Yarra River Snapper by Brenton Hodges

Surrounded by massive commercial container ships, thousands of passing cars and trucks, tall buildings, smoking chimneys, fuel refineries, power stations, cranes and forklifts, not to mention excessive boat traffic, you could be mistaken for thinking you were in a scene from the Matrix trilogy, not a first class fishery.

The Yarra River flows through the heart of metropolitan Melbourne and is often passed over by anglers in search of more visually appealing destinations. Unfortunately, due to its close proximity to a major city, the Yarra River does have its fair share of environmental concerns. The water regularly looks dirty, especially after rain when vast amounts of water washes rubbish and debris from the city streets, through a maze of stormwater drains, and into the river, eventually emptying into Port Phillip Bay at Williamstown.