Talk Wild Trout 4 coming in August

Back in 2013, Fisheries decided something big was needed to address angler concerns about the future of wild trout stocks in Victoria. The result was the Wild Trout Management Program, an ambitious plan to use angler input and science to sort out what was good for wild trout fisheries – and what wasn’t. It was decided early on that a cornerstone of the Program would be a conference to fill anglers in on the latest trout research findings and to, well… talk wild trout.

What all the fuss is about!

Jump forward four years, and Talk Wild Trout number 4 is coming up on Saturday 11 August. After three annual events at Mansfield, for the first time the conference is being held in Melbourne (at the Darebin Entertainment Centre, Cnr Bell St & St Georges Rd, Preston VIC 3072).

So the bad news is, we can’t combine the conference with trout fishing the high country streams, but the good news is, it’ll be easier for metropolitan anglers to get there, and being mid-winter, there won’t be as many fishing distractions!

This year’s conference promises to be another illuminating and entertaining day.

Some of keynote speaker Jim Fredericks’ home water in Idaho, USA.

Jim Fredericks, a fisheries manager from Idaho, USA, is the keynote speaker. Jim has some of the most famous trout rivers in the world, such as the Henry’s Fork and the south fork of the Snake River, under his watchful care. Jim will talk about what makes these rivers so good, how the fisheries agencies maintain the fishing, and what we might be able to do here in Victoria to further improve our own trout fishing.

John Morrongiello at work back in Talk Wild Trout 2.

Following Jim’s presentation, VFA researchers will update us on the latest news from Victoria’s wild trout streams, including a 2018 update on the ever-popular stream health cards. Next up, keen trout fisher and scientist Dr John Morrongiello, and colleague Professor Nick Bond, will offer their take on the climate challenges facing wild trout – and some solutions.

Speaking of which, the Australian Trout Foundation’s Terry George and Mike Burgess from VRFish, will describe some of the fantastic work being done to improve trout habitat. There will also be updates on the trout egg incubator trials, and the angler diary program.

We understand more than ever that better habitat equals better trout fishing. But there’s still a lot to learn – and do.

After all that talk about making wild trout fisheries better, the day will finish with a bit of talk about how to catch the little buggers – including some fishing reflections from Rex Hunt, and a few flyfishing tips from yours truly.

The majority of the 380 seats at Talk Wild Trout 4 have been pre-booked already, so if you want to come along, it would be a good idea to register as soon as possible and get your ticket here (it’s free).