Fishing to feasting: how to experience salmon season in the South West

The salmon follow the warm flow of the Leeuwin Current, which is crucial for their spawning journey and a key ecological event. They gather in large numbers around the Margaret River Region, where massive schools of fish – sometimes weighing up to 50 tonnes – form striking black whirlpools. This whirlpool schooling behaviour is a survival strategy, reducing the chance of predation and increasing the likelihood of successful spawning. Furthermore, the huge schools stand out against the backdrop of sparkling white sands and crystal clear waters, offering an exciting challenge for anglers.

For millennia, April and May have marked a time when the Aboriginal Noongar people journeyed from the inland to the coast.

As the marri blossoms began to bloom and early morning fogs and dews settled in, they knew that the fat salmon, or ngari in Noongar, were making their way up the coast to lay their eggs. They would camp in bays such as Geographe Bay, where Dunsborough now stands, and build intricate stone fish traps. From the beaches and rocky outcrops, they would spear the fish from the thick, swirling schools, smoking them over paperbark on the hot coals of the she-oak and jarrahs, right on the shore.

Though the traditional journeys may have faded over time, the spirit of those practices lives on. Today, both Noongar and non-Aboriginal people still gather along the Margaret River coast, travelling from near and far to partake in the age-old tradition of fishing for salmon.

The salmon season is a time for celebration and enjoyment for everyone, says Wadandi custodian and Koomal Dreaming tour operator, Josh Whiteland.

“Salmon season has always been one of my favourite times of year. It brings a lot of families back to the coastal areas for that [salmon] migration. It is a celebrational thing,” he says.

“It brings all the Noongars out too from places like Boyup Brook, Bunbury, Kojonup, Dumbleyung, Williams, Collie. You come out to the coast and you see all the Noongars fishing along the rocks, and that is how it has always been.

“I remember sitting down there on the rocks as a kid, and my great-great-grandfather would have been sitting there doing the same thing, generations before.”

While Josh sometimes still makes traditional fish spears to hunt with, he says the easiest way to fish for salmon is using lures, either metal twisties, stick baits, or poppers, and casting into passing schools.

Australian salmon are a strong-tasting fish, and need to be treated with care and eaten as fresh as possible to ensure the best results, he says.

“Put them on ice if you have it. Don’t leave them laying there in the sun. Take it home, and fillet it fresh. If you want to smoke it you can do a salty brine. Even wrapping it up in alfoil with butter and lemon. The old people used to wrap them up in paper bark. Or even just plain old pan-fried. It just has to be fresh. You can’t freeze it. And so the best way is to only take what you need.”

So, now you’ve caught your salmon, how do we best to enjoy it?

“Traditionally, salmon would be wrapped in paper bark and smoked over smouldering she-oak, banksia, or jarrah – anything with a fair amount of resin,” says Josh.

Salmon is easily smoked at home, even without a sophisticated gas smoker. Allow a fire to burn down to white hot coals, and then add green banksia or she-oak wood to smoke the salmon resting on a rack above. Banksia nuts soaked in water also smoke very well.

Salmon can also be cooked directly on hot white coals – this way, the skin and scales are left on to protect the meat and will easily peel away when the fish is cooked.

“It would be stuffed with saltbush, dune spinach, and sea celery. You leave their scales on, so when they are cooked you can just pull the skin and the scales off and they are ready to eat,” he continues.

Most anglers today bleed their catch right away to enhance the fish’s quality. After that, the salmon is typically skinned, scaled, and filleted, with the dark, bloody parts removed.

Australian salmon also shines in red and green curries, minced patties, or have it European style, with dill, lemon zest, garlic, and parsley.

From the traditional ways of the Noongar People fishing along the coast to visitor anglers continuing the tradition, salmon remains a cherished part of the region’s heritage and cuisine. So much so, the marine park surrounding the Margaret River Region is aptly named Ngari Capes Marine Park, honouring the deep connection between the land, the people, and the iconic salmon.