Lake Fyans 27 to 28/05/2013 - Report by Jim Blakeslee
Phil and I snuck off early on the Friday to find calm fine weather on arrival. We were the only members to arrive early enough to fish that day. After setting up camp at the “Wash Tomorrow” caravan park, Phil and I launched the boat and got onto the water at 2:30 PM. Fish were rising and jumping at blue damsels only 50 m off the bank, so we didn’t have to go far with the boat. We cast Pedder Bugs to the rises, strip, pause, strip and wham! We were into fat 3 lb browns that leapt and carried on until being netted. The fish had been liberated only 18 months previously, so their growth rate has been terrific. We had 4 in the boat by 3:30 PM and we both ended up with 3 fish each, one of which was a rainbow, when we went ashore as the sun set at 5:00 PM.
Back at camp, Peter Hussey, Adrian Jacobs, George and Ellen Burrow, Hafey Rock and a new member, Callum LaSpina, were sitting around a roaring campfire, getting tea ready. They were itching to hit the water the next morning after seeing our bag of trout (which will, incidentally, end up in the smoker for the annual WFFC game dinner on July 27th). Phil was off early the next morning to drive to Melbourne for a heavy metal rock concert.
Unfortunately, Saturday was blowing a gale out of the north all day and fishing was hard. We did a lot of flogging the water, drift fishing or anchored up around the trees. Sometimes we climbed out on sand islands and waded. In the end, I got another 3 lb rainbow on a #6 Green Matuka for my efforts. Callum went out for the evening rise on the western shore, and came back in the dark, elated, with a 3 1/2 lb brown. Others nil. Sunday morning was there was a gentle westerly breeze, with cloud moving it. Conditions looked promising as we packed up camp. Callum returned from the dawn patrol with another nice brownie. He’s used to the fish that come out of the north-eastern rivers, so for him his two fish were “wall-hangers.” Fishless, Hafey looked a bit sick since he had to return home to stack 4 ton of firewood that was being deliver that morning.
George and Ellen were still packing up when Peter Hussey, Adrian Jacobs and I took our boats around to the boat ramp at the north end of the lake, launched and motored across to the west shore. The fish were chasing minnows around the dead trees in the lake. After two hours it was time to go. I ended up with 3 more browns on the matuka, the largest being 51 cm/ 4 lb, and another 3 lb rainbow. Adrian was grinning ear to ear when he reported that he had boated 5 fat browns, just as Peter hooked into his first fish of the trip. We pulled the boats out at noon, had lunch and discussed our next raid on Toolondo.
Back at camp, Peter Hussey, Adrian Jacobs, George and Ellen Burrow, Hafey Rock and a new member, Callum LaSpina, were sitting around a roaring campfire, getting tea ready. They were itching to hit the water the next morning after seeing our bag of trout (which will, incidentally, end up in the smoker for the annual WFFC game dinner on July 27th). Phil was off early the next morning to drive to Melbourne for a heavy metal rock concert.
Unfortunately, Saturday was blowing a gale out of the north all day and fishing was hard. We did a lot of flogging the water, drift fishing or anchored up around the trees. Sometimes we climbed out on sand islands and waded. In the end, I got another 3 lb rainbow on a #6 Green Matuka for my efforts. Callum went out for the evening rise on the western shore, and came back in the dark, elated, with a 3 1/2 lb brown. Others nil. Sunday morning was there was a gentle westerly breeze, with cloud moving it. Conditions looked promising as we packed up camp. Callum returned from the dawn patrol with another nice brownie. He’s used to the fish that come out of the north-eastern rivers, so for him his two fish were “wall-hangers.” Fishless, Hafey looked a bit sick since he had to return home to stack 4 ton of firewood that was being deliver that morning.
George and Ellen were still packing up when Peter Hussey, Adrian Jacobs and I took our boats around to the boat ramp at the north end of the lake, launched and motored across to the west shore. The fish were chasing minnows around the dead trees in the lake. After two hours it was time to go. I ended up with 3 more browns on the matuka, the largest being 51 cm/ 4 lb, and another 3 lb rainbow. Adrian was grinning ear to ear when he reported that he had boated 5 fat browns, just as Peter hooked into his first fish of the trip. We pulled the boats out at noon, had lunch and discussed our next raid on Toolondo.