Would you like to try your hand at fishing when you are in Bright but not sure where to start, what to take or where to go? Read on and we'll help you along the way.
BIG4 Bright Holiday Park is located directly on the banks of the beautiful Ovens River. A mecca for trout fishing!
Take the whole family or your best fishing buddy and enjoy your day and set out with some local knowledge.
If you don't own your own fishing gear, one of our local outdoor shops can set you up with gear and a license then off you go. Trout season is open from early September until Queens Birthday weekend. A Victorian Fishing Recreation license is required and is actively controlled to ensure a healthy river system is sustained. Licenses, fishing tackle, bait and gear can be purchased at the Bright Outdoor Shop phone 0357 551 818.
FAMILY FISHING FUN
Want to ensure you don't come home empty handed all year around? Wish to take the whole family along for a fun day out?
Of course if you want the Trout or Atlantic Salmon with less work, definite results and heaps of fun you can catch your own at the Mountain Fresh Trout & Salmon Farm, Stony Creek Road, Harrietville. Once you have caught your fish they will even clean it up and have it ready to take home to cook up on the BBQ. Even the little ones will enjoy dangling a line. There is no better thrill than catching a fish and bringing it home. Contact them on 0357 592 558 for more information. Opening hours at 10am-4pm 5 Days a week (Closed Tues/Wed). The farm is open daily during Public & School Holidays however closed in February.
RIVER FISHING
Bait and spinning
Bait fishing and spinning for trout is a popular pastime for visitor and locals alike. Take care if wading as the current can be strong. Also holes in riverbeds change in depth and location from season to season. If using worms drift your worm down at the top of a pool using a small sinker.
Where are the best spots? A very good question, maybe the pondage at Mt. Beauty, Lake Buffalo, Kiewa River, Ovens River and Buckland River. Finding the right spot is half the challenge.
FLY FISHING
The local Ovens and Buckland Rivers and their tributaries provide good fly fishing with the best times being from October to December. Exactly when the great spring fly fishing starts will vary according to river levels, the temperature of the water and the spring snow thaws.
Wet fly fishing is very productive especially at the top of pools where the water is running in. Keep in touch with the fly at all, making constant line connections. Some useful patterns are Royal Coachman, Royal Wulf and Duns. A white moth is good when hatches are on and trout are taking them from the surface. Best fishing is at sunset.
Fly Fishing tours in Bright
Southern Fly Fishing Adventures - Graham - 0408 221 161
Matthew Howell Fly Fishing - 0438 323 252
5 Trout Fishing Tips for Victorian Rivers
Trout Fishing Tip 1 – Fish Upstream
Trout will almost always face upstream into the current, so by fishing upstream we are always coming up from behind the fish and bringing the lure or fly back past them like natural food in a river will do. Trout also have a bit of blind spot right behind them, so they will find it a lot harder to see you and your movements by doing this. But be prepared to change tactics if any back eddy’s are encountered along the river, as the flow will change direction and head back upstream, which means the fish will be facing downstream into the flow, and will see you coming!
Fishing upstream will drastically reduce your chances of being seen by fish.
Trout Fishing Tip 2 – Wear Polarised Sunglasses and a Hat
The use of good polarising sunglasses is a must on sunny days, it cuts the glare off the water and makes seeing trout and your fly or lure so much easier. A hat or cap will also keep the glare off your glasses or eyes helping even more. By being able to see through into the water we are able to better see fish holding structure, the fish themselves or any follows we may have on our lures or fly’s.
Polarised sunglasses reduce glare on the water, which will help you spot more fish and key fish holding areas
Trout Fishing Tip 3 – Wade the Rivers
Wading into the rivers will help by being able to access so many more places where the fish are holding. Also it gives better casting angles and allows to cover the river much more efficiently. 95% of our fishing is done standing in the river itself. Waders are also much more affordable than they were, and for shorter trips you do not need really good gortex waders like simms etc, but a $50 pair of rubber waders will work fine.
The use of waders give you many more options for access, especially in rugged terrain.
Trout Fishing Tip 4 – Stealth
Fish have remarkably good eyesight and will see movement from quite a distance. So stealth is a must, wear dull coloured clothing, keep low, make slow deliberate movements and try and stay to the shadows as much as possible. This especially rings true in smaller rivers where the fishing is close and the fish may only be a few meters in front of you.
Try to keep to the shadows to avoid detection.
Trout Fishing Tip 5 – Choice of Location
While most of our rivers hold trout, they will all fish totally different dependent on angling pressure. Try and find rivers or sections of rivers that do not get too much attention and your catch rates will definitely increase. The old saying “Either fish where the fish are, or where the fishermen aren’t” sums it up.
Good luck!
