Series 2 .. Episode 4 ..

Clarence River Fishing

Snaking it's way through the Great Dividing range behind Copmanhurst, the Clarence catchment is one of the most untouched areas of northern NSW.

It's so remote you can only get here by four wheel drive - or in our case, by Buzz aviation's psychedelic helicopter!

I'm with a group of mates - and we're targeting the bass.

Bass spend lot of time feeding on surface and prime time is early morning. They'll eat anything from cicadas, frogs, anything that hits the top of the water, bass come up and crunch time.. Use different lures, jitterbug…

Before too long, Bruce reels in a healthy looking specimen topping 45 centimetres.

Not much luck for the rest of us though - so I reckon it's time we took a trip to the wild side.

This is the rugged Clarence Gorge, at the bottom of the catchment.

We're going to try deep diver lures from the rocks - which is a bit more precarious than casting from the boat. n fact, the water's rushing so fast, we wouldn't even have a boat…if it wasn't for our brave guide Neil Winters.

This fast flow also works to our advantage… it creates great murky water - which is bass heaven.

Well, the middle of the day isn't the best time to catch bass. But they put up a great fight bass, they are lovely wild fish in this area.

Populations of bass can be trapped in the catchment for years at a time, so they can reach 60 centimetres or more in the Gorge… but today we'll have to be content with their little brothers.

We're fishing the Nimboyda River, part of the spectacular Clarence catchment area.

When fishing in upper reaches of big river systems, there's always beautiful scenery - up ahead, we've got rapids.

Often we find bass all through these areas, up among reeds, around rocks, they hold in these spots. They're predatory fish, and eat a lot of fish and insects floating by, so it's a great ambush spot for them.

A lot of this area is private property - so you need a guide like Dave Irvine to point you to the best spots.

This morning, we're using spinner baits and light overhead reels - casting into the reeds. But the first thing to put a bend in the rod is not a bass - it's an endangered species.

Fishing for bass in Clarence catchment, you're likely to come across another Australian native - the Eastern cod. Brought back from the brink of extinction in the early 90s they're starting to bounce back in great numbers.

This 7 kilo fish took a spinner bait aimed at bass.. but it's great to see a fish this size hit a lure - we'll put him back in water very quickly.

The Eastern Cod is unique to northern NSW and parts of southern Qld - but it almost disappeared after years of overfishing and pollution of the waterways.

The cod was once top predator in the river, but dwindling numbers upset the balance - and let other species like eels breed like crazy.

Thanks to NSW fisheries, the local hatcheries and a non-profit organisation called Project Big Fish - the freshwater cod has been saved.

Thousands of Eastern cod have been bred here at the Booma Hatcheries in Dorrigo as part of a restocking and rescue program.

And I discover they have some pretty healthy breeders in their ponds…

Once this momma has laid her eggs, the baby hatchlings are given plenty of TLC until they're big enough to be released in the wild.

Tens of thousands of cod are returned to the Clarence and Richmond Rivers each year - but they're still protected. If you keep one, you face a fine of more than 20 thousand dollars….

The Clarence catchment is fed by the Nimboyda, Mann and Clarence rivers.. at the back of Copmanhurst.

If you'd like to help save the Eastern Cod, phone NSW fisheries or the team at Project Big Fish. They always need a hand with restocking and survey work.

Dave Irvine of Platypus Tours will guide you to the best spots in the Catchment for 200 dollars a day per person, which includes all meals and accommodation in riverside cabins.

At the Gorge, Neil Winters can take you catch and release fishing, and will also provide cabin accommodation from $20 per person.

When you're sick of roughing it, try the Bonville Golf Resort near Coffs Harbour. They have some great package deals which include your accommodation and a round of golf. Phone Bonville, or log onto their website for more details.