Saturday, Sep 14, 2013 at 11:11
G'day Con -
Hopetoun is a beaut spot, but I don't think anyone could guarantee good salmon fishing in September down there. The Salmon run is normally Autumn - however, occasionally a "reverse run" has been found to happen in Spring.
That's not to say you won't find Salmon, it's just that you won't find big schools, only the small groups that have settled in a spot, after the "run".
Lots of good coastal 4WD tracks and plenty of good accessible beaches, both East and West of the town, with sections of sealed road for the first few kms each way.
Conditions - Can be rough at times, wind is mostly off the sea, and strong. Prevailing South-Easterlies usually start up in Sept, although they are late this year, because it has been a very wet and cold September so far. A lot of the Southern Coast is suffering from flooding at present - although, being mostly sandy, this isn't major problem. However, you may find track access in some spots blocked by deep pools.
Be aware that strong South-Easterly and Southerly winds can still be bitterly cold at this time of year. Watch for heavy swells causing dangerous intermittent big waves that can sweep you off rocks in an instant. "King Waves Kill", means just that, on the South coast of W.A. Very few fishermen swept off rocks are saved.
Check with the local Rangers to get advice as soon as you get there. Be aware that the W.A. Govt has been stuffing around with spilitting Govt Depts, and confusion reigns supreme.
What used to be CALM (Conservation & Land Management) became DEC several years ago (Dept of Environment and Conservation).
DEC has now been split ( from 1st July 2013) into the Department of Parks and Wildlife and the Department of Environment Regulation.
DPAW is now the responsible agency for Parks Management, and DER is responsible for environmental regulation, approvals and appeals processes, and pollution prevention.
Advice on Dept splitting and areas of responsibility -
http://www.dec.wa.gov.au/
DPAW info below on
Fitzgerald River National Park. This is a very good, informative website. Note that park entry fees apply, as
well as camping fees at campsites, and some sections of the park are closed permanently.
http://parks.dpaw.wa.gov.au/park/fitzgerald-river
This following articles sums up the areas, and the fishing style very
well, without me needing to type up large amounts of info here;
http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/where-to-fish-between-hopetoun-and-two-peoples-bay/story-e6frg12c-1111114418807
http://www.fishingwa.com/species/australian-salmon/
W.A. Salmon recreational limits;
http://www.westernangler.com.au/fishing-info/fish-guide/164-wa-salmon
Salmon are generally pretty poor eating, although the smaller fish are O.K. They are certainly a terrific fighter and an exciting fish to catch. I can recall accidentally hooking a salmon off
Dunsborough many years ago when trolling for herring from a mates speedboat, after we'd had enough of water-skiing. It put up a display worthy of a big sailfish!
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