It all started with a humble plea: "Some bugger nicked me pluggers."

Now a Darwin fisherman who crowdfunded for a new pair of shoes is set to donate the money to those less fortunate after raising $69 to replace his "good" thongs.

"I didn't think it would go that far," Clancy Whalan said.

Earlier this month, Mr Whalan headed out one morning to Buffalo Creek for a spot of fishing with three mates with Territory-style nicknames — Soddy, Big Hands and Hot Beers.

"They don't like thongs on the boat. They consider it bad luck, so I decided to leave them next to a rock on the boat ramp.

"I came back about eight hours later — and I wasn't as sober as when I'd left — and the thongs are gone."

Mr Whalan said after an exhaustive five-minute search, and confirming he and his mates were indeed at the right ramp, the thongs were declared lost with suspicions of daylight robbery.

Unfortunately these were not any $4 cheap thongs and were actually a prized pair.

"These ones have bottle openers on the bottom of them. They're good," Mr Whalan said.

"I'd had them for at least two years. They were actually my backup thongs as I lost my new thongs a few weeks earlier. I'd left them on a mate's boat on Beer Can Regatta Day."

Clancy Whalan's crowdfunding campaign to replace his lost thongs. ( Supplied )

On his way home Mr Whalan at first felt that he "didn't know what to do", until he remembered something about online crowdfunding.

"To be honest, I've never used it before. It's not something I do often," he said.

"I thought it would be a bit of a laugh. I didn't think anyone would put any money towards it, but $69 has been raised."

'Sorry for your loss mate'

Comments on Mr Whalan's crowdfunding page have been overly empathetic.

"There ya go bruss, buy some plash ones ay!!!"

"Sorry for your loss mate. They are in a better place."

"Wishing you and your new thongs all the best in what I hope is a long and lovely union."

Mr Whalan said the surprising string of donations — nine people over 10 days — would now be put towards charity.

"There's a story I read the other day about a young family who lost their mother to a spider bite," he said.

"I think they're more needing of the money than me, so I'll give it to them.

"As soon as I figure out how the site works, I'll pass the money on."

Mr Whalan said he would probably buy himself a pair of cheap thongs for future fishing trips.