The browns were solid and in good nick.

Close, but not quite ready. ‘Ant’ is pure energy, and has to be as he juggles toddler, baby, business and guiding. Some days I felt exhausted just watching him! He, like his busi- ness partner David, has studied this river over the years, understands its vagaries and quirks, and will work harder than most to get you onto a fish. His energy was infectious.

THE RISES The Goulburn was placid with a The rises were so greenish tinge to it as we pushed off. It was late afternoon with the sun already low, making the straw these Goulburn River trout. The rises delicate and subtle coloured hills burn with light. The riv- were so delicate and subtle that for erside gums cast long shadows across the most part we never saw them as the river, in some places from bank to the fish took ‘no-see-ums’ off the top. that for the most bank. A fish rose and took a cicada It takes some time to recognise the off the top. These bugs are a meal for dimples and rings — imagine a feather a week and we never saw that poor landing on a glide and you get the pic- part we never saw trout again — I imagined the fish with ture. Mind you, the guides are straight either a gut ache or worse, choking! onto anything and are quick to sort That was the most obvious rise the ‘false alarms’ from the trout and them as the fish form we were to see over the next swing the drift boat around to have few days. No wild slashes or leaping you in position to take a shot at a fish took ‘no-see-ums’ juveniles, just sips and seduction from before you know it. Great fun. off the top. Guided on the fishing outfitter, where you can get everything from free advice to a full fly outfit, tuition and guided trips. We met David at the shop. He is Goulburn lean, weathered and a fly fisher of great experience. Closer to 70 than Mark & Sharon Cloutier come to terms 60, he has the fitness, energy and drive of someone half his age and with a complex fishery. loves the river like it’s part family, which in some ways it is. He’s fished he Goulburn River below the Eil- the main tributaries such as the Ache- We hadn’t fished the Goulburn for it all of his life and has lived in the don Pondage to the township of ron and Rubicon rivers, both wonder- some time and we only had a small valley for the last couple of decades. Alexandra is a highly regarded ful trout waters in their own right. It window of opportunity, so it made David knows the Goulburn, under- trout fishery. Releases of cold is important to state that the Goulburn sense to call in to the Goulburn Val- stands its flows, and loves to fish. He water, diverse insect hatches and River is a significant and important ley Centre to get the latest organised an afternoon drift for us good-spawning grounds have seen fly fishing water for all Victorians, information. Most Victorians would and we couldn’t wait. Tthe Goulburn designated as a ‘Premier indeed many Australians trek long know the location, which is essen- Antony swung past in his ‘Subie’, River’, one of only three in Victoria. distances to get to this fishery. tially on the banks of the river, so drift boat in tow, and had us on the Whilst it does receive some stocking When Sharon and I pulled in at there is always a stream (excuse the water in no time. There was a sense of trout, it is essentially a wild fish- Thornton, the river looked pretty pun) of anglers seeking or delivering of urgency about Antony, as though ery, where the trout are born in the close to perfect, maybe a tad high for fishing reports. The shop is probably he knew there was going to be a hatch washed gravel of the stream bed and our skills but certainly very fishable. the country’s only location based fly- and we needed to be fishing, now!

Picking up to cast again at a sipper taking duns. 44 F LY L IFE F LY L IFE 45 Antony’s rather large fly box, complete with bald patches! position to find another conveyer belt of food. So a fish that you may have encountered hugging a particu- lar bank at ‘mid-level’ may be difficult to locate at ‘high-level’ and vice versa. The fish is still there all right, but exactly where is when it starts to get tricky. If levels are stable the game of hide-and-seek becomes a lot easier.

THE DRIFT Ant and David both run Clacka Craft dory-style drift boats and had them shipped over from the US. The fibre- glass boats are purpose built for this style of fishing and are incredibly manoeuvrable, stealthy and stable, allowing the angler to stand up with confidence and get in close to rising fish. The boats are ideal, but skill on the oars is still the main ingredi- Rolling one out towards the bank. ent here. On our last float David saw a sipper behind a trailing willow; it wasn’t grub- Guided on the Goulburn . . . continued bing, just taking duns when they came by. He had the boat in behind the fish Small grey duns were coming off; — our visit in early summer was hit by and held us in position by simply lean- some sulphurs too. Not in large num- consecutive ‘scorchers’ yet the river ing on the oars. We were there for a bers, just a trickle, which is sometimes dropped over the three days we were long time trying to nut out this trout, better than having bugs all over the there, making the fly fishing less pre- trying a variety of flies. Even the ever- water. There were caddis by the dictable and more complex. reliable DHE in #20 was ignored by thousand right on dark and enough River flows are predictable from this fish, which eventually went quiet. throughout the day to make dry fly a seasonal perspective, being low in We moved from one side of the fishing a real possibility from the early spring, increasing over summer river to the other and covered water GOULBURN get-go. Mostly the fish took bugs that as demands for water increase, then, that no shore-based angler could get GEAR & FLIES were so small I had trouble seeing as the cooler autumn weather arrives to, except during the lowest flows at them, even with my ‘el cheapo’ mag- the river flow reduces again. Over either end of the season. The seams I mainly used a 9-foot 4-weight, but nifying glasses on. Flies like Bushy’s winter it’s barely a trickle and relies and currents that became available could have done with a 5-weight on Emerger or Gibson’s Thorax Dun are on inputs from Snobs Creek and the by floating the river were incredible. one evening when there was a stiff good ‘go to’ patterns with long fine Acheron and Rubicon rivers. Some ‘reverses’ and ‘eddies’ were breeze coming up the river. tippets to beat micro drag. This is What’s really challenging is the substantial and we got to ‘fish them Leaders around 12 feet seemed to technical dry-fly fishing at it best, and daily variation. Fish take up position out’ like you would any other run or be about right, with some supple tests your skills. in the bubble lines, seams and reverse current, getting multiple drifts of the tippet added to get a drag-free drift. Speaking of technical fly fishing, currents at one level, then when the fly. Others were obscure ‘pot holes’ Four pound was my first choice, the much famed willow grub hatch flow changes the fish need to adjust of little flow, created by a complex until I had to tie on smaller flies and was just starting with the burst of hot dropped the size accordingly. days. We saw evidence of their exis- tence by the half eaten leaves on the Dries & Emergers river bank willows, but the little green Bushy’s Dun, Rusty Tailrace Dun, grubs hadn’t quite hit the water in the Gibson’s Thorax Dun, Goulburn numbers required to bring the trout to Griffiths, Rusty Ant, Parachute the top. Maybe that was a good thing , Royal Stimulator, Elk Hair as I was having enough trouble catch- Caddis, , Nobby Hopper, ing a fish as it was! Autumn Hopper, Orange Spinner, Black Spinner, DHE, Parachute THE FLOWS Floating Nymph. The key to being successful in fly There were caddis by the thousand right on dark fishing the Goulburn is understand- Wets & Nymphs ing the relationship between weather, Hare & Copper, Pheasant Tail, flow regimes and insects hatches, both Flashback Nymph, Copper John, and enough throughout the day to make dry fly aquatic and terrestrial — easier said Brassie, Stick Caddis, Sparkle than done. Flow regimes are complex Pupa, Black & Peacock Spider, and difficult to predict because of the and a when things fishing a real possibility from the get-go. way water is bought, sold and traded get desperate!

