Hook, line and sinker stumbled across an interesting (and expensive) calendar the other day in part paid for with the money we pay for the privilege of going fishing.

The calendar was headed "Recreational fishing photo competition calendars," and were "Proudly brought to you by the Recreational Fishing Trusts in conjunction with Industry & Investment".

For the unsure, the recreational fishing trusts are the mob who 'manage' the money raised by fishing license fees and 'Industry & Investment' is the former department of Primary Industry.

Never having seen this calendar before (who gets them?), and being completely unaware of any fishing photo competition being held, we rang fisheries with a list of questions.

Basically it seemed a case of who, what, when, where, how and why.

Who decided that a fishing photo calendar competition was a good way to spend our money and what are the prizes for said competition?

When's it being run? Where do you enter? How many copies of this thing were printed, and most importantly, why?

We didn't have a problem with paying around $30 just to fish, provided our money was put to good use but this calendar seems just too ridiculous for words.

More to the point, those appointed to look after the money we pay to go fishing and how it is spent could be better employed doing something constructive with our dollars.

Further investigation revealed that this competition has been running since last year and, to quote a fisheries spokesman: "It is an extension activity that promotes better fishing practices and the understanding of fishing bag and size limits."

Which is probably all very well and good but our money could be better spent in more appropriate ways- supplying such basic things as brag mats or fish measurement stickers for example.

Two local tackle shops haven't received fisheries stickers or brag mats for a month or more now.

That's it.