Sixty young anglers tried their luck at catching a trout at the 23rd annual Stratford kids trout fishing day.
Fish & Game field officer Allen Stancliff says the event was successful.
"While the number of kids was fewer than usual, there was more time to fish and most kids went away with at least one good-sized rainbow trout."
A number of the young people caught their first ever fish, says Allen.
"Their whānau and the volunteers got a kick out of seeing their excitement."
With 300 trout released into the Scout den pool for the event, there are more than 200 remaining.
"They should provide plenty of good fishing opportunities just in time for the start of the school holidays."
Allen says past experience has shown that many of the fish remain in the Scout den pool or in the adjacent pools for several months.
"They complement the fishing provided by the Patea River's resident brown trout population."
He says the Stratford Fishing Section and Fish & Game are thankful for the support of the Taranaki Electricity Trust and the Stratford Lions.
People require a licence to fish for trout. Licences are free for children under 12 on October 1, 2020. Junior day licences for 12-17-year-olds cost $5. Licences can be purchased at Magnum Sports or online at www.fishandgame.org.nz.
"There is a daily bag limit of two trout and anglers must stop fishing for the day when they've taken their second fish," Allen says.