For the Buchanans, fishing is a family pastime.
"We go fishing regularly and for this competition we went to Turangi," Leith said.
And with plenty of fish in their chilly bin, the family were looking forward to going home and cooking up a feed.
The annual Take a Kid Hunting and Fishing event is a successful fundraiser for Norsewood and Districts School, but more importantly it's about families doing things together and getting out and making memories, because kids don't remember their best day of television, just ask Charlie Ward.
Woodville's John Shannon said he was amazed at the number of children who entered the event.
"One young guy brought in a kura. It was interesting as I'd never seen one of our native crayfish before."
Mr Shannon said he was pleased health and safety laws hadn't killed the event.
"You've just got to look at the kids' faces. I've never seen so many smiles," he said.
With 118 children entered in the event, organiser Laura Bealing was delighted.
"This event is for the kids and that's why there was a T-shirt for every kid entered," she said.
And although the final tally from the fundraiser for the Norsewood and Districts School was not yet known, Laura said the possum plucking was lucrative.
"Last year we made $700 from that alone," she said.
This year there were more large game, 13 red deer, nine fallow deer, 14 goats and one pig, weighed in, with local hunters telling the Dannevirke News the hills were teeming with deer.
"We also had 12 trout weighed in, many more than last year," Laura said.
New school principal Nikkie Christie said she hadn't known how popular the event was.
"I couldn't believe there were more than 80 sponsors," she said.
"This was truly a well-worth event for all participants."