Vaughan Rodwell will forever remember the first fish he caught, after reeling in a $2,000 rainbow trout as part of the relaunched and expanded Golden Tag competition.
Minister for Fishing and Boating Melissa Horne said eight-year-old Vaughan’s catch provided a perfect example of what Golden Tag is about – getting families out into regional Victoria and making memories to last a lifetime.
“Moments like these with family and friends are what fishing is all about, and we’re thrilled Vaughan’s first fish is one that he will remember forever.” Minister Horne commented “The competition is already drawing families of fishers to regional areas, which is providing a major boost to the economy for local communities.”
Minister Horne explained that the Rodwell family, from Doreen in Melbourne’s north, were staying with friends in Kyneton recently when the group decided a fishing trip was on the cards. Vaughan and his dad Michael decided to head to Eildon with their friends after hearing about some rainbow trout which had been released into the Goulburn River recently.
Michael said Vaughan had been fishing before and had helped to land a carp or two, but this was Vaughan’s first chance to cast his own line and do the heavy lifting himself. Vaughan spent about 30 minutes sharpening his skills before he got a bite from a rainbow trout. He reeled it in himself and that’s when the group spotted that Vaughan had caught a Golden Tagged fish!
Vaughan landed a $2,000 prize as a result of his handiwork, and also snagged a mighty good story for show and tell at school.
“With more than 1,000 golden tagged fish swimming in Victorian waters, there’s bound to be more memorable catches and chances for families to win.” Minister Horne commented.
The Minister said that the Golden Tag competition started in February to encourage people to visit Gippsland and the state’s north east as communities recovered from bushfires. It was later paused due to travel restrictions as Victoria tackled the Coronavirus pandemic. The Minister added that more than 20 new tagged fish worth $10,000 each are being released around the state and there are an extra 50 fish worth $2,000 which are being added to waterways. Approximately 950 fish worth $2,000 each were already released earlier in the year, bringing the state-wide total of tagged fish to more than 1,000.