7 Mile Beach

[fragmeister]

Hi Raiders,

 

Just before Christmas I had a week camping down at 7 Mile Beach.

I have been there a few times and I have to say that it is reasonably tough fishing compared to other destinations down the coast.

We stayed at the caravan park on Crooked River which is a very shallow estuary that I believe was closed off until a few months ago.

In the past I have caught some jumbo whiting in the Crooked River but this time around they seemed to be absent.

It was very relaxing wading the sand flats with my fly rod and I did pick up a few flatties with my favourite flattie fly.

It's a little blood worm pattern, and it works for me every time... mind you I don't think flatties are that discerning!

I am afraid I didn't get any decent pictures but here's one from the bridge over the river taken by a mate.

You can see how shallow the water was. I was casting into a patch of seagrass and I got two fish in rapid succession.

Not big fish, but it is always good to bring in a few on fly.

 

I didn't hit the beach this year, but I would be interested to hear any comments from other raiders.

The beach has a very gradual slope and at least at the northern end is comprised of very fine and tightly compacted sand.

Plenty of pipis and some beach worms that are a little difficult to catch because the sand is so compacted.

I also find that there are very few gutters and I think this leads to an absence of many of the traditional beach species like salmon and tailor.

Plenty of flathead though if you wade out to get a decent casting distance.

All this may be different further south on the beach though where it is a little less protected.

Would love to hear from any Raiders who know the area better.

Anyway, it was all a very relaxing time with some great sunsets, few beers and some good friends.

 

Cheers

Jim

 

 

 

 

[jenno64]

Looks like a fantastic location and love the fly pattern…. I’m sure plenty of species woul d find that attractive!

[Yowie]

I have stayed in the van park near the bridge a couple of times, but not in recent years. Tried fishing the river in a few places around the bridge, with a few live poddies I caught there. Nothing interested in them.

Did not try the beach, but like you said, the section near the river was without any beach formations. 

They were only short stays, a couple of nights, so not much time to give it a good go.

[papafish]

1 hour ago, fragmeister said:

Hi Raiders,

 

Just before Christmas I had a week camping down at 7 Mile Beach.

I have been there a few times and I have to say that it is reasonably tough fishing compared to other destinations down the coast.

We stayed at the caravan park on Crooked River which is a very shallow estuary that I believe was closed off until a few months ago.

In the past I have caught some jumbo whiting in the Crooked River but this time around they seemed to be absent.

It was very relaxing wading the sand flats with my fly rod and I did pick up a few flatties with my favourite flattie fly.

It's a little blood worm pattern, and it works for me every time... mind you I don't think flatties are that discerning!

I am afraid I didn't get any decent pictures but here's one from the bridge over the river taken by a mate.

You can see how shallow the water was. I was casting into a patch of seagrass and I got two fish in rapid succession.

Not big fish, but it is always good to bring in a few on fly.

 

I didn't hit the beach this year, but I would be interested to hear any comments from other raiders.

The beach has a very gradual slope and at least at the northern end is comprised of very fine and tightly compacted sand.

Plenty of pipis and some beach worms that are a little difficult to catch because the sand is so compacted.

I also find that there are very few gutters and I think this leads to an absence of many of the traditional beach species like salmon and tailor.

Plenty of flathead though if you wade out to get a decent casting distance.

All this may be different further south on the beach though where it is a little less protected.

Would love to hear from any Raiders who know the area better.

Anyway, it was all a very relaxing time with some great sunsets, few beers and some good friends.

 

Cheers

Jim

 

 

 

There’s pipi from the beach, did u try that for bait. In terms of fishing i haven’t tried or seem much people fishing there.

[Green Hornet]

Nice little spot Crooked River and great to see you got a few fish on the long wand.

Occasionally you see the salmon and tailor "ball" a school of baitfish up in the corner of the beach. Other than that it fishes okay for whiting and flatties.

From The Crossroads/Berrys Beach south the beach has much better formations and the fishing improves dramatically. Around Shoalhaven Heads is a well known spot for decent jew around this time of year.

[Little_Flatty]

Love the worm fly! Looks like a great place to enjoy the summer.

[SaltyGreek]

I would usually be down fishing both the crooked river and 7 mile beach this time of year but due to complications we weren’t able to go.

Off 7 mile beach I find a lot of the gutters that form are usually further down south along the beach past the bend and we usually pull out good whiting and bream there on beachworms.

I think the last time the crooked river was landlocked was in 2017 and I’ve found a pattern that it closes for a while about every 4 years. Live poddy mullet in the deeper channels past the road bridge do well on flathead there and live nippers usually do well for the whiting but because of the river being shut for so long it might’ve changed things around a bit especially with all the rain too.

[Rebel]

Great report.Top photos.

[fragmeister]

4 hours ago, SaltyGreek said:

I would usually be down fishing both the crooked river and 7 mile beach this time of year but due to complications we weren’t able to go.

Off 7 mile beach I find a lot of the gutters that form are usually further down south along the beach past the bend and we usually pull out good whiting and bream there on beachworms.

I think the last time the crooked river was landlocked was in 2017 and I’ve found a pattern that it closes for a while about every 4 years. Live poddy mullet in the deeper channels past the road bridge do well on flathead there and live nippers usually do well for the whiting but because of the river being shut for so long it might’ve changed things around a bit especially with all the rain too.

Thanks Salty,

I didn't venture further upstream as it seemed to ve very soft underfoot around the mouth of that little creek just past the bridge.

Next time I might take a paddle up there in a rented canoe and toss the fly again.

 

Cheers

Jim