Tag: Freshwater fishing

All the tips, tricks and things to look forward to for freshwater fishing in WA

It’s that time of year again! Freshwater fishers in WA are bursting with excitement to whet their whistles and chase some hard-fighting trout and delicious redfin perch.  

Late winter to early spring traditionally marks the start of WA’s freshwater season, when the water is cooler and stream flows are at optimum levels. Thanks to the many safe and easily accessible locations to throw a lure or fly around, WA boasts many freshwater fishing locations to choose from.  

With the west coast demersal closure running from 1 August – 22 September, fishers keen to scratch their fishing itch need to look no further than the serenity of our South-West forests, where the sound of kookaburras and flowing streams are sometimes only interrupted by the splash of a hooked fish.  

The exciting future for freshwater fishing in WA 

Recfishwest’s Freshwater Reference Committee works closely with DPIRD’s Aquatic Freshwater Research and Development team in ensuring WA’s trout stocking program delivers maximum benefits to the WA community.  

Each year, the committee makes recommendations to DPIRD on what quantities of trout should be stocked where in South-West waterways.  

In this context, Recfishwest recently spoke with DPIRD Senior Research Scientist Andrew Beer for his insight into what is in store for the stocking of rainbow and brown trout and the upcoming freshwater season – and there is plenty to look forward to.  

“We are making big technological advancements within not just the Pemberton hatchery centre but also to our stocking transportation vehicles. It will soon see more fish stocked per trip, state-of-the-art temperature and oxygen regulation and improved handling of the fish between the hatchery to their new stocking locations – watch this space!” said Andrew.  

If the rains fall consistently over the coming months as they did over the previous months, the improved waters levels in the dams and flows in the rivers and streams could see a rewarding freshwater season.  

“If we have a consistently wet winter that rolls through right into spring, that generally sees very good freshwater catches. The previous months have been beneficial with a steady amount of rainfall and that should benefit fishers as we head towards warmer temperatures,” added Andrew. 

Recfishwest will continue to make a strong case to Government for the development and expansion of the South-West freshwater fishery.  

Recfishwest CEO Dr Andrew Rowland said, “The fishery provides significant social value to the community and generates $20 million a year for the South-West. We believe there is massive potential for expanding the trout stocking program and fishery.  

“Changing up the stocking regime, putting in place a more robust research program associated with it, exploring new potential freshwater and trout fishing locations and potential stocking of Aussie natives could evolve and secure the fishery well into the future and could take pressure off some of our other fisheries.  

“With the Government’s renewed commitment to the Pemberton hatchery and the fishery last year, there are potentially exciting times ahead for this popular, family-friendly fishery.”

Technological advancements made within the Pemberton trout hatchery and to DPIRD’s trout stocking vehicles will soon see more fish like this beautiful ‘brownie’ transported to stocking locations in better comfort with a reduction in manual handling.

Clear your calendar for our 2023 trout stocking events!  

As champions of developing and promoting freshwater fishing in WA, Recfishwest provides the community the chance to hand-release trout into these waterways at our community stocking events.   

So, we are excited to announce the two dates of our family-friendly trout stocking events for 2023.  

Our seventh annual Troutfest community event will take place on 21 October at Drakesbrook Weir, with the Shire of Waroona and the DPIRD Pemberton Freshwater Research Centre teaming up with Recfishwest once again to help stock loads more rainbow and brown trout with the community.  

After a huge turnout for our inaugural Pemberton Trout Festival event in 2022, the event will also be making a return to Big Brook Dam foreshore on 5 November.  

Recfishwest’s Troutfest events will return to Drakesbrook Weir on 21 October, with the second Pemberton Trout Festival making a splash on 5 November at Big Brook Dam.

Freshwater fishing tips from an angling expert 

Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer and resident freshwater fishing gun, Sam Russell, divulged some of his trout and redfin tips for the months ahead.  

Best spots  

“The South-West’s bushlands are the best place to start chasing both trout species and redfin perch.  

“I fish a wide range of locations from Dwellingup all the way down to Walpole, but my favourite freshwater spot would have to be Pemberton. It hosts so many impoundments, streams and rivers among the isolated Karri forests.  

“Harvey Dam, Wellington Dam or Drakesbrook Weir are also fantastic options and these large bodies of water are filled with all three species. They also offer great camping opportunities for fishing trips with family or friends.” 

Top gear and fishing tips  

“Target rainbow and brown trout using small, bibbed minnows – rainbow and brown trout patterns both work well due to the cannibalistic nature of the species. 

“I’ll also carry a couple of darker coloured lures for overcast days and low light conditions – it might seem counter-intuitive, but black lures create a prominent silhouette in the water in these conditions. Soft plastics can also be the go. 

“If I’m fishing in tight streams and rivers with a lot of structure, an unweighted, weedless rigged plastic will often keep you snag-free and get you the bite. Small 1 or 2-inch minnow style plastics with a paddle or grub tail in natural colour patterns will work. 