A handsome looking Goulburn brown. 46 F LY L IFE F LY L IFE 47 ...It offers some great opportunities for those prepared to do a bit $12.95 inc GST

NUMBERF 75 AUTUMNl 2014 y AUSTRALIA L & of thinking and to work for their fish. ife NEW ZEALAND S A l T & FREShw ATER F l Y FISh ATER ING

• Fl • GIR OPS • GUIDED ON Th l POwER • TANTANGARA • OPENE GOU l • DESTROYER CRABS • Th BURN • h OPPER l The Goulburn is a big river, but easily fished from the drift boats. • BARRA BUSTERS • EAC wATER (PART 2) • EGS • E SNAIl • SCOTl whY I FISh ISSN 1324-2288 AND • BREAKING TRAI • h-wAY F lATS Fl IES • lUDERICK TACTICSl • •

their online FlyShop) is the obvious Guided on the Goulburn . . . continued place to seek advice, view the best patterns and to buy the flies you need. network of river bed, tree stumps part of the season and shouldn’t be The Goulburn can be a tough nut flylife.com.au and God only knows what else. The overlooked. to crack at times. It offers some great guides make sure you don’t miss these Terrestrials are the usual suspects: opportunities for those prepared to do little places, but casts needed to be beetles, ants, termites, crickets and of a bit of thinking and to work for their quick and accurate with a drift only course the ever-reliable hopper. Wil- fish. There’s a lot to consider — time lasting a second or two, which is often low grubs are the ‘new bug on the of year, weather, flow regimes, hatch- time enough. block’ and are almost creating their es, flies and how these all interrelate. When there were a few fish ‘up’, I own cottage industry in terms of tying It’s a river that can be frustrating yet went for two dries — one as a sighter flies and finding ways of catching the compelling, drawing you in as you try (a #14 Stimulator), the other a #16 trout fixated on them — though a lot to understand how it all works. Put Bushy’s Emerger — and either cov- of work has now been done on both simply, the Goulburn is a wonderful GOULBURN VALLEY ered rising fish or searched the edges. sides of the Tasman, making the catch- trout fishery, right on the doorstep of The guides make sure you get the ing more hit than miss. Australia’s second largest city, Mel- fly in the ‘zone’, which often means There are thousands of different bourne. Let’s enjoy, respect and pre- FLY FISHING CENTRE within centimetres of the bank. Too patterns to represent the numerous serve this iconic river. F L tentative and the call is “Closer… insects available to the trout of the Closer… Closer,” until you hear “Yep, Goulburn, so it boils down to your For the latest river conditions and that’s good.” I knew I had work to do. favourites. I’ve listed some patterns to fishing reports, including what’s consider, but the GVFFC (including hatching visit www.gvffc.com Victoria’s Premier Trout Fishery is just 2-hours drive from Melbourne. Our Thornton base is the THE BUGS & FLIES perfect stop for information and tackle for your Goulburn River fly fishing adventure. We offer Ants fly box was massive; there must a huge range of services for the beginner and experienced angler on the Goulburn River and at have been a thousand flies all lined other locations around the globe. Check out our website for all the details. up like little squadrons ready to take • Fly Fishing Outfitter • Streamcraft Lessons • Corporate Events flight. One leaf of his box had a ‘bald • Guiding & Tuition • Beginners Lessons • Accommodation patch’ with only a few bedraggled pat- • Drift Boat Trips • Workshops • Dedicated FlyShop terns left. The patch once held plenty • Hosted Trips/Travel • School Groups • Reports/Blogs/Articles of Kozzie Duns — apparently the fish- ing had been good, on dark, during late spring and early summer! It’s fair to say that there is every like- lihood of finding mayflies (Olives, Sul- phurs, Greys, Rustys, March Browns, Kozzies) from the start of the trout season in September right through until the end of May, with coverage varying from month to month. Cad- dis species are also present for a big Thornton, Victoria | www.gvffc.com | Free Call: 1800 458 111

A major reverse current takes time to fish out properly. 48 F LY L IFE