Australian Trout Foundation Inc | Environmental conservation organisation

Australian Trout Foundation Inc

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• Environmental conservation organisation

25.01.2022 Greetings Fellow Trout Fishers, we hope and trust that all of our members and supporters have stayed safe and well during this ongoing COVID 19 crisis. I’ll bet you’ve already reviewed your tackle and polished up your gear getting ready for the opening of the forthcoming season. Hopefully Dan will allow us to travel to our favourite streams by 5th September!! The rain god has been very kind to our trout streams this year and we have received reports from members who believe i...t will be a ripper season. Most streams are expected to provide some excellent fishing; apart from those bushfire affected waters in the Upper Murray and East Gippsland catchments. We have been in communication with the catchment management authorities and relevant angling clubs to offer assistance with revegetation of the riparian zones along the affected streams. When COVID restrictions allow, there will be quite a number of trees for trout planting days when we’ll need volunteers to step up; we’ll keep you informed. In the next few weeks, the Victorian Wild Trout Strategy document will be available on our web site for downloading and perusal. You will find in the strategy that we will be depending on anglers to assist with some important citizen science research, such as fin clipping wild trout from various streams and sending the clippings to the VFA at Snobs Creek Hatchery. This will be part of a brown trout broodstock management plan to ensure hatchery bred fish retain wild and wide genetic fitness. Management of crown land river frontages is also a priority action. The plan is to acquire licences where available and when these licences are in place, the river frontages will need ongoing maintenance, particularly weed control of blackberries, willows and other introduced weeds. In addition the access for anglers should be kept clear and safe for people of all abilities if possible. Volunteer anglers and clubs will be invited to "take ownership" of these responsibilities on the various streams as they become available. In-stream and riparian habitat restoration projects are always a priority. Volunteer anglers and clubs have excelled in this arena in recent times; particularly by working together with CMA's, the ATF and landcare groups at "trees for trout" planting days on various waterways. This important work will be ongoing and new volunteers are welcome to register by emailing contact details to: [email protected] Please stay safe; keep tuned for further updates, and get that gear ready for action! Tight lines and screaming reels. Terry George President

24.01.2022 More pics from last week's King River stocking trial. Report from Matt Byrne (ATF Chair Stocking) re a trial stocking of fry which forms part of the Vic Wild Trout Strategy. 50,000 very active Brown Trout fry released last week into a King River tributary. All went very well, one of the roughest bush tracks a VFA vehicle has been down lately I bet! Great driving by JD (John Douglas - VFA). ... The flows are tremendous in all the streams around the King , and there are trout to be played both above and below William Hovel dam. Not as many below, however it was good to see a couple around 14 inch where there were none 4 years ago. Upper river has plenty from my short surveying today with a brown parachute Adams. Off to the Nariel in a couple of weeks . Matt Byrne See more

24.01.2022 VICTORIAN TROUT FISHERS WIN AN RFL GRANT OF $110K TO ENHANCE OUR VALUABLE FISHERY (This grant is funded by Recreational Fishers’ Licence Fees) The Victorian Fishing Authority gave trout fishers a huge vote of confidence when it delegated responsibility to the Australian Trout Foundation Vic (ATF) to manage and administer the funds that will be required to continue the current Wild Trout Management Program, plus additional priority actions contained in the recently distributed...Continue reading

22.01.2022 Hi members, supporters and friends. would you please listen to Mark's presentation and make time to complete the important National Fishing Survey. Let our Government know just how valuable our fisheries are and how we need to restore and protect them for future generatios to come.

19.01.2022 On Saturday 3rd of October the WA Branch of the ATF participated in the annual Troutfest event which was held at Lake Moyanup near Waroona in Western Australia. The event was organised by Recfishwest, Fisheries and the Shire of Waroona. The public was invited to attend and assist with the stocking of ex broodstock, yearlings and fry into the lake. There was also fly casting tuition, a fly tying exhibition and the Lions Club put on a sausage sizzle. The event has proven to be very popular with families but this year there could be no more than 300 people due to Covid 19 restrictions. We were lucky to have a perfect spring day and everyone had a good time talking about trout, releasing trout...and then trying to catch them again!

