One of the most keenly sought freshwater fish is the trout, both brown and rainbow.
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Both are top sporting fish, as well as table fish.
They are not native, but such is their reputation, they have a protection and breeding program, which is also afforded to our native fish such as cod and yellowbelly.
Both are from a cooler climate but have adapted to our temperature and mountain rivers and streams.
Needless to say, they are more active during our winter but can be caught during the warmer months.
Trout abound in Tasmania as well as in the Victorian north-east and NSW high country.
They are known to grow to trophy size up to six and seven kilograms, but the average is around 1.5kg and plate size.
I was well into my fishing before I managed to land my first trout.
In fact, it was many years.
I was on holiday in Gippsland and was introduced to wading a river in a pair of runners and jeans.
Not an ideal wading outfit, but it worked.
We were in the Mitta Mitta River past the Blue Duck Inn, and were casting black crickets.
It worked. We bagged out on mainly brown trout, with a couple of rainbow thrown in.
Since then I have been hooked on trout fishing, both with bait and lures.
I never mastered the art of fly fishing.
I have caught many trout in Lake Dartmouth using a boat troller.
Also in Eildon, and various rivers and streams in the north-east.
Pound for pound, trout are a great fish to catch.
Trout are a member of the Salmonidae family, but unlike salmon they do not go out to sea, they live and breed in fresh water.
One of the most famous breeding facilities is not far from here at a place called Snobs Creek.
Run by the state, Snobs Creek is responsible for the breeding of millions of trout, which have been released in waterways both in Victoria and NSW.
Snobs Creek was also involved in the early attempts at breeding Murray cod, with much success.
The program to breed cod has now been moved to Arcadia just west of the Goulburn Valley Hwy.
As a sideline to the breeding of trout, when the brood fish are past their use-by date they are released into the Goulburn River just below the wall of the Eildon Dam.
Dartmouth Dam has been where I have had most success in catching trout.
For me it has been the mecca for trout in this state while Jindabyne in NSW has been the place for trout in NSW.
Both are high-country dams and both have a great reputation for trout.
Finally, the best way to cook a trout is to cook them whole in a pan.
Just gut them and dust them with seasoned flour.
Trout have a long rib cage filled with dozens of very fine bones, which are nearly impossible to get rid of by filleting.
So just cook them whole and scrape the meat away with a fork.
The flesh of a wild-caught trout is pink when cooked.
Time now to take a look at saltwater fishing, at Queenscliff.
Rod Lawn from Adamas Fishing Charters said the snapper continued to look good, with more and more bigger fish starting to appear.
Rod said that the reef along the coast from Barwon Heads to Point Lonsdale and inside the heads are producing good catches, and snapper up to three to four kilograms are being caught by anglers fishing these reefs.
Inside the bay and as far as Mornington, better than pinky size fish are biting and Rod said it was looking like it could be a good season.
Rod said that while it was not so good for squid, whiting were also on the bite in the grass beds around Swan Bay and areas as far as St Leonards.
Once again I say to people, be snake safe.
It’s spring, the weather is warming up, which is great.
However, it’s also appealing to snakes.
They’re becoming more active, and only on Friday a friend reported riding his bike on the back road from Mooroopna to Shepparton and nearly going over the top of a rather angry tiger snake.
So be be snake safe if you’re going into the bush to go fishing.
And good fishing.