They wiggled and squirmed as thousands of them splashed their way to freedom.
Big white buckets full of rainbow trout were hauled into Karkarook Park Lake in Melbourne’s south-east on Saturday by keen fishermen and women.
Two thousand of the fish species found their new home in Heatherton’s icy lake. They are among 35,000 fish being added to 70 lakes across Victoria, with the aim of getting kids off their screens and into the great outdoors during the school holidays.
The ready-to-catch rainbow trout – which are ideal for beginner anglers and can be caught with lures cast from the shore – are part of the $96 million Go Fishing and Boating plan. Victoria stocks more fish than any other state or territory.