Stratford kids' trout fishing day fast approaching

Tarn Mack-McEwen with a nice ringplain rainbow trout.

There are still plenty of places available, but time is running out if you want to participate in the 22nd annual Stratford kids' trout fishing day this Saturday at the Scout Den pool on the Patea River.

Time-slots can be booked by visiting or ringing the Stratford Information Centre on 0800 765 6708.

The event will run from 8am, with the last fishing time-slot at 12.45pm. All fishing gear is supplied and with the help of Stratford Fishing Club members and volunteers, children will be able to fish for 300 good-sized rainbow trout.

At the event's conclusion at 1pm the nets will be removed and the remaining rainbow trout will be available to anglers who hold a current trout fishing licence.

Licences are free to children under 12 at the start of the current angling season (October 1 2019) and a whole season licence for under 18s costs $27, with a 24-hour licence costing $5.

Past experience has shown that trout remain within a few hundred metres of the release point for weeks after the event, complementing the angling provided by the Patea River's wild brown trout population.

There is a bag limit of two trout per angler per day and anglers must cease fishing for the day once they have caught their second fish. This event is once again made possible by a grant from the Taranaki Electricity Trust to cover the cost of the trout and event expenses.

■ The annual Stratford kids' trout fishing day: Saturday December 14.