Recfishwest is a not for profit community based organisation that represents the interests of more than 750,000 recreational fishers in Western Australia.  Here at Recfishwest we strive to ensure high quality fishing experiences are maintained and enjoyed as an integral part of the WA lifestyle.

Our purpose is to ensure great fishing experiences for all in the wa community forever.

Our commitment is to protect, promote and develop sustainable, accessible, enjoyable and safe fishing for the benefit of the community.

We believe that fishing enriches lives of hundreds of thousands of West Australians and forms an integral part of the WA lifestyle.

The primary purpose of Recfishwest SunSmart Fishing Clinics is to introduce children and families to fishing; getting people off the couch and outdoors whilst promoting sustainable and safe fishing practices. Recfishwest has recently changed our delivery approach to align directly with community groups and fishing clubs/tackle stores who see great value in our Community events and SunSmart fishing clinic program.

If you’re looking for a fishing clinic to attend, see whether your club has scheduled one with us!

The basic structure of a Recfishwest SunSmart Fishing Clinic combines the delivery of key knowledge and skills using fun group talks with demonstrations and hands-on fishing activities.  Parents and guardians are expected to stay to supervise all children under 12yrs.

The briefing sessions before and after the actual fishing are designed to engage participants of all skill levels and ages, and also aimed at informing and educating the supervising parents and guardians, so they may gain the confidence to take their children fishing into the future.

Our standard clinic structure involves three fundamental components;

1. Briefing session with key messages and some demonstration (20-30 mins)
2. Hands-on fishing activity at the selected location (50-60 mins)
3. Wrap-up chat, recapping key messages (20-30 mins)

Individual fishing clinics can be adapted around this basic structure so that we maximise participant experiences and enjoyment.

Sessions cater for a minimum of 15 and a maximum of 30 participants for up to  two hours. If you have more than 30 participants we can discuss options to extend the session time to four hours. However, as our instructors are all volunteers, we can plan a maximum of two, two hour sessions per day (or one four hour session) for no more than 60 participants.

As we are sponsored by Healthway and promote the SunSmart messages, All participants must wear a hat (preferably broad-brimmed), and consider wearing suitable SunSmart clothing covering the shoulders, sunglasses and appropriate footwear for the location.

Please also bring a drink bottle.

We provide all rods, gear, bait and sunscreen. (If you have your own fishing rod you can bring it if you really want to!)

The instructors give a presentation at the beginning of the clinic covering all our key topics, including;

• the SunSmart messages
  • If the UV is 3 or above, protect yourself in five ways – slip, slop, slap, seek and slide.
  • Slip on sun-protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible
  • Slop on SPF30 sunscreen or higher – apply 20 minutes before you go outdoors and reapply every two hours.
  • Slap on a hat that protects your face, head, neck and ears.
  • Seek shade.
  • Slide on wrap-around sunglasses – make sure they meet Australian standards.
• Fishing safety such as rock fishing and lifejacket information
• WA recreational fishing rules and Fisheries information
• Sustainability practices and awareness
• Keeping your catch and fish handling techniques and safety
• Basic rig set up; including how the rod and reel is set up, what sinkers and hooks we use, how to hold the rod and care for it whilst fishing in different conditions
• A demonstration on casting and how the reel works

Other topics may also be included covering any current news and safety topics as well as relevant local recreational fishing information and Recfishwest projects.

At the conclusion of the clinic, the instructors ask questions on what the participants have learnt throughout the duration of the clinic and may even hand out prizes!!

No, generally not.

Our sessions are all about getting families outdoors and enjoying what Western Australia has to offer. It’s not about the catching so much as it’s about having a go.

Each fishing clinic promotes the need for a conservative approach to recreational fishing. Our instructors promote catch and release and always encourage participants to release any fish caught during our clinics.

Yes, we like to actively encourage families to value this time together and spend time enjoying activities outdoors. Plus, we expect all parents and guardians to stay as supervisors for all children under 12yrs.

All our instructors and volunteers have current ‘Working with Children’ (WWC) certification. All the clinic leaders also have current First Aid and CPR training from St John WA.

We do not require our instructors or volunteers to hold other lifesaving certification, such as Bronze Medallion.

Our clinic structure is based on a two hour session with up to 30 participants attending a 20 minute introduction and safety talk with about an hour for the fishing activity then a wrap-up talk with some give-aways.

We try to avoid scheduling clinics between the hours of 12pm-3pm especially in warmer months, due to heat and UV exposure.

Clinics are generally $10 per participant depending on your fishing club or community group.

Some community groups or clubs might offer the event to their members or the public free of charge, because they have already paid Recfishwest the agreed fee for the groups numbers expected.

Recfishwest has recently changed our delivery approach to align directly with community groups and fishing clubs/tackle stores who see great value in our Community events and SunSmart fishing clinic program.

If you’re looking for a fishing clinic to attend, see whether your club or children’s school has scheduled one with us!

The regular locations we use across WA are pre-assessed for suitability based on our minimum requirements for group access and comfort, as well as catching opportunity!

Many of these locations require prior approval from the managing body such as Department of Transport for service jetties and local shires for parks and beaches; and sometimes incur booking fees. Some of the locations are privately owned areas adjacent to camps, so only groups at those venues are allowed to use the area.

Regular Perth Metro locations include;

• Woodman’s Point – Ammo Jetty
• Bayswater – Hinds Reserve (Garratt Rd Bridge)
• Hillarys Marina – Service Jetty in front of AQWA
• Fremantle – Jetty area next to WA Maritime Museum
• Shelley Reserve – Jetty and beach area
• Bicton – Point Walter jetty or sand bar

Other WA locations include;

• Bremer Bay – jetty at Fishery Beach
• Albany – Emu Point Marina beach
• Denmark – Prawn Channel near Ocean Beach
• Bunbury – Koombana Beach area
• Exmouth – Marina area next to EGFC
• Kalbarri – small jetty off Memorial Drive
• Geraldton – Beach in front of Visitor/Tourist Centre
• Port Denison/Dongara – jetty next to boat ramp on Point Leander Drive
• Leeman – Service jetty
• Dampier/Karratha – The Gantry at King Bay Game Fishing Club
• Point Samson – Front beach and John’s Creek Marina

We have trailers equipped with about 30 fishing rigs and all the gear we provide with every clinic session. A minimum of 15 participants and a maximum of 30 per session.

For community based clinics generally 20 to 30 is preferred; however, if the numbers are greater we advise that people bring their own equipment or we can run two sessions for you in one day. Community sessions are more easily catered for due to the number of parent supervisors attending per participant.

If you have less than 20 participants in your group, consider extending an invitation to others in your community or another similar group or association. Also, parents and guardians may want to participate!

We are currently finalising our booking schedule for the 2023/24 financial year.