Don’t get stuck in a RUT try – Winter Murray Cod fly fishing!

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Fueled by my passion for fly fishing with my fly rod in hand and the great outdoors calling you! I’m fishing in a tight pocket of the river casting large flies at these beautiful marbled colored fish. A season you have planned never goes the way you expect it to and the journey still continues. Tough season and equally tough and stubborn fish, the hunger drives you to boiling point and you still set trip after trip to nut out the mighty cod.

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Fly fishing is not limited to the summer months with the right knowledge and approach; you get to enjoy your passion any time of the year. Though you do not always come home with a fish or even get a strike, you are still able to pursue your passion all year long. Make every opportunity into fly fishing season.

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Depending on your local climate, it is still possible to make winter a productive time for your fly fishing. Late cold nights on the rivers give you rare opportunities for some winter fishing being surface or sub-surface fly fishing. Seek out different deep pools where fish collect during the low season weather. Fish do not feed with the same regularity, so take multiple flies to try to tempt them in to any strike. Identify pools, logs, weed beds, boulders, under cut banks and any standing and submerged structure that attract Murray cod. Behaviors of cod do change in all seasons and when fly fishing opportunity arrives, you know where to go and how to fish a certain spot.

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If you haven’t given this technique much consideration as a productive way to fish for Murray cod at any time during the season you should rethink your prejudices and give it an honest try.

Trout Cod @ Lake Sambell & Kerferd!

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BEECHWORTH has become Australia’s newest hot-spot for anglers, with the town’s Lake Sambell becoming Australia’s first trout cod fishery.
The world-first trout cod initiative was launched on by Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford and VRFish general manager Dallas D’Silva.

As of 14 August 2015, Australia’s only trout cod fishery was opened at Lakes Sambell and Lake Kerferd (near Beechworth in North East Victoria). The lakes have been stocked with more than 45,000 trout cod fingerlings since 2008 using revenue raised from recreational fishing license fees.

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Fishing for trout cod is subject to certain rules and restrictions, including:

Bag and possession limit of one (1) fisher per person per day

Size limit (slot limit) of between 40-50cm

No closed season

Trout cod populations nationally in all other rivers, streams and impoundments continue to remain threatened and are not permitted to be caught.

How to tell the difference between Trout and Murray Cod

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It is very easy and common to mistake a trout cod for a Murray cod, and vice-versa. However, there are a few distinguishing features that make it easy to tell the different between the two different, but similar, species, including:

  • Murray cod have a shorter snout

  • Trout cod have an overhanging upper jaw

  • Trout cod have a stripe through the eye

  • Trout cod have spotted markings on the body where Murray cod have mosaic pattern markings

  • Trout cod generally appear more blue-grey in color and Murray cod more green-olive with a bright, white belly

  • Trout cod generally more aggressive and outfight Murray cod 

  • For more information, see the Fisheries Victoria website for a more detailed description of the differences.