Tag: Blackwall Reach

Over the last few days we have been discussing getting in a bit of fishing. This kind of talk then leads one into a discussion about possible venues.

During previous visits I have fished various locations, including

• Coogee Pier – produced blowies until the dolphin came
• Woodman Point – Produced a Snook and a couple of unidentified fish. They tasted OK though.
• Mandurah – one of the  canals produced blowies until the dolphin came. Bit of a theme here. And an early morning trip to a beach only produced blowies and a cheeky pelican.

A bit of trawling on the interweb and Point Walter  / Blackwall Reach came into focus as possible venues.

It was decided that an exploratory visit was in order and as luck would have it there was also a nice cafe where we could have a spot of lunch.

Arriving at Point Walter we strolled the immediate foreshore and slipway. There were some boats anchored just off shore, with folks fishing, and at least one guy appeared to have waded out to a sand bar. He was fly fishing in water that reached up to his thighs.

Further strolling took us to the Walters River Cafe and on inside, where we had a very pleasant lunch comprising burgers for Steve and I, Salmon with scrambled eggs on a roti base for Gerry. All washed down with cold beers and a home-made lemonade for me.

In search of the fishing spots we meandered out onto the nearby jetty, at the far end of which we could see a figure drowning worms. Hoping to get some fishing hints I said hello and was greeted with a smile and “no speak english”. In response to my muttering that I was hoping to ask about the fishing he offered “no fish” and settled back to watching his rods.

All around the end of the jetty there were thousands of bait fish and we caught a glimpse of maybe half a dozen “bream shaped” fish ghosting through the water, behind the angler. I resisted telling him he was fishing in the wrong direction.

Walking round the point didn’t reveal the fishing points we were searching for but was still a pleasant way to pass time. There was plenty f activities taking place on the water. Sailing boats, fishing boats, paddle boarders, tour boats and seadoo’s. As we walked we were shadowed by the ever-present seagulls and were harangued by the magpies and crows.

From the shore, having walked round the point we were able to look down Blackwall Reach. The cliffs in the distance hold the fishing points we were searching for. Following this water down will ultimately lead one into Fremantle.

We decided to return to the car to drive round to find the access point for the cliffs. En-route we picked up an ice cream, or two.

To be fair, only Steve and I had ice creams although the picture may say otherwise.

Arriving at the first parking space near the cliffs we were confronted with this sight.

There is a sticker on the other side of the car, giving the owner twenty-four hours to remove the vehicle from this site. Seems a bit unfair, assuming that the car was stolen, since the owner may not know it is missing or if they do, may not know where it is.

There was quite a useful information board here.

Interesting, although hardly surprising, is the linkage back to England.

From here we made our way down to the cliffs and the potential fishing sites. There are made paths running along the cliff tops, with view platforms positioned at various points.

Although the viewing platforms are positioned several metres above the water, the local council has provided for anglers by placing special bins for hook and nylon disposal.

General consensus is that this would be a good place to try out, so the plan is to give it a go sometime next week. I’ve not fished from cliff tops before but it can’t be much different from fishing off a pier…… can it ?

Just below one of the viewing platforms there were a number of Black Swans resting….. although, with the naked eye, these two looked more like gnarled, twisted driftwood.

Heading back to the car and onwards to home, we stopped for me to get a couple of shots across the river to the Perth city skyline. This gave me the opportunity to also capture a couple of local wildlife shots.

First up is a cluster of pied (?) cormorants ….

Then we have a much rarer species …..

As you can see in the photo, these are Orange Backed Yellow Jackets, known locally as “schoolies”. Known for gathering onto rafts during the summer season. These are the young but they are always overseen by the elders of their species. They can be identified by the darker plumage.

Further along the shoreline the Perth skyline comes into view…..

Shame it was a little hazy. Hopefully, I’ll get some better shots as we advance through our trip.