This is plains water rather than a mountain torrent. FlyLife’s writers describe the creek winding through tussock grassland and curving back on itself constantly. On a creek like that, the current swings hard against the outside of every bend and cuts the bank away, leaving a deeper slot and an undercut on that side and a shallow gravel bar on the inside. Trout sit in the slot and under the lip of the bank, where food comes to them and cover is overhead. The short straights between bends are usually thin and fast, and worth a single cast at most.

If the banks are as open as FlyLife’s account suggests, the fish see you as easily as you see them.

FlyLife’s writers describe small trout lurking in every corner. Mountain galaxias, a small native fish, have also been reported from the creek, though on low-confidence evidence.

In our experience, trout in a small grassland creek eat what the water and the bank give them: mayfly and caddis nymphs through the day, and in summer anything that drops off the tussock, grasshoppers above all, along with beetles and ants. That keeps fly choice simple. A buoyant general-purpose dry and a small nymph will cover most days.

The warm months are the window we would pick, roughly late spring through early autumn, when fish feed on the surface and hoppers are about. Early and late in that stretch, cold water tends to keep fish down on nymphs until the middle of the day. High-country weather can turn quickly in any month, so pack for cold even in summer.

Before you plan around any month, check the current NSW freshwater fishing guide for the trout season that applies.

Fish upstream and keep low. On open plain your silhouette is the biggest problem you have, so kneel back from the bank where you can and let the grass break your outline. A 7 to 8 foot rod for a 3 or 4 weight line is plenty, with a leader tapering to 5X or 6X.

A good bet is a dry-dropper: a size 12 to 14 high-floating dry with a size 16 beadhead nymph hung a short way below. Land it on the grass edge at the top of each bend and let it swing into the undercut. A fish that has not seen you will usually take on the first good drift; if it does not, move on to the next corner rather than hammering one spot. On a hot, windy summer afternoon, a foam hopper slapped down tight to the bank on its own is worth trying.

The access card names the known sites. They describe where anglers get onto the creek and are not permission to cross any particular ground; check current closures and conditions with the land manager before you set out.

As on any open high-country water, carry a warm layer and a rain shell even in summer and tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.

No water-specific rule was found for Ogilvies Creek. Before you fish, check the current NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development freshwater fishing guide for the trout season, bag and size limits, gear rules and the licence you need.