The Sportfishing Challenge 2000 – Part 3

done

The Sportfishing Challenge 2000 – Part 2

done

The Sportfishing Challenge 2000 – Part 1

I have at last managed to lay my hands on a digital version of the Sportfishing Challenge 2000!

This 3 part program, sponsored in totality by EFTTA was designed for the promotion of recreationnal fishing to the European non angling community.

The program was co-produced by EFTTA, The European Fishing Tackle Trade Association and a leading British television production company Chrysalis TV and by Vision Ltd, a British company specialised in organising sporting events.

This program was designed to project a positive image of Sportfishing to the younger generations and incline them to take up the sport.

It was a program that had been orientated to attract the eye of the NON SPORTFISHING POPULATION.
It was not a program designed to please those who already practised the sport.

18 young Europeans from 6 different countries took part in the program, most of them had never seen a fishing rod before in their life.
Filmed in Namibia, on the Zambezi and the Chobe rivers and in South Africa, on the Wild Coast near Port St Johns, the three 15 minute programs of the Sportfishing Challenge 2000 were broadcasted several times on Eurosport TV in most European countries, reaching out to millions of new potential anglers.
The program achieved it’s main purpose which was to use the mass media to promote and improve the image of Recreationnal Fishing in Europe.

It is a shame that the general apathy that seems to be the usual trend in the European Fishing Tackle Trade did not allow these programs to continue. A second series was planned to be filmed in Costa Rica
and ASA (The American Sportfishing association) and JAFTMA (Japan Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association) were invited to participate in the sponsoring and send teams, but unfortunately the project ended up being cancelled through lack of interest and lack of budgets.

I renew my extended thanks to all the participants who will at last be able to relive this wonderful experience: Our young (not so young today!) anglers, the team at Inchigo Chobe River Lodge link to Ichingo C.R. Lodge and the population of Port St Johns who cared for us as if we were family.

I also extend my greetings to my old friends at Vision PR and to the Chrysalis TV filming team.

My sincere thanks go to John Nolan, Head of Commercial and Digital Content at North One, for making this internet posting possible.

done

Airbus delivers first “Made in China” A320 plane

23 June 2009

Airbus today delivered the first A320 aircraft assembled at its Final Assembly Line China (FALC) in Tianjin. At a grand ceremony, the aircraft was handed over by Airbus President and CEO, Tom Enders, to the Chairman of Dragon Aviation Leasing, Li Hai. The aircraft will be leased to and operated by Sichuan Airlines.

Tianjin Party Secretary Zhang Gaoli, Mayor of Tianjin, Huang Xingguo, as well as German State Secretary (Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology) Hartmut Schauerte and the President of Sichuan Airlines, Lan Xinguo were present at the ceremony attended by more than 1000 guests.

“The highly reliable and efficient Airbus aircraft are very valuable assets of aircraft leasing companies. As a China-based company, Dragon Aviation Leasing is proud to take delivery of the first Airbus aircraft assembled in China,” said Li Hai, Chairman of Dragon Aviation Leasing.

“Sichuan Airlines was the first Chinese airline to introduce the A320 Family aircraft in China in 1995. Today, we are proud to become the operator of the first A320 assembled in China. We believe that the Airbus aircraft further enhances our profitability and competitiveness with low operational costs and high reliability,” said Lan Xinguo, President of Sichuan Airlines.

“Our Final Assembly Line here in Tianjin and this first aircraft delivery outside Europe mark an important milestone in our strategic long-term partnership with China and the Chinese industry,” said Tom Enders, Airbus President and CEO. “This FAL is state of the art, second to none in the world. And so are the aircraft manufactured here in Tianjin. I would like to thank all our partners and employees who worked very hard during the last three years to make this happen.”

The Export-Import Bank of China, a strategic long term partner to Dragon Aviation Leasing, has been supporting the financing for the purchase of the aircraft. The A320 to be operated by Sichuan Airlines will be in a two-class configuration, with eight first class seats and 156 economy seats. The aircraft will be deployed on domestic trunk routes between the airline’s base of Chengdu to such major cities like Beijing and Shanghai. It will enter into service on 24th June on the route from Chengdu to Beijing. The aircraft will join the existing fleet composed of 40 Airbus single-aisle aircraft.

