That's a Wrap on Trout Season 2024-2025

The Victorian trout stream season is all but done and dusted for 2024-2025, The King's Birthday long weekend is here and the rain is finally looking like it's about to arrive, which might spoil some people's camping plans, but should get the trout kicking off their 2025 spawning campaign. So, it's about time to leave the trout be in the streams to allow them to to take care of the future generations of fish. Which leaves us all a moment to pause, and reflect on the season that was.

I think it would be folly to describe the past season as anything but tough. We've all heard the reports of cormorants all over the state and the effect they have had on fish populations. Most of us have seen this first hand, with birds perched at vantage points next to prime pools, or flocks of birds flying up and down certain valleys. The fact is, yes, they have been an issue, and there are very few waterways that haven't felt the effects of their ravenous feeding patterns. But, that doesn't mean it's been all doom and gloom.

We first started seeing the effects of this cormorant plague in the previous season as they were taking roost in some of our most beloved streams. The open waters were the first to see the effect. The upper reaches of the King River, for instance, we saw to be suffering in December 2023, yet there were still fish to be found, if you worked for them.

The reality is, this is part of a cycle. The cormorant plague we saw around 10-12 years ago had a similar effect on the trout waters. And the result in following years; better fishing for bigger brown trout! They certainly take their toll on the rainbow populations, whilst many of the browns keep their heads down and stay out of sight. So, there has been less of the 'easy to catch' fish throughout the day, but the ones that you work for have mostly been well worth the reward. And this lends itself to the trend of recovery in the coming years.

Low, clear water, cormorants flying overhead, and fewer head of fish in the rivers has meant that they haven't come easy. But, if we're being honest, Victoria has been spoilt in the past few years with some of the best trout fishing we've seen in the past couple of decades. Now, we've returned to a more level playing field with fish numbers that make it a challenge, rather than an expectation, to find fish.

So, with late rain coming this year, meaning trout spawning will mostly fall into the closed season, allowing them to move upstream without being picked off by anglers, we should see better recruitment for the following year. That means more juvenille fish in the system, bred from the fish with the best survival skills. Which means we're looking at the turn of the cycle as we look to head back into improved trout fishing in the coming years.

For now, it's to the lakes for midge feeders, or for those who like to punish themselves, hunting for elusive feeding carp over winter. Our trout guiding calendar is closed off for now, but I am taking bookings for next season, so please get in touch to lock away your dates. Carp guiding continues over the winter for those keen on a serious challenge, although we are only offering half days through this time, due to the restrictive light window. October will see the kick off of full days for carp guiding as the waters warm up and the days get longer.

So, now that winter has properly set in, with -3 degrees overnight, it's officially tying season! Dust off the vise, and start the preparations for next year's trout adventures. And of course, if you need any materials, we have you covered!