Stuart Corry of Invercargill has hooked a brand new $110,000 Stabicraft 1850 Supercab after winning this year's premium prize at the 2022 Stabicraft Te Anau Manapouri Fishing Classic.

A keen fisherman and hunter, Corry said winning the competition was definitely surreal and overwhelming.

Corry, who had had plans to buy a boat in the future, caught his winning fish on Lake Manapouri.

Corry said his wife's family had holidayed at Manapouri for the last 40-50 years and he had been a regular supporter of the competition.

Idyllic fishing conditions saw a record 2124 anglers from throughout New Zealand, almost twice that of last year, take to Lakes Te Anau, Manapouri and the Upper Waiau River in what is now considered New Zealand's biggest fishing competition.

Competitors and spectators gather for the 2022 Stabicraft Te Anau Manapouri Fishing Classic prizegiving. Photo: Douglas Thorne Photography

Competition organiser Don McFarlane said the organising committee couldn't be happier.

"We knew with the [boat] prize that it was certainly going to attract some attention, but to get those sort of numbers is just fantastic," McFarlane said.

McFarlane credited a combination of things, including the good weather, to this years success.

"I think certainly the [Stabicraft] 1850 boat was a magical attraction, but also there's still a little bit of escaping from COVID. That's what we believe we saw last year when we had [a] record (1250) entries," he said.

The competition also trailed a new fish recording app which McFarlane said worked extremely well with around 280 fish being logged into it. He said he'd like to see more people using the app next year which would not only promote catch and release but also mean less people would need to physically weigh in their fish.

McFarlane said he felt the structure of the competition was pretty good and was happy with the events promotion which had seen the prize boat on display throughout the South Island.

He said the committee would be sitting down with their major sponsor, Stabicraft, in the next few weeks to plan out a five year strategy which would see them through to their 25th anniversary.

Rawiri Wilson-Tahuri proudly holds up his catch at McGregors Pond. Photo: Bill Jarvie

Meanwhile 300 junior anglers competed in the Cruise Milford "Take a Kid Fishing" competition, at a fully stocked McGregors Pond, with Cedar Johnston coming out the overall winner.

The pond is restocked each year with salmon donated by Sanford Fisheries and reared by Fish and Game New Zealand (FGNZ).

FGNZ field officer Bill Jarvie said he didn't think the weekend could have gone any better with most anglers presenting their fish well and ready to subsequently take home and eat.

Jarvie said one observation he had was that increased angler activity in the lakes, like the fishing competition, may be having a beneficial affect on the harvestable fishery.

"One thing that we're seen is that the fish are actually in better condition... and we're not seeing nearly as many of the older poor condition fish."

Jarvie credited this, in part, to a reduction in the number of larger and older territorial brown trout, who struggle to maintain their weight when mice numbers are low.

Madison Foote was another successful angler at this years "Take a kid Fishing" competition. Photo: Bill Jarvie

FULL RESULTS

The following are ranked by condition factor (a formula of fish weight & length) – NOT by heaviest fish.

Heaviest Perch

• Mike Thom

Heaviest Salmon

• Rachel Anderson

Child Lake

• 1st: Iradessa Ansell
• 2nd: McKenzie Munro
• 3rd: Kiarah Ansell

Junior

• 1st: Brodie Hanrahan
• 2nd: Samuel Jack 
• 3rd: Carter Douherty

Women

• 1st: Christine Ferris 
• 2nd: Michelle Henderson
• 3rd: Theresa McCombe-Rae

Men

• 1st: Greg Robertson, Te Anau 
• 2nd: Matt Henderson 
• 3rd: Calum McLean

Shoot Out - 10 names were drawn out of the barrel from the adults that weighed in a fish 

• 10th (first card drawn out): Donna Munro
• 9th  (second card drawn out): Christine Ferris
• 8th  (third card drawn out): Tarquin Harris
• 7th  (fourth card drawn out): Duncan Finlayson
• 6th  (fifth card drawn out): Cameron Gray
• 5th  (sixth card drawn out): Ryan Young
• 4th  (seventh card drawn out): Russell Wilson,
• 3rd  (eighth card drawn out): Andrew Rutledge
• 2nd (ninth card drawn out): Wendy Sherlock
• Stabicraft Boat Winner: Stuart Corry

Cruise Milford "Take a Kid Fishing" competition

Ranked in order of condition factor (a formula of weight & length) 

BEST CONDITION FACTOR FISH CAUGHT AT MCGREGOR POND 

• 1st      Cedar Johnston
• 2nd     Rawiri Wilson   
• 3rd     Sean Hartstrong
• 4th     Carrey Sharp
• 5th     Madison Foote
• 6th     Heidi Ryan
• 7th     Mills McFarlane 
• 8th     Lucas White     
• 9th     Liam Walker
• 10th    Carlee Ley

Kids Colouring Competition

• 4 & Under: Joshua Schrader (3)
• 5 – 7 years: Emily Barnard (6)
• 8 & Over: Elise Barrie (11)