Sydney harbour fishing report
July 01, 2019
Sydney
8 photos
+5
Yellowtail Amberjack
Salmon (Australian)
Bream (Black)
Flathead
Trip Summary
Trip Summary
Sydney Harbour Fishing Charter - Fly, lure and bait.
“Best winter in 30 years” I’ve heard this a few times of over the last few weeks. Theres no denying winter kings are bigger and meaner than their summer counter parts. But from what I've witnessed and experienced over the last few weeks. I can honestly say the amount of fish life around right now is phenomenal. Maybe it's drought related as the line between estuary and ocean blurs, starting with the big snapper a few months ago to the big kings now. Soon the salmon, bream, hairtail...
Thumbs up to whoever or whatever is responsible because things have definately improved. But one very big negative over the last few weeks is the amount of large fish that have been killed. I’m no scientist but I know big fish are breeders. One fish is more than enough to feed 2 family’s for a week. So why we need to take everything we catch is beyond me. It’s great and totally sustainable to bring home a fresh fish or two after an awesome day on the water. But it’s got to be about the experience and the fun, not just filling the freezer.
Sydney Harbour Fishing Charter - on the fly.
It’s a great time to catch a fish on fly right now. From fishing the harbour edges and structure on rising tide for bream or hauling kings from depths. The last few weeks have provided the flyfisher a chance to test their gear and will on some serious fish! Monsters of the deep that can take your line and 150meters of backing in 30sec. Leaving you debating whether your line and backing worth more than the fish (and s fly)!
Kingfish
For the kings, getting deep is key as usual. I find no real difference in catch rate in bouncing the line out the end of the rod or sending out an almighty whopper of a cast (which of course I love to do). For those who have trouble getting their fly to spooky surface schools fishing deep is however the best option. Now is an easy time to get a great kingfish on fly. Once that fly is down there it’s really just a vertical jigging technique and then just hold on. Fly purists stop reading now but I’ve seen 2 awesome people who've never fished a day in there life, catch great kings on fly over the last week. The hard part was holding on.
What fly?
Fly choice is super heavy to get down fast and of course, plenty of life. Large clousers have been killing it right now. But any deciever or bait patterns are being destroyed. I’ve been tying some no name hybrid “Things”. Loving encorporating zonker strips and dragon tails on my fly’s right now. A 2/0 gamakso, yellow buck hair, with loads of bulk/ sparkle and movement is getting fish every time.
For those who are sick of kingfish and yearn to create loops more in touch with there wicker-basket freshwater colleagues, there is loads of fun to be had on the trusty 6wt floating line. On each high tide the bream are moving onto freshly covered rocks, sand and mud flats so fish the high tide in shallow water for great results. Super slow retreave works for me with blue and white Crazy Charlie a favourite. Picture a prawn or crustations moving along the bottom. Hopping, stopping...hovering sinking. repeat, repeat,repeat.
Finally I love telling people when you're tired of catching fish start flyfishing. But if you're new to flyfishing most likely you will struggle for a while so don’t despare keep casting, try every fly, every retreave and eventually a fish will stick. If you're desperate to feel the tug then don’t be afraid to burly up a little. Definitely white bread for mullet, garies and bream - $1.10 from Coles - or pilchard mash/cubes for everything else. If you have a cat, ‘whiskers’ tuna and sardines creates an oil slick that would get the EPA asking questions.
Bait fishing
Fresh is best live is better but sometimes the humble frozen pilchard tail on a 2/0 circle hook will get you a fish of a lifetime. I’m sure there are plenty of stories out there this week of fish caught on humble servo baits. But when days are tough you will need the gun baits.
Depending on when and where you're fishing but the going baits this week were, squid, yakkas, slimies, pilchard and cuttle fish. If you had all these you were sorted....I know for a fact on one morning they would take yakkas and squid but by lunch would take nothing but slimies. So be prepared and if you're anchored up, burley burley burley
Theres also loads of flathead, bream and pan size snapper chasing the same bait the kings are after so it never hurts to have a line on the bottom.
Sydney Harbour Fishing Charter - Moon and tides.
Some great looking tides this week and with winds to match, it should be a great week of fishing
Get fishing today - book your next Sydney Harbour Fishing Charter experience with Flyboat fishing charters. We make fishing fun and easy. Just turn up and let us do the rest.