Time for a little fishing conditions update after two successful RFS field trips to the Oberon district in October.

 

Whilst the Season Opener at The Retreat was well patronised by members and their spouses, only two members (the writer, plus the organiser himself) attended the Society’s next field trip to Billabong Cottage on “Redbank” last weekend. To those of you who missed out, I’m pleased to report that there are many resident fish (mainly browns up to 3 pounds) in the “Redbank” stretch of Fish River Creek, which is the next property downstream from “Penarth”. I must admit that the creek on “Redbank” is much overgrown with willows and therefore harder to fish than the “Penarth” water. But the rewards are there to be had – on Saturday afternoon we found the creek near the cottage alive with rising / swirling fish, and managed to catch 4 nice browns between 1 and 3 pounds.

 

On Sunday we went to “Chatham Valley” on the Duckmaloi River, mainly to inspect Rod Fishers’ latest investment, being a consignment of 200 rainbow trout fingerlings, organised and paid for by the Society, which were planted in two spring-fed dams on that property just three days before our visit. Lo and behold, there were rings of rising fish all over both dams – the little troutlings had taken well to their new environment. Fishing for their bigger brethren (alas, unsuccessfully), two of the new arrivals even managed to firmly attach themselves to my black Clumsy wet fly, size 10! Both delivered a valiant fight and were duly photographed for the  Society’s “Most Wanted” list before release. Being six inches long now, they should reach legal size in about a year, and hopefully grow further to become worthy opponents for our members in the years to come.  

 

We also heard that the local acclimatisation society planted about 18,000 brown trout fry from the Ebor hatchery in sections of the Duckmaloi, Campbells, and Fish Rivers in mid October. So there is quite a substantial investment in the future of trout fishing around Oberon (and faith in the weather gods’ delivering wetter seasons henceforth to keep the fish afloat).

 

After the Billabong weekend, the writer stayed in the Oberon district to fish the Fish River upstream from Tarana with two other RFS members. We found the river there in excellent condition, flowing well and clear. Weather wise we struggled for three days with high winds, cold, and drizzly conditions. There was thus not much surface activity, but the fish were out and feeding anyway. Despite the adverse conditions, we averaged 10 fish a day between us. They were predominantly browns between 1 and 3 pounds, all of them in great condition and full of fight, and many of them could be polaroided in shallow water – very exciting stuff indeed! Having fished that part of the river for over 30 years, we all agreed that current conditions there, in terms of water quality and trout population, are close to being “the best ever” during that time.

 

 

 

Cheers, Gerhard.

 

28th October 2009