On The Bite - Al McGlashan

P128/129: Sydney Harbour
is the most heavily fished
waterway in NSW thanks
to the lack of marine
park restrictions and the
sensational fishing.
Above: There aren’t many
other cities in the world that
offer such incredible fishing in
the centre of town.
136
The deep, clean waters of the
harbour are alive with fish
Australia’s biggest city, Sydney is also arguably
its prettiest. The picturesque Port Jackson is
encompassed by suburbia, yet there are still
pockets of natural parkland and beautiful white
sandy beaches, while the Blue Mountains serve as
a majestic backdrop to the west. And, of course,
there are its iconic landmarks, like the Opera
House and Harbour Bridge, which are known
throughout the world.
ALIVE WITH FISH
As impressive as all this is, the best aspect of
Sydney from my professional perspective is its
sensational fishing. The deep, clean waters of
the harbour are alive with fish, from the bream
and flathead up amongst the mangroves, to the
kingfish and tailor that patrol the lower reaches.
Protected from the rolling swells of the
Tasman Sea by an impressive wall of sandstone
cliffs, Sydney Harbour is a tranquil waterway. With
countless bays and beaches, there is always a lee
shore for both boat- and land-based anglers.
According to NSW Fisheries, Sydney Harbour
is the most heavily fished waterway in the state.
Considering there are almost a million anglers
in NSW, with a vast majority of the population
concentrated around the harbour, it is really
encouraging to see that the fishing is actually
improving. The main reason behind this was not
the introduction of marine parks, but rather a
concerted effort to improve water quality. The
Parramatta River used to be nothing more than
a dumping ground for industry, but now tighter
controls have alleviated the abuse and the
waterway is bouncing back.
However, the remnants of man’s mistreatment
still linger in the form of dioxins present in the
Parramatta River – dioxins that have subsequently
filtered through the food chain. A while ago, tests
revealed an alarmingly high level of dioxins in a
number of fish species, which forced the closure
to all commercial fishing in the harbour for health
reasons. As bad as this sounded at the time, the
banning of prawn trawling and other commercial
activities has helped to give the harbour a new
lease on life and it is now exploding with fish.
Fed by both the Parramatta and Lane Cove
Rivers, Sydney Harbour is a mass of mangrovelined
bays, rocky points and sprawling suburbia.
One of the reasons why the harbour has
rebounded so quickly after years of abuse is that
the all-important mangroves have been left intact
in many areas. This has helped to insulate the
system, making it more resilient to pollution. From
personal experience, I have been amazed at the
comeback of prawns and baitfish, which are now
so prolific throughout the harbour’s waters.
KING OF FISH
In the upper reaches, bream, flathead and tailor
are common, as is a surprising number of jewfish.
In the lower reaches, Aussie salmon, trevally, squid,
john dory, bonito and even mackerel tuna are a
possibility. But of all the species available in the
harbour, it is the hard-fighting kingfish that is the
most sought after. In recent years, this species has
gone from strength-to-strength, thanks to the
demise of commercial floating fish traps, and it is
now a common target in the harbour.
Sydney Harbour also makes a great departure
point for the extensive offshore bluewater
options. There are also some productive
snapper grounds inshore, as well as some great