Tourism Talk: Fishing a great family pastime

The moment you feel the first-ever tug on the end of your fishing line is exhilarating - suddenly tightening your grip on the rod and reeling in the line, your heart beating and eyes peeled for the first glimpse of a beautiful brown or rainbow trout.

Sharing this experience and educating families about trout fishing is something Rotorua is great at providing. The Eastern Fish & Game Ngongotaha Trout Hatchery had its annual open day a few weeks ago and children who went along relished the opportunity to catch a trout.

They also learned skills, such as fly-tying, how to de-bone, fillet and then smoke a trout, as well as touring the hatchery.

Kids' fish out days are also perfect learning opportunities. Rotorua Anglers Association tutors teach children aged 6 to 14 the art of fly fishing with casting skills and guarantee each child their own rainbow trout to take home. Every child's fish is weighed and they receive a certificate with their name and the date.

The next kids' fish out day is Sunday, November 11 - it's well worth heading along to.

Destination Rotorua Marketing has been helping spread the word about these fishing days, with Eastern Region Fish and Game officer Mark Sherburn featuring on TVNZ's Breakfast programme earlier this month talking about the Ngongotaha Hatchery Open Days for kids and how great trout fishing is in Rotorua.

Word is also being spread on how it's inspiring for families that they can also take their new trout fishing skills further to the 14 fishable lakes in Rotorua.

For those wanting the company of professional guides, there are many such as Cruise'n'Fish, Trout Safaris, Silver Hilton and Bryan Colman Trout Fishing who will supply gear and licences on request, showing you the best spots to catch a flashing rainbow or a big, wily brown trout.

Trout fishing with professional guides and also with luxury trips on sail boats, such as Pure Cruise or Clearwater Cruises, can also come with some unique Rotorua experiences, including bathing in natural geothermal hot pools on Lake Rotoiti or Lake Tarawera and even burying a tinfoil-wrapped trout in the sand at Hot Water Beach to cook.

Providing the ultimate satisfaction at the end of the day, many Rotorua restaurants are also happy to cook your catch in their kitchen as part of the family's dinner as well.

Eastern Region Fish & Game says conditions in the 12 months leading up to this year's opening may have made the trout fishing prospects as good as they have ever been, with all the rain in particular producing the right mix of climatic and environmental factors to grow some high quality fish, which is encouraging for anglers.