More than 1000 anglers of all ages – from mums and dads and extended families to youth who love to drop a line – will take part in the inaugural Fish Reflections “catch and release” fishing competition this weekend.

Registrations are still open in the debut Fish Reflections event on September 27-28, which has attracted anglers keen to fish sustainably at a location of their choice and have a crack at winning a prize, all while having fun with friends and family.

More than 700 anglers have entered the seniors category alongside 230 juniors (Under 16s), with organisers confident more than 1000 entrants will be registered by the time the competition begins.

Event director Michael Guest was thrilled to see so many anglers supporting a catch-and-release competition with entries flooding in from up and down the NSW Coast and popular inland fishing spots.

“NSW boasts so many fantastic fishing locations – the best thing about an online-style competition is that you can fish at your favourite waterway and bring your mates and family, too,” he said.

Reflections Holidays is running the event and CEO Nick Baker said they were thrilled with the scale of entries the inaugural event was attracting.

“If you love fishing, you know that you may not even catch a fish during the competition but what matters most is spending time with loved ones and having fun, and of course fishing in a sustainable way that minimises impact on the environment,” he said.

Earlier this year, Reflections, a Crown Land manager which cares for 47 community reserves, invested $1.1 million to assist the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to bring endangered native fish species back from the brink via repopulation programs.

Minister for Lands and Property, Sport and Tourism Steve Kamper said recreational fishing is a great sport for people of all ages to relax and connect with nature.

Entrants have the chance to win their category or perhaps get closest to the “mystery length” and be in the running to win a share in a prize pool that includes a 420 Busta tinnie valued at $23,990 and a four-night stay at a Reflections holiday park.