Wind, Wild Browns & Redemption | Late Spring Fly Fishing the Kosciuszko High Country

Spring in Kosciuszko can deliver some of the best — and most unpredictable — fishing of the entire season. After coming out of winter, the rivers begin to warm, levels start shifting, and every day can feel like a gamble. Strong winds, changing water, spooky fish… this trip had it all.

Over several days I fished my way across the high country with mixed results. Day one was a grind. Nothing went to plan and I was well on my way to a full skunking. But with a cracking campsite, a sunset fire, and a bit of stubborn persistence, day two delivered the redemption I desperately needed… including one of the best browns I’ve caught all season — on the recast of all things.

From dry fly eats to nymph takes right at my feet, the action picked up fast. Later in the trip, Dean and I hit some nostalgic home-water where I first learned to fly fish. Crystal-clear streams, spooky fish, rising caddis — the perfect mix of frustration and magic.

Spring in the mountains is never predictable, but that’s exactly why we come back year after year. Some days you earn it… and some days the fish make you work for every moment.