Rainbows A Plenty In The Meander River.

Post by **meppstas** » Tue Dec 03, 2013 10:01 pm

'' RAINBOWS A PLENTY IN THE MEANDER .'' 3-12-13

Had an email from a friend who fished in the National Fly Fishing Championship on the weekend and he told me that there had been around 300 or more Rainbow Trout stocked into the Meander River for the Tournament. These fish were around an average weight of a 1lb (500gms) plus a few in the 3lb – 4 lb range as well and that being Championship it works on a catch and release and also barbless hooks too. So this meant that there were still all those rainbows still in the river to be caught, plus there were also a few Atlantic Salmon put in too in the 4 – 5 lb mark. I decided to head up to the small township of Meander for a late afternoon spin session and on my arrival there were around 11 or so fly fishermen in the river here. So that was the end of it for me in this area so I headed further downstream to another spot that I was told that a hundred or so rainbows had been released into the river. Good decision too! Not a single person to be seen which was a relief. Walked down through several paddocks next to the river for at least 1.5kms before heading into the river and stayed with the same little #00 Mepps Copper Black Fury spinner that's been doing such a great job on several trips now. Well, first cast and I hooked into a little brown (220gms) which rather took me by surprise as I wasn't expecting a fish that quick. Still it's the start one always hopes for isn't it. Then three casts later in the same section of river I had another small (230gms) brown on, now this is really looking good. But where's these rainbows?? Anyway by the time I had fished this 30 mtr section of river I had caught and released a total of four browns with the biggest going 440 gms.
Now the next section of water was one that used to always fish very well and gave up several fish on many trips here. It didn't let me down today either as I picked up another three small browns and finally my first rainbow for the day at the top end of the section. Nice solid fish that went 440gms and had some great colour to it as well. This fish had three or four hits at the spinner before finally being hooked. This fish was being kept for the smoker too as it's been a long time since I did some smoked trout. Well the next two stretches of river only gave up the one small brown 260gms and there was some really good looking water that I reckon should have been holding a few fish, but it wasn't to be. So then it was onto the next long stretch of river that had a nice medium flow to it with a small fast water at the top end. Real good looking piece of river this was, and it finished up being a ripper of a stretch too. I had three hit and misses in the first 20 mtrs from small browns and then when I had reached around half way up this section it was fish on and yes, Rainbow Trout again. Another solid fish and this one went 550gms and was in top condition too.
I stayed in the one spot here and worked the spinner to the opposite bank and then with a slow retrieve and letting it drift with the flow I picked up another nine rainbows without having to move. I did change the spinner after I had caught the first four as they were a little finicky and so I went with a small Rapala CD1 in the brown trout pattern and this worked a treat too. I really had to work this lure as well because they weren't really attacking it either and one had to work it as to entice them to hit the little CD1. Another change of lure now and this time it was to be a #0 Mepps copper Black Fury.
I decided to move and leave this section of river that still had quite a few rainbows still there to be caught next trip, which will be around 7.30am Thursday morning. Well the last stretch of river gave up another nice brown (420gms) and also four more rainbows and then the session was topped off with an Atlantic Salmon hitting hard and fast and then with once dash downstream my line parted. The line was more than likely frayed as it broke between the spinner and the anti-kink and this was my fault too as I should have replaced it some time ago. It has been used for quite a long time now and has had close on eighty trout caught using on this 6lb trace. It's changed now!! So in all it was a great session on the Meander River this afternoon and I finished up catching 15 rainbows and 9 browns for the session that fished close on 7.20pm. I did keep 8 rainbows for the smoker. What ever gets caught on Thursday morning will be released.
Cheers
Adrian