Great trout fishing in a rising Tantangara SNOWY LAKES
Rod Allen
The lack of rain and need for power generation had the three main storages of Eucumbene, Jindabyne and Tantangara dropping in level over winter, but with a record snow season, things are beginning to change. Eucumbene and Jindabyne have both steadied, while Tantangara has been slowly rising into the meadows and tussocks as the snowmelt makes its way into the lake.
pheasant tail nymph retrieved over likely soaks and drop offs or to sighted fish is as effective as ever. Boat anglers can launch with relative ease at the earth ramp near the dam wall and can cover a lot more area and more remote banks. Trolling straight up along the steep edge adjacent to the boat ramp and on towards the Murrumbidgee arm with Tassie Devils, Cobras and Bullets is producing some great catches for the boaties. EUCUMBENE Lake Eucumbene is still fishing very well, with well-
wall with ford fenders, cow bells and a trailing scrubworm is a bit of a forgotten tactic, but has pulled some rippers out of late. Flyfishing Eucumbene has been excellent all winter and that trend looks to continue into and beyond spring. Tactics have been a little bit ‘horses for courses’, but the dull overcast days with a bit of surface ripple are perfect to confidentially search blindly with wets in fishy looking areas, knowing its only a matter of time before a trout intercepts
Sam Watts with a stunning Tantangara brown.
The author took this healthy brown from Tantangara. TANTANGARA Tantangara has been a joy to fish and a great alternative to the muddy shorelines of Eucumbene. This rise in water is providing a smorgasbord of different food items to the trout. Tangy’s fish are keen to enter into these new areas to take advantage of the easy pickings. Shore-based anglers who walk high off the edge, looking for movements or nervous water in the grassed margins have done well by placing an unweighted worm, fly or small lure into the zone. Casting soft plastics and working them with a slow roll or twitch and pause retrieve in amongst the grass has also been great sport. Fly fishing the old faithful Woolly Bugger or
conditioned trout being taken on all methods. Bait anglers continue to take the cruising browns on the lake’s edge with scrubworms, grubs and PowerBait. Windy days on muddy banks are definitely the most productive, as the fish confidently patrol very close to the bank in the cover of murky water. Soft plastics are a gun lure at the moment, especially when fished around the boulders and wave-pounded yabby beds. Flat line trolling with Tassie Devils, Cobras and wobblers has been excellent in general, but on those rare still glassy days, it will pay to troll a bit deeper with deep diving lures, or use a down rigger. Trolling at 8m around the dam
your fly. You can also take a more subtle approach of polaroiding the margins and flats on the still days. Eucumbene’s trout are on the hunt, and rarely does a fish not put all its efforts into making sure prey item doesn’t get away from being its next meal. Largeprofiled wets like Buggers, Simpsons, yetis and Fuzzy Wuzzies are the usual first choices. We are starting to see a bit of spasmodic surface activity, but not quite enough to dedicate the day to dry fly, but it won’t be long before this is our game plan. Launching of boats is restricted to old Adaminiby and the dam wall. Buckenderra Holiday Park has put in a lovely
new 130m long ramp that will cater to launching boats down to lake levels of 30%. JINDABYNE Jindabyne is one of my favourite places to fish, and with great cafes and bakeries nearby it makes for an easy and convenient destination. Huge Atlantic salmon to 7.5kg and feisty brook trout to 4kg are on offer and are the target of a lot of anglers. The majority of the monsters are taking large flashy lures such as Rapalas, wobblers and Tassie Devils either trolled or cast from the bank. Flat line trolling is
accounting for great angling, with many achieving the Snowies grand slam of Atlantic salmon and brook, rainbow and brown trout in the one day. Salmon and brook trout hotspots are from Widows Creek to Wollondibby Inlet and from Hatchery Bay to Waste Point. Bait fishing Wollondibby, Hatchery and Hay Shed Bays with PowerBait, scrubworms and grubs picking up good rainbows and browns. Night or the low light periods of dawn and dusk been the best times with Jindy
Buggers, Bushy’s Horrors and Matukas. Otherwise, searching the depths of east Jindy and with sink tips and intermediates through the nicer days is another a great way to connect to a fish. • The 45th annual Snowy Mountains trout festival will be running from Saturday 3 November to Friday 9 November. For your chance to share in $30,000 worth of prizes or more info go to www.troutfestival.com.au, or call us at Alpine Angler on (02) 6452 5538, find and message us on Facebook or drop in to the shop.
n Trout Hatchery e d a G
Gaden Trout Hatchery A typical Tantangara ‘soak’.
Gaden Trout Hatchery See how premier sport fish are bred and raised! Closed Anzac, Christmas, Boxing day.
Guided tours 10 am and 2 pm.
Self-guided tours on selected days. Small admission fee.
A prime example of a Jindy Atlantic salmon.
leaping fish * 4 species * aquaria, ponds, AV show * beautifulbreeding picnic–BBQ area * smoked trout sale * find out about for kids fishing workshops. *
12934
Open 10 am–4 pm daily.
Gaden Rd (off Kosciuszko Rd) Jindabyne. 02 6451 3400 www.dpi.nsw.gov.au OCTOBER 2018
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