Dr Pieter Mourik, Albury Wodonga
One of the attractions of living in Albury Wodonga is that we are close to pristine, clear streams meandering around the mountain ranges and into the valleys. “So?” I hear you ask. Well, these streams are teeming with trout. In fact, it is one of the reasons why I like to live here; I can catch a trout for dinner less than an hour’s drive from home.
Trout fishing has been a popular sport for centuries; it combines the excitement of catching wild fish, wading crystal clear mountain streams and enjoying the abundant natural beauty of the bush frequented with native animals and birds.
I often see platypus swimming in the stream, and one actually swam between my legs! As we quietly wade upstream in search of fish, we may see wild deer grazing nearby. There are some snakes, mostly red-bellied blacks, which are docile and harmless if you leave themalone, and being in the water in waders, you are completely safe.
Giant tree ferns line the streams and with many other native ferns and plants, it is a naturalist’s delight. In these remote and protected environments, there are numerous native birds that appear to be unafraid of humans and come quite close.
There is a downside of course, and that is the introduced blackberry which is a dreadful pest in the Australian bush, but after the record floods, most streams are clear, for a while at least. Apparently there is a “rust” being developed to eradicate blackberry bushes, so I live in hope that our beautiful native bush will be restored.
Trout were introduced from England in 1864, and they have successfully adapted to our streams. Some say too successfully as they have destroyed a lot of native fish, so it is our ‘duty’ to fish for trout.
Every mountain stream has trout, mostly brown and rainbow, with a rare catch of a brook trout. Trout prefer icy cold steams. In fact, if the water temperature is over 18 degrees forget trying to fish, as they won’t be there!
The three main ways of fishing streams is with bait, (worms, grasshoppers, crickets and mud-eyes), a spinner (thatsimulates a tiny swimming fish), or fly fishing with an artificial fly, either ‘dry’ (which floats on the surface), or ‘wet’ (which sinks below the surface). As most of the trout’s food is from below the surface, dry flies are only used when the trout are seen to be feeding on the surface. Some perfectionists net the emerging insect life and tie a similar fly to ‘match the hatch’! I find this unnecessary in a moving, crystal clear mountain stream, as the trout are so ferocious, they will attack anything which is in their view.
The adrenaline rush when a large trout leaps at your fly and hooks on has to be experienced. Then you need the skill to play and land the fish which is not an easy task for the novice. I prefer the ‘catch and release’ method (apart for one for the table!), so that the majority of trout caught are returned to fight another day. However the trout must be handled gently before releasing or they will not survive.
To be bitten by the trout fishing bug has been one of my life’s greatest joys. I have fished most of the Northeast mountain streams now for over 30 years and the pleasure is undiminished. I have taken many of my city based medical students trout fishing and it is exciting to watch them catch their first trout. Hopefully some of my medical students will catch the trout fishing bug too and will return to the bush to practice both medicine and trout fishing skills.
*Between catches, Dr Pieter Mourik lectures in obstetrics and gynaecology at the University of New South Wales’ Albury Rural Clinical School. He is pictured casting about at a favourite fishing hole.
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