"Fly Fishing: Your Ultimate Remedy for the Monday Blues!"
Can't escape today? No worries! We've had a spot open up for Wednesday (full day) and Thursday (morning half-day).
Tight lines, everyone!
The river is in great shape. Weather is excellent. Fish are happy. And we begin getting more guides back on deck. Things are looking good here for the coming week.
Hope your schedule allows for a day out while the dry fly fishing is at its peak. You really can’t go wrong at the moment.
Experience an exceptional day on the Goulburn River with the area’s premier guide. If you’re eager to experience the best drift fishing, text 0418 995 611. Having navigated the Goulburn almost daily since my final year of university, and now at 52, my expertise and passion for these waters are unmatched. For those flexible with their schedules, I’m dedicated to offering as many anglers as possible the chance to enjoy the phenomenal fishing season we’re currently witnessing.
I’ll be busy for the rest of this evening preparing for tomorrow but remain available for a chat should you have any queries.
Currently, we’re amidst some of the most spectacular dry fly fishing of the year. Don’t let this opportunity slip by. Contact me, and I’ll make every effort to accommodate you on my boat in the upcoming weeks.
I hope you had a wonderful weekend, and hope to see you soon.
Anthony
@ GV Flyfishing.
Another of Andrew’s great fish from yesterday. I’ve been in the office all afternoon catching up on bookings, messages, plus the dreaded BAS. If you’re waiting for a reply, please be patient, as I’ll be working right through until after midnight.
Tight Lines, guys!
Anthony
The person who coined 'I hate Mondays' clearly never experienced life as a drift boat guide.
It's been two months since I last fished with Andrew, and he's compensating today by bringing plenty of impressive fish to the net.
Tight Lines to all!
Anthony
P.S. Due to a last-minute cancellation, we have a two-day slot available this week. Reach out if you're keen on a drift adventure with me.
Another great session of good fish mauling dry flies. 🎣 The Australia Day long weekend crowds are already beginning to appear. Make the most of today and tomorrow if you can. It’s going to be a circus 🎪 🤡
Another beautiful day on the river. The sun broke out around 2pm and conditions are simply perfect. There should be good fishing right across the north east this weekend. Hope you get out there for some aqua therapy.
Tight Lines, everyone! TGIF.
The drift boat. Where every seat is the best in the house!
The fish have been cooperating again today, and with the threat of a severe electrical storm looming, we’re definitely making hay before its arrival.
Tight Lines, everyone! See you on the water.
The conditions are still excellent, with the sky blanketed in cloud, a stiff breeze, and warm temperatures. The fish have been looking up since first light today, and there are a heap of beetles and ants falling in, as well as the largest numbers of caddis we’ve seen for years.
We’ve been deliberately hitting the willow trees with our oars to create a running hatch as we move down the river.
There is a weather change coming this evening which will bring some temporary relief from the heat. But it won’t be long lasting and it won’t shave too many points off the temperature. We’re still looking at mid to high twenties for the entire forecast period.
The river remains low, with flows of 2200 ML/d persisting. It won’t stay this way for much longer, as we are now in full summer. Reading between the lines, the message is this. If you like low-water fishing, get up here immediately. There is a ton of surface activity going on, and if you are willing to walk further than the next person, there are plenty of fish to catch, and lots of untouched water to fish. The smallest streams are now all in their prime as well.
Tight Lines, everyone!
The predicted wind hasn’t arrived yet, so we’re heading out for a session today. The week ahead promises to be eventful with the onset of peak summer. We have openings for both half-day and full-day guided sessions, and there are still a few boat spots left for those eager to maximize their time on the water.
Wishing everyone is managing the festive frenzy well, and we’re excited to see you all shortly.
Tight Lines!
Absolutely heaps of fish around at the moment, but knowing where they’re holding has made all the difference for us these past few days. The river jumped from 2000 to 2500 on Monday, and the fish have really found their groove at this height. It’s at a great level for both drift boating and wade fishing, with terrific hatches of caenids from first light that give way to a solid emergence of caddis at around 11 am. There are also plenty of cicadas around, and the first of the small hoppers are now jumping around the paddocks.
Life is good for the trout of the Goulburn Valley.
The fish in the video is typical of what we caught over recent days. I chose to post this one because it was just too pretty not to share. Biggest fish to the net over recent days was a smidgen over 3lb. Our biggest headache at the moment is choosing where to fish. There are just so many options from Eildon all the way down to Molesworth.
Oh, and we haven’t seen more than 2-3 fishermen per day on our drifts of more than 15km. You have to love the pre-Christmas slow down up here. While Melbourne’s shopping centres, freeways, and car parks, swell with human activity, the Goulburn, and much of the rest of the regional areas of Victoria, remain a ghost town.
