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
