Trout fishing comes to life with spring flush KEIWA VALLEY
Robbie Alexander
This wonderful north east corner of Victoria really comes to life in October. The predominant species of fish to target is trout, however there are a few redfin and yellowbelly to be caught if you know where to look. There is usually still a bit of snow on the mountain tops, particularly early in the month which helps keeps the streams icy cold and flowing well. If you are looking for lush green grass, mild days and crystal clear water, then this far north east corner is the place to head in October. One of my favourite
places to fish in October is the Snowy Creek that runs into the Mitta Mitta River at Mitta Mitta township. The Omeo highway follows the Snowy Creek for quite a long time, before leaving the creek to climb the hills just after the Lightning Creek picnic area. Unfortunately the lower section of the Snowy Creek has quite a lot of European carp, despite the water being so icy cold. There are still plenty of trout in this section of creek keeping the carp company though. There is a healthy population of both brown and rainbow trout in Snowy Creek, including the odd big trout of around 50cm. Be very careful while wading though,
A lovely coloured rainbow trout from the Kiewa River at Mt Beauty taken on a Strike Tiger nymph soft plastic in an area of high fishing traffic. From page 58
spillway at Lake Eppalock going over again this season. If this does occur the fishing will be very productive in the Campaspe River directly below Lake Eppalock. We should see the fishing productivity increase later in spring when the water clarity settles down. CAIRN CURRAN The fishing in Cairn Curran has continued to be patchy. There has been the occasional angler who has managed to locate a good school of redfin in 8-10m. Trolling deep diving hardbodied lures and casting soft plastics and blades have all been productive methods. Unfortunately these schools have proven difficult for most anglers to locate. There continues to be small numbers of trout being caught at this location however the majority are small. Water levels are rising nicely at the present time and there is a very good chance water levels will increase. There is currently a reasonable amount of vegetation on the banks. This is good for food sources and will help the productivity in the fishing. As water temperatures increase and the food sources increase around the shallow margins of the lake we should start to see increased numbers of fish moving into the shallower
water. Bait fishing with worms or small yabbies can be very productive at this time of the year. LODDON RIVER Water clarity is currently poor at most locations along the Loddon River however the catchments along the Loddon River are filling nicely at the present time. If they reach maximum capacity then we will see a period of higher flows and water clarity will stay poor. I believe if the current trend continues there is a very good chance this will occur. This will have a negative effect on the productivity of the fishing in the short term. When water flows reduce and the water clarity improves then the productivity in the fishing should be good. Water temperatures are currently cold but they should start to increase shortly. If you are chasing golden perch I find the consistency of catch rates to improve once surface temperatures are over 18°C. Please remember we are currently in the closed season for Murray cod. It is an offence to target Murray cod during closed season. If a Murray cod is accidentally caught by an angler it must be returned immediately to the water with minimal harm. The closed season is there for a reason and to protect this species during its breeding period and increases its chance of breeding and producing some natural recruitment for the future.
Small blackfish are a native fish and are widely distributed throughout Victoria’s mountain streams. They have different rules and regulations for different regions of Victoria, and in North East Victoria they are a very common by-catch for anglers targeting trout using worms as bait, especially during the low light periods of the day. especially if there is still a lot of water flowing down, which there most likely will be during October as the clear water can make the depth deceiving and the fast current can be very strong. The Mitta Mitta River should also fish very well for trout from Dartmouth Pondage downstream to Eskdale. Downstream of Eskdale the trout numbers start to thin out a bit though. It is hard to speculate what the water will be like in the Mitta Mitta River in October as Lake Dartmouth is currently at over 97%. If I was a betting man I would say the water will be quite high. Across to the Kiewa River and conditions should be quite good for drifting worms. Unless this wet winter comes to a sudden stop and our 9°C maximums turn to 30°C maximums, the Kiewa
should be running quite hard during October, especially early in the month. Although it may be clear, if the river is flowing high try drifting lightly-weighted worms into the backwaters, and close to the banks out of the current. If the water is clear which it usually is in October, try casting shiny bladed spinners like the Super Vibrax with a gold or copper blade. The trusty old Celta is also a worthwhile lure with its shiny blade reflecting shimmers of light through the water column. Alans Flat Water Hole will be well worth fishing during October as the water begins to warm up. There should still be plenty of yearling rainbow trout in the lake remanent of the September school holiday stocking, and with the warming water the resident
redfin and yellowbelly should be starting to move, especially towards the end of the month as the weather and water start to really warm up and the days become longer. Lake Hume will be another spot worth heading to during October. This massive body of water has been fishing quite well for trout all winter, with some massive brown trout to 4.5kg being picked up on the odd occasion. The trout fishing should continue to be good during October, especially early in the month. During the second half of the month the yellowbelly should start to fire. Lake Hume is known for its massive yellowbelly, some of which have been known to reach over 9kg and 70cm in length. Try fishing close to rocky outcrops as the rocks tend to hold heat from the sun, warming the
water around them slightly. Although the difference in water temperature is not noticeable to us, the fish can certainly notice it and that might be just enough to trigger then to school up and feed in those areas. The most popular yellowbelly lure is the Jackall TN60 and TN70, although some of the Fishooka lures available in nearby Albury have been accounting for a lot of yellowbelly in recent years. Then there is always my favourite yellowbelly technique, which is to rig your line with a running sinker, allowing the sinker to run all the way to the hook. Then fish with a small yabby just bobbing it up and down along the bottom. Or, a similarly sized crustacean shaped soft plastic will work just as well. The yellowbelly just can not resist a moving bait!
Wading up the centre of the Kiewa River. This river has strong current, and wading has its risks, especially during spring time, so during October wade with caution.
Goldens on until cod season YARRAWONGA
Tony Bennett codclassic@bigpond.com
Footy finals and the Deni Ute Muster are at the forefront of most bush dwelling anglers minds this time of year as Murray cod and cray season have come to a halt. As of September 1 through to November 30 inclusive, the targeting of Murray cod is not permitted while the Muray crays are off limits until next June. The best north east bound anglers could hope for over the next month is a good dose of sunshine to bring on a run of spring yellas. Fishing the top end of Lake Mulwala around the Bundalong area where you find a little more current is traditionally more productive than the open waters of the lake itself. For anyone that does encounter a cod over the next couple of months, it should release unharmed as quickly
Chris Hudynski with 50cm golden perch taken just as the cod season closed. as possible. To minimise cod encounters while targeting yellas, lures no more than 80mm should be used. If fishing the waters of north east Victoria in search of a
yellowbelly or two, keep in mind the Murray River below Yarrawonga downstream to Tocumwal it totally closed to all forms of fishing for this period also. The last month of the cod
season proved to be tough with high water flows coming into Lake Mulwala via the Oven River resembling chocolate milk! Brad Pepper landed two standout cod measuring a magnificent 101cm and 105cm respectively. These two fell victim to his finely tuned trolling techniques. A few quick photo’s and both were released to fight another day. Chris Hudynski visited Mulwala and put in a solid few days fishing below the weir for pleasing returns. Four cod to 57cm, seven Yellas to 50cm, two trout cod and seven legal size crays were a great effort for fishing during tough times. Coming up on the October 26 is the popular Golden Do$$ars fishing competition, an event designed to specifically target yellas/golden perch. Entry forms are now available for this and the Cod Classic. Again the Cod Classic promises to be huge and shouldn’t be missed. V&TFM
OCTOBER 2013
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