– Nick Taransky writes about the ephemeral but fabulous lowland streams in the Monaro region of the Snowy Mountains of Australia – Images are by Nick Taransky in a beautifully illustrated article where he describes these small streams as ‘hard, and technical, like the Henry’s Fork’, and says, he’s fished there too, and fished in New Zealand, and admits that he would not leave the best of the Monaro for any of those places. And I can see why! It’s the sort of small stream fly fishing that we all dream of! 

To put a geographical context on it, where I live (Queanbeyan, basically on the edge of Australia’s capital Canberra), is on the South East corner of the Australian mainland, in New South Wales.  To the southwest is Mount Kosciuszko (the highest point in Australia, at a mere 2215 metres) in the Kosciuszko National Park.  These are broadly known as the Snowy Mountains. The fishing in the park is fantastic.  The rivers are mostly freestone, with a mix of browns and rainbows, and even a few brook trout tucked away here and there.  And access to the park is open.  With a NSW fishing license ($35 for a year) and parks pass ($190 for a whole year, or $27 per vehicle per day), you can fish thousands of kilometres of streams and rivers.  Most fish aren’t big, but there are plenty of big ones if you work for them.  It is a magic place of tussocky high plains, snow gums, Australian wildlife and wild horses (Brumbies).  Maybe the most beautiful place in Australia.

Outside of the Park, all access is through private farmland.  There is some debate about streamside access from bridges without permission, but to me, access is very rarely denied if a landowner is approached politely.  And if it is, it is usually for a reason.  Do YOU want to walk through a paddock with a massive, angry bull in it?  Just ask…

So, outside the park, the farmland slopes towards the coastal escarpment.  To the south of the Snowies, there are peat streams, mainly holding brown trout, that fish very well.  Again, most fish are not large, though again, some can be.  To the South East of the park is a very special place - the Monaro region.  This plateau is a mix of granite, and highly fertile basalt soil.  The rivers are fertile, but marginal.  Drought wipes out these fisheries for decades at a time (as they did for the first decade of the Millennium), but like the “girl with the curl”, when they are good, well….

These fertile streams provide ridiculous food factories and growth rates.  Every stream has a different character, but good times provide average fish well above two pounds, and easily beyond five.  In the best years sixes and more - eights, tens and beyond are possible.  And the insect life means that these fish can, and will rise to dry flies.  Even more, they will rise SELECTIVELY to mayflies, and undo you, time and time again. World class.  Hard, and technical, like the Henry’s Fork, and yes, I’ve fished there too. I’ve fished in New Zealand as well, and I can tell you, that I would not leave the best of the Monaro for it.  But ‘best’ is the operative word.  

It lives on a knife edge, and maybe I love it even more for that.  Like a mayfly, it is ephemeral.  Wild fish somehow survive (at bad times in very low numbers) and can spawn effectively when Autumn flows allow.  Summer can be dire, so the fish need to be left in peace in general from December to mid March or later, depending on the weather.  There are too many stories of ‘heroes’ catching and releasing beautiful big fish in summer, with landowners finding the fish have died after release.  In the worst times, and even OK ones, the hard work of the ‘MAS’ (Monaro Acclimitisation Society) restocks fry of wild stripped Snowy Mountains browns back into these streams.  But the vibrancy and drought tolerance of the wild bred Monaro fish needs to be cherished.  Anyone, ever, killing one of these fish should have a look at themselves.  And yet some do.  I have cancelled rod orders from some who have bragged about it.

Click in images to enlarge them

Paul shows Henry and Miri a few finer points.  Don’t laugh guys - look serious!!!

Anyway, off my soap box.  My friend and mentor, Paul Bourne, has taught me much about the magic of this fishery - what is, what it was, and what it can be.  Ray Brown too has taught me a lot, as well as leading me down the path of the short, powerful bamboo rod taper that I see as the definitive Australian rod for these waters.  

Spring flows are beautiful… In Summer this may be a trickle at best...

And some recent experiences...

Henry is a landowner on one of these lowland streams.  A couple of Winters ago, his wife organised for him to make a bamboo rod with me, over a few weekends.  We had a wonderful time, and the offer to show me his water was something I looked forward to for a long time.  Paul and my wife Miri, joined me at Henry’s recently, and we had a fantastic day along a stretch of a stream on his property.

Miri waits for a cruiser that’s dropped back from a pool on a beat a couple of times.

 Miri and Paul both landed fish, and Henry and I had one on for a bit! It was a very social day, fishing one at a time with the three others offering support, and advice (wanted and otherwise).  As well as the fish that we hooked, we saw quite a few others too.  In classic Monaro style, they weren’t easy.  We spooked some (well, I did), and we had several refusals.  Miri even saw a fish refuse a NATURAL mayfly dun on the surface with distain...

Classic Monaro.  Rejection!!!  Doesn’t want the dun pattern.

But likes the Possum Emerger… Thanks Ray!

Fish on!  It’s hard to see who is happier - Miri or Henry. Miri made her rod too, by the way - along with me, with Jeff Wagner in the USA (www.wagnerrods.com)

A typical Monaro brown.

The smile says it all.  I taught her well??

Henry’s turn...

Monaro browns get thick across the shoulders, and a hump from all the nutrient.  And they go like Hell!

Henry has a cast on his creek.  The shearing can wait! Till after lunch at least.

Waiting and stalking is crucial on these waters.  Make the most of your chance(s)!

As Paul says in his dry tone - “Patience is a Virtue”.  Then we all laugh.

And as for me.  Why, why, why do I spook them so?

My other close fishing mate, Troy, lives in Cooma so the Monaro streams are in his backyard.  He moved there from the Big Smoke 15 years ago to follow his fly fishing passion.  His son, Kel, is mad keen too, and last year, Kel made a rod with me as part of his school work experience.  This season, I had the pleasure of spending a day with Troy and Kel on a little Monaro basalt creek, while Kel fish the bamboo rod that he made himself.  

This creek is barely more than a gutter in black farm soil, but it has the most ridiculous mayfly population I’ve ever seen (pick up a black rod and nymphs are literally caked on).  The fish take advantage of this, and grow fast and big, and smart too.

Just a crack in the farmland

Down goes Kel’s fly

Fish on!  And the bamboo does the job, no problems…

The proof of the pudding…

Kel’s rod ( a 7 foot #4 Leonard 38H) and his fish

And back it goes for next time