The Fishing
A Fish For All Occasions
As a lifetime fisherman of most types of fishing, I wanted to find a place that provided access to a full range of fishing pastimes within a reasonable distance of my home base. Gamefishing, sportfishing, surf fishing, estuary fishing, and salt and freshwater flyfishing are all hobbies I pursue when the opportunity presents itself.
So I’m sure that when you look up Bucca Wauka on the map, fishing is the last thing that would come to mind. Fortunately, so far most people have thought the same thing, and our farm remains a haven of rural tranquility. However, it’s all a matter of perspective really.
My father taught me how to fish over half a century ago and over that time I’ve become an avid practitioner of most forms of recreational fishing in Australia, and here at Bunyah Creek Farm, we have central access to just about any kind of fishing that takes your fancy.
The Sea
It’s a sixty-minute drive to the Foster Tuncurry break wall, boat ramp, and all-weather bar. Outside offers a wide range of Game Fishing, Sport Fishing, and Bottom Fishing options which change with the seasons. On the annual menu are small to medium-sized Marlin, Yellowfin and Long Tail Tuna, Spanish, Grey and Spotted Mackeral, Mahi Mahi, Wahoo, Cobia, and Yellowtail Kingfish. For bottom fishers, the inshore reefs boast NSW’s most productive Snapper grounds and a 6 month season, along with Mulloway, Teraglin, Pearl Perch, and plenty of good table-eating varieties.
There are bait grounds north and south of the Forster bar and NSW fisheries have a FAD located in the area, which is a must if you’re after a feed of ‘Dollies’.
You’ll find the FAD’s location at: click here
To make sure the Forster bar is safe to cross, check out conditions live: click here
The Surf and Stones
Within forty-five minutes to ninety minutes, there are dozens of surf beaches and rock ledges to fish from near the farm.
The key beaches are:
Seal Rocks South Beach, Sandbar, Boomerang Beach, Shelley Beach, Elizabeth Beach, Seven Mile Beach, Diamond Beach, Saltwater Beach, Old Bar Beach, and Harrington Beach.
Between them, there are numerous rock ledges to provide fantastic fishing for rockhoppers.
On the beaches, you’ll encounter Tailor, Australian Salmon, Mulloway, Yellowfin Bream, Dart, Snapper, Mullet, Trevally, Flathead, Sand Whiting, and Gummy Shark.
On the ledges you can add to that; Blackfish, Drummer, and inshore pelagics like Bonito, Striped Tuna, Long Tail Tuna, Yellowtail Kingfish, Cobia, and the occasional Mackerel
The Estuaries
The farm is situated within twenty to sixty minutes of a number of NSW’s premier estuary systems; Wallis Lakes, Smith Lake, the Myall Lakes system, Khappinghat Creek, Old Bar Estuary, and Manning Point Estuary. Between them, they offer thousands of square kilometers of pristine fishing waters, where much of the water is surrounded by National Parks and Forest reserves and where Australia’s magnificent fauna and flora abound.
Each estuary offers something slightly different in terms of size and angling opportunities, from Wallis Lake’s monster ‘Blue Nose"‘ bream to Manning Point’s paddle tail Mulloway and Myall Lakes Bass and Estuary Perch.
The fishing on offer across the estuary profiles includes Yellowfin Bream, Dusky, and Sand Flathead, Mulloway, Sand Whiting, Mullet, Garfish, Tailor, Snapper, Australian Salmon, various Trevallies, Luderick, Tarwhine, Leather Jackets, Estuary Perch, Australian Bass, Flounder, Black Sole, Yellowtail Kingfish, Sampson Fish and Squid.
In addition to this prolific fish profile, there are good numbers of Blue Swimmer Crabs and Mud Crabs to be caught and a fantastic summer run of King Prawns in most estuaries.
For up-to-date information on where the fish are ‘biting’ you can’t go past the Great Lakes Tackle blog: click here
You’ll find a comprehensive map of the lakes: click here
The Coastal River Systems
Feeding the estuaries are an assortment of small to large coastal river systems, the main ones of which are the Myall River, Coolongolook River, Wallamba River, and Manning River. These fish well in the summer months for most of the estuary species from the lower reaches and all year round for Australian Bass and Estuary Perch.
The closest to the farm is the boat ramp at Coolongolook, which is twenty minutes away and just around the corner from three, 24-hour service stations that sell fuel, fast food, and bait. The rest can be reached in under sixty minutes, north or south of the farm.
These fabulous river systems offer all-weather fishing options on all but the bleakest of days and their upper reaches are perfect for kayak-based fishing adventures where the waters are problematic for larger trailer boats
The Trout Streams
For the freshwater enthusiasts, we need to turn our attention to the west. Within a range of ninety minutes from the farm, there are eight major freshwater systems that are annually stocked with trout by NSW Fisheries and remain some of the best trout waters in NSW, post the devastating impact of the drought felt by most of the state between 2017 and 2020.
The Barrington River, Cells River, Cobark River, Cooplacurripa River, Dilgry River, Gloucester River, Manning River, and Pigna Barney River offer a range of fishing profiles from small rocky tree-lined creek beds to meandering wider river systems.
Fly, lure, and bait fisher people will all find something that suits their tastes amongst these systems, and while exploring these rivers will be delighted by the natural beauty the coastal ranges have to offer.
Platypus, tortoises, and water dragons abound in the water as does a vast array of forest settings, ranging from the pre-historic remnants of the Barrington and Gloucester Tops to the dry sclerophyll forests of the hinterlands.
