The biggest improvers will be the trout streams, which have been waiting for a top-up since early spring.

The upper Eucumbene and Murrumbidgee rivers should fish well for the next few weeks - maybe right up until Christmas - especially if the warm weather returns and insect activity increases.

Anglers walking both waterways are spotting fish, mainly resident browns, but they're extremely flighty and difficult to tempt with fly or lure.

The Thredbo River is in superb nick and has been the go-to location for solid browns, mainly on dry fly.

These fish aren't easy to fool. Fly-fishers are putting in plenty of casts in between strikes, but with kilo-plus browns on the cards, it's worth persisting.

The Monaro streams are a different story altogether. They're all still low and crying out for more rain. Fish are already perishing - and it's not even summer yet.

Coastal fishing is excellent. Most estuary catchments received only modest rain, but any falls will help spice up the fishing for flathead, bream, whiting, flounder and the like.

There are heaps of fish on the move in all the systems. Flathead are biting strongly at Bermagui, Tuross, Moruya, the Clyde and St Georges Basin.

Methodically working soft plastics close to the bottom in 2-3 metres of water is the best technique.

There are plenty of silver trevally around this spring. These fish are often overlooked but are great fun on light gear and excellent sashimi when eaten fresh.

Inshore reef fishing is terrific for snapper, flathead, nannygai and the odd small king.

Around Canberra, golden perch are very active in the local lakes and out at Googong.

Well-known fishing writer and presenter Steve Starling fished Googong last weekend with gun local angler Romen Dicovski and landed a cracking 59cm perch on a Jackal vibe.