The Guyra Trout Festival returns for another fly-filled and reel-y excellent year over the coming October long weekend, opening Thursday 3 October and running until Monday 7 October.
Marking the opening of trout season, the festival’s main hooks are its veritable smorgasbord of entertainment, markets and, of course, more trout than you can shake a rod at.
At the top of the list is the John Wilcox Fishing Classic, organised by the Guyra Anglers Club. Opening at one minute past midnight on Saturday 5 October and closing midday Sunday 6 October, the Classic usually attracts hundreds of competitors wetting a line or three for a cast at some incredible prizes.
Entries can be caught anywhere around the New England so long as proof of a catch is phoned in before closing time.
“The season’s been great so far and we expect the fishing will be excellent!” said a spokesperson for the organising committee of Guyra Trout Fest.
The extremely-popular Costa Tomato Glasshouse tours will be on offer again, with tickets available for $15 each from the Burgess Garage Car Museum. The tours guide visitors through the enormous glasshouses to the north of town and have been very popular in the past, making bookings essential.
For those more lured in by art than trout or tomatoes the options are many: Art and metal craft expos, art workshops, a book fair, open garden trail and vintage cars on display, there are also the famed Main Street Markets with fifty stalls expected and the indoors Festival Market at the Australian Bush Poetry Hall of Fame on Saturday 5 October.
“We try to cater for every interest with loads of different activities for adults and kids alike. Cars, fish, markets and the arts.” said A spokesperson for the organising committee.
“We host the event in the hopes of promoting the Guyra region as a destination for trout fishing.”
Three music acts are scheduled to perform over the course of the festival, including Bitz of Buzz, Four Book Trilogy & Ian Russell, as well as line dancing.
There’s plenty of activities for the children too, with lure-making, fishing classes and a yabby touch tank for the braver fingerlings, as well as the perennial favourite miniature train rides.
For more information about the festival, head to the Guyra TroutFest Facebook page, while keen anglers are encouraged to enter via the Guyra Anglers Club Facebook page.
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