“If you’re chasing redfin perch, I almost exclusively fish with soft plastics using a weedless jighead ranging in weight from about 1/16th – 1/8th of an ounce depending on water depth and flow. Combine this with a 2-inch grub tail or marron imitation soft plastic and you’re in business. 

“Fly-fishing is an iconic freshwater angling method I love but may seem daunting to learn for most fishers. No stress though, light spin outfits used for bream or herring are just as effective. Sometimes it pays to keep things simple.”  

Recfishwest Senior Operations Officer Sam Russell with a fat and healthy rainbow trout landed near Pemberton.

 

Scott’s Species – brown trout, a memorable freshwater catch

They might be an introduced species, but I must admit I love brown trout. They hold a special place in my angling heart, Scott Coghlan of the Western Angler writes, perhaps as a result of several trips to New Zealand to sight fish for them in the South Island’s gin-clear rivers.

Brown trout, Salmo trutta

Eating: 3 stars

ID: Brown to olive colouration, with dark spots all along side, some red.

Fishing for brown trout in WA is a very different experience to other parts of the world like NZ, but that doesn’t mean some very good fish can’t be caught and each one is memorable.

Recfishwest Life Member Ian Sewell with one of those NZ brown trout that Scott Coghlan dreams about.

For many years I only dreamed of catching a brown trout, until I caught a couple of rippers in one day on the Lefroy Brook.

Using spinning gear and a floating bibbed minnow, I picked up the pair along the Thompson’s Flats stretch, the second an absolute thumper than would have gone over 5lb in the old.

I floated my lure around a bend and pulled it past a corner where a tree pushed out into the flow.

The big brown came out from under the tree and nailed my lure, for a most memorable capture.

Browns are a great looking fish and the fact they are relatively rare in WA, and can grow a bit bigger than rainbows, makes them an intoxicating target in my eyes.

I have a few locations that are reliable producers of browns, mainly around Pemberton.

The Warren River and Lefroy Brook are likely spots to try and are stocked with them each year, as is Big Brook Dam.

Harvey Dam is another good spot for browns and I’ve caught them in some locations I never expected to find them, including one little scarp stream.

Many of the biggest browns caught in WA are ex-broodstock fish from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Pemberton-based hatchery, but there are truly wild big browns to be caught.

Check out this underwater shot photographer Angus Line took of one of the ex-broodstock brown trout being released at Troutfest. Picture: Angus Line

One location near Harvey used to have a great self-sustaining brown population, but it no longer open to fishing.

Browns certainly offer a more challenging target normally than the more aggressive rainbows, usually holding in slower water and more alert to movement nearby.

Generally similar tactics to fishing for rainbows apply though, often dictated by the spots where you fish.

As with rainbows, spinning with lures, bait fishing and fly fishing are all options in dams like Harvey, Big Brook and Drakesbrook.

The latter location was stocked, with some big fish released at Recfishwest and the Shire of Waroona’s Troutfest community fish stocking event in recent years.

At times browns will hunt after dark around creek mouths and they also like to cruise areas of slow water away from the main flow in rivers.

Although usually cautious I remember seeing tiny minnows spray out of the water in a Pemberton stream as a big brown chased them into the shallows.

I have also been on dams during insect hatches and browns will rise repeatedly when this happens.

Trolling lures is a good way to cover dams until you find a fish and some big browns get caught this way.

Angus Line tempted this brown trout on fly at Lake Navarino.

Most anglers will encounter browns as an occasional catch while chasing rainbows, but if you want to target them having a look at the annual trout stocking locations on the Recfishwest’s ‘I Love Fishing’ website is a good place to start.

This will tell you where they have been stocked. Click here to see.

In dams, try around creek mouths, flooded banks or submerged logs or trees.

With rivers, the key to finding browns is working out where the fish will be holding and getting your offering into that area.

The sort of wading and spotting fish they do in NZ is barely an option in WA, so we have to be more creative locally.

Although browns tend to hold in slower water than rainbows, they will still position themselves similarly, looking for holding stations where food is brought to them.

Freshwater fanatic Giordano Gervasi is very coy when it comes to his South West secret spots.

Look for rocks or logs that break the current and offer them a spot to hold without expending too much energy.

Sharp bends in river like the one mentioned earlier that offer a quiet area downstream of them are always worth a try.

For trout I always like small 5cm to 7cm floating bibbed minnows as I can let them drift downstream and then retrieve them through likely areas, particularly important when casting is limited or almost impossible.

Upstream fly fishing so popular elsewhere in world is impossible in most areas, so similar tactics on fly are often used and I have caught most local browns on a Woolly Bugger, weighted or unweighted depending on water flow.

Most WA fish caught will be 30cm to 50cm but bigger ones to 4kg do exist and the sight of a big buck-jawed male brown is unforgettable.

A rare WA gem, browns are a beautiful fish and once you’ve caught one you’ll certainly want to find more. Don’t forget a freshwater fishing licence is required to catch trout in WA!

Southern Forests Freshwater Angling Club’s Simon Holland with a lovely Big Brook brown.