FOR estuary anglers, landing a one-metre dusky flathead is about as good as it gets. Unlike metre-class barra, kingfish or mulloway – which are encountered far more often – a flathead stretching over 100cm is exceptionally rare.
Last week, angler Eddie Thomas landed a true trophy-size 101cm dusky flathead at Port Macquarie onboard Castaway Estuary Fishing Charters with guide Patrick Linehan – a testament to the area’s reputation for producing some of Australia’s biggest flathead. The monster flathead was caught on a 4″ Irukandji Megaprawn lure and was released in great condition after a few quick photos.
Adding to that legacy, Japanese client Hayato Ise recently scored a striking 96.5cm flathead on lure with Castaway, underlining the consistent quality of big fish coming from the NSW Mid North Coast.
Last year, Australian TV personality Andrew Hart landed a 98cm flathead onboard Castaway, captured on camera for the TV show Hook, Line and Sinker. In 2020, Castaway fishing guide Patrick Linehan himself boated a 105 cm+ dusky flathead – caught while casting shallow estuary flats – quite possibly the largest flathead ever landed on a lure in Australia.
The NSW Mid North Coast is a true hotspot for anglers chasing a flathead of a lifetime and Castaway Estuary Fishing Charters has proven it’s one of the most reliable big-flathead operations in the country!
