The Alpine Angler

Headlines: Fishing at present? Sensational! Lake Eucumbene is absolutely firing with Bait, Lure and Fly fishing being outstanding. And for Maro in Port Macquarie, you should be here NOW!

Rivers:- The river fishing has been great in the streams. Still good water in all the high country rivers and streams, and plenty of hungry fish. The Thredbo has been very good with some good reports from the Diggings area. Browns in the 1 - 1.5kg range have been caught with Nymphs below a Humpy proving very effective.

On the Eucumbene anglers have reported good numbers of smaller fish during the day, with better fish becoming active in the evenings. Dries are working on dark but nymphs appear more productive during the day.

Best flies are Blue Wing Olive parachutes, Klinkhamers, Elk Hair caddis and Adams Irresistable's. Large Nymphs fished in the deeper run ins of pools have been a good option during the day time. With evenings producing good rises and plenty of sight casting to rising fish.

Hoppers are still in abundance so a search with a high floating paattern is well worth a try.

*Chris Smee managed a few nice fish in the Thredbo topping it off with a estimated 2-2.5kg Brown on an Adams. Picture below.

*Four anglers fished the Eucumbene river for 4 days in the Sawyers Hut area and caught forty odd fish between them. Nymphs below a dry indicator fly was the best method however a few ate dries too. Fish were a mixture of Rainbows and Browns

Lake Eucumbene:- The lake is firing big time. Excellent mudeye hatches have had huge numbers of fish in close of an evening and this has resultedin some great catches. The lake is fishing well at Buckenderra, Seven Gates, and Yens Bay and Anglers Reach. There is a heap of food in the water at present too with Damsels Nymphs, Corixa, Mudeyes, Snails and Caddis being plentiful.

*Chris Smee and 15 year old Daughter Lauren from Jamberoo, had a couple of great sessions on the lake in the last couple of days. Lauren landed two nice fish on Hopper patterns early in the day. They returned later in the evening and caught eight good Rainbows (four each) on TC's and Midnight Specials. Mudeyes were crawling up their legs and were everywhere on the rocks around them.

*Matt, George and Peter had a top night on Sunday. They caught some very nice Rainbows again in the middle of a Mudeye hatch. Eleven fish were landed in total.

*Mick, Sturg and myself had a good session last night catching seven fish between us. We missed and dropped several others also. There were fish moving everywhere between 8.30 and 9.30pm. Mudeyes were crawling over us all evening and the fish we kept were full of them and a few snails also.

Lake Jindabyne:- Reports from Jindabyne have been scarce and the way Eucumbene is fishing it would most likely be a better option.

If you are fishing Jindabyne evenings would be best with fish coming in to look for Mudeyes or caddis ofan evening. A Mudeye pattern after dark should turn up a few good fish.

Best areas to look at in Jindabyne are Kalkite, Creel Bay, Curiosity Rocks, Hayshed and Hatchery Bay.

Lake Tantangara :- Fly fishing as been very productive in the lake particularly before rain squalls with the Rainbows being very active. Fish to 1kg are moving with Loch Style fishing proving the best method. Those with a well set up boat with Drogue can take advantage of the wind, with the shallow bays where the weed beds are prolific being the most productive. Intermediate lake lines are working best along with 15 foot leaders and a team of flies. Lots of Caddis are active on the surface and around the edges with fish rising early in the morning (on sun-up) and on dusk. The Mudeyes are moving about at night and the Hoppers are active during the warmer parts of the day, all-in-all good conditions to fatten up fish prior to the spawning run mid year. Best flies from the boat have been Bead Head Nymphs on the point, attractors such as Carrots on the hang, and Claret Dabblers, Dun Tassies and Black n Peacock Spiders on the top. Sizes in 12-14's and16's are getting the fish to strike whereas anything larger see flies followed and refused at the boat. A long and painfully persistent hang using the wind to assist movement of the flies should see plenty of action just off the rod tip near the boat. Rainbows to 1kg find this irresistible and it is one of the best experiences to take fish at the rod tip using this method.

Eucumbene:- With the rising water launching will become progressively easier. Plenty of trolling access from there now.

Launching access is available at Old Adaminaby, Anglers Reach, Dam Wall and Buckenderra. With cooler conditions there should be a few more fish taking shallow running minnows and Tassie Devils this week. It would still be worth running a down rigger or lead core as well as surface lures to cover your options. The Love Grass problem has diminished and has made trolling alot easier.

Excellent reports from the dam trolling this week with of flatline trolling being the best. Early and late are the best times to fish with more fish active near the surface at this time

*Peter Drake from Narooma had a great time fishing an evening and mornign session at Waiunui. He landed 14 Rainbows and 1 Brown. Y82 Tassie trolled flat line was the gun lure. He also dropped just as many.

Crickhoppers and Rebel Hellgramite have been good especially the larger model. The yellow and green patterns has been the best colour. Fenders with a soft plastic have been good too.

Jindabyne:- As in Eucumbene fishing both surface lures and lures on lead core or a down rigger is the best bet for catching a few fish. Reports do suggest deeper rather than shallower is a little more consistent.

The quality of some of the fish has been superb with real football like condition. Best spots to troll have been Sids Bay, Creel Bay, Kangaroo Bay, the bank between Sid's and Kalkite and the islands adjacent to the township.

Baitfishing :- Mudeyes, Mudeyes, Mudeyes. There have been some good hatches this week and the fish are well and truly on them. The last hour or two of daylight have been the best but you will get fish right through the day. A mudeye under a bubble is the best way and greasing your line to float is a definite advantage.

*Ted and Wendy Robertson from Port Stephens fished Yens Bay for 12 Rainbows and 4 Browns. Biggest was a 56cm Brown which was a little skinny. The Rainbows were all very fat and in great condition. The Browns were full of hoppers and the Rainbows kept had Mudeyes in them. At one point they had mudeyes hatching during the day.

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Archive Date: 03/03/2008