The upper Bundara is deep pools among boulders, and pocket water is a listed highlight. Near the junction with the Mitta Mitta it turns more rugged again. Between the two, the middle reaches run through farmland and the lower valley is gentler. In pocket water, in our experience trout sit in the slack behind boulders and at the head of each pool, and short casts reach them.

Brown trout and rainbow trout are the fish here. Mountain galaxias and twospine blackfish are also recorded in the river.

In summer and early autumn the trout in the lower valley take terrestrials freely, grasshoppers among them, and evening rises are frequent. A Hopper in sizes 10 to 14 and a Tabanas Parachute Sedge in size 14 are both listed for rainbows and browns, and for the hatches FlyLife names the Stimulator, Elk Hair Caddis and Kossie Dun.

Summer and early autumn are the highlight: active hopper-feeding trout, particularly in the lower valley. Evening rises are frequent, so plan on fishing into the last of the light. When the season is open for the water is a matter for the current Victorian guide, so settle that before you choose a weekend.

FlyLife describes the Bundara as small-stream water well suited to a 3-weight, and in our experience that means short, accurate casts and a light presentation matter more than distance.

When trout are not rising, a dry fly with a nymph dropped off it is a productive tactic. In summer, swap the dry for a hopper. For the mayfly hatches, FlyLife names a Stimulator, Elk Hair Caddis or Kossie Dun. In our experience it pays to work the pocket water one pocket at a time, and to read the pools and riffles from the tail up.

In the lower Bundara valley a gravel public road runs parallel to the river for about two miles. The water nearest the Mitta Mitta is the easiest to reach and can be heavily fished, so expect to share it. Treat any access as description, not permission, and respect fences and signs on the ground.

As on any bush river, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, carry water, and take care on wet boulders, particularly in the rugged upper reaches and near the Mitta Mitta junction.

Victorian seasons, closures and limits are dated and change. Read the current Victorian Fisheries Authority Inland Angling Guide, including its closed-waters information, and take the season, bag and size limits and licence requirements from it before you fish.