Sunday, September 18, 2011

Myrtleford - Trout farm


After lunch - at yet another bakery - we headed out of Bright and along the Great Alpine Road toward Mount Beauty. We could see the High Country in the distance dusted with snow. As we had come to expect, the 'Mountain Fresh Trout & Salmon Farm' (just before Harrietville) was a hodge-podge of pre-loved buildings owned by people simply trying to make a go of things.


The current owner bought into the business last year, and is trying to increase his markets. He goes regularly to the Farmers Markets in Bright and Beechworth, and he had sent his son up to Sydney with x tonnes of produce, instructing him to call into the markets at Wagga on his way back.


The trout farm was 40 years old and he was the sixth owner. There was a series of 14 'ponds' that were stream fed - he had to buy a licence from the government - by hiving off water from Stony Creek (just before it joined with the Ovens River) as it stormed around the bend, sending it through the ponds, then releasing it back into the stream out the other side of the bend. The whole thing looked idyllic - but hard work.

The smoked trout we bought was D-licious.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is that one of Melbourne's Commonwealth Games Yarra River fish?

Joan Elizabeth said...

The big trout is a bit more artistic than other big things. Reminded me of a visit to a trout farm in PNG many many years ago ... which come to think of it seems a bit weird for them to have up there.