The FALC is a joint venture between Airbus and a Chinese consortium comprising Tianjin Free Trade Zone (TJFTZ) and China Aviation Industry Corporation (AVIC). Eleven A319 and A320 aircraft are scheduled for delivery in Tianjin in 2009 and the FALC production rate will be ramped up to four aircraft per month by the end of 2011.

23 June 2009

Airbus today delivered the first A320 aircraft assembled at its Final Assembly Line China (FALC) in Tianjin. At a grand ceremony, the aircraft was handed over by Airbus President and CEO, Tom Enders, to the Chairman of Dragon Aviation Leasing, Li Hai. The aircraft will be leased to and operated by Sichuan Airlines.

Tianjin Party Secretary Zhang Gaoli, Mayor of Tianjin, Huang Xingguo, as well as German State Secretary (Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology) Hartmut Schauerte and the President of Sichuan Airlines, Lan Xinguo were present at the ceremony attended by more than 1000 guests.

The inherent danger of internet forums

We all experienced, a few months ago, the rapid spread of the swine flu alarm that peaked at the end of April 2009, creating a temporary crash in the stock market and widespread panic buying for medication, protection masks and foodstuff.

The scare not only caused a 5% two-day slump in some stock markets, it also affected the general morale of the population creating a further setback in the world’s shaky path to economic recovery.

The internet played a major role in the hyping of this particular scare!

Conspiracy discussion forums all over the web were flashing with pandemic alarm signals forecasting the approaching doom. For the uninformed: You should know that conspiracy forums can clock-in 50,000 to 100,000 visitors a day. They are also used by the mass media as a barometer and an alternative source of often unverified information.

Nomad launches a new Sandeel Seabass lure

What do the Pyramids of Egypt, Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, Sunflowers, Snails, Pine cones, Eggs, your Fingers and Fish all have in common?

A number known as the Golden Ratio: An irrational algorithm of which more than 10 Billion decimals have been calculated. In short the Golden Ratio comes to 1,618.

The world renowned architect: Le Corbusier described the Golden Ratio as “a range of harmonious measurements to suit the human scale, universally applicable to Architecture, Nature and Mechanical things.”

In designing the PERFEEL™, we have applied the Golden Ratio to all measurements and proportions of the body of our SAND EEL; the result is a perfect shape, the proportions of which are in completely identical to those of the real fish.

By using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology, the latest available high-tech plastics and the added value of the artistic hand of skilled workmanship, the PERFEEL™ is the first SAND EEL lure to benefit from 21^st century engineering and production capabilities.

The design team behind the PERFEEL™ has more than two decades of experience

in designing successful Fishing Tackle, product that has brought satisfaction

to a whole generation of anglers throughout Europe.

PERFEEL™ is not “just another” Sand Eel lure; many new ideas have

been incorporated into its conception!

A] Integrated Eye Signal

This all important attack-triggering signal has been neglected on most competing sand eel baits. The advanced manufacturing process we use to produce our lures has allowed for this indispensable detail to be an integral part of all PERFEEL™ lures.

B] Hook positioning and stabilization

The hook we supply with our PERFEEL™ lures is not “just another hook”.

This strong Japan-made custom tinned hook has an upturned ring especially designed to allow for a perfect positioning of the hook inside the special cavity molded into the lure’s body and doesn’t cause any deformation by its presence.

C] Fabulous fish mimicking colours

PERFEEL™ lures are available in 14 popular colours. The advanced painting process guarantees colours that don’t run and don’t migrate throughout the plastic.

And this is just a start as we know our distributors will be asking for more special colours for their specific markets!

These colours are available in all sizes; frankly speaking, our manufacturing technique is so advanced that from the smallest to the largest of our lures you will find identical proportions, quality and finish. Another big advantage on any of our current competitors in the market!