18.01.2022 Vale: Tony Borrack Sadly, ATF member Tony Borrack passed away on 25th May 2020 following a number of health issues. Tony joined the ATF back in December 2013 along with his good mate of 60 years (and current president) Terry George. He enjoyed his fishing immensely, but while he was happy catching trout, he also enjoyed saltwater fishing at Harvey Bay in Queensland where he regularly holidayed with his wife Ann.... Tony was a pretty dammed good footballer in his day, even pulling on the ‘Big V’ for the VAFA at one time. He was always up for a good yarn, loved a beer and rarely said no to a drop of red if it happened to be on the table. Both Tony and Terry, along with their families, spent many house-boating weekends at Lake Eildon, water-skiing and hiking in the hills over a period of around 40 years (and I’m sure imbibing in a few drinks around the BBQ). He spent time (with Terry) learning to fly fish for trout, particularly around the Bright area in NE Victoria and, although I personally only got to fish with him on a single occasion, you could tell just how much he enjoyed just being out in the bush. Tony wanted to help make a difference and inevitably followed Terry onto the ATF committee as secretary in Nov ‘15 (the same time when Terry became the president) and was instrumental in the setting up, distributing and collating results of the angler surveys conducted by the ATF during his time and was also involved with Terry and Brian Eddy in bringing about the Ovens River rehabilitation stocking in 2016 among other achievements. His health deteriorated quite dramatically after about 18 months on committee and had to relinquish his position to concentrate on getting better. Unfortunately, with several stop-starts, he never really did. Tony will always be remembered by those that knew him well as a good friend and dedicated warrior in the fight for our trout. Our sincere condolences go out to his wife Ann, family and close friends. Tom White (ATF treasurer)

14.01.2022 Minister Jaala Pulford had fantastic success in her role as Minister for Vic Fisheries. The ATF members, supporters and volunteers will be saddened to learn that Minister Pulford has been seconded to another important portfolio. Jaala’s hands on management style, working together with her passionate VFA team, has made a huge positive impact on the health of our fisheries in recent years, for which the ATF, and we trust all recreational fishers, are most grateful. We at the ...ATF have benefited greatly during Minister Pulford’s leadership, and we truly appreciate her support for our habitat restoration works, including the award for our contribution to fishing and conservation. We wish Minister Pulford every success in the future, both personally and professionally. We offer our warm welcome to the new Fisheries Minister, the Hon. Melissa Horne, and look forward to working together and maintaining our current good working relationship with the VFA team. See more

13.01.2022 Who doesn’t love a ribbon cutting!!!! Today VFA Board Chair, Gail Owen was joined by new Snobs Advisory Chair, Cleola Anderiesz (also a gun fly fisher) and Futu...re Fish EO, David Kramer, for the (drum roll please) official opening of your brand new upgraded Snobs Creek Fish hatchery annnnd the worlds only GIANT Trout cod, with a big brown trout. With Arcadia well on the way to being built and Snobs having a wonderful makeover, your fish stocking future has never looked brighter! #snobscreek #eildon #vfa #fishing #troutcod #browntrout #gofishingvictoria

13.01.2022 Another presentation at the conference tonight is Rick Dobson and his rubber fish!! The conference continues the next two nights. Enjoy.

12.01.2022 Payl Gaskell from Wild Teout Trust was last nights main guest presenter at the Talk Wild Trout Conference- well worth taking a little while to watch and listen to this! Enjoy.

12.01.2022 https://atfonline.com.au/home/page/Wild-Trout-Strategy

12.01.2022 While on patrol, Tatura Fisheries Officers came across keen Carlton fan and local Yorta Yorta member, Dixon ‘Dixie’ Patton, preparing for an indigenous smoking ...ceremony on the Goulburn River at Mooroopna. Smoking ceremonies are an ancient custom in many indigenous cultures, involving the smouldering of native plants with permission from local elders. Such ceremonies can be used for a variety of reasons, however most are used to ward off bad spirits or for cleansing the mind. Dixie was preparing to undertake the ceremony with his grandson and other Yorta Yorta community members, when the Officers came across them. Our Officers were humbled when Dixie invited them to observe the ceremony, starting with the precise and respectful manner in which Dixie created the scar tree and the bark plate where the gum leaves would be smouldered. Dixie is passionate about imparting his knowledge down through the generations to ensure this tradition is not lost with the Yorta Yorta people. Here’s hoping the Blues can bring the heat next year, Dixie! #fisheriesofficersatwork #yortayortacountry #yortayortaproud #yortayorta Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation

