Fishing in Oz


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		Trout Fishing in Australia and New Zealand
		Both Australia and New Zealand offer a wide range of trout fishing options. In Australia the principal areas are ‘The Snowy Mountains’, located five hours by car south east of Sydney, Virtually all of Victoria (much of it close to Melbourne itself), and Tasmania (offering the best rainbow and brown trout fishery in the Southern Hemisphere – Although this would certainly be disputed by the New Zealanders who think that that country lays claim to being the best in the southern hemisphere) – who knows?. They are both superb New South Wales The Snowy Mountains consists of a series of artificial lakes created to manage the water resource emanating from the only reliable snow fields in Australia. Before the ‘Snowy Scheme’ was developed in the 1940s and 50s all the snow melt water flowed east to the Pacific Ocean and was lost to the main agricultural areas to the west of the mountains. The ‘Snowy Scheme’ was built to dam these flows and to tunnel the water through to the western side of the mountains and thus make the water available for irrigation. Along the way the water was harnessed to generate electricity through a series of hydro electric power stations. A by product of this scheme was the stocking of the lakes with rainbow, brown, brook trout and some atlantic salmon. The ideal conditions in these lakes led to the development of a magnificent trout fishery offering some of the most consistent trout fishing anywhere. In the early days trout of 20lb were not uncommon, but the system has settled down now and the average fish is around 2 – 3lb. There are, however, many fish still available I the 5 – 10lb class. The system consists of two main lakes (Lake Jindabyne and Lake Eucumbene) and a large number of lesser lakes and feeder streams. You can take your choice and fish the lakes or the rivers – or both. The whole area is well served with accommodation, services and guiding facilities. The lakes are open for fishing all year round but the main season is spring/summer/autumn from late October to June. Outside this season the rivers are closed but you can fish the lakes. Be prepared to be cold though – expect Snow! All styles of fishing are available in this area from bait fishing, to trolling, to chucking lures to wet and dry fly. The edges of the lakes are very open and fly fishing from the banks is excellent. Use of water in these lakes for irrigation and their dependence on snow melt for a large percentage of their water causes the levels to fluctuate throughout the year. Prime fly fishing happens when the lakes fill (in spring) and the water rises over new ground. This provides the fish with a ready supply of worms and terrestrial insects attracting them into the shallow margins and exposing them to shore based fly fishing. Boat launching facilities are available in most locations. Trolling with downriggers is a very successful method and many people focus on this technique exclusively. For the bait fisherman the prime bait is the mudeye (the larval stage of the dragon fly) which forms a significant proportion of the trout diet. These insects are large enough for a hook and are usually fished under a bubble float. This method accounts for many trout. Victoria The southern state of Victoria offers a wealth of trout (and other freshwater) fishing of all types. The principal advantage here is that access to the fishing resource is relatively easy. This is a small state and much of the fishing is available within a short distance of the main city of Melbourne. There are many lakes and a number of small and larger streams to tempt bait, fly and spin fishers. Most of the waters are well stocked with both brown and rainbow trout but don’t expect trophy fish. The main attraction is convenience of the action and plenty of it. Tasmania In Tasmania you can take your choice from river fishing for both landlocked and sea run rainbow and brown trout or fish the lakes. The central highlands, about an hour travel by car from Hobart, is a system of over 3,000 lakes all of which contain fishable populations of trout. Many of these lakes are world renowned as Champaign dry fly water. Here you can sight fish large surface feeding trout. There is plenty of accommodation in the area and there is no shortage of experienced guides to assist you. Be warned, however, this area is very unpredictable when it come to the weather. Storms can sweep in from the southern ocean at any time of the year with little warning. It is imperative that you be prepared for bad weather. It is not at all unusual to get snow in the middle of summer. Having said that, most of the high season (which is spring/summer/autumn – November to April) consists of warm comfortable fishing conditions. Tasmania is a relatively small island. Around four hours travel by car will get you from the east coast to the west coast. Travel is easy on well maintained roads (for the