Mud Marlin Muster reels in record crowd

L–p: Ned Woodhouse and his 75cm carp. Walter Landale was proud of his catch. Will, Macauley and Myles Bennett reel in a fish at Tilpa. Photos: contributed

Story: Kristin Murdock – kmurdock@outbackradio.com.au

Tilpa’s Mud Marlin Muster has enjoyed a spectacular second year, with over 430 registered competitors descending on the tiny village for three days of fishing, entertainment and fundraising.

Held from October 9 to 11, the event attracted 433 registered participants, almost tripling last year’s figure of 150, with visitors travelling from across NSW, Victoria and beyond.

Tilpa Fishing Club’s Ange Williams said organisers were overwhelmed by the response, which included 110 adult competitors, 89 juniors and 67 teams comprising 234 people.

The event’s furthest-travelled award went to Sam McMinn from Bunya, Queensland, who made the 1300km journey to Tilpa on the mighty Darling.

Alongside the fishing competition, the weekend featured twilight markets, yabby races, live music from Under the Radar, an auction, and the much-anticipated boat raffle.

But behind the fun and impressive prize haul is a serious purpose, with the club raising money to improve the health of the Darling River and restore native fish populations.

Ms Williams said the club had partnered with OzFish and was working with fisheries authorities and Landcare to explore river health projects and more effective fish restocking.

She said fisheries research highlighted the challenges facing native fish recovery, with some 500,000 Murray Cod released between Walgett and Wilcannia over the past decade, but only two recorded in a 2024–25 survey.

One possibility being investigated is whether smaller native fish are consuming newly released fingerlings before they have a chance to grow.

The club is now exploring the feasibility of releasing larger fish, alongside other river restoration initiatives.

“The idea when we started last year was to just raise some money to get some fish back in the river,” Ms Williams said. “It’s just grown very quickly.”

The club has received approval for a government fish restocking grant, while funds raised through the muster will support its broader river health ambitions.[…]

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