Goulburn fishing festival - Wet a line

by Department of Environmental Primary Industries on 16 Aug 2013 Fisheries Victoria and the Eildon community will again host the Goulburn Fishing Festival on sixth and seventh September, coinciding with the opening weekend of trout season in rivers.

Member for Benalla Bill Sykes said the free festival aimed to highlight the fishing opportunities in and around Eildon, including the Eildon Pondage, the Goulburn and Rubicon rivers and the iconic Lake Eildon.

Dr Sykes said last year’s festival attracted hundreds of people who helped stock live trout, learned more about fishing in the district and toured the Department of Environment and Primary Industries’ fish hatchery at Snobs Creek.
'I am delighted to again be attending this fantastic family event and look forward to participating in activities on Saturday 7 September.

'There is again a great range of activities on offer this year, including spectacular fireworks on the Friday night over the Eildon Pondage,' Dr Sykes said.

'Visitors can talk with angling experts one-on-one about trout fishing or catching redfin and native fish, such as Murray cod, in Lake Eildon.

'Free fly-fishing lessons will provide the perfect opportunity for those attending to try something new. There will also be professional cooking demonstrations and displays showcasing fishing tackle and local produce.

'For children, there will be a range of entertainment including face painting and, of course, fishing.'

On the Saturday there will be free guided tours of the DEPI Snobs Creek fish hatchery every hour. It is one of Australia’s largest fish production facilities that grow brown trout, rainbow trout, Chinook salmon, Murray cod, Macquarie perch and trout cod.

'Most of these species are stocked to improve our freshwater fisheries so it is a great opportunity to go behind the scenes and understand how it is all done,' Dr Sykes said.

The festival will be based at the Eildon Community Centre and is another component of the Victorian Coalition Government’s $16 million Recreational Fishing Initiative.

For more information visit DEPI website