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Even though Rocky Valley is only 265ha in size (roughly 8.75 kilometres long and 2.5 kilometres wide at it longest and widest points) because of its large snow melt catchment it is the main storage dame for the Victorian Kiewa hydro electric scheme. It is located directly in front of the Falls Creek ski resort and this is a true alpine lake . . . In cold winters parts of the lake even freezes over.

My sketch of Rocky Valley with my favourite spots marked out.

How to get there

Rocky Valley storage is accessible from the south west from Mt Beauty along the Bogon High Plains Road which from that direction runs though anything but plains country. The road is a steep and windy and the 30 odd kilometres seem to go on for ever. Its also accessible from the South East from the Omeo Highway but that road closes as the snow season sets in.

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Open season

Lakes in Victoria are open all year and have a bag limit of 5 fish in possession but as Rocky Valley Storage is unfishable in winter because the lake freezes at least on the edges and because the fish are generally small most people treat it as a catch and release fishery.

Services & facilities available

The ski resort has great accommodation facilities and from the resort center you are less than a kilometer from the dam itself. In summer Falls Creek is a Mecca for bike riders so there is nearly always something open including the town shop during normal business hours. Each time I have been there I have stayed at the Falls Creek Country Club. Their contact number is 03-5758391 and you will find the accommodation affordable and the service friendly and professional.

If you want to camp you will need to make your base at Mount Beauty which is down the hill some 30 kilometres down the Bogon High Plains Road.

Closest fuel is at Mount Beauty.

Both boat and bank fly fishing are popular. There is great access to most of the north and east banks of the lake from Bogon High Plains Road with a mixture of habitats accessible including shallow margins, rocky outcrops and deep drop offs.

Boat fishing is well catered for with launching facilities within a kilometer of the dam wall on both the east and west side.

Target species

My understanding is that Rocky Valley has not been stocked since 1987 when bi-annual stocking of rainbows stopped. Despite that it has a good head of fish as a result of natural recruitment. Because its so cold up there the browns have a much more successful spawn run and they generally get their business done well before the snow and ice set in. The rainbows do it much tougher with their spawn run often being inhibited by conditions that are just too harsh to allow a successful spawning and development of the fry. The rainbows do however have successful spawning years in milder winters so there are often gaps in year classes of fish. It is regarded as a brown trout fishery by most and the perception is that if you get a rainbow that will be a surprise and unusual. Depending on how cold the last few winters have been that isn't always the case. Currently the fishery is probably currently close to a split something like 90% browns and 10% rainbows.

Because there are so many browns and food is limited over the cold alpine winter the browns are small and average around 25-30 centimeters with a 40 centimeters brown being the exception rather than the rule. Whilst the rainbows lag behind in spawning terms they seem to far much better in term of condition and size with many still only being around the 25-30 centimeters but with specimens around 45-50 centimeters not being rare. Summer water temperatures are ideal for trout with tops of around 18% being the norm over high summer.

Food chain

There is almost no aquatic vegetation in Rocky Valley Storage to speak of and the main diet is mudeyes and terrestrials in summer and over winter the fish do it pretty tough. Because of the limited food sources both browns and bows are keen to supplement their diet with terrestrials and whenever there are terrestrials about they are regarded as upward looking fish. Because there are some big rainbows in the lake I expect that they are also predatory and cannibalistic feeding on small browns and rainbows and mixed eggs and fry after hatches.

	What trout eat - snowed in country - trout activity What trout eat - snowed in country - food sources

Techniques

The mood of the fish in the Rocky Valley Storage is unpredictable and they are hard to work out. Sometimes they respond to surface or high water techniques and other times you have to get down to the bottom to get a hit.

Unless there is obvious surface activity fish with a sink tip or sinking line and work through the various retrieves from very slow to roly poly until you start getting hits. The moods can change quickly and if the fish go off the bite it may just mean that their mood has changed. A popular starting choice for this fishery is an intermediate to type three sinking fly line and a jerky medium retrieve. Alternatively if you have a technique that is a particular strength for you that is always a great place to start.

Fly suggestions

A wide range of flies consistently work well in Rocky Valley Storage but as it's a harsh environment almost everything that the browns and smaller rainbows eat, and that's probably 90% plus of the fish population, is small so you should stick with smaller rather than larger flies to maximize your success. The two exceptions would be if your targeting the larger bow but given their number that isn't really a practical option. Most people target the browns and any rainbows they catch are a by catch.

If your fishing a single fly, or selecting a point fly for a team of flies probably the most popular fly for the Rocky Valley Storage is a Mrs Simpson of around just 20mm in length with well bared church window feathers.

Equally popular are Woolly bugger type flies in smaller sizes with a maximum size of around of 40mm overall probably being best. Brown, black and olive variants all work well with water clarity and wind turbulence being influencing factors on both size and the amount of flash in the fly. For still clear water avoid flash but if its windy or the water is discolored for other reasons a little flash in the fly or a brass, copper or orange bead can help fish spot you fly or team of flies.

Like all Victorian fisheries this is a two fly fishery and if your fishing a second fly good options are small flies that are dominantly black but with touches of yellow or red. This makes flies including: Kate Mclaren, Zulu, Blae and Black, Bibio, and many other wee wets, fitting the size and colour mix, all good options for a top dropper.

Members of Fly Fish Australia that carry an exception from Victorian Fisheries can use 3 flies on Rocky Valley storage and they often have one of the point or top dropper flies mentioned above on their middle dropper or an attractor fly on the middle dropper. If your using an attractor it's generally best to use less dramatic flies such as a Scotch Poacher, Dunkeld, Fuzzy Wuzzy and other similar flies in small sizes all being worth a swim. If the water is discolored or if it's windy and rough more dramatic attractor flies like Sparklers and Blobs may well make the difference between your team of flies being spotted or overlooked.

Hot spots

Fish in Rocky Valley are easy put down and its worth moving around to find un-fished water and fresh fish. Consensus amongst fly fishers is that the east of the dam wall and southern side of the lake are the most productive but that's not a surprise because the western arm is shallower and contains less structure. On the subject of structure its worth mentioning that there are plenty of just submerged boulders and rock shelfs around the lake and unless you want to do a prop in or worst caution is recommended.

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