Arc-En-Ciel Rainbow Trout Farm

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Arc-En-Ciel Trout Farm is situated 80kms from the city of Tamworth, nestled within minutes of the township of Nundle, 2 1/2 hours drive to the vineyards of the Hunter Valley, and 4 hours drive to Newcastle.

The farm is 4000 ft. above sea level on top of the Great Dividing Range with the Peel Valley to the west, the Barnard Valley to the east and the Hunter Valley to the south.

"At the end of the drought in 1982 we were battling low commodity prices for our sheep and cattle enterprise, so we decided to look for another avenue to increase our earnings", states Ron and Ivy Bishop, founders and former owners.

The selection of rainbow trout was made, as the climate suited the trout and the property had an abundance of crystal clear spring water.

Two hundred trout fingerlings were bought and a pilot program was run for two years to learn as much as possible about rainbow trout farming.

In 1984, 3000 fingerlings were bought growing them out to plate size. The Farm began selling them to restaurants around Tamworth.

The product was well received, which gave encouragement to increase fingerling purchases each year and move further a field.

The sheep and cattle grazing end of the property was sold in 1988, to concentrate on the trout.
A processing shed was built, which apart from the processing area, houses a large cool room, ice machine, freezers and smoke room.

A hatchery was also built, which enabled the purchase of fertilized eggs to produce our own fingerlings.
Arc-En-Ciel purchase between 60,000 and 80,000 eggs each year depending on the season.

With increased sales of more than ten fold since the original fingerling purchase, the farm now supplies fresh and smoked trout. The fillets of both, plus smoked trout pate, are supplied to restaurants and outlets from Sydney to Brisbane, as far west as Dubbo and to the top restaurants of the Hunter Valley Vineyards.

Arc-En-Ciel pride themselves on the quality of their product as the trout are grown out in fresh spring water which is never recycled and are only ever fed authentic high grade trout feed.

"Our whole smoked trout was entered in the National Fine Food Awards held at the Wrest Point Casino in Hobart Tasmania where we won a silver medal."

Arc-En-Ciel trout products are available for sale direct from the farm.
Fingerlings are also available for the stocking of farm dams.

The farm is open for tours, fishing and BBQ. Please contact us for times, entry fees etc.

Additional distributors are being sought for the Newcastle and Central Coast areas of NSW.