BLOG: Top 5 destinations

I LOVE having to travel to fish a new waterway, as the journey there is often as satisfactory as the destination.

To a large extent it's the sense of adventure when setting out to discover new opportunities. I love the banter which is reminiscent of excited school kids as we size up the situation. Once there I love exploring new terrain and seeing new sights, new smells. I love the opportunity to catch new species I don't get to catch in my own backyard. Most of all I love the anticipation. The heightened expectation of what we might catch is usually more pleasurable than the reality.

As part of writing for Fishing World I get the opportunity to travel far and wide, especially along the east coast of Australia. As such, I often get asked the question of where's the best location I have fished? This poses some interesting thought and probably conjures more questions for me than answers. However, at its simplest, if I had to choose my top 5 places I could only fish for the rest of my life based on the short time I have fished this mortal coil, the below list would be it.

5 - Ord River
The Ord River, located in the Kimberley region in WA is a commanding piece of waterway stretching over 350kms long. Other than the monstrous prehistoric crocs that reside there, the Ord is best known for the equally impressive barra that are abundant along its length. I actually had my first taste of barra fishing here with the infamous fishing guide, Hairy Dog, and let me tell you, I was stitched up so often on that trip, that "hairs" taught me a few lessons in expletives. It was the school of hard knocks. I have always vowed to go back and even the score. I reckon a return to the Ord would be my best chance of hooking a wild-caught "metrey".

4 - Lake Macquarie
Lake Macqaurie is only 1.5 hours drive north from my house in Sydney and a place that happens to tick all the right boxes for lure fishos. For one, the lake is expansive. It is the largest lake in the southern hemisphere. As such it has diverse terrain and a multitude of species that can be caught on a variety of methods. If you get bored fishing here it's probably best you give the game away.
I affectionately call Lake Mac "land of the giants". The removal of the commercial fishery a long time ago has given this pristine place a chance to revive and the results show. Big flathead though are my major drawcard.

3 - Montague Island (Bermagui)
While I don't get to do too much offshore fishing, the times I have fished Montague Island off "Bermi" has really given me the sense of history of this famous fishery. I can see why the island has made its way into fishing folklore. The kings are huge and a good supply of beakies can be found a little wider. It's easy to think the next fish that strikes is going to be your fish of a lifetime; it's just that sort of place. After all this is what keeps us going back for more.

2 - Hawkesbury/Nepean River
I had to add in my local. I love the Hawkesbury/Nepean system and have from my earliest fishing days. While the unspoiled mountains and wildlife plays a big part in the overall appeal, the diverse fishery is the major contributor. You could be chasing pelagics in Broken Bay one minute, scooting up river to catch monster jew the next and finish off with a touch of bream, bass or EP fishing for something different. It's a big waterway which means it's hard to get bored. There's always something new to discover and something beautiful to look at. Big systems also mean big fish, and my local doesn't disappoint.

1 - Dundee Beach
My top pick though out of all the places I have ever fished would be Dundee Beach. While not as exotic as some places I have wet a line up north, Dundee has everything: access to prime creeks, offshore islands, an expansive harbour, local reefs and gorgeous terrain. Add in the mix of every well known Top End species you can think of in abundance and you have the recipe for a fisherman's dream. I have fished Dundee four times now and every time, I walk away with a feeling that I will definitely return. If I ever relocated from Sydney this place would be it, no questions asked.

What are your top 5 fishing locations?