OCTOBER has been a busy month in Narooma for those who like spending time on or beside the water.

Wagonga Inlet has returned to form and some more than just legal fish have been lured onto the hook. I heard local jewie angler Bill Beuters landed a whopper around 14kgs. You can see his back fence from Fosters Bay and nearly every post carries a jewie jaw bone – testament to his prowess in catching the wonderful mulloway. If you want to follow his example, you have to be prepared to put in the long hours on those still moonlit nights. It actually sounds quite appealing, don't you think– but don't tell the family that They need to think it's really long, hard lonely work to put such lovely fish on the table.

Some excellent flathead are being caught by young and old in various places round the inlet. It's great to see the younger anglers catching good-sized fish, taking a photo for proof and carefully releasing them back when they don't really want to eat them.

I've often enjoyed a few hours fishing for whiting around the ocean end of Wagonga Inlet. It’s very relaxing carrying a little light rod and a few fresh beach worms( caught as the sun rises on one of the many pristine beaches that flank Narooma to both north and south.) The sand flats near the mangroves or near the town wharf nearly always reward a little slow dragging of worms when the water is about 30cm deep and rising.

The waters around Montague Island are living up to their reputation acquired over the years. We have noted an increase in the delectable deeper reef species such as the longfin perch and the yummy pigfish. Snapper are still making a show in the keeper box on nearly every trip, as are the old rubberlip or blue morwong.

However the real thrill fish at ‘the rock’ is the kingfish. Not yet in massive numbers but reliable and of a good size, regular catches of 70cm to 80cm kings are being reported by pros. and charter boats.

If you lose a few of your carefully prepared rigs and the fish are still on, try this quick rig to keep you in the action. Take about a metre of 15kg line .Tie afigure-eight knot in one end, slide on a 225g (8oz) barrel sinker and hold it in place by slipping on a lamb docking ring and thread the line through the ring three times. Tie on the hook of your choice (I'm happy with a 4/0 or 5/0 Mustad Salt Water), clip it on the snap swivel and you're back in action.

Brian Henshaw has only the head to show for his battle with the first kingfish of the day after a seal took the rest.