The pair travelled to the annual event for more than six years until Andrew died of cancer at the age of 43 in February.

On Saturday, in her first expo without her son by her side, Mrs Hayward managed to reel in a 2.7-kilogram salmon – the biggest catch of the weekend- and a 1.8-kilogram rainbow trout.

She said she had an idea of what was behind the turnaround in her fishing fortunes.

“I’d been out there all those other years and never managed to catch anything,” she said.

“I think my son was looking out for me this time around and making sure the fish swam past me.

“I think my husband and I will keep going each year, because it is usually a good day out.”

Mrs Hayward began attending the festival after her son asked if she would drive him to Brumbys Creek early on the morning of the event one year.

She said it didn’t take long for the trips to become a tradition.

“I was the only one willing to pick him up at 6am to go out there,” she said.

“He had two young children, so his wife didn’t really want to be taking him out that early, and his father usually worked on Saturdays.

“Eventually he came to me and asked.

“I thought if I was going out there, I may as well join him in trying to catch fish.

“He even taught me how to spin fish.” 

Such was Andrew’s passion for fishing that members of his family gathered at Brumbys Creek on Fathers Day this year to spread some of his ashes along the water. 

His mother said the expo was just another opportunity for him to throw a line out.

“Andrew’s fishing was his second life,” she said.

“When he wasn’t working, he’d always like to be fishing somewhere.

“We’ve got a caravan down the coast, so he’d usually fish off the beach there, or otherwise on the wharf at Ulverstone. 

“He’s loved it ever since he was a kid.”

The 2018 Tasmanian Trout Expo concluded on Sunday.