Scaley Mates, a Manly fishing group, has become a lifeline for connection, belonging, and plenty of laughs for locals.
Every Wednesday, a group known as the Scaley Mates heads out across the Northern Beaches carrying fishing rods, tackle boxes, good company, and absolutely no guarantee they’ll catch anything.
That’s never really been the point.
Whether they’re casting lines at Little Manly Point, Narrabeen Lagoon, East Manly Cove Beach, or one of the many local jetties and wharves they frequent, the real catch is the connection built between mates.
The club is facilitated through LocalKind’s Manly Drop-In Centre and is run by lived experience volunteer Simon Harrison, who first met many of the members through his involvement with LocalKind and community hub partner Roses in the Ocean.
For Simon, one of the things that makes the club special is that everyone arrives as equals.
“When I go fishing with the Scaley Mates, they are my peers, and we are all on the same page trying to do the same thing, which is catch a fish,” he says. “The fish don’t choose whose line they jump on, that’s for sure.”
Among those peers was Paddy.
How It All Began
When Paddy and Simon got together, they often talked about their love of fishing. For Simon, however, fishing was something he never thought would be part of his life again. After losing his left arm and most of his right hand in a train accident as a teenager, it became something he believed belonged to another life.
The pair finally headed to the water’s edge on a rainy, windswept day in April 2025. What happened next would change Simon’s life.
“Paddy got me fishing again,” Simon says. “After losing my arm, I never thought I’d be able to fish with a rod again, but Paddy, the inventor, made me a custom belt that made it possible. I always felt like I was looking through a window to a world I wasn’t a part of, but that day Paddy opened that window back up and allowed me to climb back through it.”
A small bream caught on a hand reel brought back the joy Simon thought was gone forever.
Soon, the idea grew beyond the two of them.
Today, the Scaley Mates welcome anyone, regardless of experience. Some members arrive having never picked up a fishing rod before.
That suits Paddy just fine.
Known around the group as the “Master Caster”, he jokes that “the fishing club will clear your headspace up, we’re a bunch of larrikins having fun.”
Sometimes he never even gets a line in the water because he’s too busy helping newcomers bait hooks, untangle the notorious “rat’s nest”, or catch their first fish.
More Than a Fishing Club on the Northern Beaches
Part of the club’s magic lies in how different it feels from traditional support settings.
As Simon explains, “Sometimes when you attend a service, you have the fluro lights above you, the walls are closing in, you’re sitting around a table, it’s all very clinical.”
Out by the water, the atmosphere is entirely different.
Conversations happen naturally between casts. Stories are shared without pressure. Humour flows freely. It’s an environment where people can relax, be curious, laugh at themselves, and enjoy each other’s company without expectations or judgment.
Their custom shirts capture that spirit perfectly. The back features slogans including “Do not disturb, already mentally disturbed” and “Get hook, line, and sinkered with your Scaley Mates. Don’t bring your crabby mates.”
The logo tells an even deeper story. It shows Simon and Paddy reeling the words “Scaley” and “Mates” up from beneath the water, a fitting symbol for a club built on lifting people up.
Many members have experienced isolation, hardship, trauma, or mental health challenges. For many, the club has become a family.
The connection continues long after the fishing ends. On many Wednesdays, members head together to the Community Pantry dinner in Narrabeen, sharing a meal and extending the conversations that began beside the water.
“There are a lot of isolated people in the community,” Simon says. “For a lot of people, Scaley Mates becomes their family. It’s a chance to come together with your mates and feel like you belong to something.”
“The start of the club was about promoting good mental health.”
The impact has not gone unnoticed. In May this year, Dr Sophie Scamps’ Mackellar Volunteer Awards awarded Simon a Volunteer Appreciation Award for his contribution to the community and the lives of those involved in the club.
More Fishing Adventures Await the Scaley Mates
The Scaley Mates are already talking about future adventures.
Kind donations of fishing rods and tackle boxes have helped the club grow, and discussions are underway about a camping trip, a deep sea fishing charter, and many more Wednesdays spent exploring the Northern Beaches together.
Most importantly, the group is always ready to welcome new members.
As Simon often reminds them all, “You’ve got to look after your Scaley Mates.”
Anyone wanting a glimpse into their adventures can also follow along on the Scaley Mates Fishing Club YouTube channel, where Paddy regularly shares videos capturing all the action, the laughs, and the unforgettable moments that continue to define the wonderfully quirky spirit of the Scaley Mates.
Scaley Mates Fishing Club
📍 52 Raglan St, Manly NSW 2095
🕒 Monday to Friday, 10 am – 2 pm (Fishing ONLY on Wednesday)
🌐 https://www.localkind.org.au/
Story by Evie Scully