For those interested in a session of guided fishing or instruction, we have some availability tomorrow, and next week, though drift boat slots are filling fast for the period leading up to Christmas. If you’re eager to experience the Goulburn Valley at its finest, contact us to explore your options. We’re entering the peak of the fishing season, offering superb opportunities for dry fly and sight fishing.
That’s all for this morning. Feel free to reach out for any of your fly fishing needs. We are out guiding everyday this month, so please be patient and leave a message, or fire off a text to me on 0418 995 611 and I’ll reply as soon as I’m off the water.
Tight Lines!
Anthony @ GV FlyFishing
The fishing was patchy today as the river came up from a paltry 400 to slightly less paltry 800 ML/d. 🤦♂️Hatches persisted but it was more about the wind. The wind gods were definitely none too pleased from around 1pm onwards. Put simply. When the gusts abated, the fish rose. When it blew hard, it was more difficult to see them picking off the small bugs in the chop.
Had an evening session straight after my daytime drift ended. We timed it perfectly (read, we got lucky 🍀 ) and the wind backed off and the light did spectacular evening type things. The fish ate well until the showers started again, but luckily this didn’t happen until around 7.30 pm. That was our cue to call it a day.
Tomorrow should be better again with a bump in flows to 1,200 ML/d, then 1,500 on the weekend. But be warned. Summer is approaching, with hot weather forecast to return next week.
We say, bring it on!
Hope you’re getting out and blazing a trail - and sending plenty of trout to therapy for their dry fly addictions. We’re on the cusp of some great fishing in all the smaller streams too. You’ve got to love December as one of the very best times of year to throw flies at trout right across Victoria.
Tight Lines, amigos! And hope to see you all soon.
The GVFFC Team
P.S. We still have some guide slots open next week, so reach out if you’re itching for a fish. Remember, as the only full-time professional guides in the valley, we’re often available for last-minute or walk-in bookings. We live in two modes: Guiding or ready-to-guide. 😂
The fish are in the shallow riffles today eating caddis pupa. A few are taking the adults, but for the most part its emerger patterns fished a few inches beneath the surface that are working best.
PSA. The low water has exposed lots of hazards and some near impassable obstacles. Just a word of warning as there have been three boats/rafts capsized in the past week and a half. And that’s just the incidents that we know of.
Getting back to the fishing, there are quite a few duns coming off today too. Should be solid hatches over the next few days with overcast conditions and occasional showers. Perfect spring weather combined with the warmest water temps of the year and a low flowing river. The perfect recipe for good hatches / dry fly fishing.
Make the most of these unexpected water levels. An anomaly that can’t last with the full blast furnace of summer just around the corner.
Tight lines, everyone!
GVFFC Team
Drifting down the Goulburn River as Christmas approaches offers a tranquillity that’s hard to find elsewhere. The constant hum of cicadas fills the air, creating a soothing backdrop to the gentle flow of the low waters. It’s blissfully quiet out here - a stark contrast to the bustling Christmas frenzy in Melbourne.
As we head into this serene period, we invite you to join us on the river. Our full crew of experienced guides is back, and we have availability most days. It’s the perfect opportunity for those seeking to disconnect from the daily grind and reconnect with nature. Whether you’re a seasoned angler or just looking for a peaceful day away from the ‘matrix’, our team is ready to provide an unforgettable fly fishing experience.
Tight lines, everyone!
GVFFC Team
Get ready for peak drift boat season on the Goulburn! Now’s the perfect time to escape the urban pre-Christmas rush. Picture crystal-clear waters, ideal weather, and trout eagerly rising – a true fly fisher’s paradise.
Here’s a thought: grant yourself a cheeky day off. It could be a sudden case of ‘Covid’, a much-needed mental health break, or perhaps an ‘aqua therapy’ day – whatever your reason, it’s a great excuse to hit the water. You really don’t want to miss out on a drift boat escapade in the upcoming weeks.
To whet your appetite, have a look at the video below. We recently uploaded it on YouTube and it’s just too good not to share with you here. Being the Goulburn’s sole full-time drift boat experts, we’ve set the standard for 30 years, ever since we introduced this form of fishing back in March 1994.
Can’t wait to see you by the river. If there’s anything you need, just give us a shout. And don’t forget, whether your heart is set on a drift boat journey on the Goulburn, exploring the South Island of New Zealand, or dreaming of Montana, we’re here to turn your fishing aspirations into reality.
Terrific fishing again today! We didn’t spot another soul on the river, and the fish were all about the dry flies from start to finish. It’s a bit of a guessing game whether the river will follow its current trajectory and drop to the forecasted 2,000 ML/d by mid-next week. With the lake at 98.9% and hot weather on the horizon, plus some rain predicted in about a week, we might be looking at high water levels for the foreseeable future.
