Fish hold where there is something to hide behind. Snags and shaded water are where you would look first for bass and estuary perch, and the same cover is where the local fly club points its casts.

Bass and estuary perch are listed for the river by the authority that manages them, and bass have been recorded in surveys. Mullet are present. The surveys also record freshwater catfish, longfin and southern shortfin eels, and a spread of small native fish, among them striped and Cox’s gudgeon and crimsonspotted rainbowfish, plus introduced eastern gambusia. The small fish are what the bigger ones feed on, so a small baitfish fly is a sensible place to start for bass and perch. Treat that as a guide’s judgement, not a record of what is eating what.

Plan around the annual winter closure, whatever the month. Outside it, read the current guide for the rules that apply. During it, bass and estuary perch can still be caught, but every one has to go back unharmed. Mullet are not named in that closure.

Go to the cover. Cast flies into snags and shadows, let them sink, and bring them back in short strips. A local club’s approach on the river is to work the fly down through structure rather than sweeping open water. A baitfish pattern in a dark colour is a good bet for bass and perch; for mullet, follow the same method with something small and sparse. If the first few casts into a snag draw nothing, move on to the next one rather than hammering it.

The one mapped access point is a boat ramp, and the access card marks it. Launch there if you can. If you want to fish from the bank, work out your way in beforehand with a map, and ask the landholder before you cross private ground. As on any river, check conditions before you launch, wear a lifejacket in a boat or kayak, and tell someone where you are going.

NSW runs an annual winter closure for Australian bass and estuary perch. During it, any of either species caught by accident in estuaries or in rivers downstream of dams has to be put straight back in the water unharmed. The closure applies to this river’s listing. The exact dates are set by NSW DPIRD each year, so read the current NSW DPIRD recreational fishing guide, or check the FishSmart NSW app for your location, before you fish. Know the current bag and size limits for anything you plan to keep.