With the Victorian trout season already open and the NSW season still a week away, Pat Ryan heads south to Victoria to get an early start to the new season.
After a winter spent chasing trout in lakes, the return to moving water is long overdue. The drive south takes Pat through some spectacular country before arriving at a river that looks full of promise. Recent rain, however, has pushed the river high and made the fishing far more difficult than expected.
The water is relatively clear, carrying that familiar snowmelt colour, but the flow is strong enough to make wading difficult and finding fish challenging. After a couple of hours without seeing much, Pat cuts his losses and moves on.
The next river is higher and dirtier, forcing another change in tactics. With the water blown out, it's time to reach for a squirmy and try something different. But the first day ends without a fish.
That's the reality of early-season trout fishing. Conditions can change quickly, particularly after a significant rain event, and finding fish often means finding the right water rather than simply fishing harder.
The following morning brings a complete change of strategy. Pat heads to smaller rivers and works his way higher into the catchments, looking for the clearest and lowest water available. The smaller feeder streams are still pushing dirty water downstream, so the goal is to get above them and find water where trout can comfortably feed.
After a full day of searching and casting, the change finally pays off. As the light begins to fade, Pat makes a small change to his fly and connects with the first trout of the trip — a beautiful little rainbow caught on a nymph.
It's not a big fish, but after two difficult days, it feels like a major breakthrough.
Day three starts beside the river with a bacon and egg wrap and, as soon as the sun reaches the water, Pat is back at it. The conditions are finally looking right. It's the clearest water he's seen all trip, and the trout are there.
A series of beautiful brown trout come to hand, many holding incredibly tight to the inside edges of the swollen river. With higher water comes more food along the margins, and Pat begins to work out exactly where the fish are holding.
A move to another section produces another beautiful brown almost immediately, confirming that the approach is working.
Then, late in the trip, Pat hooks something with a bit more weight behind it. The fish powers upstream, using the current to its advantage and putting the light tackle to the test. Eventually it comes to hand — a thick, powerful trout and the perfect way to finish a challenging few days.
The fish haven't come easily, but that's part of the appeal of early-season fly fishing. High water, changing conditions and unfamiliar rivers mean constantly adapting, searching and trying to work out where the trout are holding.
After a slow start, Victoria has delivered — and with the NSW season about to open, the trout season is only just getting started.