WA
Time to explore Pemberton FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
Heading into October is arguably one of the best times to explore our rivers and streams around the Pemberton region. The heavy flows from our very wet winter should have subsided to an extent that all the likely areas will become more accessible, and trout don’t have as much water to hide in. With the good rains we experienced throughout winter it has resulted in our dams being also higher than normal, with newly flooded areas providing plenty of food for foraging trout. Most of our trout stocking by Fisheries WA should have been completed by mid month so expect some good fishing in our northern dams until mid to late November when elevated water temperatures
Flyfishing the dams in the dark can be very rewarding. Most lose their timing and get into tangles, however those that master the technique will experience an exciting form of fishing.
of our southern freshwater and are actually expanding at an alarming rate with little pro-active action by authorities to control them, is beyond comprehension. It’s a great pity that the Aquaponics industry and the thousands of backyard hobby growers must suffer now because species like bass and cod offered a great food option to wild stocks from our oceans. It seems we must contend with marginal species like trout and barramundi for our ponds and of course silver perch that have shown slow growth rates in the winter months. DAMS Waroona Dam The fishing has been slow through winter, but
East Coast, and in fact had passed quarantine at the airport previously. The manager also stated that Fisheries had visited his establishment over a
This lucky lady displays a rainbow she caught at the Harvey Bash last year. Harvey Water is the major sponsor for the event in October this year.
A collection of the author’s favourite fly patterns for spring fishing the dams and streams. Flies like Woolly Buggers, Craig Nighttimes, Killer patterns like Hamils, Mrs Simpson and various nymphs, including those weighted all work well. Add some small wet flies and a few dry flies and you will fool any trout in this state.
The lone result of a three-day session at Logue Brook Dam from the boat. Better success came from flyfishing the shoreline, which goes to show that using a boat is not always the better option. normally results in trout retreating to deeper water, and in most cases reluctant to feed. Redfin fishing normally picks up through our state in October, with all techniques working better in the warming water, particularly in the latter part of the month. AUSSIE NATIVES A recent raid on a wellknown aquarium retailer by the Bio Security section of Fisheries WA has the owners and the general public somewhat shocked and disappointed. The retailer was one of only a few that sold Australian bass and Murray cod here in this state. On a phone conversation with the manager of the company he stated that Fisheries turned up unannounced and confiscated a large number of his stock. He went on to say that they had in fact purchased all the stock from reputable companies on the 124
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purposes only. It’s believed that Fisheries are concerned with these species getting into our waterways and establishing self-sustaining populations threatening our native species. I find this strange
Trolling using an electric motor like this Minn Kota Ulterra is handy in dams like Harvey that prohibit the use of petrol motors. year ago and had sighted the cod and bass and didn’t seem concerned, so why the sudden change is baffling. They (Fisheries) even confiscated a pet sleepy cod and a saratoga that the manager had at the premises for display
because unlike some states the aquarium industry is free to sell goldfish, carp and ornamental freshwater species like pearl cichlids that have had a far greater impact on our waterways over the previous years. Also, the fact that redfin perch inhabit most
things picked up throughout spring with mainly x brood rainbows and very small yearlings making up most of the catch. Redfin have slowed down with most reports indicating they are off the bite. The ski boat activity picks up through the warmer months making this water very tricky to troll from a boat unless you keep to the back sections of the dam. The rise in popularity of jet skis is a concern and it can be very dangerous fishing when they are active, as unlike the ski boats they can
turn and change direction very fast. Department of Transport is stepping up patrols as one in every three infringements are handed out to those vessels even though they only represent less than 8% of the watercraft on the water in WA. Drakesbrook Weir Again, this water will be the venue for the annual Troutfest, which is now held on the first Saturday of October. Lots of families gather to see the display of everything freshwater but, unlike other states, it’s
WA has some nice rivers in the south of the state, however dry summers can play havoc on the trout stocks.
PREDICTED DAM LEVELS Overall storage in the dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 72.5% as at the end of August 2021, compared to 42.8% same time last year. The greatest change has come to those dams that were well down by the end of summer, like Harvey Dam rose from just 22% in autumn to around 72% at the end of August, Wellington Dam went from around 32% to 85% at the end of August. All the others are at a reasonable level compared to other years, which is great news for both fishers and irrigators alike. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM
only limited to trout as the name implies. Fly fishing lessons along with the release of trout varying in size by the public from Fisheries WA Hatchery in Pemberton are some of the activities on the day. The fishing has been reasonable for both trout and redfin, but things should improve after the Troutfest stocking. Logue Brook Dam With rising water levels, it has been hard work trying to locate fish of late, with possibly the low numbers of sizable trout hiding up in the
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drowned bushes. This water has a limited number of trout so it’s best to practice catch and release to conserve the stock. I fished there recently for a few days and only landed one rainbow despite trolling and casting lures off the boat for three days. I had better success fly fishing the shoreline at night using larger flies like Woolly Buggers and Craig’s Nighttimes. Harvey Dam The sudden rise in water levels from all the recent rain have many freshwater anglers excited, however, considering only around
