Yaouk Creek is a NSW creek that runs into the Murrumbidgee River, and the reason to drive to it is simple: NSW has been putting rainbow trout into it across recent seasons.

Think of it as a single stream that ends where it joins a bigger river. The creek runs down into the Murrumbidgee River, and that junction is the one landmark to hold in your head. Above it, read the water the way you would any small creek, one run and pool at a time.

The easiest trip is rainbows on a nymph in spring. Choose a point from the access card, walk to the nearest broken water, and drift a small weighted nymph through the heads of the runs. In our experience freshly released rainbows are rarely shy, so if a run gives you nothing after a dozen good drifts, move up to the next one rather than changing flies. No water-specific rule was found, which means the current NSW fishing guide decides whether trout season is open when you arrive and what you may keep, so read it before you set out.

The second trip is a summer afternoon with a dry fly. When fish are rising, a small caddis or hopper along the edges can bring up a stocked rainbow that ignores everything sunk. On hot, bright days, fish the first and last light and leave the middle of the day alone. A short leader and a quiet approach matter more here than the pattern you choose.

Autumn, in our experience, is the time to cover more water. As the weather cools, slow down, fish the deeper pools with a light streamer, and cast from well back; a trout in a clear pool usually sees you first.

Pack a light rod, a box of nymphs, a few dries and two or three small streamers, and open the current NSW fishing guide before you leave.