When he is not playing rugby for Maitland Juniors through the winter months and bowling leg breaks during the cricket season, young champion Alby Nancarrow always finds time to go fishing with the family. 

I caught Alby on Fingal Beach with his dad Nick targeting bream just behind the wash on a rising tide into the dark.

For bait Alby used strips of fresh mullet, a few old prawns and chicken breast fillet. Bream are not fussy eaters as they will have a crack at just about anything including bread, cheese, yabbies, pippies, worms and cubed pilchards – the list goes on. 

Of all the local beaches around us the most productive are Stockton and Fingal although bumper bream can be caught on all beaches in the right conditions particularly at this time of the year.

If I had to name one bait best off the beach it would be the savage beach worm available at all Bait and Tackle outlets. Fresh, live worms are preferable, however pickled, salted or frozen worms will do the trick. I suggest you learn to catch your own beach worms as you will save a fortune along the way. And, to quote Alby, “It’s heaps of fun!” 

Give it a go.

Fishing writer, author and radio presenter John “Stinker” Clarke can be heard weekly, throughout NSW, on popular ABC Regional Radio fishing program “The Big Fish”. 

Check him out on www.stinker.com.au or send an email to editor@manningcommunitynews.com with your information and questions.