A couple of twisted pipe cleaners, some florist's ribbon and a bit of tinsel helped Lake Hawea fisherman Justin Foster hook a 2.494kg rainbow trout to win the two-day fishing contest.
"It's called the woolly bugger," Mr Foster said of his lure.
Mr Foster's fishing companion Mitchell Spillane, of Cromwell, also enjoyed good luck with his own home-made lure - a Ford key ring - which hooked a 1.972 rainbow trout, the second heaviest fish on the final day of competition.
The pair fished with Grant Crotty and caught their big trout near the head of Lake Hawea past the Dingle Burn on Saturday morning before a strong northwesterly front arrived.
The trio are regular participants in the annual fishing contest and have their own private competition on Mr Spillane's boat Lady Betty, with each fisherman required to make his own lure, Mr Foster said.
More than 187 fishermen registered for the 14th Lake Hawea Hotel fishing competition.
Mr Foster's 2.49kg rainbow trout was similar in weight to the winning fish of the previous five years, all rainbow trout.
The heaviest brown trout (2.224kg) was caught by Phil Fitzgerald, of Temuka, while Wanaka fisherman Glenn Templeton caught the heaviest salmon, a 1.58kg Quinnat.
A 1.996kg brown trout won Jamie Askin the heaviest fish caught by a junior/young adult.
Caroline Wigg, of Wanaka, claimed the best fish (1,442kg brown trout) caught by a woman.
Results:
Friday: Rainbow, Lindsay Roy, 2.188kg, 1; Kerry Poots, 2.114kg, 2; Paul DeGroot, 2.046kg, 3.
Brown, John Pickering, 2.222kg, 1; Craig Harkness, 1.972kg, 2; David Wigg, 1.94kg, 3.
Salmon, Evan Morris, 1.446kg, 1; Jean Milne, 1.422kg, 2; Mark Crosby, 1.414kg, 3.
Saturday: Rainbow, Justin Foster, 2.494kg, 1; Mitchell Spillane, 1.972kg, 2; Fred Donaldson, 1.95kg, 3.
Brown, Phil Fitzgerald, 2.224kg, 1; Brent Philpott, 1.946kg, 2; Mark Weller, 1.774kg, 3.
Salmon, Glenn Templeton, 1.58kg, 1; Reece Warnock, 1.494kg, 2; Ken Dines, 1.438kg, 3.
Heaviest Competition Fish: Justin Foster, rainbow, 2.494kg.
Junior/Young Adults: Rainbow, Ethan Meyer-Budge, 1.894kg, 1; Jamie Askin, 1.392kg, 2; Jailey Stoop, 1.308kg, 3.
Brown, Jamie Askin, 1.996kg, 1; Ethan Meyer-Budge, 1.518kg, 2.
Junior heaviest fish: Jamie Askin, brown, 1.996kg.
Children under 12: Rainbow, Holly Wigg, 1.918kg, 1; Tom McGregor, 1.808kg, 2; Michael Hutton, 1.108kg, 3.
Brown, Holly Wigg, 1.888kg, 1; Tom McGregor, 1.628kg, 2; Ryan Carey, 1.336kg, 3.
Salmon, Michael Hutton, 1.396kg, 1; Ryan Carey, 1.384kg, 2; Tom McGregor, 1.308kg, 3.
Woman's heaviest fish: Caroline Wigg, brown, 1.442kg,
