WA
Cooler water on the way FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
April can be an exciting time to go trout fishing, especially in the latter part of the month. With the cooler days comes cooler water, which results in trout moving into shallower water
into each water starting from autumn, with the completion of stocking by late spring. Present at the meeting were three staff members from Fisheries WA, comprised of Biosecurity, Translocation and Senior management from Pemberton Hatchery. Others present were three staff from Recfishwest,
Topics for discussion were generally around stocking, but other business on the agenda included Environmental flows out of Bigbrook Dam, new stocking location near Pemberton, AFT projects, continued use of electric-powered vessels at Wellington Dam should the removal of skiing be imposed. We also discussed a catch-and-release policy for brown trout, with a possible slot limit. Unfortunately, the latter was rejected, with myself being the only one in favour. It was the view that there should be no restrictions on brown trout as they are stocked and should be available to all anglers who purchase a licence. It was interesting to hear Fisheries concern
Wet wading is possible in autumn before the cold weather sets in. This rainbow was caught sight fly fishing the shallow area of one of our dams. recorded only minimal losses during our hotter than usual summer, and although yearling rainbow numbers are down 8,000 to 32,000, the brown trout
rainbow broodstock and 600 browns will be available for stocking in autumn, as they won’t be required as breeders and are now being held as a sportfish to boost
A number of tagged trout were released into Harvey Dam last year. If you happen to catch one, please take a photo on a brag mat or ruler and text the details to the number on the tag.
Ben Kelly from South West Kayak Anglers holding one of the trophy browns being stocked by Fisheries WA. There should be around 350 large rainbow and browns up to 4kg going into a few locations this year. closer to the bank, or taking up station in any available flowing water in our streams and rivers. A few reports have come through by those few keen anglers who have explored the local dams and southwest rivers. Some people are reporting there are good numbers showing up in our streams and rivers in the Pemberton area. This could indicate that a good proportion of trout have survived our very hot summer. Redfin have also showed up in varying numbers and sizes, with few nice specimens being landed in some of our dams and rivers throughout the south of the state. The Recfishwest FFRG (Freshwater Fisheries Reference Group) met via a zoom conference in March. This group was set up to advise WA Fisheries on preferred stocking locations, and also to recommend numbers to go 122
APRIL 2022
a representative from Australian Tr o u t Foundation WA, WA Trout & Freshwater Angling Association and a number of keen freshwater anglers including myself.
that it could attract unwanted attention from animal welfare groups, as catch and release is already on their radar, and any new laws along those lines could fuel their debate. In my view, this could question the minimum size limits on all species, not just trout, as we are already required to release undersized fish. It’s good to report that the Pemberton Hatchery
locations easier, eliminating the boom and bust situation of previous years. Upgrading the hatchery with oxygen meters, dead trout egg sorting trays, and a better automated feeding system should improve conditions in the future. I must add that the current management and all the staff are doing a great job down at the Hatchery, considering we are in a challenging environment with summer temperatures exceeding any other place in the world where trout are bred solely for angling. AUSSIE NATIVES The latest climate projection released recently shows a warming trend, which would put more strain on our marginal trout waters in this state.
yearlings are well up to around 12,000. It’s also good to see the fingerling numbers will be drastically reduced to only 150,000 from 350,000 last year and 750,000 the previous year. Stocking will take place only in streams that are void of redfin and retain reasonable flows over the summer period. The other good news is that some of the 3,000
Redfin perch are by far the most common species in South West WA. Since the early 1980s their numbers have exploded.
The Pemberton Hatchery are focusing on better quality larger fish over large quantities. Apart from the usual stockings of yearlings and brood size trout, there will be around 350 trophy fish up to 4kg available this year.
the angling earlier in the season. I’ve been pushing for this for years, and hopefully it will continue in years to come. A new purpose-built transporter will make stocking at different
Our Fisheries Department has so far refused to allow the introduction of a better suited species, as has been done on the East Coast. With redfin in most of our dams, the damage has already been done
