Victoria’s next generation of recreational fishers can look forward to trying a new hobby this summer with the first of 95,000 free Little Angler Kits being handed out to students this week.
Little Angler Kits will be distributed to grade 5 primary school students, delivering on a key commitment of the Labor Government’s $96 million package to improve fishing, boating, piers and aquaculture.
Each Little Angler Kit has everything that a budding fisher needs – fishing rod, reel with line, tackle box and a Kids’ Guide to Fishing, which outlines the basics of fishing safety, knots and rigs.
The Kids’ Guide to Fishing has colour pictures of the freshwater and saltwater fish kids are likely to see when they first cast their lines. The guide also has tips for selecting bait, information about peak seasons and a list of local fishing hot spots across Victoria.
The $1.5m investment into Little Angler Kits will help young kids get active, try a new hobby and have fun in the great outdoors with friends and family this summer.
The Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) is leading the roll out, with more Little Angler Kits set to be distributed to students before December.
To help students and parents make the most of the new kits, the VFA has created a video series with step-by-step instructions on how to cast and rig up, presented by VFA Ambassador Lee Rayner and Michelle Brittain from the Women in Recreational Fishing and Boating (WIRFAB) Network.
Now is the time for Victorian kids to test out their new fishing kits with popular lakes across Melbourne recently stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout. Kids living near the ocean can head to their local pier to catch flathead or pinky snapper.
Translated versions of the Kids’ Guide to Fishing in Vietnamese, Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi and simplified Chinese complement the videos, all of which are available from a kid-friendly web page at www.vfa.vic.gov.au/littleanglerkit.