Genuine year-round flyfishery
May - September
Millbrook’s lakes are between 500 and 600 metres above sea-level, so daytime temperatures from late autumn to early spring are typically in single figures. However sub-zero air temperatures and water temperatures less than 6°C are rare, so this is a productive and exciting time to fish. Feature fishing includes smelters (trout feeding on baitfish) and polaroiding trout cruising the edges. Later in the period (August-September) ‘tailers’ or floodwater feeders are likely, and the midge fishing really picks up. Every second year or so, we also enjoy great cockchafer beetle falls on evening, heralding our first ‘big dry fly’ fishing of the season.
October – early December
To many regulars, this is peak season. Water temperatures are ideal for trout activity, while insect activity (aquatic and terrestrial) is ramping up too. Midday mayfly hatches commence in earnest (best when it’s cloudy) and there is often a good evening rise to caddis and/or midge; sometimes spinners. The weather can be windy one day, calm the next and temperatures range from balmy to freezing. However the fishing is pretty consistent.
Late December to February
This is high summer at Millbrook and conditions fluctuate from the very finest fishing to very tough. Millbrook’s best-ever dry fly catch for a single client for a day (22 trout) happened in February, and bursts of cool weather right through summer can produce exceptional fishing. On the other hand, heatwaves also occur sporadically and can make things hard. Under all but the most extreme conditions though, summer evening rises and mudeye migrations are a feature, and many Millbrook regulars take advantage of our late afternoon/evening guiding specials at this time of year.
March-April
This tends to be an underrated time of year at Millbrook, possibly because lake levels have fallen and the waters don’t look quite as ‘pretty’ as earlier in the season. However this period often sees the most settled weather of the season, generally ideal air and water temperatures, and perhaps our very best dry fly fishing. Daytime mayfly hatches are back, along with spectacular fishing for dragonfly and damsel fly feeders – often quite catchable on big dries. Grasshoppers, ants, termites and beetles can all add to the action and an evening rise is more than likely. Mudeyes usually continue well into April, and the smelters are starting to fire up too, especially at Cabin Lake.
May - September
Millbrook’s lakes are between 500 and 600 metres above sea-level, so daytime temperatures from late autumn to early spring are typically in single figures. However sub-zero air temperatures and water temperatures less than 6°C are rare, so this is a productive and exciting time to fish. Feature fishing includes smelters (trout feeding on baitfish) and polaroiding trout cruising the edges. Later in the period (August-September) ‘tailers’ or floodwater feeders are likely, and the midge fishing really picks up. Every second year or so, we also enjoy great cockchafer beetle falls on evening, heralding our first ‘big dry fly’ fishing of the season.
October – early December
To many regulars, this is peak season. Water temperatures are ideal for trout activity, while insect activity (aquatic and terrestrial) is ramping up too. Midday mayfly hatches commence in earnest (best when it’s cloudy) and there is often a good evening rise to caddis and/or midge; sometimes spinners. The weather can be windy one day, calm the next and temperatures range from balmy to freezing. However the fishing is pretty consistent.
Late December to February
This is high summer at Millbrook and conditions fluctuate from the very finest fishing to very tough. Millbrook’s best-ever dry fly catch for a single client for a day (22 trout) happened in February, and bursts of cool weather right through summer can produce exceptional fishing. On the other hand, heatwaves also occur sporadically and can make things hard. Under all but the most extreme conditions though, summer evening rises and mudeye migrations are a feature, and many Millbrook regulars take advantage of our late afternoon/evening guiding specials at this time of year.
March-April
This tends to be an underrated time of year at Millbrook, possibly because lake levels have fallen and the waters don’t look quite as ‘pretty’ as earlier in the season. However this period often sees the most settled weather of the season, generally ideal air and water temperatures, and perhaps our very best dry fly fishing. Daytime mayfly hatches are back, along with spectacular fishing for dragonfly and damsel fly feeders – often quite catchable on big dries. Grasshoppers, ants, termites and beetles can all add to the action and an evening rise is more than likely. Mudeyes usually continue well into April, and the smelters are starting to fire up too, especially at Cabin Lake.