Fishing Info
Most anglers will already own light flick rods suitable for freshwater fishing and especially for spinner and lure casting. Using light lines of 1.8 to 2.7kg breaking strain (4 to 6lb) will give good sport, however you may have to use heavier 4kg (9lb) lines in snaggy areas. My general recommendation for bait fishing would be to fish light whenever possible.
I select tackle suitable for a location and I have found that I prefer pole fishing (no reel), and relatively light end tackle. My poles are technically, telescopic ‘whips’ averaging 5 to 7m long of glass fibre or carbon fibre, and obtainable at a number of tackle shops in the metro area. I buy pole float rigs from the U.K. (Bob emigrated to WA in 1975) and these provide the light system I prefer. They are relatively inexpensive, and despite the light breaking stains, do not tend to break under normal condition. I favour size 16 to 20 hooks however perch will also take worm on larger hooks. My favourite baits are maggot, worm and tinned sweet corn (for feral goldfish) with bread paste as another option for carp. I use dead feral goldfish to breed maggots for my fishing trips, although red (compost) worms are just as good.
Most local waters hold red fin perch, possibly feral goldfish, and even trout.
A pole-caught 2.125 kg feral goldfish from the Vasse River, Bussleton. Incidentally I used my pole style of fishing in the inaugural Old Goldfields – Radio West – Got One Freshwater Challenge on Lake Cara at Donnybrook Old Goldfields and Cider Factory on a wet and windy day in October, 2008. Fishing maggot and sweet corn with regular loose feed I caught 43 silver perch and 15 rainbow trout on a catch-and-release basis, with my best silver perch at 361mm, winning me a $100 tackle voucher! Make sure you have a W.A. Freshwater License, as even catching feral goldfish and perch requires a licence. Feel free to contact Bob (08) 9756 0308, |
Fishing at Lake Cara, The Old Goldfields & Cidery Factory water, 75 Goldfields Rd, Donnybrook. Lake Cara provides a good expanse of snag-free water in very pleasant surroundings. It is regularly stocked with rainbow trout and holds a good head of silver perch. The ‘Old Goldfields’ are open Wednesdays to Sunday, 9.30am to 4.30pm, and 7 days a week during the school holidays. They are closed on Good Friday, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. This is principally a catch & release water, so visitors are required to use barbless hooks or to crimp their barbed hooks. Fish are to be returned safely back to the water after careful handling, however if retained, will be charged at $16 per kg for silver perch and $14 per kg for rainbow trout. Check out their web site at www.oldgoldfields.com.au Tel/Fax (08) 9731 1071 or
Bob Longmore with a fine red-fin perch. Bridgetown trout fly fisherman, Neal Watson, who practices catch & release, has provided the following information: The Blackwood River is stocked annually with rainbow trout by the WA Department of Fisheries and this is probably supplemented by recruitment from the natural fish population in suitable seasons. Rainbow trout are not uncommon while brown trout are much harder to find if at all. Trout can be caught with fly, bait and lures in the Blackwood River from Bridgetown to the Great North Road, in the Margaret River Augusta Shire. As can be seen, this is a large area for trout fishermen to practice their skills. My experience suggests that the Blackwood trout will take any fly if it is well presented and the fish are rising. If fish are not working the surface then dry fly fishing is a waste of time. Wet fly or nymph can be successful if the flies are weighted to get them down to where the fish are lying. Peak fishing times are September through to mid-December, after which the angler will be faced with increased water temperatures and less water turbulence making trout harder to find and less likely to feed. Trout fishing in the SW region is an important recreational pursuit and contributes significant income to the local economy. The Doust family of Bridgetown has played a major part in the acclimatisation of trout in the Blackwood area since the 1890s. The Western Australian Trout and Freshwater Angling Association, which was formed in 1967, took over a number of the local associations including the historically important Blackwood Trout Acclimatisation Association. |
