The excellent Winburndale Dam trout muster is again with volunteers from around the Central West helping to catch trout from this water supply reservoir and catchment which is normally off limits to fishing.
The fish are transported live on a tanker to the small village of Portland outside Lithgow where they are released into the very accessible fishery, Mill Pond. The former quarry, filled with clear water, has become a real hotspot for local anglers of all abilities, young and old.
It’s a real win, win, with trout being released from Winburndale Dam and the stream now available for recreational anglers to catch while also preventing the rare and endangered Macquarie Perch from being reintroduced to that area.
According to NSW DPI Fisheries Endangered Species Manager, Luke Pearce, the growth rate of Macquarie Perch is very good and Fisheries is impressed with their survival rate.
He said “the fish will just condition, possibly grow over 6 lbs and hopefully reproduce naturally”.
According to Luke, natural spawning is the ultimate goal and if that happens the Macquarie Perch fry will have more food sources without having to compete with the trout.
