Firstly, plans to change things around at the popular Bermagui harbour boat ramp have run into some angry opposition from fishers at Bermagui Big Game Fishing Club. Club member Paul Blacka called the Coastal Accessibility Master Plans by consultants, Spiire Australia, “impractical”.

“This is the busiest facility on the South Coast and with these plans in place only the panel beating shops would benefit,” Mr Blacka said. “You are planning to put a pathway across a three-lane boatway which has 300 boat movements a day at its peak and some of those are in reverse. 

At the moment with seven to eight-metre boats, every inch of tarmac used. It would make it impractical,” Mr Blacka said. It’s been revealed that the Bermagui club was not identified as a key stakeholder and Bega Valley councillor Tony Allen proposed any plans be deferred pending a site visit by councillors. Click here for more

Sticking with the hard news, the Narooma News this week reported on concerns of toxic leachate getting out from Brou landfill into adjoining waterways including Brou Lake.

Landowner Warren Buchan, who lives just downstream from the Brou landfill, feared something was wrong just from the smell and colour of water in the creek on his property.

The licensed plumber and former petrochemical worker alleges leachate or runoff water from the Brou landfill tip site, just north of Narooma, is contaminating neighbouring properties and waterways.

Mr Buchan’s southern boundary adjoins the landfill and his property is just downstream from the tip's northern boundary, where he has detected black, foul-smelling water at the headwaters of Brou Creek.

He contacted tip operator Eurobodalla Shire Council and its waste management department, but when no action was taken he conducted his own tests last month using an independent laboratory. 

Results showed elevated levels of hydrocarbons, zinc and arsenic in the actual water, while the sediment tests revealed 10 to 60 times the acceptable levels of a number of heavy metals and elements. The Narooma News has the full results.

Mr Buchan alleges the problem is a combination of the old clay-lined tip contents leaching into the groundwater over 35 years and spills from leachate ponds attached to the newer landfill section that do have modern linings.

Eurobodalla Council and the Environmental Protection Authority deny there is a problem and council says it is safe to eat fish and prawns from Brou Lake. Click here to read more

In other fishing related news, the Eurobodalla Greens and former councillor Gabrielle Harding are continuing with their plans for a community forum against super trawlers in Narooma sometime in February or March and are about start distributing flyers over the holiday period.

All anglers and fishing clubs are invited to get involved. While the vessel formerly known as the Geelong Star has returned to Holland, the corporate fishing company Seafish Tasmania is fully expected to charter another factory mid-water trawler when its new quota is allocated.  

Now to what is biting and young charter skipper Nick Cowley reports he had an excellent day on the kingfish on the weekend, with over 10 legals and a cracker 117cm monster on Saturday.

“Was a surprise to see such a big fish early in the season and looks good for the season ahead, quite a skinny fish only around the 14kg mark and photos just don't do the fish justice!” Nick reports.

Sunday saw some hot action too with around well over 20 legal kings and at one stage an eight-way hook up every rod, majority of fish from the 65cm ran to 80cm but just goes to show there's also the odd big fish with the smaller ones, he said.

In the estuaries, there are still lots of chopper tailor lurking around Wagonga Inlet at Narooma, while there was a report of a lovely estuary perch in the Bermagui River.

Corunna had good flathead but they’re touchy and a slow retrieve is vital. Now is the time to get out on the closed waters before the boat traffic scares the fish off!

Click here for all the South Coast fishing news and reports