Gunnedah Pursehouse Rural, Bayer Big Fish Challenge Rural Angler of the Year

Mr Altmann beat out nine other finalists on Monday to claim the title of Rural Angler of the Year on behalf of Pursehouse Rural.

The local travelled to Tasmania for the event at Currawong Lakes after earning his place fishing over the course of 2019. He was one of 350 participants in the year-long challenge.

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Bayer donated $1 per centimetre of the largest fish per type caught by each team to the Bayer AgSpirit Fund, which supports the mental health of rural men in conjunction with The Fly Program. Overall, $25,000 was raised.

"I love going fishing and to be able to raise money and awareness for men's mental wellbeing is an added bonus," Mr Altmann said.

"It's great to be able to go home and share what I've learnt with people who are going through some challenges."

The challenger weekend included mental health exercise sessions and talks from Matt Tripet from The Fly Program.

This year, 16 nominated rural men will be sent on a fully funded four-day retreat through AgSpirit and Team Pursehouse will get to nominate two members of its team to attend.

All 10 participants at the finals weekend had the opportunity to nominate a man from their rural community to attend the retreat.

"I would like to congratulate Team Pursehouse along with the other finalists," Bayer's Ben Thompson said.

"The experience isn't just about fishing and raising money. Big Fish Challengers have the opportunity to learn about the importance of talking to your mates and taking the time to recharge the batteries.

"We know it can be difficult for men to take a break when they need it, so we hope the Challenge gave them an incentive to look out for one another, while also having fun."