depths to cruise through the bay. He dropped the flies about a metre from the trout which obligingly cruised over and sucked down the Wulff like candy. Several minutes later, after some good aerial displays, and for no obvious reason other than the video was going, it just spat the hook.

Fishing with Rod on Saturday, he said he just doesn’t understand why people put their gear away for winter when the fishing can be so good. Like all dedicated flyfishers, he has the ability to forget those days when we’ve left the lake frozen stiff, soaked through, and fishless – when only the eternal optimism of the not-so-faint-hearted would have you got you there in the first place. Nonetheless, now it’s spring, and there’s water in the grass, get down to the lake and make the most of it. It’s not easy to land fish in the sunken snags but don’t let that put you off 3X (8lb) tippet minimum.

We mixed up the flies and lines. Big Woolly Buggers sunk deep, through to stick caddis and Col’s Royal Wulff. I don’t think they’re too fussy at the moment.

WARNING TO BOATIES: Last but most important thing. The lake is full of debris including floating logs and trees. Watch out, and if you’re travelling after dark or in limited visibility, or choppy water, please go slow!