Our story starts in Pemberton in 1928, with a school teacher named Cyril “Sticky” Glew.

At the time, there was very little local expertise in fisheries science. Many of the South West streams were written off as “too warm” or “unsuitable” for trout. Things we now take for granted—like trout being able to survive and thrive in WA waters that regularly reach over 20°C—were unknown. Much of the early work was pure trial and error.

Glew wasn’t discouraged. Working initially in a school setting, he experimented with hatching imported trout ova and releasing fry into nearby streams of the Warren district. These efforts grew into more organised ventures, with makeshift rearing troughs and early stocking of streams such as Lefroy Brook and Big Brook in the early 1930s.

From those humble beginnings came the foundations of WA’s modern trout fishery and the long relationship between Pemberton, its hatchery and freshwater anglers right across the state.

As interest grew, local groups formed to support trout acclimatisation and stocking in the South West, including organisations such as the Fish and Game Society and the Pemberton/Warren-based trout societies, which helped foster trout propagation and early hatchery development in the region

By the mid-1960s it was clear that WA’s freshwater anglers needed a single, statewide voice. In 1967, the Western Australian Trout & Freshwater Angling Association (WATFAA) was formed to represent inland anglers across the state and to work with government agencies on the development and management of freshwater fisheries.

We owe a lasting debt of gratitude to the early WATFAA pioneers, including:

• Captain Noel Parker

• Robert Agnew

• Ron Pearson

• Terry Piggott

• Tony Strick

• Neal Watson

• Neil Coy

• Neil Bartholomaeus

• Dr Noel Morrissy

• Graham Whitehouse

• Sylvester Smeschkal

• Fred Kunzel

…and many other early members who put in the hard yards to establish WATFAA so future generations could enjoy Western Australia’s trout and freshwater fisheries.

Today, WATFAA is an active, volunteer-driven association dedicated to all forms of freshwater angling in WA—bait, lure, fly and everything in between. Our work spans four main areas:

1. Growing freshwater angling opportunities

We work with:

• Government agencies – providing input on stocking programs, access and infrastructure.

• Kindred associations and clubs – collaborating on events, education and shared projects across the South West and beyond.

• Private landowners – helping to develop and manage new or existing freshwater fishing opportunities while respecting property and environmental values.

Our goal is simple: more quality places for people to go freshwater fishing in Western Australia, and better experiences when they get there.

2. Stewardship and habitat care

We take seriously our role as guardians of the waters we fish.

WATFAA members have contributed to projects such as:

• Rehabilitation of eroded stream banks

• Control and removal of invasive aquatic weeds

• Practical, on-ground habitat repair in key trout waters

Often, this work is carried out in partnership with organisations like Recfishwest and supported by dedicated habitat funding streams. Recfishwest+1

3. Education, skills and community

We’re here to help anglers of all ages and abilities get into freshwater fishing and to keep learning. That includes:

• Casting and fly-fishing demonstrations at community events like Troutfest

• Club outings and social trips to dams and forest streams

• Knowledge sharing on gear, techniques, safety and responsible fishing practices

Through our newsletter Freshwater and our online channels, we keep members up to date on seasonal fishing, stocking news, access issues and club activities.

4. Representing anglers’ interests

With limited freshwater resources and a changing climate, WA’s inland fisheries need careful, informed management.

WATFAA:

• Provides a collective voice for freshwater anglers in discussions about policy, stocking, access and regulation

• Offers practical, on-water experience and feedback to help shape decisions that affect trout and other freshwater species

• Works to ensure freshwater angling remains environmentally responsible, socially acceptable and accessible to future generations

From those first experimental troughs behind a Pemberton school to modern hatchery science and thriving family fishing festivals, WA’s trout story is still being written.

Whether you’re just starting out with a rod in hand or you’ve spent a lifetime chasing rainbows and browns in our forest streams, there’s a place for you in WA Trout & Freshwater Angling Association.

Join us on the water – and help protect WA’s freshwater fishing future.