‘More trout for anglers’ at Lake McLaren and Ruahihi Canal

Bay of Plenty anglers will soon have a few hundred more trout to target on their back doorstep.

Fish & Game officers have released 700 trout into Lake McLaren and the Ruahihi Canal.

Fish & Game Officer Lloyd Gledhill says the release of 500 rainbow and 200 brown trout is an annual move to keep the waterways stocked for anglers.

The fish raised at Fish & Game’s Ngongotaha hatchery were around 15 months old and they’ll be catchable in about three to six month’s time, he told a Tauranga Anglers Club group that turned out to take part in the release.

“Hopefully fishers will take the opportunity to come along and harvest them,” he said.

Club member’s children squealed with delight (pictured top right) as they helped release the fish from the trout truck – as the freed fish raced around their feet in the shallows.   

Piping fish into the Ruahihi Canal.

It’s been a busy time for Lloyd Gledhill, who in recent days has trucked trout down country to Palmerston North for a children’s ‘fish out’ event, and then on to Otaki to a lagoon alongside the river.

Around 100,000 trout are raised annually at the hatchery near Rotorua, and then transported, normally as one year-olds but up to three years old, to new homes in lakes and waterways across the North Island, as far afield as Northland and Wellington.

Lloyd Gledhill said the ‘live trout truck’ is the best way to transport the fish.

Preparing for a trout truck delivery.

Its purpose-built stainless steel tank is divided into three sections that are insulated and oxygen-fed so the fish can be transported comfortably.

The tank holds just under 4000 litres of water and up to 5000 trout, depending on their age and size. When full, the load weighs around 10 tonne. 

"Usually the fish go in the night before and we keep fresh water flowing through the tank.

The next morning we turn off the water flow, close up the tank and head off. The fish will be quite happy in the tank for at least 12 hours."

Family and other licences are available at local sports stores on online here.

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