Reel Life January 2022

Angling Over the Holiday Period

Many anglers will be looking forward to their Christmas break to get out fishing and who can blame them, the fishing on offer is fantastic!

With everything from action packed perch fishing to reports of early salmon, there is no shortage of excitement on offer currently.

Getting out with the family is often popular over this period; with the lakes fishing extremely well for both perch and trout recently, I’m sure plenty of families will make some great memories over the break.

Over the Christmas period you can expect more people out and about fishing so I highly encourage you to look further afield.

Rather than fishing the bridge pool, why not speak to landowners and get out to stretches of water not commonly fished.

Asher and Jared who attended a West Coast Fish & Game skills and information session putting what they learnt to the test. (Photo Baylee Kersten)

Alternatively, try rivers with higher fish densities which handle higher angler pressure; as fish line up to take up feed lines when other fish are spooked to the depths.

High fish densities are typically found in lake outlets and mid/lower reaches of large river systems that are relatively stable.

Trout In Prime Condition

The reports of not just fantastic fishing but the trout being in great condition have been very steady this season.

Many anglers are reporting that they are not only catching more trout than typical but also that the ones they are catching are in top condition.

Mild summers and stable winters are great for trout and given the last two years have been just that, our fishery is in top shape.

Regular Rainfall Creating Great Fishing Opportunities

When prolonged periods of stable weather happen the fishing can get tough, lucky for us anglers that hasn’t been the case.

A very realistic softabit worked a treat on this stillwater brown. (Photo Baylee Kersten)

The regular rain stops rivers getting low and clear, which keeps the success rate of new and casual anglers up; this is what we love to see.

The lakes are continuing to fish exceptionally well with regular rain keeping food plentiful and temperatures ideal.

Giving soft baiting a go is a fantastic way to increase your catch in many cases, the realism relative to your typical toby can make all the difference when targeting cunning brown trout.

Your choice in soft bait is important to consider with bold, bright colours great when water clarity is low. As rivers clear up go for more realistic looking ones.

Hope to see you out there!

Baylee Kersten, West Coast Fish & Game Officer.