PEARL WHITE BASED PERFEEL™ COLOURS

COLOUR CODES FROM TOP DOWN: WHRE – PWRH – PWKB – PWGB – PWBB

WHRE           WHITE + RED EYES

PWRH           PEARL WHITE + RED HEAD

PWKB           PEARL WHITE + BLACK BACK

PWGB           PEARL WHITE + GREEN BACK

PWBB           PEARL WHITE + BLUE BACK

SILVER AND GLITTER BASED PERFEEL™ COLOURS

COLOUR CODES FROM TOP DOWN: SIOR – SIGL – ANSI

SIOR             SILVER + ORANGE

SIGL             SILVER GLITTER

ANSI             ANCHOVY SILVER

LUMINOUS AND FLUO BASED PERFEEL™ COLOURS

COLOUR CODES FROM TOP DOWN: LUGE – CRRB – CHGB

LUGE            LUMINOUS GREEN EEL

CRRB            CLEAR RED + RED BACK

CHGB            CHARTREUSE + GREEN BACK

FISH MIMETICS PERFEEL™ COLOURS

COLOUR CODES FROM TOP DOWN: MIPI – MAGR – MABL

MIPI             MINNOW PINK

MAGR           MACKEREL GREEN

MABL            MACKEREL BLUE

WE ARE SEEKING DISTRIBUTORS WORLDWIDE!

For price quotation and samples, please contact Louis Tchertoff at:

NOMAD LIMITED

RM. 1103-5 TOWER A, REGENT CENTRE,

63 WO YI HOP RD, KWAI CHUNG, N.T. HONG KONG

TEL: (852) 2545 7613

FAX: (852) 2544 0685

EMAIL: nomad.limited@gmail.com

Clearing out the dead wood

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) was not only caused by the excessive greed of a few elite banksters; it is the end result of numerous factors that include in particular the globalization of trade and the inherent consequences on European employment caused by the outsourcing of labour intensive production.
If free trade has been the greatest pacifier the world has ever known, it is certainly not the perfect system and I doubt if our societies will be governed by the same rules 100 years from now!

The European Fishing Tackle Trade is being particularly affected by the GFC for reasons intrinsic to the way we conduct our business.

Sport Fishing is not recognised by the International Olympic Committee; is it still a Sport?

As I stayed up at night and watched the undeniable success of 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; I couldn’t stop wondering why one of the supposedly most popular sports on the planet; one that counts 40 million participants in the USA alone, 25 million in Europe and so many more million in the rest of the world, received absolutely no expression in the biggest and most mediated sporting event of our planet!

302 events in 36 disciplines took place during the summer Olympics. Many of these were outdoor sports that have a similar expression to Sport Fishing: Namely: Archery, Canoe/Kayak, Mountain Biking, Sailing and Shooting.

On the road to Nowhere!

Kevin VanDam, the current leader of the World Rankings for Bass Fishing in the USA is 40 years old, has been a Pro Bass Angler for 18 years and has cumulated more than 3 Million US Dollars in prize winnings during his career. This does not include the money he receives from sponsors.

His sponsors include brands such as Strike King Lures, Mustad, Plano, MotorGuide, Quantum, Bass Pro Shops, D&R Sports, Biosonix, RMR Industries, Nitro Boats, Mercury engines and Toyota vehicles.

The top 50 leaders of the World Rankings in 2007 earned 10 Million US Dollars in prize winnings.

Having been a sponsor for quite a few CIPS-FIPS world championships in Europe, I am permanently perplexed at the fact that nothing in Europe compares in anyway whatsoever to the American success.

It is a clear fact that Bass Angling marketing in the US is a powerful way to advertise and promote fishing related products and services and offers a unique opportunity to reach new customers and keep existing ones. An effectively implemented Bass Angling marketing campaign helps build brand awareness, gain market share and increase sales. If that wasn’t the case, the Bass Tour would never have become the multi-million dollar sport it is today!

Competition fishing in Europe starts at club level; it is then managed at national level by elected volunteers through multiple Federations that often only deal with particular techniques such as Fly Fishing, Fresh Water Match Fishing, Sea Angling and Casting.

The National federations are regrouped into the following International Federations:

The International Fresh Water Sport Fishing Federation (FISP-Ed)

The International Fly Sport Fishing Federation (FIPS-Mouche)

The International Sea Sport Fishing Federation (FIPS-M)

The International Casting Sport Fishing Federation (FIPS-Casting).

These International Federations organise the annual World championships, the European Championships or cups and others international events. According to CIPS; an average of 30 to 40 countries of all continents take part in these events and teams are made up of 4 to 6 athletes per nation.

Whatever happened to voluntary work?

