THE Hay Fishing Classic attracts competitors from across southern New South Wales, northern Victoria and South Australia and is held on the picturesque shores of the Murrumbidgee River.
The Classic will be held this year on Saturday and Sunday, February 4th and 5th, 2017.
The competition control centre is based at Sandy Point, a reserve on a large open area of the ‘Bidgee with large shade trees, sandy beaches and within walking distance to the town centre. The reserve has excellent camping facilities for competitors and is suitable for all sized caravans.
The Classic has $10,000 in prizes with the major prize valued at $5,000. This is due to the fantastic support from Maurice and his team at Blue Sky Echuca as the Major Sponsors of the event.
The Longest Murray Cod is an Open section, with separate Male and Female Categories for Longest Yellowbelly and Most Number of Legal Natives caught.
There are also Junior prizes up for grabs, including Longest Cod and Longest Yellowbelly, Most Number of Carp caught and Most Unusual Catch.
All prize winners will be announced at 12pm on Sunday at Sandy Point.
For the early arrivals, a BBQ and bar will be in operation on Friday night from 6pm. A BBQ breakfast will also be available on both Saturday and Sunday morning from 6am. The Saturday night festivities are always a highlight of the Hay Fishing Classic with music, raffle draws and plenty of stories shared amongst the competitors whilst enjoying dinner and a cold drink.
This year, NSW Fisheries will conduct a session for the budding junior anglers on Sunday morning from 11am at Sandy Point. They will provide information on Catch and Release rules and some practical activities such as knot tying and casting techniques.
Blue Sky Echuca will have a pop up store at Sandy Point over the two days with fishing, camping and hunting products for sale.
There will also be the release of Murray cod fingerlings into the Murrumbidgee on Saturday.
Entry Forms are available by emailing the Hay Lions Football and Netball Club at haylionsclub@hotmail.com. Early bird entries received by Tuesday 31st January will go into the draw for a prize.
