At the council’s On the Fly Mataura River Festival on Sunday Mr Bell received a fly-fishing lesson from fishing guide Barry Perkins, of Gore.
Mr Bell said fly-fishing was very relaxing.
"You can see why people come out, just enjoy nature and stand in the water.
"I think it would be too stressful to catch a fish, to be honest."
A fly-fishing event might be good for councillors, he said.
"Get everyone out on the river and have a relaxing time."
It was his first time fly-fishing, he said.
"It would have been better if I caught a fish."
However, it was likely he would take up the sport, he said.
"The kids’ casting session demonstrated that fishing is accessible to everyone.
"For those keen to give it a try but are unsure where to start, you’re welcome to contact the Southland Fish & Game office for advice."
Fish & Game ran a competition for people to guess how many rainbow trout there were in a tank.
The answer was 73 and Roger Gibbs, of Dunedin, was the only one to guess correctly.
Gore District Council senior events co-ordinator Jessica Swan said she was pleased with how the event went.
"The drizzly morning didn’t seem to put people off too much and we had a great crowd attend throughout the duration of the event."
It was "fantastic" to see so many people of all ages take part in the different fishing activities.
"We loved seeing so many families out and about, trying the different kids’ activities, having a boogie by the stage or just enjoying all of the food choices."
This was also the council’s first officially dog-friendly version of the event and seeing so many dogs there was "wonderful", she said.