THE latest edition of the EFTTEX show that was held in Rome last June was a reflection of the current trends in effect in our European market.
A lot of effort, time and money were spent by most of those companies exhibiting in the show. Stands were generally very nice, with many companies and brands making particular efforts for improving the presentation of their products. The venue was large and the high ceiling and the temperature inside the halls provided for an excellent business atmosphere. Attendance to the show was just under 1,600 visitors, in line with attendances of previous years.
Whether the show was truly interesting for all segments and channels in the European market is a matter of analysis:

a/ International brands with worldwide distribution networks exhibited at the show, using the venue as a once a year meeting place in order to present new products for the coming season, strengthen current relations with their distributors and establish new relations with any potential customer visiting from an uncovered market. For these companies, the show is also a good PR opportunity to promote their products with the 60 attending journalists of the specialized press. Although these groups usually complain that EFTTEX is an expensive venue; gathering all their subsidiaries and distributors in one place in a controlled environment certainly gives them a significant market advantage.

b/ Many European wholesalers were exhibiting in order to increase their customer base, meet potential and existing buyers and distributors; in many cases also looking to meet European retailers.

c/ Some of the few remaining European manufacturers were exhibiting in order to meet mostly retailers and special customers.

d/ A few manufacturers from overseas were exhibiting in order to sell their products to anyone capable of meeting the minimum production requests.

Did EFTTEX 2008 satisfy the international exhibitors mentioned in group a/? Most certainly!

Did EFTTEX 2008 satisfy the exhibitors in group b/ and c/? Well that would depend on the quality of their range and the competitiveness of their prices and service!

Did EFFTEX 2008 compete with CHINAFISH this year? By no means whatsoever!

EU to adopt English as the official language!

The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as ‘Euro-English’.

 

In the first year, ’s’ will replace the soft ‘c’. Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy.

The hard ‘c’ will be dropped in favour of ‘k’. This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome ‘ph’ will be replaced with ‘f’. This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.

In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.

Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.

Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent ‘e’ in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.

By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing ‘th’ with ‘z’ and ‘w’ with ‘v’.

During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary ‘o’ kan be dropd from vords kontaining ‘ou’ and after ziz fifz yer , ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.

Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.

Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.

Power cuts hit Weihai factories

Worst summer power shortage since 2004!

More than a dozen Chinese provinces have begun to ration power supplies because soaring coal costs and declining supply have cut into electricity generation at a time when demand is set to soar.

China has forecast a power shortfall of 10 gigawatts for the summer, about 1.4 percent of installed capacity, but provinces are forecasting more than triple this amount.

The earthquake in Sichuan and the Beijing Olympics are also given as explanations for the shortages.

According to recent reports, Weihai factories are suffering power shortages 4 days a week and are working night shifts to attempt to maintain production targets.

Expect delays in the shipment of your intial orders and your samples!

Are European retailers hampering market potential?

A lot has happened to the structure of the European supply channels of Fishing Tackle in recent years.

Twenty years ago, the supply channel would comprise a manufacturer/vendor, an export agent, an importer/national distributor, a regional wholesaler and finally the independent retailer who would sell the product to the final consumer.

Many importers/national distributors could depend on regional wholesalers for anything up to 80% of their turnover.

The regional wholesaler was the first to go when desire for growth and competition began to cause a decrease in the number of intermediaries in the market. Most big brands started by-passing the wholesaler in order to get direct access to the larger retailers and obtain better control of their market share on the shop floor. This process was rapidly followed by the smaller national brands and the regional wholesaler structure collapsed in a matter of years. Very few of these are left in the “developed” European markets, and practically none managed to convert from a wholesaler to a national brand by developing an own range of products.

As the road haulage service improved to next day delivery, dealers also found no further needs for these intermediaries as they could obtain the products directly from the importer/distributor with a better discount and free freight as long as minimum conditions were met.

Making the Market grow!

The present trend in the European Fishing Tackle Market is certainly not that of clear positive growth.

All we hear about are of reductions in the numbers of regular Anglers, over-fishing, depleted fish stocks, water pollution, lack of image of the hobby, competition from other sports and a soft European economy.

Not only is our trade badly organized in protecting its activity at European and National level; it also shows a total lack of synergy between the main economic agents concerned with recreational fishing.

When was the last time that a meeting was held in Europe between all of those concerned with Recreational Angling? By this I mean the Angling Federations, the Trade, the Media, the Tourist Trade and the other related industries such as the Boat manufacturers and Boat Engine manufacturers. The answer is never!

Not only should these industries and organizations be concerned about defending and promoting the Recreational Angling activity; they should also be working together in synergy in order to develop common strategies to make the market grow.

