WA
Knowing where to look FRESHWATER
Peter Fragomeni
Most freshwater anglers tend to shy away from fishing our sweet water throughout July and August, preferring to wait until the warmer weather returns in spring. I can understand this because
trout tend to come in close, especially towards dark and can remain there for some hours. This is where you have a distinct advantage if you are a fly fisher and know how to handle a fly rod in the dark. I find this style of fishing very exciting and tend to walk along the shore looking for any rising fish
Corporation has taken at one of our biggest freshwater destination, Harvey Dam, with their hard-line stance against camping. The excuse they use is the anti social behaviour of some individuals since the Covid pandemic has restricted anyone leaving the state, and has put a strain on any potential spots with lakeside
Redfin are the only reliable freshwater species on offer at most of our impoundments, with the exception of spring hatchery stocking of trout from Pemberton. The potential of stocking East Coast natives has not yet been realised by our authorities. Wendy Banks is a keen freshwater angler.
The Lefroy Brook offers a diverse range of fishing spots from scenic timbered sections to gentle flowing waters amongst the beautiful farmland. the rivers can be swollen and running dirty and the chances are the weekends will be blustery and cold after a clear sky week when most people are stuck at work. I find some of the best fishing can be had if you know where to look. Trout can be found tucked up in
or just casting blind until you do. Any of the popular fly patterns work but as a general rule I start with a size 10 fly, and when it’s dark I’ll go up to a 8 or sometimes a 6 but never larger. Lure fishers tend to do okay during the daylight but when it’s pitch black the fly will out fish them every time.
above the Stirling Dam off us recreational users in a $250 million deal struck with the government back in 1999 to secure more drinking water prior to the desalination days. The deal was that they would expand Harvey Weir to compensate for the loss of irrigation water and turn the above
different. Water Corp promised access would be available for anglers and electric powered vessels would also be allowed at Harvey Dam, however camping was an issue and although it was basically not permitted they turned a blind eye to those that did the right
thing. They where aware that camping was allowed at both of the other dams that we fished so I guess this was a compromise. We were always wary as Water Corp actually owns the land on the south side of the dam and also at Drakesbrook Weir between the wall and the farm land on the west
camping. The same thing is happening at Waroona Dam that resulted in the lakeside camping been ban some time ago. I can say that I spend a lot of time at Harvey and, apart from a few individuals in offroad vehicles cutting up the banks, I found most people were generally well behaved.
The author’s first ever brown trout from Logue Brook Dam he caught drift flyfishing using a fast sinking line. Brown trout only went in last year for the first time. Could this be the end of a prime rainbow fishery after a number were caught in very poor condition, which is not normally the case for this water?
Ethan Look was happy to land this rainbow from the bank at Drakesbrook Weir using an artificial lure. the back water where lots of food is available and there for the taking. The dams are normally rising and the 112
JULY 2022
The big news that has been on social media recently is the heavyhanded approach our Water
What Water Corp must realise is that they took Samson Dam, Stirling Dam and a prime river section
dams into drinking water storage dams, where access is strictly prohibited, as is the case on all drinking water storages that Water Corp manages. We also nearly lost Logue Brook Dam and, if it wasn’t for a ferocious fight by all the stakeholders, the fact the Barnett government promised they would leave the dam for recreational activities if they got elected then things may have been
PREDICTED DAM LEVELS OF SW WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 57.6 % as of end of May 2022 compared to 42.59% at the same time last year. Below average rainfall this autumn has resulted in not a lot of water flowing into our dams. WAROONA DAM DRAKESBROOK WEIR LOGUE BROOK DAM HARVEY DAM WELLINGTON DAM GLEN MERVYN DAM BIG BROOK DAM
52 % 84 % 69 % 62 % 72 % 54 % 92 %
