Conquering River And Stream Trout In Southern NSW With Wayne Dubois

Wayne’s Tips For Spring Trout Fishing

• The mid-late spring months are prime-time for trout fishing the streams in southern New South Wales. The open season kicks off, and post spawn trout are aggressive and active in the cold, clear water.
• There are numerous small streams that feed into larger river systems, offering thousands of fishing spots for anglers to throw lures at trout. It’s easy to identify access points using Google Earth, and as long as you stay in the river channel you are able to access any of them.
• Most anglers don’t venture far from their car, so the areas around those access points tend to cop a lot more fishing pressure. It’s worth walking a kilometre or two to reach spots that have less pressure on them. Better quality fish are generally the pay-off.
• River and stream trout fishing is all about fishing upstream and being very stealthy. The water is gin clear and trout are on the alert. As trout generally face into the current starting downstream and fishing your way upstream helps reduce the chance of spooking them.
• Fish are usually found in pools, with the head of the pool being the prime location for quality fish, followed closely by the tail of the pool. Be careful as you approach the tail as spooked fish will swim up through the pool and spook those in the headwaters as well.
• The best strategy is to move slowly and very quietly, fanning casts upstream and across the current, working the lure methodically through the pool. Sometimes it’s necessary to work a lure directly downstream with the current or directly against the to reach fish. However, this is not ideal.
• A little bit of dirtiness to the water can be a good thing as the fish feed actively and are far less easily spooked when the water isn’t perfectly clear.

Wayne’s Trout Fishing Tackle

• A light action right around seven foot, one to three kilo line class, nice and whippy for throwing light lures a reasonable distance. This can be couples with a 2000 size spin reel with a maximum of 6lb braid – Wayne usually uses 1-3lb braid. Two rod lengths of fluorocarbon leader in the 3-4lb range (no more than 6lb) completes the outfit.

Wayne’s Top Trout Lures

• Spinners in smaller sizes (e.g., 1/8 to 1/16 oz), weight depending on the flow of the water being fished. Natural colours with a gold or brassy flash work best. Consider adjusting colours based on water conditions (e.g., muddy water). Cast at a 45-degree angle across the current, maintain a natural drift with the spinner, retrieving just fast enough to keep the blade spinning.
• Hard Bodies such as Rapala CD3s and CD5s, with a natural, subtle action resembling minnows or gudgeons can be very effective. Stick to natural colours to mimic prey in the water. Worked in a similar way to spinners, but can be more effective than spinners when the water is clear.
• Soft Plastics such as one to two-inch curl tail grubs in natural colors and especially black are perfect for imitating various trout prey. Use small jigheads (1-2 grams) and size 6-8 hooks for optimal action and paint jigheads black for added effectiveness. Bottom-bouncing or drifting techniques work best, allowing the plastic to mimic natural movement along the riverbed.
• Pro Tip: Experiment with a weightless hook and plastic above the main one to offer a different presentation and potentially attract more fish.