The Kosciuszko National Park was awakening to its familiar pitches and calls, the sounds of laughing kookaburras and warbling magpies, that characterise the forest and make it feel alive and special. It was just above freezing and the sun, almost up, providing just enough light to no longer need the headtorch. I could now just make out everything around me and was beginning to warm up, as I made the final descent down to the river. I was excited and full of confidence, knowing I had a full day on the river to myself. It was the last day of the brown trout spawning run of 2023 and the end to the NSW fishing season.
I’d left Canberra at 4:30am this morning with a smooth run up to the Snowy Mountains. There’s always little traffic on the road at this hour, other than the odd heavy truck and trailer going about their mornings work. The chance of a kangaroo bounding onto the darkened road kept me on edge while the coffee had time to take effect.
Scanning the Eucumbene River for the first time, it looked picture perfect; full and flowing fast, but with a slight milkiness in colour. Conditions like this are generally when the river fishes at its best during the spawn run. The browns are entering the