It is not very difficult to find potentially successful strategies for market growth in Angling. There is often not much need for invention and new ideas. Adapting already existing practices from another market is often enough. Techniques from the UK such as Match fishing and UK Style Carp Fishing have been adapted and promoted with great success in other European countries. The Italian anglers have given us “Bolognese” rods and Beach Ledgering; the French and the Belgians the Roubaisienne Put-Over pole. Each time one of these “new techniques” has been launched successfully in another market, it has benefited both the brands from where the technique originated and the national or regional brands that were smart enough to pick up early on the new trend. International brands are also prime benefactors of the spread of fishing techniques from one region to another.

More recently, Southern European Markets such as France, Spain and Portugal have benefited from new emerging markets such as Lure Fishing and Jigging. Whether practiced in the Coastal waters or in the rivers and the lakes, these two newly introduced/re-vamped techniques have brought some much needed growth to the struggling local companies. Even if, the market being what it is; these successful launches are rapidly followed by extensive competition, oversupply and price slashing. They open the markets to a large number of newly required products and therefore new sales.

France considering Sea Angling licenses!

Last October, Mr Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France concluded that the “Grenelle de l’Environnemment” forum that he had personally promoted “will remain a milestone in our society’s growing awareness that it cannot continue to live wastefully and that it can no longer ignore the impact of our current lifestyles, production methods and consumption patterns on the future of the planet.” These conclusions emerged after four months of consultations with businesses, NGOs, trade unions, academics, local authorities and government ministries and included the presence and support of José Barroso, President of the European Commission and former US Vice-President and Nobel prize winner Al Gore. Working parties were launched for the study of new legislation and guidance on subjects as varied as: Carbon and waste management, transport, precautionary principles, GMOs, Nuclear and renewable energies, energy efficient buildings and sustainable development.

Various working groups were created during the forum and in particular Group II concerned with the preservation of biodiversity and natural resources.

The work of Group II was to study the development of 10 coastal marine reserves representing 10% of the French territorial waters until 2012 in preparation of the European directive on marine strategy and to prepare a new law governing the sea in order to coordinate proper management of the coast and the ocean integrating all activities such as fishing, dredging and the extraction of minerals.

A working party called “COMOPS 12” has now been created under the supervision of Mr Jerome Bignon, Député to the French National Assembly; this working party is to study the integrated management of the sea and the coastal areas. Representatives of various NGOs together with government agencies and the National Committee of Fisheries (ie: The commercial fishermen) have been invited to be part of the group but NO GROUP MEMBER HAS BEEN NOMINATED TO REPRESENT THE RECREATIONNAL ANGLERS!

UK Government abandons sea angling licences scheme

Press release by the NATIONAL FEDERATION OF SEA ANGLERS
Date: March 19 2008

The government today abandoned its current plans to impose fishing licences on a million sea anglers in Britain.

The move follows several years of campaigning by the National Federation of Sea Anglers (NFSA) to convince successive fisheries ministers that because fishstocks were so seriously depleted by commercial overfishing, the few fish left for anglers were not worth buying a licence to catch.
 
A provision enabling licences to be imposed has been withdrawn from the government’s big new Marine Bill due to be published shortly. The news came in a written parliamentary answer to Martin Salter (Labour, Reading West) from the fisheries minister, Jonathan Shaw.

 A survey of NFSA members showed that only eight per cent supported the idea.

The case was argued by the NFSA in its responses to government consultations, face-to-face with civil servants and last month directly with the minister at a “meet the anglers” session in Penzance, and at a meeting in Westminster.

Richard Ferré, chairman of the NFSA, said today: “The NFSA and anglers throughout the country have worked hard to honestly represent to the Minister their view that a licence would have been unfair, financially unviable and detrimental to the sport.

High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi

By Marian Burros, The New York times
Published: January 23, 2008

Recent laboratory tests found so much mercury in tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants that at most of them, a regular diet of six pieces a week would exceed the levels considered acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Sushi from 5 of the 20 places had mercury levels so high that the Food and Drug Administration could take legal action to remove the fish from the market. The sushi was bought by The New York Times in October.

“No one should eat a meal of tuna with mercury levels like those found in the restaurant samples more than about once every three weeks,” said Dr. Michael Gochfeld, professor of environmental and occupational medicine at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, N.J.

