With stream fishing and a few other distractions, my spring lake fishing has taken a back seat. However, late last week, I managed a couple of days of catch-up.

First, a trip to the Grampians with JD. At Lake Wartook (62%, stable, quite clear and water temp. 16-17C) the wind was a less than ideal north-easterly. However, the temperature was mild enough (around 20C at midday) to have the dragonflies out, and some good trout leaping – especially in the lee of the many reed islands. There were also a handful of more conventional rises, but we were too mesmerised by the leapers to properly investigate.

Late afternoon, we made the difficult decision to reduce the evening roo run by leaving Wartook early (which is smack in the middle of the National Park) and called in to Lake Fyans. Fyans looked fantastic at 81%, and with a strong inflow from the Bellfield channel, the water was rising. With the late afternoon water temperature at 19C, and under an overcast sky with an air temp. of 22C, I was surprised to see only a few dragonfly leapers.

Then, on the north shore, we found several trout sipping tiny pale beetles… except it took longer than it should have for me to figure that out! A belated and frantic search of the beetle box turned up a passable imitation, although at size 16, about two sizes too big. Still, the first trout that saw it ate it beautifully. I paused appropriately (or so JD and I thought)… and I barely pricked it. Same with the next one.

Then something changed. The rises stopped, the huge storm on the radar (which we later learned had smashed Casterton) got a bit too close for comfort, so we motored back to the ramp and headed for home.

The next day involved more radar watching as the same weather system brought further storms from the west. Eventually, the predictive radar offered a small hole in the weather, and we made a dash for Wendouree, this time with Daniel on board as well.

Despite rolls of thunder and frequent fat drops of rain (never bet your house on the predictive radar!), the duns hatched in good numbers and the fish responded. We managed an hour of exciting fishing almost from the moment we got on the water a bit after 2pm, with best results on a skinny size 14 nymph (medium brown) under a dry. Then the weather really packed it in, and we got out.

Overall, for those two days on the lakes, the honest report card would have read, ‘could have done better’, with only a few trout landed despite many opportunities. Still, the action was first class, and a reminder that the start of stream season is not the end of lake season.