Kids learn fishing skills at DPI workshop

Up to 30 keen young anglers and would-be anglers from the Snowy Mountains and beyond will brush up on their fishing skills or learn how to fish at a special NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) fishing workshop.

The workshop will be held at Gaden Trout Hatchery, Jindabyne, on Saturday 29 October from 10 am to 3 pm.

The fishing workshop, funded by the NSW Recreational Fishing Trust and run by fisheries staff and Fishcare volunteers, will give children aged between eight and 14 years the chance to practise casting, rigging, tying knots and fishing for trout.

NSW DPI Fisheries Education Officer Gavin McDonall said youngsters would also learn about bag and size limits, aquatic habitats, threatened species and ethical fishing practices.

He said fishing workshops were being held around the State as part of the NSW Government’s commitment to teaching children about recreational fishing and aquatic conservation.

The NSW Recreational Fishing Trusts provide funding for the workshop program, which dedicates more than $50 000 a year to ensure community engagement workshops continue across the State.

Mr McDonall said the youngsters would get the chance to put their new skills into action by fishing for rainbow trout in the grounds of the beautiful Gaden Trout Hatchery at Jindabyne.

‘They will also be able to fish in a pond specially stocked to improve their chances of a good catch of trout. And they get to keep one fish,’ he said.

The cost is $40 a child, which includes a sausage sizzle lunch and a rod and reel combination to take home.

Numbers are limited to 30 and bookings are essential. Telephone 02 9527 8523 by October 26 to book. For further information contact Mr McDonall on 0438 245 190.

Media contact: Sarah Chester on 02 6036 2110 or 0417 207 669.