Cromwell sisters Chloe and Megan Dempsey were all smiles as the pair waited at Lake Hawea to weigh their catch in a popular Central Otago fishing competition.
Chloe said she enjoyed catching fish, but liked them even better once her dad had cooked them up for dinner.
The sisters were among the 50 "child" entrants - from an overall field of 222 anglers - who took part in the annual Lake Hawea Family Fishing Classic on Saturday.
Local knowledge proved an advantage for Lake Hawea fisherman Richard Oliver, who bagged the heaviest overall fish, with a 2.566kg brown trout, while the Hay family, also of Hawea, won the best family catch competition with a condition factor of 122.636.
Fishing competition president Trevor Hewson said about 80 boats and their occupants had enjoyed calm conditions on the lake.
The 222 entries in the competition were a decrease on previous years' figures, Mr Hewson said.
Anglers had travelled from as far afield as Christchurch, South Canterbury, Te Anau, and Southland to participate in the competition.
Proceeds from the event - an estimated $5000 this year - are shared around community groups, Mr Hewson said.
Results:
Heaviest overall: 1, Richard Oliver, Lake Hawea, 2.566kg brown; 2, Steve Norman, Wanaka, 2.246kg rainbow; 3, Alan Gramstrup, Dunedin, 2.170kg rainbow.
Best family catch: 1, Hay family, Lake Hawea, condition factor 122.636; 2, Rutherford family, Lake Hawea, 109.260; 3, Wigg family, Hawea Flat, 107.423.
Heaviest fish (child): 1, Holly Wigg, Hawea Flat, 1.380kg brown; 2, Mitchell Bowmar, Lake Hawea, 1.268kg rainbow; 3, Jack Muir, Gore, 1.256kg rainbow.
Heaviest fish (junior): 1, Carisbrook Bowler, Wanaka, 1.544kg rainbow; 2, Conor Rutherford, Lake Hawea, 1.446kg brown; 3, Izacc McKissock, Alexandra, 1.164kg rainbow.
