Fishing Victoria Forum

Just spent 3 days out around the Yarra valley and Eildon. Waded in my shorts and boots through some pretty remote parts of the Acheron, Rubicon, Stevenson, little Stevenson, grace burn, and badger creek. I also tried to find access to the Watts but it’s all closed off for water catchment and I couldn’t be bothered going hiking too far to see if was open further up stream.

Pretty much every deep pool was holding a fish that was caught, struck and dropped or seen following the lure. The exception was badger creek which was crystal clear but I never saw a fish. I also spent 4 hours at the upper pondage drowning worms and flicking large tassies and rapala For nothing.

All up it was a great few days of solitude and nature with barely another fisherman seen. Most fish were small browns, with a few rainbows up to about 900gms and one decent brook trout from the Stevenson. All but one were returned to swim another day.

Water in the creeks and rivers was pretty warm but the pondage was icey.

I only got yelled at once by a local who claimed he had riparian rights to the river in a section. I apologised and moved on.

The fish were very tentative on taking the lures with many just curious follows or head butts not resulting in hookups. All fish caught were on tiny rebel crawdads and 30mm rapala floating diver.

Recommended day or overnight trip for anyone who needs to get out of the big smoke for some fresh air. Just get over the spur and the world slows down.

Nice report and few days away mate, its a good relax and recharge for sure

Great report mate well done.

skronkman wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 30, 2019 2:13 pm

I only got yelled at once by a local who claimed he had riparian rights to the river in a section. I apologised and moved on.

That’s just strange what did he yell.

Thanks for the report.
Brook in Rubicon I often heard, but brook in Stevenson? That's new to me.
Yeah, gotta love that area, very peaceful.

rb85 wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:01 pm

That’s just strange what did he yell.

“Oi! This is private property and you’re trespassing.” Something along those lines and then a brief description of his legal ownership of the river between 2 fence lines.

Seb85 wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 02, 2019 5:49 am

Thanks for the report.
Brook in Rubicon I often heard, but brook in Stevenson? That's new to me.
Yeah, gotta love that area, very peaceful.

Yep and the little Stevenson too according to people I know that live on the banks of it.

skronkman wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 02, 2019 5:54 am

rb85 wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 01, 2019 9:01 pm

That’s just strange what did he yell.

“Oi! This is private property and you’re trespassing.” Something along those lines and then a brief description of his legal ownership of the river between 2 fence lines.

To your knowledge, was he right in what he was saying?

I thought rivers cannot be owned privately

What an amazing part of our state. Nice report mate, I actually felt a sense of calm over me while just reading it picturing the remote spots you had fish in.

Nice report skonkman, sounds like it was a pretty successful trip with some nice fish caught and released..Nothing better than fishing in beautiful surrounds. The Brook trout may have been in with the rainbows when the waters were stocked at some time. I caught a brook trout in the Meander River here in Tassie several years ago, it too was a river that had never been stocked with them. I was told it more than likely came from a stocking of yearling rainbow trout a couple of years earlier. Just the odd one or two fish that sometimes get mixed in from the hatchery.. As for the land owner and the river it all depends on the land title, here in Tassie some titles go to the river bank, others to the center of the river and if they own the land on both sides of the river then it does cover the whole river that runs through their property. The only thing they don't own is the water that flows trough it.. Maybe if you approach the land owner and get his permission to fish there it will turn around in your favor next time you go there.. Most land owners are pretty good if you speak to them, well they are here in Tassie any way. One other thing, sometimes a land title may stop within 10 meters of a water way, that means it's crown land and is freely accessible..
cheers
Adrian