Angler Barry Bayliss left it almost to the last minute to weigh in the heaviest trout in this year's Lake Aviemore fishing contest.
Mr Bayliss, of Oamaru, was coy about where he caught the winning 3.496kg brown jack trout, revealing only that it was from the shore on "the top half of the lake".
But the rumour around the Otematata boat harbour, where he weighed in the trout at the final weigh-in at noon yesterday, was it was just below the Benmore dam, where big fish wait for food coming out of the penstocks.
He did reveal he caught it on his weekend's favourite lure,a black and gold Tasmanian Devil, about 8am, after hehad taken his boat up the lake and then fished from the shore.
The lure had survived the three-day contest, despite getting caught in several snags.
It was a welcome first win for Mr Bayliss, who has been competing in the Waitaki Valley's largest fishing contestfor about 12 years. His previous best finish was second.
During the weekend he caught 15 fish, releasing allbut two, which he weighedin.
The last-minute weigh-in pipped competition leader Tim Frank's 2.972kg brown trout.
About 80 fish were weighed in by the 175 adults and 70 children who took part in the contest, a number similar to last year.
Other winners were.-
Adults: Heaviest rainbow, Mike Beemster (1.094kg); heaviest salmon, Tony Keenan (730g).
Children: Heaviest fish and heaviest brown trout, Jack McLennan (982g); heaviest rainbow, Ryan Booth (790g); heaviest salmon, Tony Keenan 730g).
