Two Weeks Annual Leave - Help me crack my trout doughnut!

[chrisl]

G'day guys,

As of Monday, I'm lucky enough to have scored 2 weeks annual leave, and I'm determined to crack my trout doughnut. Up to now, I've never cracked a trout outside a trout farm, and this needs to change.

I'm planning to do a couple of daytrips from Sydney, so I'm basically looking at the Blue Mountains/Lithgow areas, but am happy to travel anywhere doable in a day.

I don't care what size, I don't care if it's smaller than the lure, I am just determined to snag a trout.

I've got a 1-3kg spin setup with 2500 stella, and a 6/7wt 8'6" fly rod, so I've got the gear, just no idea.

I guess the options are, as I see them:

- Fish River at Tarana. No idea as I've never seen this river, if anyone could give any lure or style or location advice that'd be great.

- Cox's at Duddawarra. I've fished here a couple of times for naught, happy to hear advice as it's a great spot.

- River Lett at Hartley. Never fished here but apparently it's accessible through Hartley reserve? Worth a look?

- Lake Lyell. Have fished here once but had no idea, so any advice would be great. Have heard the northern end is the best?

- TCD. Probably not an ideal newbie location, but I'd be happy to give it a crack.

- Lake Wallace. No idea here at all.

I've also got roughly $100 for lures and flies, so if anyone could give any advice on location, methods, lures, flies, anything to crack this drought I'd be more than greatful!

Cheers guys!

[luderick -angler]

Hit the Fish River Saturday, plenty of small bows rising to emergers we took fish on unweighted hare and coppers under a royal wulff (we were fly fishing) i blanked a mate got a brown and a bow just above flat rock camp ground. Pack some strudy boots and trousers as well as the snake proof gaiters I had a nasty encounter with a 5 foot tiger snake (yes I can walk on water)

[matyg]

there are some genuine horses in oberon lake, can fish it from shore or kayaks . tassie devils or soft plastics with red tails.

[Matt]

Can't really comment on the rivers in that region as I haven't fished them extensivelly.

The lakes though I have spent a lot of time on and they all have their pro's and cons.

If I had a beginner with me I would focus on taking them to either Lyell or TCD, Lyell is an easier place to fish but can be cryptic at times and the Trout switch off. I am also not sure if they are still stocking it with good numbers of Trout, Bass seem to have taken over the stocking routines? (anyone?). I spend most of my time now at the Farmers Creek arm or the big bay on the Lithgow side of the Damn Wall. Plenty of room to walk and fish.

TCD can be a daunting lake, its not big but it has a reputation as being tough. I haven't ever found it to tough though to find Trout and they are normally XOS in size just be prepared to walk a bit to find them. The best tip I can give for TCD is concentrate on the windblown shores (and there will be one, its a windy spot!) so if your Fly Casting is average it might be best to stick to spinning. Had some fantastic fishing on windblown shores casting parallel, one occasion there was massive slicks of mixed bugs being blowing up against the bank and there was Rainbows zipping in and through it gorging themselves.

I would give Wallace a miss, it holds good Trout but they are few and far between and I haven't fished Oberon is ages.

Hope that helps a bit!

Windy

[dylrox]

Dunns Swamp still producing fish these days?

Good luck and let us know how you go.

My friend and I are doing a weekend trip to either snowey or blue mountains in november. Trout are abundent in the snoweys though mate.

[Sydneyfisher12]

I fished lake Wallace earlier in the year with bait and lures and it was very slow but there in there and a good size. I was told by a local that one day it can be firing the next nothing. I used powerbait and a lot of different lures for two days and only got one on powerbait. I've been told they are really big in there and put up a great fight.

Might be worth trying Lyell or TCD and if they don't work try somewhere else like lake Wallace.

Good luck

Cheers sydneyfisher12

[bombora]

G'day mate. Others have mentioned locations, I'll chuck in my two cents on tackle and technique for the small rivers/streams of the area. Grab a couple of packs of Berkley one inch powerbait nymphs in natural colours, plus some 1/32nd no6 hook and maybe 1/16th no6 hook jig heads if windy, or strong flow. 1/32nd better mostly. Cast upstream or "up and across" and let the plastic wash down with the flow, adding little twitches and hops. Keep in contact with the jig as it washes down. Deadly. And less tears if you snag up as the jig and plastic combo is cheap. The jigs single hooks give better hook ups than small trebles, and don't damage small fishes faces as badly.

Maybe add a couple of Strike Pro Smelta bibbed minnows, or any shallow running small (5cm) and slender minnows to the tackle box if the trout are really on the go. I like natural/translucent colours. The Strike Pros are good value. Two kilo flouro leader, at least a rod length. I use 3 pound Crystal Fireline main line. Casts the little jigs plenty long enough,

Look for ambush points where trout can sit out of current but where water flow will deliver food. Don't think anywhere is too shallow. In deeper and slower flowing pools let the jig sink to bottom and twitch hop slowly as retrieving. With the minnows retrieve with the current just fast enough to get the lure wobbling. Vary retrieve rates if that's not working as sometimes a reaction strike on a faster retrieve is the go.

Fish right to your feet, as many hits happen just as lure looks like it's gonna escape. Tread lightly along the banks but watch for snakes. Try not to get in the water unless you really have to. Be careful not to cast your shadow over water, or create an obvious silhouette if walking more open banks without trees etc behind you.

[chrisl]

Cheers for the advice guys, appreciate it!

I'm gunna stock up in the next few days and try to get out next week, weather depending.