UPPER COLIBAN RESERVOIR MACQUARIE PERCH

[Paulanderson]

The Upper Coliban is one of the three places where one can legally catch Macquarie Perch in Victoria (hopefully they all get released anyway). There were Maccas in the Upper Coliban before it was completely drained in 2007. I have located pictures of carp being culled from muddy pools at the bottom of the dam when it was drained but could not find anything about what happened to other fish species. I know Redhunter from the forum fishes that area a lot but am unsure if he is still around. Does anyone know if the other fish were netted and relocated and, if so, where they ended up?

[Redhunter]

Gday mate! Tonnes of carp were were taken from coliban as it dried up, but don't really know what happened with the other fish admittedly. Any survivors would have more than likely ended up being released in lauriston, but that's just a guess. As for the maccas, I've never caught one myself, but I believe they were released in coliban and in the river below. I've only bumped into one fella who claimed he caught one at lauriston. It was a few years ago though, and the only details I can recall are that it was caught on worms, up the top end of the lake where the river runs in. I get the impression the stocking trial wasn't all that successful.

[Paulanderson]

Many thanks for the reply Headhunter. In the early days according to Tales of the Trout Cod the upper Campaspe system and the Coliban River had abundant Maccas but they were all gone by the late thirties. Between 94 and 97 some 84,000 Macca fingerlings were stocked into the Upper Coliban Reservoir but in 1999 it almost dried up and then completely dried up in 2007. Chances of any Maccas being left in the system are a bit like winning lotto but who knows as I guess some may have gone over the wall and later bred in the river.

[Gozzle]

Been fishing this res for years from private property, never seen a Macquarie perch, but its full of good size Reddies and trout both Rainbow and Browns. Haven't been there since May when caught 44cm and 37cm Reddies plus a heap of smaller ones. Have seen a couple of nice Rainbows caught, but unfortunately the last 2 times I've been out I've caught a couple of small Carp, so their back.

[Paulanderson]

Thanks again Redhunter and Gozzle

[Truedogz]

Hi Paul

Quite a number of Macquarie perch were caught from Upper Coliban reservoir after it was stocked - it was one of the more successful stockings. Unfortunately the Millenium drought wiped them out. Similarly, stockings produced good populations in the Broken downstream of Lake Nillahcootie including some of the tributaries such as Lima Creek but the drought all but wiped them out. That is one of the great tradgedies for Macquarie perch - the millenium drought occured just after large stockings were undertaken resulting in their failure.

When Upper Coliban was down to a puddle a small number were netted out and I think released into Lake Eppalock. The last wild maccas were caught upstream of Eppalock in the lake 1960s. A small population was present downstream of Eppalock until about 1980.

Best Wishes

Truedogz

[Paulanderson]

Many thanks Truedogz - I look forward to trying to catch up with you when I get back to Australia next year.

[TheNix]

I caught (and released) two Maccas in one afternoon many moons again. I fish the upper coliban on a regular basis and I have never caught any before or since!

[Paulanderson]

Many thanks The Nix - do you have a rough idea what year that would have been?

Paul

[Thomassssss]

I was surprised to catch (and release) a Macquarie perch the other day out of the golden point reservoir, near chewton.