The seven tonnes of trophy rainbow trout stocked into the Goulburn River for the opening of the season last month was so successful that the Victorian Fisheries Authority will do it again next year.
Stocked trout to six kilograms were caught by hundreds of people during opening weekend and Minister for Agriculture Jaala Pulford released even more trout at Lake Eildon today.
The seven tonnes of trout was the largest 24-hour stocking effort in the history of the Victorian Fisheries Authority.
The immense stocking effort was funded by the Andrews Labor Government’s Target One Million plan for recreational fishing, which is investing a record $46 million to get more people fishing more often.
Thousands of extra people travelled to the river between Eildon and Molesworth to try their luck casting a line, providing a significant boost to local businesses in the Murrindindi Shire.
Several retailers reported being run off their feet and calling in extra staff to cope with the influx of people hoping to hook that rainbow trout of their dreams.
Beginners and experienced anglers, including fishing TV personality Paul Worsteling and his family, made the journey to the Goulburn and were thrilled to capture enormous rainbow trout.
Many anglers set new personal bests for their biggest ever trout, while others new to the pastime were lucky enough to reel in the catch of a lifetime on their very first fishing trip.
