FISHERMEN hold an almost
universal belief that the harder a
spot is to get too, the better the
fishing, and whilst it’s not always the case,
longer walks around or over NSW mid and
north coast headlands are definitely journeys
worth making. Some of my favourite places
involve walking the goat tracks that meander
over grassy headlands, passing numerous short
beaches and bays. With clear water and a sunny
day, these headlands are magic!
Hat Head is located on the mid-north coast and
the walk out to the point is one of the most
spectacular. The track out to the headland is
accessed via the walk bridge in the caravan park or
from The Gap carpark. It’s a loop of about 4 km
and can be transversed from either point. North
from the walk bridge, you’ll walk parallel to Hat
Head Creek, through a short "rainforest" section
before the track opens up to a view of shallow
water and white sand. As the track is high above
the water, you’ll get a clear view of what’s
swimming by and the abundance of marine life
can make it difficult to keep your eyes on the path
ahead. Schools of bream, tailor, garfish and mullet
are visible in season as are mackerel and long-
tailed tuna. If manta rays are in the area, cobia are
likely ... if you’re quick enough! The point at Hat
Head is a famous hotspot for both pelagics and
the usual rock species, but the fishing is seasonal.
The walk turns south after the point and you’ll
pass over a number of great spots on the way back.
Whales feature in winter and there’s no crowd.
Years ago, when I was a mere P-Plater, I sat and
watched a school of killer whales encircle a school
of mullet with a communal bubble curtain. Using
bubbles to constrict the school, they took turns to
rip into the hapless school until there wasn’t a
single fish left! On another trip, we were catching
some fantastic bream when the bite just stopped.
Opting for another spot, we were half way back
up the hill when I looked back to see a school of
big mulloway in the water ... but they didn’t take a
bream fillet ... bugger!
Another of my favourite headland haunts is the
area from Crescent Head down to Queens Head
with Racecourse, Big Hill, Point Plomer in
between. They are all magic spots and the fishing
is great. Crescent Head is a short walk past thesurf break and it offers a panoramic view from the
top. The rocks below are a favourite haunt for
tailor and mulloway. Travelling down the Plomer
Rd, which is largely dirt, Racecourse is the first
headland you’ll come across. The view from the
carpark is one of the best you’ll see and is high
enough for fish spotting. It’s a grassy walk via a
dirt track with fishing spots reached by turns to
the east. Big bream and drummer, tailor and
mulloway all make their appearance during
winter, as they do with the nearby headlands.
Whilst the north side is closer to the carpark, it’s
still a good spot and it offers protection from
southerly wind and swell. The north side of
Racecourse is the place to be when the NE winds
are blowing, and there’s usually a deep channel
running adjacent to the rocks. When white water
spills into the deeper water, anything is possible.
Big Hill is a similar set up, although the walk is a
little more taxing and the rocks aren’t built for
comfort. Bombis and submerged rocks litter this
part of the coast, so a lure or unweighted pilchard
can do the job, as does a bread berley trail and a
lightly weighted bait. Point Plomer headland is
accessed through the NPWS camping area and
has paved paths and a lookout spot with fishing
spots scattered below. The two fingers of rock past
the point are particularly productive. Queens
Headland is named from the face you can pick
out in the rockface. It’s an uphill grassy walk with
a couple of good spots if you don’t mind a little
steep walking. It was here that the Loved-One and
myself watched a huge school of school jew swim
into the shallows and disappear amongst the
boulders ... out of reach though!
I’m sure headlands like these are not limited to the
north coast, so wherever you are, enjoy the walk! ●HEADLAND HIKES
Headlands are magical spots for
fishos to explore and fish.
By Dave Rae
DAVE RAE
82 fishingworld.com.au | September 2019