The Georges River is a bass river in New South Wales, and the reason to bring a fly rod is the Australian bass that live in it. It is a river for a light rod, a small box of poppers and baitfish flies, and an evening spent casting tight to the shaded bank.
One structure cuts the river into two parts for a fly angler. A weir at Liverpool marks where the tide stops: below it the river is tidal, and above it the fresh water runs back up to the source, with its tributaries. The two halves fish differently, so pick one per trip.
The easiest trip is below the weir, from a kayak or small boat launched at one of the public ramps on the access card. In our experience bass hold on timber and shaded edges, and a small surface fly at first and last light in the warm months is the place to start. Once the sun is up, switch to a small sunk baitfish fly along the same cover. As on any tidal river where bull sharks may turn up, fish from the boat rather than wading murky edges, and keep your hands out of the water when you land a fish.
The second trip is the fresh river above the weir. The NSW closed-waters notice for those non-tidal waters bans traps, which in practice means you cannot set a trap there; the notice does not itself close the water to fly or line fishing. Walk it with a light rod and a small baitfish fly. Macquarie perch are recorded here too, so look up their status in the current NSW guide before you go.
Start below the weir on a warm evening with a popper, and read the current NSW fishing guide before you launch.
Water and habitat
Liverpool Weir divides the river. Downstream the water rises and falls with the tide. Upstream is fresh, non-tidal water running down from the source through its tributaries.
The gradient profile and the bank cover chart show how the river's fall and its riverside vegetation change along its length. In our experience bass are fish of cover: they sit under overhanging trees, beside fallen timber and in the shade of a steep bank, and they come out to the edges to feed in low light. Read the river for those places first.
Fish and forage
The fish a fly angler comes for is the Australian bass, recorded in the river. Macquarie perch are recorded too; release any you hook with the least handling you can manage, and check the current NSW guide for the species before you fish.
Both longfin and shortfin eels are recorded, as are bullrout and bull sharks. Goldfish and gambusia turn up as well.
The small fish tell you what to tie on. Australian smelt, Pacific blue-eyes and at least six kinds of gudgeon (Cox's, empire, firetail, striped, flathead and dwarf flathead) are recorded in the river. In our experience that means a bass here is looking at slim, drab baitfish a few centimetres long. A size 4 to 8 baitfish fly in olive, grey or brown covers most of it, with a small popper or gurgler for the low-light surface bite.
When to fish it
In our experience bass fish best from spring into autumn, when the water is warm and they will come up to a surface fly at dawn and dusk. Summer evenings after a hot day are a good bet. Once the sun is high, switch to a sunk baitfish fly along shaded cover.
The cold months are usually slower for bass. If you go in winter, fish the middle of the day and slow everything down.
The flow charts show how the river runs through the year at the gauge above the weir. In our experience a river that has just risen and gone brown after rain is a poor bet for a fly; give it a few days to settle.
How to fish it
Rig a five or six weight with a floating line for the surface bite, and carry an intermediate line or a sink tip for the middle of the day. A short, stout leader helps you turn a bass away from a snag.
Accuracy matters more than distance. Put the fly tight to the timber or under the overhang, let a popper sit, then twitch it and let it sit again. With a baitfish fly, count it down beside the cover and bring it back with short, uneven strips and pauses. The streamer fishing guide covers the retrieves.
From a kayak below the weir, drift the shaded bank and cast ahead of the boat so the fly lands before the hull's shadow does.
Access and safety
The access card lists the public boat ramps on the river. Launching from a ramp gets you onto the water; it is not a statement about where you may go ashore, so treat the banks as private unless a sign or the land manager says otherwise.
As on any tidal river where bull sharks may turn up, avoid wading or swimming in murky water, especially at dawn, dusk and after rain, and land and release fish over the side rather than with your hands trailing in the water.
As on any river you paddle, wear a life jacket, carry a way to call for help, and keep clear of larger boats near the ramps.
Regulations
Traps are prohibited in the non-tidal waters of the Georges River and its tributaries upstream from Liverpool Weir to the source, under a NSW closed-waters notice. The notice restricts traps only, so line and fly fishing above the weir are not closed by it.
That is not the whole picture. Before you fish, read the current NSW fishing guide and its closed-waters list for the part of the river you plan to fish, check the bag and size limits and any protection that applies to bass and Macquarie perch, and check whether the recreational fishing fee applies to you.
