Young and not so young anglers had the opportunity to hone their fly fishing skills on Sunday.

The third On the Fly Mataura River Festival was hosted by the Gore District Council at Walnut Grove.


Among the activities on offer were fly fishing demonstrations, watching celebrity chef Brett McGregor cook trout recipes, live entertainment and children’s activities.

Isaiah Mitchell (12) said he did not usually fly-fish but was keen to try.

Some parts of learning how to cast a fly were ‘‘hard’’ and some were easy, Isaiah said.

He enjoyed fishing in the Mataura River but preferred to ‘‘catch and release’’.

Free gift. . . Harper (left, 4) and Charlotte McDonald (6) of Gore hold the copy of celebrity chef Brett McGregor’s book they won at the On the Fly Mataura River Festival in Gore on Sunday. PHOTO: SANDY EGGLESTON
Like this . . . Kiwi fly fishing guide Brendan Shields, of Lumsden, gives Isaiah Mitchell, of Gore, tips on how to cast a fly. PHOTO: SANDY EGGLESTON

Events co-ordinator Jessica Swan said there was a good turnout for the day which was more than just a fly fishing festival.

‘‘It’s celebrating our river, [and] the beautiful parks we have. Its a very community-friendly kind of event.’’

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR