Not a line could be cast for trout until the first Brown and Rainbow Trout in the southern hemisphere were raised here in 1864. They were the base stock of streams and lakes in Australia and New Zealand.

Visitors can view fish breeding in all its stages, from fingerlings to full-grown Brown, Rainbow and Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon.

Anglers with an interest in the history of their sport will appreciate the collection showing the changes to fishing equipment over time and the history of angling in Tasmania. The museum is housed in the cottage built for the first superintendent of the Salmon Ponds in 1865.