Victorian Fisheries have been busy of late stocking various areas of the Goulburn River with 10,000 brown trout between 45 and 55gm, and with recent environmental flows ruining the chances of brown trout naturally spawning in the Goulburn river this season the releases are greatly appreciated by anglers. Eildon pondage has also received a healthy boost with over 5,000 ready to catch or around the 190gm mark rainbow trout and 83 ex brood stock rainbows up to the 4 kilo mark.
Over the last 12 months fisheries have produced and released well over 1 million trout into the Victorian waterways.
Eildon pondage is still averaging water levels between 50 and 70% on most days and many of the smaller rainbow trout are being caught in the shallower areas. Some anglers dislike the smaller trout but they do have a tendency to stir up the larger ones that have been in the pondage longer, as well as the many new and young anglers have a great time just landing a trout. The bridge area and the rear of the Eildon pondage Caravan Park has been the hots spot recently with anglers doing well on power bait in the lime twist, salmon egg, chunky cheese, and the rainbow nuggets several rainbow trout around the 2.5lb mark have been caught.
The local dough is always worth using especially with the new releases. The wonder krocs and pink Tassie devils are also working along Bourke st, the gate access, cemetery point and near the floating pontoon. If you happen to hit the pondage when it is on the fill, riverside drive is certainly an area that is well worth hitting with the small hard bodies and bladed Celta type lures as well.
For the fly flickers nursery corner and cemetery point (when the water is a little on the low side) are still the best areas to target using the caddis, spider mudeye and woolley bugger patterns.
Lake Eildon is still doing well for brown trout up to the 4lb mark the majority have been in very good nick, Tassie devils flat line trolled are still are still the way to go, the odd Murray cod up to 85cm has been taken on jointed shad rap type lures in gold. And small reddies are still being caught amongst the trees on scrubbies near Jerusalem creek
I,m off for a couple of weeks but the shop will be open on the weekends catch you then
Gazza
Author: James Anderson
Founder / Director of Lake Eildon Tourism, in operation since 1998 - James is a father of two, has a strong passion for the Lake Eildon area having grown up in Eildon - and today, heads a digital media agency - Turbo 360.