Trout stocks boom
Inland anglers benefit from stockingMore than 636,000 trout and salmon were stocked into 140 Victorian waters last year. Victorian trout anglers continued to enjoy outstanding fishing last year thanks in large part to the Department of Primary Industries' annual stocking program.
Fisheries Victoria acting Executive Director, Travis Dowling, said more than 636,000 trout and salmon were released into 140 waters during the year to improve fishing opportunities for freshwater anglers across the state.
Mr Dowling said most of the stocked trout were grown at the department’s Snobs Creek hatchery, near Eildon, using funds derived from the sale of recreational fishing licences.
"The stockings included nearly 75,000 catchable size rainbow trout that were released for the second and third term school holidays, mainly into small lakes in suburbs and towns," Mr Dowling said.
"Those stockings provided children and beginners with a chance to wet a line close to home.
"However, experienced trout anglers reaped the benefits of ongoing stockings in larger lakes such as Tooliorook, Deep, Elingamite, Burrumbeet, Learmonth and Fyans.
"Large numbers of trout, some weighing more than 2kg each, were caught from several of these lakes throughout last year.
"One of the standout waters was Lake Toolondo, southwest of Horsham, which recovered from drought in 2011 and was stocked with brown and rainbow trout soon after, and again in 2012.
"Anglers reported that the stocked trout in Lake Toolondo grew quickly and provided terrific fishing through winter and spring of last year.
"Lake Wendouree is another water that’s made an outstanding recovery over recent years thanks to stockings by Fisheries Victoria and the Ballarat Fish Acclimatisation Society."
Mr Dowling said that warmer summer water temperatures meant the Snobs Creek hatchery was now turning its attention to growing and stocking native fish such as Murray cod.
"Between now and April, most of our stockings will revolve around native species, with the 2013 trout stocking season to commence around May when water temperatures drop again," he said.
Photo courtesy of Diawa Australia
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