And when you fi nd it, and
realise Aplins Weir ticks all
of the boxes, you’ll be in on
this suburban secret, as well.
Aplins Weir separates the
freshwater in Ross River from
the tidal saltwater, which is why
you can catch fresh or saltwater
barramundi, depending
on which side you fi sh.
(Hot tip: You will need a permit
to fi sh the fresh side, as the fi sh
are from a stocking program,
and, there may be saltwater
crocs lurking on the salt side).
On the subject of crocodiles,
there are plenty of freshwater
crocs on the fresh side,
however, they only eat fi sh
and are scared of people.
Plenty of people kayak on the
fresh side without incident.
Having said that, there’s always
the urban legend of the odd salty
living up there too... who knows?
Nothing surprises me when it
comes to salties, particularly as
there’s nothing stopping them
walking around the weir walls...
oh, and if you’re new to the
north, don’t let the “saltwater”
part of their name deceive
you, those bastards live quite
happily in freshwater, too.
Anyhoo, bring your cast
net for some bait.
Decent sized mullet
are good to catch.
There’s a sweet, little beach
area to cast from, or climb
64 | AUGUST 2017