Lake Levels
Starting with Lake Eucumbene, there are two reasons the lake is fishing so well. The first is a solid month with the lake level at a steady level between 47.7% and 47.5%. I can’t actually remember a period of summer stability of that duration. The second is the exceptional number of terrestrials: black beetles, gum beetles, Christmas beetles, cicadas, hoppers, pond moths, and moths in general. This is just as well, as mudeyes, midge, and caddis, are, in the main, missing in action.
Crystal clear water and blue skies provide excellent opportunities for watching fish behaviour.
We’ve also had these amazing periods of blue sky days, which make polaroiding a lot less chancy than normal. Three weeks ago, we had 23C surface temperature; this week we were down to 19C after the cooler days.
Lake Jindabyne has also been pretty steady. At around 56.2% now, it’s only dropped 1% over the last month. I’ve had several reports of good fish being caught – some of them on deep fished sinking lines – but not of the same quantity, size, or quality as Lake Eucumbene.
Tantangara Reservoir has been falling steadily for the last month, down from 13% to 11%. So it’s not a big lake at the moment, but several summer campers have reported good fishing, day and night, when conditions have been good.
Fish along the shore 2 to 4 rod lengths out and into the ripple. And make sure the grandkids swim behind you!
What’s working?
Everywhere I look, there are reports of someone’s winning fly with an explanation of why this or that pattern is the best in the world right now. The common properties many of these patterns have are buoyancy, visibility, rubber legs, and deer hair – and they’re often quite large, maybe size 10 or even 8. Find those things and you’ve got your magic pudding.
Another prized fish for Rod Allen despite the midget swimmers.
Foam can guarantee buoyancy, but so too can enough deer hair. Visibility isn’t just about size – a bit of orange makes a huge difference. Fishing the orange post PMX works a treat. It sits high in the water, and the orange means you can easily find the fly when you’ve been looking along the bank for fish movement, and when the really subtle takes occur, there is no doubt when it’s gone down. Most takes are slow and subtle, so a good long “God save the King” pre-strike is essential.
Quick river report
I’ve heard very little in the way of strong reports. The Thredbo, Eucumbene and Murrumbidgee have all, in the main, been quiet. The most commonly-claimed reason for the fewer-than-usual fish is the large number of cormorants which were around earlier in the season. Right now, the rivers are running high after the recent heavy rains, which bodes well for the rest of the summer and into autumn. With the number of hoppers around, some big lake fish always enter the river in late summer following the burley trail. So be prepared and park that 5X tippet.
Eucumbene River flow (top) is excellent. And river or lake, watch out for high-energy summer storms, with lightning, torrential rain, high winds, and occasionally, dangerously big hail.
Safety
The lakes will probably start to drop soon and there are already some trees and rocks either showing or just sub-surface so please be very careful and wear a lifejacket. Remember, if you’re on your own, or out at night, or wearing waders, or on a boat of less than 4.8 metres, you have to wear a lifejacket when boating on alpine waters. Summer storms like the one above, can build quickly, with high winds and lightning quite common. Fortunately, they often only last for a few hours, so if you get caught away from the ramp, it’s best to sit it out onshore in a sheltered bay, keeping away from trees, and lying your lightning conductor rods flat on the ground. Stay safe out there!