most part). Access to quality fishing is very easy and convenient. Almost any fresh water you come across contains trout. Trout fishing in New Zealand In New Zealand you can access back country fly and lure fishing for LARGE trout. This country is very mountainous and boasts many fast flowing rivers offering superb fly fishing. There is also a huge number of snow fed lakes all full of trout. The country has numerous guides and plenty of facilities to offer the traveling fisher person. The trout fishing in New Zealand is world renowned. The whole country is devoted to the protection of this unique resource. To give you an idea of how devoted they are, it is only necessary to explain that the sale of trout in any form is totally prohibited in New Zealand. This removes any commercial value from the trout. Since there is no market, there is no incentive for commercial exploitation and the fishing resource is protected for the exclusive use of the recreational fisher person. The only way to get a feed of trout in this country is to go out and catch one. New Zealand consists of two islands. Both offer superb trout fishing in a variety of environments. The North Island The North Island contains two of the three major New Zealand cities, Auckland in the north and Wellington in the south. Although there is trout fishing throughout the North Island, the most productive areas are those around Lake Taupo, Lake Tarawera and Lake Rotorua (all most easily accessible from Auckland). These lakes and the rivers that feed them are superb waters offering rainbows and browns to 8lb as a regular catch and much larger specimens turn up from time to time. Lake Rotorua offers the highest catch rate of any lake in the southern hemisphere with 3 – 4 fish per hour during the peak times. The famous Tongariro River is situated in this area and is world renowned for its run of large browns and rainbows. It is reputed that some 800 to 900 tonnes of fish run this river each year. Fishing this river is centered on Turangi which offers all the facilities that a visiting angler could requuire. In the north east of the North Island splendid fishing is available in the rivers and lakes of the Urewera National Park. Most visiting fishing for trout in this area is within and around Lake Waikaremoana and its feeder streams. The South Island The main entry point to the South Island is the city of Christchurch, situated on the east coast. This city provides easy access to all the numerous fishing regions of the island. On the north coast, rivers such as the Wairau offer excellent sport. In the lower regions there are sea run trout in plentiful supply. Excellent fishing can be had in the mouths of rivers and creeks all along this northern coast. Further inland there is the Nelson Lakes National Park. The most famous is Lake Rotoroa (not to be confused with Lake Rotorua in the North Island). Most trout fishing is concentrated around the mouths of the rivers entering the lakes. The Buller River, also in this region, provides excellent fishing over its entire length. IN the centre of the South Island, much of the fishing is centered around Queenstown (a major ski resort area). From here access can be gained to Lake Wakatipu (Queenstown is right on the lake shore) and Lake Wanaka to the north east. Both lakes offer top fly, and other styles of fishing. Fishing can be done from the shore in many places but a boat opens these lakes up to much more opportunity. Further south and west you will find Lakes Te Anau and Manapouri. Both offer good trout fishing in the lakes and in the feeder streams and rivers. The southern east coast of the South Island is home to a series of rivers that offer major runs of Chinook salmon. They include the Clutha, the Rakaia, the Wairu and a host of others. These rivers are accessible from either Christchurch in the north of Dunedin in the south (in fact there is a major run of salmon each year right in the harbour at Dunedin). We are talking serious fish here to 20 – 30lb is not uncommon. Season is December to March (the hot months) Being situated in the southern hemisphere, the seasons in New Zealand parallel those in Australia (but are generally a bit shorter). Although there is fishing in many places all year round, the prime times are September to May. Fishing licenses are required everywhere. Guide services can be had for any fishing region in the country. If you are thinking of visiting New Zealand you can do a search for guides at the Fishing in Oz web site at www.fishinginoz.com.au and contact them directly. I’m sure that all are very keen to assist you with further information and assistance with accommodation etc.

Copyright© Ray Gudgeon and Associates
PO box 892 Campbelltown NSW 2560 Australia
Phone: International - 61 419 274 264 from within Australia - 0419 274 264
Fax: International - 61 2 4626 8123 From within Australia - 02 4626 8123
Email: ray.gudgeon@rga.com.au

Trout Fishing in Australia and New Zealand

Trout fishing in New Zealand