The Wakool River is a slow lowland river in southern NSW where a fly angler can chase Murray cod and golden perch.
It runs into the Murray River, so think of it as a quiet side channel of that system rather than a stream with distinct sections.
The trip worth making is a warm-season evening on the bank, casting big streamers and hoppers at timber for cod. Start at one of the access sites on the access card. The current NSW fishing guide sets any season, bag and size limits, so read it before you settle on a date.
Bring an 8 or 9 weight and heavy leader, and read that guide before you leave home.
Water and habitat
A slow lowland river like this is cod country. Fish hold where the current is broken: under a fallen tree, against a steep outside bend, in the deeper hole below a snag. Open, even water holds far fewer fish.
In our experience the river fishes best where the flow does something interesting. Read the bends first, then the timber, then any change in depth. The flow and temperature charts on the page show how the river behaves through a year, and a stretch that has been steady for some days is usually a better bet than one that has just changed.
Fish and forage
Murray cod are recorded in the river with high confidence, and so are golden perch. Silver perch are recorded too, at medium confidence. All three are native fish that eat what the river gives them: small fish, shrimp and yabbies, and whatever falls in off the bank.
The small natives in the river (Australian smelt, Murray River rainbowfish, hardyheads, gudgeons) are the forage. A dark, slim streamer stripped slowly is a fair imitation of any of them. European carp are recorded here too, and Eastern gambusia, a small introduced fish.
The rest of the fly box is a guide's judgement. Carry a few big streamers in black, olive and dark red, a couple of large hopper or foam patterns for the surface, and some weighted nymphs for the perch.
When to fish it
Settle the rules first: take any season for cod and perch from the current NSW fishing guide. Within whatever it allows, the warmer months are when these fish are most active on a fly. Spring and summer evenings, and the first and last hour of light, are the best windows. After heavy rain or a sudden change in flow, give the river a day or two to settle before you make the drive.
How to fish it
Fish the snags. Cast a heavy streamer tight to the timber, let it sink, then strip it slowly away from cover with long pauses. A cod often follows and eats at the last moment, so keep the fly moving through to the rod tip.
Use a short leader of stout fluorocarbon, since these fish are strong and the cover is hard on light tippet. At dusk, switch to a big hopper or a similar surface fly and slap it down near the bank. Golden perch are more often found in slower, deeper water off the main current, where a weighted Pheasant Tail or a small Woolly Bugger fished slowly can find them.
Strike firmly and keep the rod low. A hooked cod will try to reach the nearest snag, so lean on it early.
Access and safety
The access card names the access sites, including a boat ramp. Treat them as locations, not a statement of permission, and respect any fence or sign you meet on the ground.
As on any bush river, tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back, carry water and a first-aid kit, and watch your footing on the bank, and never wade a crossing you are unsure of.
Regulations
No water-specific rule was found. Before you fish, read the current NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development fishing guide, check its closed-waters list, and take any season, bag and size limits and licence requirements from it.
