As part of this year's 20th anniversary Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, seafood lovers and angling families can head to Lorne on Saturday 17 March to try their hand at the first Family Fish & Feed event - a fishing competition and celebration of seafood for all!

Head to the iconic seaside town of Lorne, drop a line off the rocks in the competition and, if you're lucky, the King George whiting, snapper, garfish or salmon will be biting.  Join old-time anglers for storytelling and some pearls of wisdom about the importance of sustainable fishing before choosing from a market place of seafood.  Enjoy local offerings from:  Sam Petrovski from the Lorne Hotel; Iron Chef Sacha Meier from babalu Bar and Steve Patnigone from the Lorne Beach Pavillion.  What these three don't know about local fish and how to prepare it isn't worth knowing!

It's certainly not going to be a case of loaves and fishes here as there will be a range of seafood available for those who may not have landed a catch; enjoy a veritable feast of fish 'n' chips prepared by the Lorne Hotel; paella from babalu Bar and a the freshest mussels from the Lorne Beach Pavilion, to be savoured picnic-style, on the lawn of the rustic Lorne Aquatic & Anglers Club, next to the iconic Lorne Pier.

Christos Raskatos from the Lorne Co-op will be demonstrating how to fillet fish, then selling the freshest oysters and prawns for those with a fancy for the finest seafood on offer.   Christos is a local treasure: a Greek poet of the sea, he is as much a fixture in Lorne as the pier itself! Check him out. 

Seafood lovers won't go thirsty with a range of vinous offerings from local wineries.   Wolseley Wines' owner and winemaker, Will Wolseley, is a long time Lorne fan and can often be found enjoying a Sunday night paella session at Sacha's babalu Bar.  Head to http://wolseleywines.com for details and enjoy a glass of Will's wine whilst digging into your own bowl of paella.

Otway Estate Wines are situated near Colac, a short drive inland from Lorne.  A great match with the Lorne Beach Pavillion's mussel dish, they'll be serving their Chardonnay and other cool climate wines!

Everyone loves a beer with fish and chips and Prickly Moses beer is one of the favoured local brews.  With the purest Otway rainwater available, Prickly Moses brews all of their beers with this 'gift from the gods'.  Sip on a Summer Ale whilst watching the waves lap at the pier.

So whether you're interested  in a lazy day eating, drinking and watching Lorne's local stars cook or keen to compete in the fishing competition, there's something for everyone. Pack the rods, bait the hooks and head to the Lorne Aquatic & Angler's Club next to the iconic Lorne pier, to be part of the festivities.  To participate, anglers must already hold a Recreational Fishing Licence (RFL) or purchase one from either the Lorne Visitor Information Centre (available after 9am on the day) or at the Aquatic & Anglers Club after 8am.  The cost of the licence is $6.

An activity for all the family, fish submitted for the competition can be caught offshore or onshore including from the rocks, pier, surrounding rivers or from a boat to qualify!  Head down early as fish must be caught and submitted by midday on the day of the competition to be counted.  Judging criteria includes location of the catch (on or offshore), weight and length.

Sort the licence then head for the water; drop in a line and cross fingers that a big one comes in!  A day full of family fun, there's sure to be 'one that got away'!  The Love Lorne Family Feed & Fish is sure to go down in local folklore as a ripper!

For more information and accommodation options......   Keep in touch with what's happening all year round in Lorne by signing up to the Lorne Business and Tourism Association's (LBTA) e-newsletter, join Lorne on Facebook at www.facebook.com/We Love Lorne or follow Lorne on Twitter at twitter.com/welovelorne