Welcome to the first of hopefully many posts where we interview our peers, including fellow anglers, fishery scientists (0ften 0ne and the same) and other personalities involved in fishing about their backgrounds, research and perspectives on recreational fishing. Our first installment is from Matt Rees from www.fishthinkers.wordpress.com. I can’t thank Matt enough! Hope you enjoy the read as much as…
Exploring new waters – Blue Mountains NSW; making a date with trails and trophy trout
Lured by the Ultra-Trail Running festival I’ve spent a couple of recent weekends poking around the trails (and the waterways) of the blue mountains of NSW. Between leg-debilitating runs there has been some time to explore the local rivers and dams dotted around this amazing landscape. Thompsons Creek Dam – clear water and trophy trout If there is one thing…
A hunch
There is something special about fishing new water. An expectation of what may be to come, the sense of joy, mixed with trepidation that comes with stepping into the unknown. This goes for water that you absolutely know is going to hold fish, where the big challenge will be figuring them out, all the way through to what I like…
The best estuary fishing spots in south-east New South Wales
As keen anglers we are frequently asked for advice on where to go to find a decent coastal fishing spot within 2-3 hours drive from Canberra. As many of you will know, it’s both an easy and a difficult question to answer, because pretty much any beach, rock formation, estuary or coastal river will produce good (or terrible) fishing at…
A few days fishing on the Murrumbidgee
Graz and I recently spent a few days fishing the Murrumbidgee west of Narrandera. It was a great chance to catch up with Grazza, who has spent the last year on the sunny shores and tropical mountains of Hawaii. We arrived fairly late after a decent 3.5 hour drive from Canberra. We only had a few km of dirt roads…
Recipe – Yellowbelly fish cakes
I found a bit of yellowbelly (golden perch) in the freezer the other day and decided to make up a batch of fish cakes. They turned out really well, so I wanted to share the recipe. This recipe would work well with pretty much any kind of fish. Ingredients 400gr fish flesh (make sure you say FLESH like a viking…
Back to basics – bait fishing off the beach
I spent the long weekend at Arugunnu, a campground in the Mimosa Rocks National Park on the far south coast of NSW. It is a special place for me, as it’s where I caught my first fish and spent a lot of time camping with my family as a kid. The thing I notice most when I get close is…
Catch and release: a little perspective goes a long way
The catch and release movement has grown considerably over the last few decades. Initiative like #keepemwet and others have done incredibly well at building strong support for catch and release in some parts of the fishing community. Social media has helped spread the message, driving a strong commitment to catch and release amongst many angling communities. Which is great! The fishing…
What is the future of the Howqua river?
I spent last weekend camping on the Howqua river at Sheepyards flat. It wasn’t a fishing trip. It was a camping, hanging by the river, hanging out with the kids, making new friends trip. The days were filled with swimming, throwing stones into the river, watching horses, grilling meats over an open fire, drinking cold mid-strength beer during the day…
Is social media killing your fishing mojo?
We had just left the harbour, passed the channel markers and deployed the spread of 5 trolling lures. Each lure, made of lead and resin and a colourful skirt created an impressive bubble trail underwater and every few seconds would send up a huge spray of water as it broke the surface like an oversized GT popper. After only 10…
Stalking bonefish on the flats – what to do when beginners luck runs out
The morning had been dotted with captures of small reef fish, each fish slightly more bizarre than the last. First a bluefin trevally, then a parrot fish, a cornet fish and then a strange little goby thing with razor sharp teeth. Looks aside, they were a bit of fun and they helped to keep me enthused and my mind alert…
Guest post: Bass fishing in the USA: experience and tips
Fishing holds a special place is our heart and has been America’s favourite pastime for the last few decades (one might think it is baseball but I beg to differ ;). Even youths nowadays are participating in fishing activities be it with families or competitively. I have found out about the statistics regarding them and I was pleasantly shocked. So…