12.01.2022 Welcome to Victoria! Trout eggs from NSW have come off the long run from Jindabyne to Eildon. And it’s been a fair old process! The eggs were stripped in the ...morning then headed off on a series of connected transport stages and more than 500kms of travel. It was a hand-sanitised game of pass the parcel between NSW DPI Fisheries Officers and our team based at Wodonga, then to our hatchery team ready to be chauffeured to Snobs Creek. When they rolled into town, the eggs were settled into the incubators at Snobs. They came from wild trout stripped and fertilised at NSW Fisheries’ Gaden hatchery and they’ll be incubated and hatched at Snobs before release. It’s part of a trial looking into whether stocking can speed up the recovery of trout populations after the likes of drought and bushfire. The trout will be stocked as fry into the Nariel Creek, near Corryong in north-east Victoria, and monitored through fish surveys later this year. We’ll use DNA samples from the parent fish to compare with surveyed fish so we can assess the contribution the stocked trout are making. To make it happen we’ve worked with Fisheries NSW, the Australian Trout Foundation Inc, the North East CMA and the fishing community in Corryong. #fishstocking #trout #fishingvictoria #science

12.01.2022 Trees for Trout - Nariel River, Corryong, Victoria 15/05/21 Victoria's Nariel River has had a tough run the last few years with low flows, high water temperatur...es and the devastating fires of 2019/2020, but thanks to the Australian Trout Foundation Inc, North East CMA, the Victorian Fisheries Authority and local organisations like the CORRYONG ANGLING CLUB., there's a lot of work going into restoring the river to it's rightful place amongst the greats. If you see a 'Trees for trout' day on one of your favourite waters come along and help if where you can. It's a great day out - get involved. See more

11.01.2022 Vale: Mervyn McGuire Sadly, I advise on the passing of Merv McGuire in the early hours of Wed 28th Oct 2020. Merv was involved with recreational fishing for many years through his association firstly with the FutureFish Foundation, then the Australian Trout Foundation and more recently, the Recreational Fishing Round Table. ... He was a very passionate trout angler and also an avid bird lover, often talking about the birds frequenting Jells Park near his home. Merv loved getting out in the natural environment, having a crack at a few trout and followed by a glass of a good ‘red’ at the end of the day. Merv was with the ATF committee for around 8 years from early 2007 up until around the latter part of 2014 in which time he was in charge of projects and one of his biggest challenges was the N.E. Rivers Access Tracks (Howqua, Jamieson, King & Upper Goulburn Rivers). Following his time at the ATF he then took up the role of chair at the Round Table for several years. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.

11.01.2022 The WA Branch of the ATF is pleased to announce the release of the revised guide - Trout Fishing in the Harvey Waroona region and a new guide - Trout Fishing on the Murray River (the one in WA). Production and printing of the guides was supported by a community grant from Recfishwest. The guides were presented to the public at the Troutfest event and will now be distributed to tourist information centres in the region and selected tackle shops.

10.01.2022 The recovery of the Nariel Creek will get a helping hand this week as the Australian Trout Foundation Inc (ATF) kicks off a week-long tree planting event Sta...rting on Saturday, ATF volunteers are aiming to plant a whopping 10,000 trees along the banks of the Nariel to assist in its recovery from bushfires in 2020. The Nariel has long been a highly-valued trout stream, but lost a significant amount of vegetation in the fires. The ATF, North East Catchment Management Authority, Corryong Angling Club, Native Fish Australia, Victorian Fisheries Authority and the Victorian Fish Habitat & Flows Group are combining forces from May 15 to 22. Thriving riverbanks with shrubs and trees provide essential cover, food and shade for trout so it’s a vital team effort. The ATF is now seeking volunteers who are keen to help out. Whether it’s a day or two or the whole week! To learn more and get involved, visit https://australiantroutfoundation.com.au/find-a-project/ #troutfishing #trees4trout #fishhabitatrecovery - ATF

09.01.2022 A fantastic project to be part of.

08.01.2022 A huge effort by all- thanks to everyone who volunteered and especially to NECMA and our executive at the ATF!

