Hundreds gathered on the banks of Drakesbrook Weir in Waroona for Troutfest

The banks of Drakesbrook Weir were packed with anglers, tourists and trout this weekend as hundreds of trout made a splash.

The regional weir on Saturday hosted Waroona’s eighth annual Troutfest helping release more than 200 rainbow trout and 40 brown trout.

The trout came from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s Pemberton hatchery as part of their ongoing stocking efforts for waterbodies.

The event also paired with the unveiling of $800,000 worth of upgrades to Drakesbrook Weir, including Waroona’s new giant marron Clawed.

DPIRD senior research scientist Andrew Beer said he was happy to have another successful Troutfest under their belt.

“The weather turned it on and we have been able to match these glorious conditions with some really good quality trout,” he said.

“All the fish ended up in the water okay, and there were lots of smiles.

“Normally we turn up early in the morning or in the afternoon with nobody around and the public don’t get to be involved with these things.

“This being a very public, engaging, participatory event, people are able to genuinely be a part of the process, so it’s really important to us.”

Waroona shire chief executive Mark Goodlet said he was shocked to see how many people at the event were not from Waroona.

“We’re really happy to share this great location with more people,” he said.

“The day has definitely been very successfully and we’re really pleased to partner with Recfish West and DPIRD for this event.”

WA Trout and Freshwater Anglers Association member John Kaljee said he has been coming to the event for several years.

“Every time I’m here there are more people involved,” he said.

“It’s especially great to have so many young people here, because we need as many young people involved as possible in this, because they’re the future.”

Regional development and fisheries minister Don Punch said the day was a celebration of an “absolutely beautiful” place, saying the trout are going to find themselves in Nirvana following their trip from Pemberton.

Waroona Shire president Mike Walmsley said the day was “bloody great.”

“It’s been lovely seeing the families and everyone enjoying themselves and all the good things that freshwater angling bring to the community,” he said.

“Having people spending time with their family outdoors is always vitally important.

“Recreational fishing is always pretty cool, not that I can ever catch anything,” he said.

Murray-Wellington MLA Robyn Clarke said the event was a highlight of the year.

“This event is always one of the most successful events for the region,” she said.

“I love to see the look on the kids faces, especially some of the younger ones, as they come down with their fish in the bucket.

“These kids aren’t just from this region, this might be the first them they’ve been to a weir, seen a fish up close or even had a chance to fly fish — that’s why I love this event.”