The breeding ground of the salmon is from Esperance to Walpole. The fish gather in mid-summer around the south-east coast and migrate to southern WA where spawning occurs in March and April each year.
The commercial fisherman have targeted these schools as they move along the coast since the 1950’s canning, for both human and feline consumption, and cray bait. These seasonal camps a diverse lifeblood to local industry and a unique lifestyle for the workers, families and communities. To catch the salmon a net is shot around a school as it passes and is then hauled up on to the beach. The sight of tons of salmon being man handled on to the beach and ready for transport, at the crack of dawn, is a sight to behold.
Aside from this, their hard fighting tactics and means that recreational fisherman can chase a world class sportfish from the beach. A favourite pass time for anyone young or old avid fisherman or not, it is universally agreed they are a fun catch and great way to spend a day at the beach.
Salmon form very large schools in southern waters and head westwards in mid to late summer, continuing up the west coast as far as Perth. Salmon eggs are planktonic and then ultimately find their way offshore and drift south and eastwards with the aid of the warm Leeuwin Current.
One of these favourite locations is Nanarup (Taylor Inlet)
Although the name Nanarup is believed to be of aboriginal orgin the inlet is named after Patrick Taylor (1807‑1877).
A group comprising Geake, Cheyne, Symers, Taylor, Drake and Townsend were the first landowners of a district then known as Candyup. (now Lower Kalgan). Taylor and Miss Bussell married in Fremantle in 1837. Soon after, the newlyweds set sail for Albany, possibly to live briefly at Taylor's home in Duke Street (today the Patrick Taylor Museum - believed to be WA's oldest surviving dwelling c 1832), but soon to settle into a cottage Taylor built on Candyup (Location 38)
Mrs Taylor kept a diary. The population was evidently small, for even 20 years after the time of her diary it was reported that just five settlers lived east of the river and this in a period when the land at Nanarup had been opened up and new settlers such as McKail and Affleck had just settled by the river mouth.
It wasn't until nearly a century later that the fishing of Nanarup as we know it commenced and continues to this day.
High elevation helps in spotting a salmon school coming up the beach and gives you a beautiful outlook over the area. The main road in is suitable to all vehicles and then is a short walk or 4WD the GZ.
Please bring your own writing stick.