I’ve been out on the water every day, covering both my duties and Lachie’s while he recovers from his shoulder injury. But with Lachie now returning, I’ll finally have a rare half-day in the office to start working through emails, texts, messages, and voicemails. If you’re waiting on a response from me, feel free to text or call either this evening or tomorrow, as my time to reply is quite limited.
This weekend is shaping up to be fantastic, with water levels high enough to push the fish into the margins. Edge stalking should yield some great fishing, and I don’t expect much of a crowd since it’s been pretty quiet around here since the cup weekend.
Hope this message finds you well, and I’m looking forward to our next fishing adventure together. Stay safe and tight lines!
What a day we had yesterday, and today's shaping up to be just as good! The smaller rivers are showing some life with caddis and stoneflies making an appearance. They're a bit on the high side, but the hatches are giving it their all. Over on the Goulburn, from Thornton to Molesworth, we're spotting loads of fish – they're mooching, tailing, and feasting right up in the flooded edges.
When it comes to luring these fish, it's all about how you present. You've got to bring your top stalking game or at least try to stay out of sight and be patient. Once you've spotted and tracked a fish, try to make your move when it's off on its beat, ideally with its back to you. Position your flies right where the fish is likely to find them. The thrill factor here is big with, most takes with happening just 1-3 rod lengths away.
A bit of troubling news about the Rubicon though – reports are coming in of the water turning black for short bursts, like 10-30 minutes at a time. Looks like there might be excavators or other heavy machinery stirring things up, especially above the Taggerty Thornton Road bridge. If you spot anything – dirty water, machinery, anything out of the ordinary – jot down what you see, the time, date, and location. Photos or videos would be brilliant too. Pass it all onto us, and we’ll take it up with the authorities.
Hate to end on a downer, but the Rubicon isn't just any river. It's a gem of a trout stream within easy reach of Melbourne and a legendary piece of Aussie fly fishing history. Scholes wrote about it, and that famous water race is still there. Plus, it's crucial for the Goulburn’s spawning fish. We know some of you must have seen where this earthwork is happening. 😉 So, if you can, use your phones or drones to document it. We need to stop this once and for all, for the sake of this iconic river.
Have a great day out there, and don’t pass up the Goulburn just because it’s flowing high. If you take the time to find fish in the ed
This morning’s hatch was EPIC and the fish reacted just as you’d expect them to. The river is scheduled to rise over the coming days, which will clear the water all the way down to Molesworth and beyond. This gives us even more options for drifting and some different experiences for those who’ve booked multiple days next week. See comments below for the forecast.
Summer has officially arrived, and both the fishing, and the temperatures, are 🔥 Enjoy your weekend and hope to see you all up here soon.
Tight Lines!!
P.S. See the comments below this post for the latest water release schedule as published by GMW.
P.P.S. We have two spots left in our weekend workshop starting tomorrow. Call to learn more or make a booking.
The river levels are rising and we're anticipating thunderstorms over the next few days. This shift in weather is likely to bring about significant termite activity, which is a tad delayed this season. Consequently, we anticipate a terrific showing of fluttering bugs along the river.
With the water level rising and bugs hatching, we're excited to resume our river drifts. If you're keen to partake in this seasonal termite phenomenon, our boats offer a comfortable vantage point, or you may prefer a more hands-on approach on foot. We provide guided sessions for both wading and drift boating.
The optimal time for fishing this week will be from mid-morning until late-afternoon as the cloud cover retains warmth and humidity overnight, resulting in lots of insect activity throughout the day. However, if the storms abate until evening, the mid to late afternoon could offer remarkable fishing opportunities. For those with flexible schedules, we suggest booking now and finalising the start time the evening prior, to ensure we capitalise on the most favourable conditions.
We have boats available every day. Please call us to secure a spot or to explore further options.
Tight Lines!!
Had a cracker of a day on the river – fish were keen, but it’s clear as glass out there, making them picky when it comes to dry fly eats. Only a few other anglers around, which was nice.
River’s holding at 1,000 ML/d for a bit before bumping up to 1,500 ML/d. With the mercury set to hit the 30s next week, she’ll likely rise more.
If you’re itching to up your game or nail the basics, we’ve got a course running this weekend. These two day workshops represent great value and are the perfect way to spend a couple of days enjoying this perfect spring weather. Give us a shout to book in. Bring a friend and save on the already low price.
We’re giving the drift boats a miss this weekend – been out every day at this flow, but Melbourne Cup Weekend’s a whole other ball game. We’re set to get back on the drift from Tuesday, but if the river comes up in the next few days, we might be floating sooner. We’ll keep you posted.
Have a top one tonight, and swing by the shop if you’re in the area. Our doors are always open, and we’ll be here to talk about all things fly fishing. We’re also on hand to sort out any casting kinks, gear you up with the top flies for the river, or just reminisce about the one that got away.
Tight lines!!
