An inland creek feeding a bigger river. In our experience native predators like these tend to sit tight to structure: a fallen tree, an undercut bank, the deeper outside of a bend, the slack behind a log.

NSW stocking records list Murray cod and golden perch released into the creek, and the stocking chart shows when. How many stocked fish have survived is not something the records settle, so go in expecting a quiet day.

Atlas of Living Australia records also list Australian smelt, Murray River rainbowfish and unspecked hardyhead. They are small, and they are the natural food a streamer should suggest. The fly box is a guide’s read: a few Woolly Buggers and other dark streamers in sizes 2 to 4, in black, olive and brown.

Take any closed season from the current NSW guide first. Within what it allows, in our experience warm-water natives fish best from late spring through summer and into early autumn. Early and late in the day, and on overcast days, are a good bet, when fish come out from cover to feed. After heavy rain, give a creek a day or two to settle before you fish it.

Use an 8 or 9 weight, an intermediate or sinking line and a short, heavy leader. Cast a Woolly Bugger at the bank or into the shadow of a log, let it sink, and strip it back slowly with pauses. Follow it with your eyes to the rod tip; in our experience a cod often takes at the last moment. Strike firmly and keep the fish’s head up and out of the timber, because a cod will often dive for the snag.

The access card names the access point. Treat it as a location, not a statement of permission, and respect any fence or sign you meet on the ground.

As on any bush creek, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, carry plenty of water and watch your footing on soft, undercut banks. Do not wade a crossing you are unsure of, and keep away from the edge of the bank when it is wet.

No water-specific rule was found. Before you fish, read the current NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development fishing guide, check its closed-waters list, and take any season, bag and size limits and licence requirements from it.