06.01.2022 25,000 newly hatched little Wild Trout alevins attached to their yolk sacs. When their yolk sacs have gone, the fry will be released into Nariel Creek as a Bushfire Recovery Stocking Trial. The ATF & VFA working together and liaising with NSW Fisheries, obtained the wild trout ova from Gaden Hatchery. The ova was stripped from wild trout in the Thredbo River. A big shoutout to Cam & Mitch of NSW Fisheries, and Matt Byrne of ATF for some great work. #VFA. #victoriafisheries

06.01.2022 POSTPONEMENT NOTICE FOR THE 2020 OVENS RIVER CHALLENGE Dear Anglers Regretfully, we need to inform all those anglers who wished to participate in the 2020 Ovens River Challenge event, that it has been necessary to postpone the event until further notice. This decision is solely due to the advice and information we have received regarding the COVID-19 issues.... We apologise for the disappointment this will cause our passionate members and supporters, however our first priority is your safety, and the safety of our stakeholders, sponsors, and the whole community. Some Anglers may decide to still visit the region to hone their skills on the trout or cod fisheries; recent reports say that both fisheries are currently providing anglers excellent sports fishing experiences. The local business owners would welcome you with open arms, but remember "no hand shakes"! You may be interested to know that at the time of writing this article, Fisheries reported that to date, only 16 golden tagged fish had been caught and reported to claim the prizes. In Gippsland, 5 bream, 1 estuary perch and 4 flathead, and in North East, 4 trout in the Mitta Mitta, 1 from Rocky Valley and 1 from Mt Beauty Pondage. Accordingly, there's still 984 golden tagged fish ($2,000 each) to be caught, with thus far zero from the Ovens catchment streams and Lakes. Over to you Anglers. Please be assured that this is purely a postponement notice, for it is intended to reschedule the Ovens River Challenge event as soon as circumstances allow, at an appropriate time, which may need to be after the Murray Cod Fishery re-opens on 1st December. We'll keep you informed. In the meantime, stay well and stay safe, and , if appropriate, continue to support the communities in the North East & Gippsland regions, by enjoying the facilities and the great fishing experiences in the catchments' streams and lakes. Sincerely Terry George On behalf of the ATF Committee

04.01.2022 The ATF wishes all passionate trout fishers a safe and peaceful Christmas. Recent reports have most of our trout waters fishing well and we trust that you will have many successful fishing days throughout 2021. The Catchment Management Authorities, ATF & VFA are working together to revegetate and restore habitat in those streams devastated by fires and floods in the past 12 months. In addition, we included Nariel Creek in the stocking trial and released 25,000 wild trout fry ...in the Nariel in November. The fry were hatched at Snobs Creek from wild trout ova sourced from NSW Fisheries’ Gaden Hatchery (with thanks). Surveys in 2021 by collecting DNA from Nariel trout will determine if they are from the November release. We trust that other fire and flood affected streams will make strong and fast recoveries, as they usually do given favourable conditions. Most of the planned trees for trout planting days were cancelled this year because of Covid restrictions, however, together with the Catchment Management Authorities, ARI, VFA and the Vic. Freshwater Fish Habitat & Flows Partnership, we are currently planning revegetation projects for a number of waterways for Autumn & Winter 2021 We therefore ask our habitat volunteers to sharpen up their picks and shovels and standby for future announcements. In the meantime, please send photos and fishing reports by email to [email protected] Please also note that the ATF Annual Report is available on our website www.atfonline.com.au and whilst on the web site, if you are not already a member, you have the great opportunity to join up to support the ATF. See more

04.01.2022 Paul Gaskell presents right now at the Talk Wild Trout Conference via zoom on Wild Trout Trust

03.01.2022 Meanwhile in south western Australia.....Another proposed irrigation scheme which will end up destroying a beautiful trout river...at an enormous cost to taxpayers. If the irrigators who want this water had to fund the scheme themselves it would not get off the ground. Any investor who looked at how much water will actually be available will conclude it is doomed to fail and avoid stumping up $80 million. But of course if the taxpayer is going to put up 87% of the money requ...ired to develop the scheme, then what do the irrigators really have to lose? They will not carry the risk. What will happen when the scheme fails is that those state and federal politicians who have backed the scheme will then look to find more water, i.e. all the water in the river, plus groundwater abstraction to satisfy the irrigation demand and we will be told this is essential to protect the local economy and jobs. This is taking place in a drying climate where the annual flow in this river has ALREADY fallen by 70% over the last 2 decades and that trend is predicted to continue/ How many times do we need to get this wrong in this country? See more

