News

Tackle Tales

By Eamon Kurta

Jul 31, 2026

CSU researchers, Karma Wangchuk and Angus Boulton, in the Billabong Creek with an adult Murray cod. Photo by Dr Emmalie Sanders.

A new generation of river researchers is cutting their teeth in the Yanco and Billabong Creek systems, with survey work turning up a behemoth Murray cod.

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Solely funded by Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council Inc, recent fish monitoring conducted by CSU Flow-MER researchers has provided a snapshot of native fish populations.

Among the researchers is Karma Wangchuk, a Bhutanese PhD student from the Gulbali Institute at Charles Sturt University, who is studying ecosystem processes across the Yanco-Billabong system.

He has been working alongside Deni local Angus Boulton, who is completing his PhD on golden perch recruitment in the Murrumbidgee floodplain lake systems.

Angus Boulton’s supervisors, local brothers Dr John and Dr Anthony Conallin, say the aim is to train the next generation of local river scientists who understand the Edward-Wakool and Yanco systems from the ground up.

During monitoring, the team captured a 106 cm Murray cod in Billabong Creek near Conargo.

The fish was recorded using a fyke net - a long, bag‑shaped scientific trap held open by rigid rings, with funnel‑shaped throats that allow fish to enter easily but prevent escape.

We’ll provide a full report on the project in a future edition. In the meantime, read the results of the fish salvage project by the Western Murray Land Improvement Group on page 10 of today’s edition.