THE opening of the new fishing season in NSW this weekend is expected to reveal an explosion in feral fish numbers, with literally millions of European Carp invading waterways across the Central West Catchment.
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Native species of Murray cod, golden and silver perch and introduced rainbow and brown trout are expected to be outnumbered 10 and 20-to-one by European carp and perch [redfin] in many rivers around Bathurst.
While the season remains closed for the capture of Murray cod, it opens today for all other species in what should be one of the better seasons for trout.
It will be an opening weekend that members of the Bathurst RSL Fishing Club, organisers of the annual BCF Carp Blitz on Sunday, November 6, anticipate should be a blockbuster.
“All of our reports are that feral carp have bred in countless millions since the drought broke,” RSL Fishing Club secretary Jim Beattie said.
“The fishing season opening at the weekend is expected to confirm our very worst fears about that, and it should not take too long for anglers to start reeling in carp everywhere.
“Bathurst Fishing Club members, not only the RSL, but local Dudley, Kelso and Perthville hotel club members have all come back from fishing out west to report carp – some groups got nothing but some caught them in their dozens.”
Mr Beattie said all rivers should be carrying fish, but it will likely be the Fish, Campbells and Turon rivers where trout are to be found more readily than the Macquarie after successful restocking.
Three rainbow trout were landed during last year’s Carp Blitz and there were large numbers of good pan-size rainbows captured in the vicinity of Flat Rock and Tarana up to the closure of the season for trout spawning at the end of June.
Mr Beattie reminded all anglers over 18 years to make sure they have their licences unless they have pension cards. The Bathurst RSL Fishing Club agency can assist with weekend, annual and three-year licences, during club opening hours.
Most anglers will be chasing trout on the rivers, but Chilfey, Oberon, Wallace [Wallerawang] and Lyell [Lithgow], will also be prime destinations along with the Blue Ribbon Thompson’s Creek Dam [Portland] – all impoundments which have remained open year-round to trout fishing.