03.01.2022 Bush music... no AirPods needed!

03.01.2022 Are your recreational fishing interests being represented? Survey of VRFish Representation and Advocacy. A review of VRFish (the Victorian Recreational Fishing Peak Body) is being conducted to ensure that the broad views and aspirations of Victoria's recreational fishers are being effectively represented and advocated for. This review is being overseen by a steering committee and an independent Chair. The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) is conducting this survey to suppor...t the review on their behalf. VRFish was established 25 years ago and has a charter to represent and advocate for the interests of Victoria's recreational fishers. It has a membership base composed of recreational fishers, in particular, members from angling clubs and associations. It receives close to $500,000 each year of recreational fishing licence fees under a Grant Agreement with the State of Victoria and is also able to apply for project funding that aligns with its Strategic Plan and Grant Agreement. The VFA is keen to hear from you! Your response to this survey is extremely valuable in making sure that your voice is heard and that your views, values and aspirations are being represented and considered by VRFish when providing advice to government on how your fishing can be improved and safeguarded for the future. The responses and information you provide in this survey will go directly towards providing recommendations on improving advocacy and representation outcomes on behalf of Victoria's recreational fishers. Your responses are confidential The VFA is committed to protecting your information in line with Victorian privacy and data protection laws. All of the responses and personal information you provide in this survey are confidential. Your identity will not be matched against your responses. Only aggregated and de-identified results will be published. The survey contains 17 questions and should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete. We encourage everyone to complete the survey whether you have heard of VRFish or not. The survey will remain open until 5pm AEST on 10 November 2020. If you require assistance completing the survey, please contact the VFA on [email protected] The survey forms part of a review of VRFish which resulted from a report by independent consultants Marsden Jacob Associates (available VFA Website). The ATF is represented on the review working group and requests Victoria's trout fishers to complete the survey. Click here to take the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VRFish-review Thanks, Tom White (ATF Treasurer)

03.01.2022 Talk Wild Trout runs this coming week- all online. Register to recieve the link... see you there!

02.01.2022 Congratulations to the Australian Trout Foundation Inc which has been successful in obtaining a grant to deliver phase 3 of the Wild Trout Fisheries Management ...Program. The grant is one of 12 recently announced that are putting your recreational fishing licence fees to work! The Wild Trout Fisheries Management Program is guided by the recently-released Victorian Wild Trout Strategic Plan (2020-2025) - https://bit.ly/3jSQX18 Volunteers from the ATF have been instrumental in recent years restoring trout habitat and working with us to improve trout fishing across Victoria. So when you can next try your luck with a fly, lure or worm in a river somewhere, remember your fishing licence fees are helping improve your chances. Learn more at https://vfa.vic.gov.au//wild-trout-fisheries-management-pr #yourfishinglicencefeesatwork #troutfishing #wildtrout

01.01.2022 Do you see what I see? Maybe zoom in, or move your phone closer But not that close! These well-camouflaged fry are brown trout, which have been stocked into ...a tributary of the King River as part of a trial supporting the Victorian Wild Trout Strategy. As you can see they blend in pretty well with their surroundings right now, but in years to come we hope they’ll grow far bigger and help to sustain the wild population. We’ve assisted the Australian Trout Foundation Inc to stock 50,000 of these little beauties into a stream that, like many at the moment, was flowing strong. In coming weeks stockings will take place in the Nariel Creek near Corryong, in further trials focussing on an area affected by summer’s bushfires. The strategy was led by ATF and is part of the Victorian Wild Trout Management Program, which is being implemented thanks to your fishing licence fees. #yourfishinglicencefeesatwork #wildtrout #fishstocking

01.01.2022 A sad day for all Anglers. Our thoughts are with Ricks family at this time.