This writer's piscatory incompetence is well established; however, for those who want to try their luck, there are still good catches to be made in the Clyde River. Fish are more plentiful during the summer months but it is possible to catch a meal at any time of the year - with luck!
Some people prefer elaborate rods and gear but a simple hand line will serve just as well. You will need several lines of differing strengths, some swivels, an assortment of weights (so you can hold the bottom in light and strong currents) and hooks, and a sharp knife. A landing net is handy in order to avoid losing a good fish or crab when trying to haul it into the boat.
All baits should be as fresh as possible. Prawns attract most fish: they should be a good size and free of any dark areas on the body. Cooked prawns are good bait for flathead and bream. Mullet gut should threaded on the hook like worms. It must be fresh and will not keep for long in hot weather. Fresh mullet fillets, scaled, are an effective bait for tailor, flathead and bream. Pilchards are also attractive to bream. Yabbies, or nippers, are an excellent live bait. You will need a yabby pump to extract them from sandy mudflats at low tide. The hook should be passed through the tail not the head. Live yabbies are one of the best baits for mulloway (jewfish), flathead and bream.
Do not keep your catch to be eaten in a day or two, unless you have access to a freezer, but make sure it is consumed the day it is caught. Clean and wash prior to cooking. If the fish are pan-sized there is no need to scale them. If you intend to barbecue it is much better to leave the scales on as this prevents the flesh falling apart and sticking to the hotplate. Mullet are best done on the BBQ but they need to be turned on their backs for a few minutes so that most of the strong yellow oil is cooked out of them. All seafood suffers if it is overcooked. This makes it tough and dry and removes most of the flavour.
