Richmond River North Wall (Ballina)

The North Wall is the long rock training wall on the northern side of the Richmond River mouth at Ballina, running out from Lighthouse Beach to the bar. The whole of the Richmond drains past the end of it, so bream, luderick and jew hold along the stones and tailor and trevally chase bait through the entrance. A path runs along the crest, which makes it one of the easier big walls in the state to walk out on. It is Ballina's default land-based spot, and the locals treat it accordingly.

The river side is the main event: bream sit hard against the rock and take lightly weighted prawn, mullet strip or half a pilchard let down the face of the wall, and luderick anglers work cabbage or green weed under a float on the run-in. Soft plastics on light jigheads account for bream, trevally and school jew along the same stretch. Jew are fished at night and in low light from the outer half, with a live mullet, a big hard-body or a fresh fillet around the tide changes. Tailor come to metals and ganged pilchards off the end at dawn and dusk.

Bream are here every month (25 cm, bag of 10 shared with tarwhine), with luderick through autumn and winter on the wall weed (27 cm, bag 10). Mulloway are caught year-round from the wall, day and night (70 cm, bag 1). Tailor run the cooler months (30 cm, bag 10), dusky flathead hold on the sandy edges inside the river from spring to autumn (36–70 cm slot, bag 5), and trevally chase the bait schools through the entrance (bag 10 across all trevallies; silver trevally 30 cm). Winter river flathead can be very large — the big ones are breeding females, and anything over 70 cm has to go back anyway.

Follow the tide, not the clock: the run-in brings clean water and bait up the river side, and that is when the bream and luderick bite. Cabbage for luderick grows on the wall but is grazed down fast; bring weed or pick it early. The lower Richmond is closed to traps (other than bait traps) from the wall tips up to the Burns Point ferry, so leave the crab pots at home. Watch for birds diving on bait in the entrance — that is the cue for a metal. Clean fish at home or at a cleaning table, not on the wall.

Park in the car parks at the end of Lighthouse Parade, East Ballina, between Lighthouse Beach and Shaws Bay, and walk out along the crest path from the wall's root; it is part of the North Wall coastal walk. The path makes the inner half an easy walk, but the wall is still rock armour either side and the outer end is rougher. Lighthouse Beach, the lighthouse lookout and the town are close by. The sealed approach suits a pram to the root; the wall itself is not wheelchair-friendly.

The wall faces south-east down the coast, so south-east swell washes the ocean side and an onshore sea against the run-out makes the bar dangerous and the tip rough. The river side stays fishable in most weather. A clean run-in suits bream and luderick; dirty water after rain suits the jew. Swell under about 1.5 m and wind under 20 knots are sensible working limits on the outer half.

The ocean side of the wall takes south-east swell head-on and the outer end can be washed without warning. Check the swell forecast and walk out only after watching the sea for ten minutes, keep off wet, weedy stone, stay on the river side when the swell is up, and never turn your back on the water. The Ballina bar has a hard reputation among boaties, so keep lines clear of vessels crossing it. Ballina Shire is a declared area under the Rock Fishing Safety Act 2016: on the natural ocean rock its high-risk map marks — Ballina Head and the headlands to the north — a lifejacket is compulsory, with a $100 on-the-spot fine. Wear one on the North Wall too — adults AS 4758 level 50S or greater, under-12s level 100 — with cleated boots and light clothing you can swim in. Don't fish the outer end alone; if you go in, swim clear of the wall, float, signal and have your mate call 000, and know your retreat.

Bream and mulloway all year, luderick and tailor through autumn and winter, and dusky flathead and trevally from spring. The river side is where most fish are caught, especially on the run-in tide. Mulloway must be 70 cm with a bag of one.

Ballina Shire is a declared area under the NSW rock-fishing lifejacket law, so a lifejacket is compulsory on the natural ocean rock its high-risk map marks, such as Ballina Head and the headlands to the north ($100 on-the-spot fine). On the North Wall, wear one anyway: adults AS 4758 level 50S or greater, under-12s level 100.

At the car parks at the end of Lighthouse Parade in East Ballina, by the root of the wall. A path runs along the top of the wall, so the walk out is easier than on most big walls.

There's no licence as such, but you must pay the NSW Recreational Fishing Fee and carry the receipt to fish anywhere in NSW, salt or fresh. It's $7 for three days, $14 for a month, $35 for a year or $85 for three years. Some people are exempt, including anglers under 18 and certain concession holders.