Illawarra Flyfishers Club

Lake Jindabyne February 2006 update

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The lake levels have been fluctuating but the overall trend has been a drop in water levels. Because of that we didn't get a tadpole season this year. Other forms of fly fishing have however been very good. Poleroiding continued to be very exciting with large numbers of fish around the margins and dawn and dusk prospecting has been very rewarding. Fly fishing prospects got a real boost in late December early January with major outbreaks of Wingless (they do have wings and fly), Trouser Brace Hoppers and Yellow Winged Hoppers. In the immature form all the hoppers are poor fliers and many found themselves trapped in the water. There have been a lot of hoppers on the water also and they were not restricted to the margins. Unfortunately as the hoppers mature their flying skills improve and they can fly long distances with very few falling into the water. In mid January there were very large hatches of beetles providing an alternative food source. One report I heard was that one of the resorts had to get a bob cat in to clean up the beetles when the outside lights were accidentally left on all night. I suspect that because of the warmer water temperature , particularly around the margins, the reductions of hoppers on the water and the availability of plenty of protein rich beetle right across the lake that the trout have been holding in the cooler deep water and feeding on drowned beetles without any need to venture into the margins. As the beetle activity declines you can expect to find fish moving back into the margins for short feeding periods particularly at dawn and dusk.