One thing I've learned about anglers is they are an
opinionated lot and fly anglers are the most
opinionated of them all. "You've got to have a 5 weight
rod" (or 4 or 6), "Use a weight forward line" (or
a double taper), "Tie your own leader", "Use this
fly", "Tie it with this knot", "Fish it like
this" etc etc etc. Well I reckon I'm now past the novice
stage and think I'm entitled to have some opinions of my own. So
I'm going to tell you what I think is the best trout stream
in the world.
When I started fly fishing seriously about two
years ago I had read stories about the chalk streams of England,
the steelhead waters of North America and the pristine rivers of
New Zealand. So naturally I sought out the nearest blue ribbon
stream to practise the craft which in my case is the mighty
Goulburn River in Victoria, Australia. The Goulburn is a tailrace
fishery with abundant large wild brown trout. There are good
hatches throughout the season especially during spring and autumn.
But during the hot summer months it stands alone with irrigation
water releases keeping the water cold and clear and the
backwaters full. Despite air temperatures that can rise above 40
degrees C (100 deg F) the water stays around the 13 degree C (55
deg F) mark. Add to that the hopper and beetle falls and you have
some magnificent fishing. The Goulburn is 2 hours drive from
Melbourne, Australia - a city of 3 million. Many regard it as one
of the premier trout streams in Australia and a world class
fishery. So you think I'm going to declare it to be the Best
Trout Stream in the World? Wrong.
A few months ago I was introduced to the King
Parrot Creek. "The Parrot," as it is affectionately
known, is a small tributary of the Goulburn, rising in the hills
north of Melbourne and joining it well below the tailrace section.
In its upper reaches it is not much more than 20 feet at its
widest and apart from a few pools it is only about shin deep. It
has a smallish population of wild brown trout with a one pounder
being a monster, so catch and release is essential. There is no
hatch to speak of and in a really hot summer the water
temperature can reach levels that can put a trout right off his
food. This is the 'Best Trout Stream in the World.'
When I arrive at the Parrot I only have to walk
a couple of hundred metres downstream from my car to the start of
my regular beat. The Goulburn, like many other streams, is so
popular you have to walk at least a kilometre or two just to
avoid the crowds. At the Parrot it is rare to encounter another
angler of any discipline. It's great to feel as if you have the
stream all to yourself.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because it is so uncrowded? Well, that's one reason,
but there's more . . .
Navigating the Parrot is pretty easy. Being
fairly shallow there is little danger of getting dunked. The
deepest part I've seen was just over waist deep and that was
when it was in flood. With the low flow and with the warm Aussie
climate it's pretty easy to wet wade the Parrot with comfort.
No need for neoprene waders or thermal clothing here. Just a pair
of shorts and sandshoes will generally do.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because it is so navigable? Well, that's one reason,
but there's more . . .
You don't need to be a champion caster to fish the Parrot.
A big cast is when you have ten feet of line
past the tip. Any more would take you well past the far bank or,
more likely, wrap your line around either the trees and bushes
behind or the ones in front. More often than not its just a flick
of the wrist to pop the fly under the overhanging branches.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because it doesn't require big casts? Well, that's
one reason, but there's more . . .
Even though there are no great clouds of mayfly
or caddis hanging over the Parrot the trout will generally take
any well presented non-descript like a Geehi Beetle, Red Tag,
Royal Wulff or Royal Coachman. And if they are not cooperating on
the surface they will normally take a small brown nymph fished
upstream. No need to carry lots of fly patterns, sampling nets
and magnifying glasses to match the hatch. Just a few simple
patterns with a few spares to feed the trees.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because the fish will take any reasonably presented fly?
Well, that's one reason, but there's more . . .
Even though the trout in the Parrot will take
just about anything, getting a good drift is not an easy task.
Low overhanging ti-trees and wattle trees provide great cover for
the trout but make a straight upstream cast a near impossibility.
Roll casts with a horizontal rod, back handed curve casts and
delicate little flicks across stream are the order of the day.
The trick is to get a few feet of drag free drift to take the fly
under the branches before the current variations across the
stream induce drag. Wouldn't be half as much fun if it was a walk
in the park.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because it is challenging? Well, that's one reason but
there's more . . .
The Parrot is a shallow stream, so when a trout
takes the fly you can normally see it all happening before your
eyes. It gets the adrenalin going when you see a trout come up to
inspect the fly and, if you've done everything right, to
then take it. On one occasion I landed the fly amidst a
tangle of coiled tippet and I swear I saw the trout come up and
untangle the line to get to the fly. At times like these you've
got to be patient and control the nerves to avoid striking too
early.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because of the thrill of being able to see the trout take
the fly? Well, that's one reason, but there's more . . .
On my first trip to the Parrot I caught six
trout in less than ideal conditions - the creek was in flood and
very turbid. That was my best day's fishing ever up till
then. I have never been skunked on the Parrot and will normally
get up to half a dozen takes in a couple of hours fishing. Now at
this stage of my progress I still manage to miss or drop a high
percentage of those takes - I believe Long Distance Release is
the technical term - but at least I'm getting plenty of
action.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because it is so productive? Well, that's one reason
but there's more . . .
The trout in the Parrot are all wild browns
even though they are not native to this country. It was last
stocked in 1969 and the Goulburn which provides the big spawners
was last stocked in 1981. Whenever I catch a trout in the Parrot,
I like to photograph it as they have such beautiful colouring.
They have a shiny golden brown back with dark black spots. Along
their sides are bright red spots with a clearly defined white
ring around them. Makes it easy to see why they are called brown
trout.
So is the Parrot the best trout stream in the
world because the trout are all wild and beautifully coloured?
Well, that's one reason, but there's more . . .
The Parrot is the nearest trout stream to where
I live - only 50 minutes drive away. I can drive up there
and get in a couple of hours fishing and return home in just one
morning or an afternoon. That's really important to someone
who works fulltime in the city and has a young family. In my
first year of fly fishing the Goulburn, I spent a lot of time
driving and not much time fishing. Two hours each way makes four
hours return then add in a few hours fishing to make it
worthwhile and there's a whole day gone. In my situation it's
really hard to give up a whole day on a weekend, so I was lucky to
go fishing once a month, if that. On the other hand, I can fish
the Parrot nearly every weekend. As a learner I need all the
practice I can get and clocking up hours on the water sure beats
flogging the back yard. Fishing the same beat every week gives me
a benchmark that lets me gauge my improvement - number of
takes, number of missed strikes, number of snagged flies. I'm
certain my presentation, streamcraft and striking ability have
all improved. Many of the trout are like old friends. I have
learnt where they normally take up position and where I can
expect them to take the fly - although they can still
surprise me. When I see them come up to inspect the fly, I feel
like saying "G'day, how's it going?" before
getting down to the serious business of trying to fool them into
taking the fly. Some of them I've caught up to five times
over. When they don't show up at all it's not just
disappointing; I even start to worry that someone else has caught
and kept them. It's a real relief when they are back on the
job the following week.
That's why the Parrot is the 'Best Trout Stream in the World'.
The best trout stream doesn't have to have the most fish or
the biggest fish. Just like the best tackle shop
doesn't have to have a full range of all the latest gear in
stock. As long as it has the tackle you want, is easily
accessible and provides good, friendly service. Of course I like
to fish the blue ribbon streams once in a while for a bit of
variety and to go after some trophy fish. But the Parrot is
always there to be fished even if I don't have a lot of
spare time. And having all those other reasons means it is still
a lot of fun. ~ Ken Self
|