Blue Mountain Rainbows

The Blue Mountains lie 70 kilometers west of Sydney and present outdoor enthusiast with a large array of outdoor options. I am fortunate to use this area as my backyard for numerous activities but increasingly for fly-fishing. Warragamba dam is the main water supply for Sydney, holding four times the water of Sydney Harbour. It is off limits to any form of fishing, the only way to target these fish is on their annual spawning run up the rivers, creeks and tributaries.

Waters running into the dam include the Woollondilly, Kowmung, Kanangra and the Coxs River. All these waters are popular with fly fishers. Anglers can target fish heading upstream in these waters and the surrounding environment provides and wonderful backdrop to the entire fishing experience. However caution is advised not to enter the waterboard exclusion zone around the dam, or to fish the waters of the rivers or creeks in the closed season as these areas are patrolled and people are fined for such activities. There are areas that are open to fishing year round and it is these are of interest to the angler.

The section that I often make a yearly pilgrimage to lies at the end of the Megalong Valley Road. At the end of this road is a parking area where vehicles can be left to take the 3 hour walk along Breakfast creek to meet up with the Coxs river. It is possible to do this as a day trip, but is far more enjoyable as an over night say or three.

I try to time my trips to coincide with the winter spawn runs after there has been some decent rains to raise the level of the river to allow the fish to move upstream. If water levels are low you may just be chasing the few small fish that reside in the river year round. It is extremely exciting to see the large schools of fish as they move up the river, comparable to some of the spawn runs that are found in New Zealand. Success has come my way fishing this water, so much so that I have contemplated an early retirement to send my remaining days in this wilderness area.

Coxs River provides fantastic fly fishing opportunities with a mixture of sandy pools, rifles and small rapids. The rivers usually runs very clear, but in the event of a flood do not attempt to cross this water as lives have been lost underestimating its power. In normal conditions the water rarely exceeds three feet and with wonderful clarity provide for ideal sight fishing.

Early morning starts are ideal as the fish can often be seen moving, but if conditions are right, they may continue moving all day in order to fulfil that basic need to reproduce. With such good sight fishing prospects it makes sense to select the fish you want as you could spend an hours in one area as you pick each fish off one by. Many fly fishers choose glo-bugs to target these fish, I have had just as much luck with nymph patters that work just as well. Regardless of which fly you use a bit of weight will help get it down into the area where the fish are and improve your chances of catching fish

You hear it time and time again presentation of the fly seems to be to most important aspect of getting these fish to take your fly. If you can get the fly in front of the fish you stand a good chance of getting a take. If you get no response keep trying until the fish take it out of frustration. This tactic does work, just remember to frustrate the fish not vice-versa. The fish also seen a little less spooky than normal river fish which can be an advantage when you are casting heavy flies.

My outfit consists of a six-weight rod, weight forward line with about 15 feet of tapered leader. Tippet section is usually 4 to 6 lbs. I fish with a two-nymph rig with a larger nymph above a smaller nymph dropper. I tie my own flies which allows me to add the amount of weight I need, too much weight just makes casting more difficult so don’t go overboard. A piece of fluro wool for an indicator, or better still no indicator at all, with such clear waters the takes can be seen. All fish that I have taken have been rainbow trout ranging from 1-4lbs.

All streams feeding into Warragamba are likely to provide the opportunities during the spawning season. Some areas will see more anglers than othersdue to easier accessibility. A sense of exploration would open up new areas for potential fishing. To have a waterway of this quality less than two hours drive from Sydney is hard to imagine, but it is there.

Would I like to keep it a secret? Part of me would like to have it all for myself, the other part wants to share it with all other responsible anglers. This is a wilderness area with no amenities please remember to take all rubbish out with you, and only take what fish you need. It can be an exhausting walk out with a light backpack let alone on filled with fish. Please be aware of any illegal fishing activities and if you do see something please report it to NSW Fisheries or phone Phil McCarthy (NSW Fisheries) 0407 894 746.