Plenty of fish in the sea

28 Jun 2016

On a beautiful autumn day, a large group of Hobart Macquarie Probians went on an excursion to the Salmon Ponds and Tasmanian Trout Fishing Museum at Plenty, in the scenic Derwent Valley, a 40 minutes' drive north of Hobart.

Members strolled around the ponds viewing and feeding the salmon and trout, as well as marvelling at more than 50 large trees.

Apart from the ponds and fish, they visited the Historic Trout Hatchery, the Tasmanian Museum of Trout Fishing and The Angling Hall of Fame. Over one million small trout are raised each year and despatched to stock Tasmania's lakes, rivers and dams that make up the state's renowned Recreational Trout Fishery. Trout ova, from this location, have been transported and used to establish hatcheries throughout Australia and New Zealand.

The Salmon Ponds is Australia's oldest Trout Hatchery. In May 1864, a small number of trout and salmon eggs arrived alive (in containers of damp moss), after a long sea voyage from England.

The Angling Hall of Fame is situated in a cottage on site, which was built for the first superintendant of the hatchery in 1865. A significant number of the trees in the English-style park are 140 years old.

Lunch was served in the restaurant, aptly named 'Pancakes by the Ponds', where the menu featured a variety of delicious pancakes, cooked fresh on the premises.

Here is the group standing by one of the ponds, surrounded by colourful trees, which were resplendent with their autumn foliage tones.