Fishing Victoria Forum

I have heard report.s from anglers saying the removal of willow trees from river banks has adversely affected trout fishing. I find the complete opposite. My parents have a property on the river in Upper Dargo. There used to be willow trees all along the banks and I found it seemed to choke the river up with roots and so forth. I never caught fish along the property. Since the willows have been removed my father has planted 1,000's of native trees and plants along the river bank and now I catch fish almost every time i walk along the property casting. The river seems to run better and therre are plenty of beetles and other terrestrial insects that drop from the trees and so provide a good food supply for the fish. What are the experiences of others when it comes to willow tree removal.

I've never heard (m)any pros for willow trees - they provide good cover, but most of my understanding is they have substantial impacts on banks and drink excessive amounts of water vs natives.

I believe most of the people complaining are talking about the removal of willow trees without replacing them with anything, resulting in little to no cover for that section of river.

mazman wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 31, 2020 4:07 pm

I believe most of the people complaining are talking about the removal of willow trees without replacing them with anything, resulting in little to no cover for that section of river.

Also increased bank erosion because there are no root systems to support the soil. That's if they are not replaces.