High water on the upper Goulburn in September 12 months ago.
Although I totally appreciate the significance of the date, I rarely hit the streams on day one of the Victorian stream trout season. Often, that’s a choice, although this year, the decision was taken out of my hands by unavoidable commitments (yes, these exist even for a flyfishing guide and writer). Given the torrential rain, gales and electrical storms which hit many rivers and creeks on opening day, that may have been a blessing.
So now I do have an opportunity to open the stream account for season 26/27 and it looks like the weather window I picked a week or so ago may be holding up. It will be colder than the original forecast suggested, but at least rain looks to be minimal.
Incidentally, rain and river levels are a source of mental conflict at this time of year. In the bigger picture, I want wet catchments and strong flows early on, as a kind of insurance against the possiblity of drier conditions later in the season. But right now, I want pleasantly fishable streams – by which I mean wade-able, and in the case of the small to medium waters, crossable; at least in places. And that usually translates into some water clarity. I’m not expecting or even hoping for the crystal-clear water of late summer and autumn. That would be fanciful. However, I’d like it to be clear enough to fish regular dries and nymphs with some chance the trout will be able to see them from a respectable distance.
If I have to fish big streamers, I will with only mild protest. Still, I have been doing that on the lakes off and on for the last few months, so the idea of fishing more traditional-sized stream flies – for want of a better description – has appeal.
Packing my stream rod tonight from its rack on the wall (from where it can be grabbed at a moment’s notice should an hour or two on a local stream become available), I saw it was still rigged with a small Royal Wulff and a Caddis Grub from what turned out to be the last stream trip from season 2025/26. A quick check of the diary revealed that had been a late April day on the Rubicon – and a very successful one. Usually, I manage at least a stream trip or two in May, so at the time, I would have assumed there was more river fishing to come before the season closed. I can’t really recall why that didn’t happen; only that the same diary also showed that, after the Rubicon, there was a succession of lake and estuary trips into mid June, and therefore the shutting of the stream fishing door.
Relics from my final day on the rivers last season.
So yes, it’s been a while. I’m pretty sure I won’t be picking up where I left off. Back then, the Rubicon was flowing at a clear and gentle 74 ML/d. The Howqua the day before was 90 ML/d. By way of comparison, right now, the gauges are reading 475 and 925 ML/d respectively. And it looks cold, with a bit of snow initially forecast above 1000 metres.
Back to that checklist, and the stream vest is pretty much untouched, so there’s a box with plenty of nymphs in various weights and colours, and a similar one for dry flies. The temptation with the latter at least is to want to fish big dries which might ‘pull’ a fish up, although the hard truth is, many early season bugs are quite small, so imitatively at least, I suspect little dries are likely to be more useful if I’m lucky enough to find rising trout.
I’ll add some big dragonfly dries on the off chance these repeat from September 2025 and especially, September 2024. I’ll also pack some big wets in case I need to use them, while sort of hoping I won’t.
Meanwhile, my stream wading boots are packed, with studs for grip in strong flows, and of course proper waders – wet wading will be hypothermic for a while yet. I’ll be wearing thermals underneath for good measure. And fingerless gloves and a buff will at least be in my pockets, and probably actually worn for warmth early and late in the day.
If these boots could talk - and note the studs.Yes, there are arguments for and against, but right now I'll settle for staying upright over the risk of the noise spooking fish.
Otherwise, the essentials like a hat, low light polaroids and a big net will be with me as they are pretty much all year.
I’m not sure exactly which streams I will end up on. The smaller ones will be more manageable, although the bigger ones can have a certain New Zealand-like majesty at this time of year. Wherever I fish, my expectations will be realistic. Lots of very cold early season water and similarly cold air aren’t always the ingredients for prolific fishing. Still, I’ll be genuinely grateful to be back on the streams again, and in some beautiful countryside waking up from winter.
