After a wild night of wind and 40mm of rain, an overcast day greeted the 190 competitors in the 2008 Yamaha Lake Hume Classic.

The day started slowly for most, but eventually there were 59 golden perch registered for the day. The new catch card system was well received by competitors.

Saturday evening’s meal was well received also, as was the entertainment put on by Sharon Bilston and her duet partner Troy. There were 26 Lucky Door prizes on offer, while Ian Stead entertained the kids. All who attended the evening had a good time.

Sunday was a cracker of a day weatherwise, although some anglers indulged the night before and a few sore heads hit the water. At the end of weekend, 76 golden perch were registered for the event. There were plenty of redfin, carp and trout caught as well.

This year’s event we also had a Dash for Cash event on the Sunday for golden perch only, and 20 competitors took up the challenge. The winner was Brad Smidt with the biggest golden perch of the morning (620cm).

The teams event saw eight teams compete and the winners were Local Boys with a total length of 675cm

There were also 15 fishing clubs represented at the event for the new category of best-represented club. The winners were the Tarcutta Angling Club, with 13 members attending.

The major prize of a Makocraft boat and a 15hp Yamaha outboard, two Snaploc rod holders and a Cooks Tackle System went to Stephen O’Keefe from Morven. Thanks to Ken Humphries from Bonegilla Boats for drawing and giving away the prize

I would like to thank the Bellbridge Rotary Club for trusting me to run the event, and also the boys from Tacklebox.com for there fantastic help and support over the weekend. Of course, thanks also to our generous and supportive sponsors, without them the event would not happen. Finally to Kevin, Sue and Matt Downie who own and operate the Lake Hume Tourist Park, their help and support was first class and so was the accommodation. Hope to see you all at the 2009 Yamaha Lake Hume Classic on November 7/8. – Dave McKenna