Freshwater

A bit tricky for trout

FRESHWATER Peter Fragomeni

This time of the year can be a bit tricky fishing our northern dams for trout, as November has been warm in some years, particularly in the latter part of the month. It’s just a matter of

Private farm dams can produce well-conditioned fast growing trout if conditions are ideal. This 58cm rainbow went 6lb and put up a great fight on a #5 fly rod.

The South West of WA has a number of farm dams on private property that are stocked by individuals and fishing clubs, like WATFAA and SFFAC. This one is very large and can offer excellent fishing at times.

adjusting your technique to suit the conditions.

Getting on the water at sunrise or fishing deep off steep banks that drop off into deep water is your best chance for chasing trout. If you choose to troll from a boat then try using lures that dive down to between 3-7m. I’m only referring to those periods where we can get days that are in the mid 30s and on occasions even higher.

If you choose to fish the streams or rivers then it is a different situation as they are generally shaded and remain cool. The same applies to the lower southern waters around Pemberton, as this area can fish best this time of the year.

I haven’t been out fishing this last couple of months because I travelled to the East Coast and fished freshwater locations from mid NSW all the way down to the Crater Lakes of South Victoria. Although it was tough going with extreme weather and cold winds we did manage to tick a few things off the bucket list, like a beautiful bass and a feisty chinook salmon, both on fly.

All the reports coming in indicate there have been some nice trout and redfin being caught in some of our waters recently.

AUSSIE NATIVES

The water warming up has stirred these species into action. I’ve noticed more activity in a couple of smaller dams I visited recently, however, they have proven hard to entice.

A few big Murray cod have come from lakes around the metro area but reports are getting harder to come by of late. Waroona Dam

The fishing has been slow. This could be because there hasn’t been a stocking for some time, although a few redfin are still being caught on lures.

Drakesbrook Weir

As of time of writing, it has been fishing slow for trout, however, a large stocking that is going in for the Troutfest in mid-October will get things going again. My mate Jonah has been getting into the redfin recently and reported that they were hitting the lures from the bank so it proves you don’t need a boat for success. A few browns have shown up and I can’t stress how important it is that they are returned as they prey on small redfin. I was chatting to Mick from Victorian Inland Charters

at Lake Purrumbete on my recent trip to the area and he said that the browns get big because they feed on the redfin and it keeps their numbers down. He regularly finds up to a dozen redfin in the bigger browns so suggests we stock more browns in our redfin waters. Hopefully, this will be the case in coming years.

Logue Brook Dam A few reports of brown trout being caught by fly anglers is encouraging so it’s important that these trout are released to grow to trophy size in the future. Ski boat and jet-ski activity is normally high from now- on so be alert if you happen to fish from a boat or kayak. Harvey Dam

Reports indicate that the trout fishing has been very slow this spring compared to previous years. Normally the social media sites are dominated by trout captures from this water but, since the ban on camping it seems that anglers are staying away and fishing other locations. The cancellation of the Harvey Bash fishing competition is a big loss to the local community and to trout fishing in general in this state. The recent visit to a number of dams on the east-coast has provided a clear picture on just how underused our waters are in both freshwater species and facilities to cater for travelling anglers like myself. With better policing they have we didn’t encounter any antisocial incidents in our travels with over 30 nights camping on the banks of their dams. Strict rules accompanied your receipt with actual fines and future bans for non-compliance. I just hope the local shire can provide a similar facility in the near future.

Glen Mervyn Dam

Not a lot of trout have been caught here recently however, the rewards can be good if you put the effort in. Some nice redfin lurk in this lightly fished water so it’s worth having a fish if you are in the area. Good free camping is aloud so this is a bonus. Wellington Dam

Reports of a few good trout coming from the

A good sounder will show where fish are holding. The right side is downscan showing a school of redfin hanging around a tree.

PREDICTED DAM LEVELS FOR SW WA

Predicted Dam Levels for South West WA Overall storage in our dams that allow public access and recreational activities are currently 75% as of the end of September, which is down from 78.5% as of the same time last year. Although they are down slightly from last year there is enough water to cater for anglers and irrigation needs throughout our hot summer conditions

WAROONA DAM 79% DRAKESBROOK WEIR 95% LOGUE BROOK DAM 84% HARVEY DAM 97% WELLINGTON DAM 85% GLEN MERVYN DAM 92% BIG BROOK DAM 100%

A handy fishing stile placed over the fence line to gain better access to Lefroy Brook just out of Pemberton. Others like this one are planned by the WA branch of ATF, with the help from SFFAC.

upper area of the dam around Hamilton River is encouraging. It’s a big dam by WA standards so a boat or kayak is the preferred method to fish this dam.

