Bathurst RSL Fishing Club release native fingerlings into Macquarie

The release was funded by the money the club had raised in its trust fund after hosting various fishing and camping expos, as well as the carp blitz collection of gold coin donations from fishing enthusiasts.

An additional release that will see 3000 golden perch added to the river's ecosystem is also set to take place in March.

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"The club has organised delivery of 3000 cod fingerlings from Narrabri Fish Farm this month and 3000 Golden Perch fingerlings next month, all for release into the Macquarie River catchment," club president Peter Wright said.

"It is part of the ongoing release of juvenile native fish in partnership with NSW Fisheries that dates back more than 30 years for our club.

"The club and fisheries have both contributed $3000 each this time around."

Mr Wright said the partnership developed with Bathurst Regional Council has also been very beneficial for native fish in local waterways.

Since the 1990's, thousands of dollars worth of cod and yellow-belly have been stocked in Chifley Dam and the river.

"The success of the partnerships has seen murray cod a metre in length, weighing up to 50 kilograms, and yellow-belly [weighing] 10 kilograms thrive in Chifley Dam," Mr Wright said.

With the Macquarie River flowing strongly over the past year, the seasonal conditions have been deemed perfect for restocking by Mr Wright.

The Bathurst RSL Fishing Club plan to release the cod fingerlings into the river above and below Bathurst.

With the goal to see murray cod inhabit the Macquarie River and find habitat in contributing streams, the club has arranged with local landholders to access the deepest pump holes along parts of the river.

Throughout the 2000's, the club conducted more than a dozen annual carp blitz fishing competitions along the local stretch of the river, removing 10,000 kilograms of European carp and European perch (redfin).

In addition to the competitions removing foreign fish from the waterways, the money raised through gold coin donations made by the participants has led to previous releases of yellow-belly fingerlings.

The Bathurst RSL Fishing Club has also taken advantage of the NSW Fisheries dollar for dollar scheme, which encourages communities right across the state to stock their waterway with native fish.

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