Hi Pat.
It certainly was a fun time spent with the grand kids, and i must say they enjoyed it as much as i did.
Those large rainbow trout were bred by a private hatchery here in Melbourne and raised for human consumption. Victorian Fisheries Authority, which is a government department, purchased 1000 of these large fish, and released 500 of them along large stretches of the Goulburne River out in Regional Victoria, to promote their 'Target On Million' project. Its all about getting people outdoors and having a go at fishing, so having these large fish for people to catch was a huge draw card and a big success. The remaining 500 large trout were released in Melbourne Metropolitan lakes which are much more accessible to the larger part of the population. I'm pretty sure that the trout released into the Metro ponds and lakes would not breed.
Here's a link to VFA's TIM if you want further information. It really is a good scheme, and part of the money i spend on my fishing license goes into it. They also create artificial reefs out in the Bay, and update our launching facilities, so no one in fishing gets left out.
https://vfa.vic.gov.au/recreational-...etonemillion2#
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I love that you also fished, and it really doesn't surprise me. Its a great way to connect with nature, and i can only imagine how cool it would have been to get a glimpse of those beavers working on their dams. There's something special about food cooked on open coals out in the bush, and im sure the wild caught trout had a much more natural diet than those grain fed stocked fish.
You're in a great location now as well if you ever thought about wetting a line....but dont expect to catch those brookies now
I'd love to see any photos you may have of your fishing adventures, and can only imagine how good they'd be with the current equipment you have.