Future fishers: Eleven-year-old twins Sophie and Jasmine Gunn were part of last week’s restocking release in Rochester.
Victorian Fisheries Authority released 213,000 Murray cod fingerlings into the Campaspe River between Rochester and Axedale last week, as part of its first stocking release from the Snobs Creek and Arcadia Fish Hatcheries.
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Tiffany Newton led the release through her involvement with the Women in Recreational Fishing network, joined by 11-year-old twins Sophie and Jasmine Gunn for the restocking at Ramsay St in Rochester and Burnewang’s Ayson’s Reserve.
Created in 2017 by the Victorian Fisheries Authority, WIRF promotes knowledge sharing and recreational fishing activities for women through its Facebook community and events.
It is part of the Victorian Government’s plan to get more people fishing, more often, and invites women of all skill levels to join the community and share their stories and tips.
River release: Tiffany Newton at last week’s Murray cod fingerlings release, which was part of the Victorian Fisheries Authority promotion to increase awareness of its Women in Recreational Fishing network.
The online community has more than 3300 members and continues to grow daily, with a Facebook page regularly attracting questions and inquiries.
Collingwood AFLW star Chloe Molloy is an ambassador for the WIRF network.
Ms Newton is one of the only three mentors in the state to guide up-and-coming leaders into the WIRF leadership program.
“WIRF is designed to encourage more women to give fishing a go and share their fishing experiences,” she said.
Ms Newton is 33 weeks’ pregnant and the Rochester effort will be her final stocking for a while.
Fishing licence fees and the government’s Go Fishing Victoria plan, as well as hatchery staff, combined to produce Murray cod and trout cod fingerlings ready for summer stockings.
