The eighth annual edition of Troutfest produced the biggest turnout yet, with beautiful weather and a lively crowd of around 400 people providing a fitting celebration of our South-West freshwater fishery!
More than 300 larger rainbow and brown trout from mid-sized yearlings up to larger ex-broodstock sizes were hand-released into their new home, resulting in hundreds of beaming smiles for the scores of mums, dads and kids who all rolled up their sleeves and got in on the action.
Check out the highlights from Waroona Troutfest 2024 in the video below!
With DPIRD agreeing to our request to declare the weekend freshwater ‘licence-free’ for fishers, eager families tried their hand at flicking lures or fly-fishing, with volunteers from the Western Australian Trout and Freshwater Fishing Association (WATFFA) kindly and enthusiastically spending hours teaching eager attendees the peaceful art of fly-fishing.
The fishing is better when there’s more fish biting, and with around 66,000 more trout set for release into our South-West fresh waterways over the coming months, the future of freshwater fishing for West Aussies looks bright.
Click here to see a full list of trout stocking numbers and locations for 2024!
Recfishwest’s Operations Lead Matt Gillett – who has been at all of the previous Troutfest events – said this year’s crowd was easily the biggest out of the eight editions.
“Watching excited kids wade into the water to have a go at handling these fish with care before releasing them into their new home is always a great sight,” said Matt.
“Troutfest epitomises the value of fish stocking and our South-West freshwater fishery – it’s a fun, safe and accessible fishery underpinned by the great work DPIRD does rearing such healthy fish at their Pemberton hatchery.
“It is always a pleasure watching this event continue to grow each year thanks to the tremendous help from the community and all our Troutfest supporters and a special shout-out to the Shire of Waroona for backing in this great community event.”
Now a highly-anticipated attraction on the South-West community calendar, this year’s Troutfest was once again made possible by the Shire of Waroona, Alcoa, our stocking partners Daiwa and DPIRD’s freshwater hatchery in Pemberton.
Budding fishers were also able to tap into the knowledge of experienced freshwater fishers, with free fly-casting tuitions and fly-tying demonstrations on offer, along with an array of stalls packed with freshwater fishing merchandise and delicious food on offer.
The licence-free weekend was a good incentive for many to try their hand at chasing trout or redfin perch with picturesque backdrops, contributing to the growing $37 million in economic spending each year in regional economies from freshwater fishers.
Waroona Troutfest is part of a carefully managed South-West trout-stocking program supporting a fishery enjoyed by around 10,000 freshwater fishing licence holders who venture to picturesque streams, rivers and dams throughout the South-West.
Recfishwest, through its Freshwater Fisheries Reference Group, offers advice to DPIRD on where to stock each year’s cohort of hatchery-bred trout to the best benefit of freshwater anglers.
Missed out on the 2024 Waroona Troutfest? Don’t worry – we’ll be back in Pemberton on Sunday, 13 October for the third edition of Pemberton Troutfest! Check out the highlights from last year’s Pemberton Troutfest in the video below and bring your family along!