Trolling to cover water is the secret to locate both trout and redfin. The recent decision to ban skiing up around the wall end at Potters Gorge is disappointing. Whilst I’m not a skier it’s going to put more pressure on smaller waters like Logues and Waroona Dams that are already suffering from

overcrowding. The reason given is that they want to conserve the area as it’s a pristine location and the ski boats are placing stress on the banks. I find this unacceptable as this dam is over 20km long and the gazetted ski area was only a small part of around 800m of shoreline. The fact they

spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to provide a decent camp site for the increased use by the skiers will now go to waste. The new rules will mean you can only use a vessel with a motor not bigger than 6hp or electric motors. Norilup Dam

This little water near Greenbushes has turned up some nice little trout and redfin recently. The deep drop off on the farm side is the best location but, be careful as one wrong step will see you in over 10m of water. Fishing heavy lures like Tassie devils or spoons are the go or using a sinking fly line is also a good choice. Big Brook Dam

Some good reports have come through of nice rainbow trout being caught up the back area on both fly and lures is encouraging. Brown trout are being caught but it’s unsure if they are recently stocked or carry overs from last year. A few nice redfin have been coming from the middle section by those on kayaks using soft plastics. This little dam that is shaded by majestic towering karri trees will host the Pemberton Trout Festival on Sunday 6 November to celebrate 50 years since the government had taken control of the Trout Hatchery situated on the banks of the Lefroy Brook. As was the case in this year’s Troutfest held at Drakesbrook Weir in October this event will also offer similar displays with casting clinics and displays by all those involved in the freshwater scene. Apparently, the word is that some very large trout will be stocked on the day which has not been seen before in WA, so it might be worth a visit even if it’s a few hours drive from Perth.

Pemberton Private Farm Dams

The area has many farm dams that range in size from 5 acres right up to over 30 acres that are stocked with both rainbow and brown trout. Some have very large redfin but generally these don’t fish well for trout. There are a couple of clubs that have exclusive access with strict rules and regularly stock them like WATFAA ( WA Trout and Freshwater Angling Association) if anyone is keen on joining. They have an impressive accommodation set-up in the town for members at cheap rates as well. RIVERS Murray River

A few redfin are around

in the deeper sections with trout a real chance in the fast runs dotted along the sections upstream of Dwellingup. Northern Jarrah Streams

Most of the trout would have dropped back into the dams this month however, resident fish still reside in the permanent streams if you are lucky enough to know where they are.

Brunswick River

Worth a look if you are passing by as it doesn’t get much attention and is regularly stocked.

Collie River below

Wellington Dam

Water very low with stagnant areas in most sections due to the lack of release for irrigation with next month being a different river due to increased flow Collie River above

Wellington Dam

The section around the town of Collie has produced some impressive redfin recently with fish in the high 40s being common. Arm yourself with a good spin rod and array of soft plastics, spinners or hard bodied lures with a good action and you are in with a chance of tangling with one of these larger fish. Fish the banks casting at structure is the key and moving around until you find the fish is the preferred method. Capel River

The section around Donnybrook is turning up a few redfin on any of the popular lures.

Blackwood River

This is the month when this river is at its best but don’t expect big numbers as not all the sections produce fish. If you are after redfin the upper reaches above Bridgetown is the go with the lower section down to

Nannup being more suited to trout. Warren River

Some truly magical fishing has been had in this river with the stand out species being redfin of larger than average sizes getting caught on a variety of methods. Better success has come to those using kayaks but bank side anglers are getting their fare share as well. Trout have played the game with good numbers coming out of all the popular rapids from as far up as Regen Road all the way down to Barkers Crossing well down stream. Lefroy Brook

This is the time of the year that this little stream excels in its capability to offer some truly exciting fly fishing to those that have mastered the technique. Using small dry flies cast into the gentle runs can be deadly if executed in the right manner to entice a rise. For those that spin fish then generally smaller lures and lightly weighted soft plastics are the go. The lower section close to the mouth has one run that produces a good fish if you know where to look. I can remember standing next to John Sauttle back in the early 80s and witnessing him take a 7 lbs brown on a tiny Adam’s in a way that only a truly experienced and talented fly angler could, as it was in a tricky tight spot with an erratic drift. It’s good to see a Stile placed over the fence at Thompson’s Flat. This is a ladder to assist the crossing of fences that not only places less strain on the fence itself but, can save torn waders as was the case for me on a few occasions. A credit to the AFT and the crew from SFFAC for their efforts.

Donnelly River

No reports but good trout are there for the taking if you are keen on exploring this river. A good map is essential as it can be reasonably hard to locate the better areas.

As can be seen we have a number of freshwater fishing locations to explore and whilst we can’t match the spectacular options the eastcoast of Australia offers, we can tangle with some nice size trout on occasions, and redfin that match anything on offer anywhere in the country. Be very wary of snakes around water and fire becomes a risk in the latter part of the month

Until next time Keep your lines tight

Western Australia is home to some large Murray cod, however our authorities do not stock or allow species like these into the state. Locations are guarded but this lucky angler knows where to look and is an expert at catching them.

A pretty little brown trout caught at Logue Brook Dam. Wendy was casting a Berkley Puppy dog over a few we found on the sounder that were sitting up high in deeper water.