Christmas Eve for trout anglers is fast approaching with the opening of the 2019-20 trout season scheduled for this weekend. With plenty of recent rain our rivers and lakes are primed to provide some excellent angling opportunities. Popular waters have had plenty of fish added by our wild fish transfer team and the weekend’s weather forecast looks good! We expect to see thousands of anglers out and about this weekend trying their luck.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind anglers of their responsibilities in protecting the future of our fishery. In the early stages of the last angling season our Fisheries Officers discovered several instances of people not following bag and size limit regulations

Of particular concern were the following rules:

• taking undersized fish;
• exceeding bag limit; and
• Exceeding the number of fish permitted over 500 mm.

The Inland Fishing Code supplied each year with your licence is a great pocket reference to keep in your tackle box. The regulations are readily available on our website, the Infish App and on signage at major angling waters around the state.

If our Fisheries Officers discover anglers not following these regulations, it can result in an infringement notice and fine of $168. We may also seize the fish or your gear.

It is your responsibility to know the size and bag limits and the correct way to measure your catch. You measure the length of trout by a straight line from the tip of the snout to the end of the centre of the tail fin. Undersized fish MUST be released, even if they do not survive. We cannot be any clearer about this - you must not possess them.

Please follow the regulations and do your part in protecting our fishery for everyone to enjoy well into the future.

With this in mind, good luck to everyone that is heading trout fishing this weekend. This season is shaping up to be a cracker!