OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2004
FARM PROFILE
Archvale Trout cashes in on tourism dollars Although first established in the 1980s, it wasn’t until the current owners Brian and Jill Cutcliffe bought Archvale Rainbow Trout Farm 16 years ago that it began transforming from a small hobby farm to a busy tourist operation – attracting over ten thousand visitors a year. Located 2-2.5 hours drive west of Sydney off the Great Western Highway at Marrangaroo, it is nestled behind an 1869 railway sandstone viaduct that gives the farm its name. This 4.5ha property is fully landscaped and provides a beautiful backdrop for a relaxing day of fishing for both rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and the golden trout (a colour variety). The farm also has BBQ and picnic areas, light refreshment, fingerling sales, and door sales of fresh and smoked trout. Typically the farm opens two large ponds for the fishout, but can open up to four.
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Brian and Jill undertake much of the work themselves but do call upon one permanent employee and up to six casuals. Brian says the branching out into golden trout was “a quirk of nature”. “When we first started to breed our own fish, there must have been a couple of golden trout eggs in with the others. When we realised this we took out fingerlings and threw them in another tank. And when they grew to breeding size we thought ‘why not grow them too’? “From there our golden trout population in the farm has steadily increased.” Brian is now noticing that his stock are beginning to show signs of speckled colour. “They look similar to the Koi carp but the colour is mainly yellow and black,” he says. “This may be a case of a cross between the rainbow and the golden trout. In past years we had been getting a few (speckled trout) but last year we got probably over a hundred which we have kept to see if we could continue breeding the line.” He believes this could be advantageous as, although his golden fish have proven less aggressive and more efficient feeders compared to rainbow trout, they are light sensitive and easy to spot in the tanks. This makes them more prone to predation than the darker coloured rainbows. Flow through system The farm’s water source is the springfed Marrangaroo Creek, also known as Middle River. Given its exceptional quality no filtering process is required for the inlet water. The farm is primarily flow-through with the exception of the hatchery’s recirculation system. That hatchery system exchanges 10% of its water daily, minimising the possibility of problems with ammonia, pH or other water quality issues. Water quality testing is done on a weekly basis unless signs of adverse changes require a more frequent regime. Oxygen levels are
From top: Although the ponds have a high water flow through rate, in the summer months extra dissolved oxygen must be added using aerators. The Archvale Rainbow Trout Farm is nestled behind an old sandstone viaduct which enhances it's tourist appeal. The Farm is a popular place for people of any age to have a guaranteed first rate catch. These large cement ponds (250m2) are maintained with water supplied from the Middle River as part of the flow through system.
A U S TA S I A A Q U A C U LT U R E
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