Dr. Gochfeld analyzed the sushi for The Times with Dr. Joanna Burger, professor of life sciences at Rutgers University. He is a former chairman of the New Jersey Mercury Task Force and also treats patients with mercury poisoning.

The owner of a restaurant whose tuna sushi had particularly high mercury concentrations said he was shocked by the findings. “I’m startled by this,” said the owner, Drew Nieporent, a managing partner of Nobu Next Door. “Anything that might endanger any customer of ours, we’d be inclined to take off the menu immediately and get to the bottom of it.”

Although the samples were gathered in New York City, experts believe similar results would be observed elsewhere.

“Mercury levels in bluefin are likely to be very high regardless of location,” said Tim Fitzgerald, a marine scientist for Environmental Defense, an advocacy group that works to protect the environment and improve human health.

Fortune favours the Bold!

In the same way as there is a link between the quality of a fishing spot and its remoteness; there is also a direct relation between the ease of access to a supplier and the competitiveness of his price.

Twenty years of sourcing fishing tackle have taken me to very remote places while searching for that special item to give my brand its competitive edge.

Before you go out of your way to visit a new factory, you should however attempt to gather some information about what you may possibly encounter. This often requires the help of a sourcing agent or a trader who has been doing his homework. You may otherwise end-up in the middle of nowhere, after a lengthy flight to a remote airport and a risky drive to an out-of-the-way factory. I must confess, this has happened to me many times! Prospecting for potential sources is a must for an importing company that aims to stay in the lead and unless you speak the local dialect you are totally in the hands of your hosts and your guide or your agent.

It is therefore extremely important to work on that special relation and leave a good impression during the short duration of a factory visit.

Here are a few guidelines to more successful sourcing in remote areas: (Assuming you do not speak the language of the supplier whom you are visiting, you will be using your agent as a translator for the meeting.)

Teaching children and young people to fish

Recreationnal Fishing is certainly one the most exciting nature awareness hobbies to pass on to children; however, if you are to develop their interest, there are a few rules that must be followed.

For starts, a close member of the family must teach fishing to the child: Usually the father.
It is a fact that Recreationnal Fishing is at present a very much male-only leisure, but this situation has been gradually changing in many developed countries, at least in the younger generations.

Europe is at present seeing a decrease in the number of young fishermen mostly due to the change in the traditional family structure:

 

Forty out of every one hundred first marriages now end in divorce, compared to a rate of 16 out of every 100 in 1960. Hardest hit are the children. Children of divorce are almost twice as likely to be living in poverty after the divorce. The rates of suicide, poor school performance, criminal activity, and drug abuse are much higher for children from broken homes than from for those from intact families.

Four times more children are being brought up in fatherless families than in 1960.

In these families, there is nobody to teach fishing to the children. They will never learn, unless a close family member takes on this task or unless the child is sent to an Angling school during his vacations. Schools are scarce due to the lack of interest in Recreationnal Fishing shown by most government authorities and the difficulties linked to setting up an Angling school and obtaining the proper licences and professional insurance.

A compilation of Fishing Jokes, feel free to comment and add some more!

The Three Fishermen and the Mermaid

Three fishermen were fishing when they came upon a mermaid, the mermaid offered them one wish each so the first fisherman said: “double my I.Q” so the mermaid did it and to his surprise he started reciting Shakespeare.

Then the second fisherman said: “triple my I.Q.” and sure enough the mermaid did it and amazingly he started solving math problems he didn’t know existed.

The third fisherman was so impressed he asked the mermaid to quadruple his I.Q and the mermaid said “Are you sure about this? It will change your whole life!” the fisherman said “yes” so the mermaid turned him into a woman.

Why Fishing is better than making love

* When you go fishing and you catch something, that’s good.
If you’re making love and you catch something, that’s bad.

* Fish don’t compare you to other fishermen neither.
And don’t want to know how many other fish you caught.

* In fishing you lie about the one that got away.
In loving you lie about the one you caught.

* You can catch and release a fish, you don’t have to lie, and promise to
still be friends after you let it go.

* You don’t necessarily have to change your line to keep catching fish.

* You can catch a fish on a 20-cent frozen squid.
If you want to catch a woman you’re talking dinner and a movie minimum.

* Fish don’t mind if you fall asleep in the middle of fishing.