Trout snagged in first cast

Some people have all the luck.

On his first cast of the day, 6-year-old Clyde Barcos snagged himself a rainbow trout at the annual Otago Fish & Game Take a Kid Fishing Day at Dunedin’s Southern Reservoir on Saturday.

Apart from the excitement of reeling in a 2kg fish, Clyde was just as surprised to learn he would be having his favourite food for dinner to celebrate the achievement — fish and chips.

There were an estimated 800 rainbow trout in the pond and 100 people around it with fishing lines flicking in and out, but only a handful of people managed to catch a fish during the two-hour event.

So it just goes to show, there is definitely an element of luck when it comes to fishing.

Otago Fish & Game field officer and hatchery manager Steve Dixon said it was a great chance to get children out fishing with their families, as well as celebrate the opening of the fishing season on October 1.

Mr Dixon is responsible for raising trout at the hatchery to put into reservoirs around Otago, and said he recently put about 800 2-year-old rainbow trout into the Southern Reservoir alone.

He said even if the participants failed to reel one in, "it was good casting practice".

"Of course, the reservoir opens again on Monday [today].

"So if you’re over 12, you can get a fishing licence — or if you’re under 12, it’s free — and you can come back and have a crack at all the fish that didn’t get caught."