angling international magazine - december 2010 - 35

EFTTEX 2011SOLD OUT!

Waiting list will prioritiselong-time members p45

Essential reading for buyers in the tackle trade

December 2010 Issue 35

st will prioritisee memberslong-time members p45

Now online at angling-international.com

BESTFOR NEWS

AND PRODUCTS

NOWMAILED TO

11,000+BUSINESSES

AROUND THE

WORLD

CGCTARGETSCONSUMERS

The trade’s reaction tothe latest changesp30

Essential reading for buyers in the tackle trade

December 2010 Issue35

de’s reaction tost changesp30

Now online at angling-international.com

g

The global giant reveals exceptional third quarter figures p10

RAPALAVMCANNOUNCESRECORD-BREAKINGSALES

BESTFORNEWS

ANDPRODUCTS

NOWMAILEDTO

11,000+BUSINESSES

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EUROPEANTRADENEWSLatvia’s Salmolookswest forgrowth

TheriseandriseofGruppoDP

Reports: p6 and p45

PLUS

Why it’s ready to become oneof Europe’s biggest tacklecompanies p36

Thestrengths thatmake itoneof theworld’smostsuccessfullinemakers p38

UK’s Sonik targetsrapidexpansionRevealed: thenewproductranges thatare fuelling its risep44

InnovativeLuresarrives in theUKTheDanishcompanytalks

about itsdealwithFishingMatters

p12

Trading conditions will remain difficult, it says Storyp6

SHIMANOURGESCAUTIONONTHEECONOMY

SOLDOUT!

Europe’s No.1 trade show

has filled Amsterdam’s Rai Centre

eight months ahead of schedule,says EFTTA

December2010 AnglingInternational 5

MAGAZINECREDITS

DECEMBER 2010

SoEFTTEX is sold out eightmonths early.Weshouldn’t besurprised–andanyonewho is,hasn’t beenpayingattention.Amsterdamhasalwaysbeenabig favouritewith theanglingindustry–andnot just becauseit is aneasyplace tofly in to.There is ahigh concentration

of distributors andfishing tackleshops in theBenelux regionwithin easy reachof the city; andAmsterdam itself is a vibrantplacewith numerousattractionsthatwill play their part in swell-ing thenumbers of buyers.TheRai Centre is also hugely

experiencedat putting on tradeshows. Soall the ingredients arethere for a successful show.I don’t knowwhy it’s taken ten

years for the show to goback

there. But I’mbetting itwon’t bethat longbefore it goesback.Theremaybea clamour thatEFTTA cannot ignore and theoption of alternating Amsterdamwith other European citieswouldseeman idea certainlyworthdiscussionaround the Associa-tion’s boardroom table.A sold out show is great news

for the industry–but not suchgoodnews for thosewhodidn’tmake their booking in time. How-ever, there’smore thanonewaytoaccess theEuropeanmarket.Angling International offers

non-exhibitors adirect,monthlyroute to thebusinesses theymostwant to communicatewith.Just takea lookat thenumberof companies using this issueaspart of theirmarketing strategy.

Angling International is theofficialmedia partner to EFTTAand is unrivalled for promotingyour business in Europe.If youwant to hearmore about

theadvertising andeditorialopportunities onoffer in thecritical run-up to the showpleasecontact our Commercial DirectorLucieHenton.Meanwhile, weare already

busyputting together ourannual Lure Fishing SpecialIssue. This is now in its thirdyear andmoreandmore lurecompanies are recognising theneed to be in it. Again, Luciewillfield your enquires.

Mel [email protected]

•Publishing editor:MelBagnall; [email protected] +44 (0)1733 392 977 •Editorial director:RobCarter; [email protected]•Art Director:KeelyDocherty-Lee; [email protected] •Designer:KateHolt; [email protected] •DatabaseManager:GrahamGoor; [email protected]•Colour reproduction: ATGraphicsUKLtd, Peterborough, CambsUK•Printedby:WarnersMidlandsplc, Bourne, CambsUK•Subscription enquiries: [email protected]

Angling International magazine is published by Top Corner Editorial and Design Limited. 4 Milnyard Square, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough Cambridgeshire, UnitedKingdom, PE2 6GX • International Commercial Director: LucieHenton; [email protected]; Tel. +447825999230; Fax+441225760249; Skype lpetrickova

•THANKSTHIS ISSUEGOTO: Petr Barancic, Helena Basche, Russ Bassdozer, Martin Bloom, Pierre Chapelle, Tony Conte, David Earp, Milja Findlay, Tonia Freeman, Joe George, Graham Goor, Trevor Gunning,Anthony Hawkswell, Hilary at China Fish, Kate Holt, Gary Hytner, Larry Kenney, Richard Lee, Tom Legge, Donna Leonard, Serena Leone, Dean Logan, Marta Szalkowska, Jenny Travis, Noel Vick.●Nopartofthismagazinemaybereproducedwithoutthepermissionofthepublisher.Themagazineassumesnoresponsibilityforthesafetyofcontributions,althoughallreasonablecarewillbetaken.

Benvenuto,BienvenidaBienvenue,Willkommen

Meet themakers of Angling International...

ROBCARTER,EDITORIALDIRECTORRobbeganhis careerwriting for andediting specialist consumermagazines in theUK (includingMatch footballmagazine, Fore! golfmagazine and Trout Fisherman)before being appointededitor-in-chief of Emap’s contractpublishingdepartment.He is a founder directorof TopCorner, thepublishers ofAngling International.

KEELYDOCHERTY-LEE,ARTDIRECTORAs TopCorner’s art director andco-founder, Keelyhas15years’designexperience, andaproventrack recordof producing success-ful ad campaigns, brochures anddirectmail. Shehasworkedwithmanyangling clients and todayleads thedesign teamonAnglingInternational,managing theeditorial productionof each issue.

LUCIEHENTON,INTERNATIONALCOMMERCIALDIRECTORLucie can call uponsevenyears’experienceof delivering commer-cial solutions for angling clients.Czech-born, she is also familiarwith other eastern Europeanlanguages. Call her to discussyour advertisingneedsand tofindoutways topromoteyourproducts in themagazine.

MELBAGNALL,PUBLISHINGEDITORMel’s vast experience in the anglingindustry includessix years as thepublisher of UKcompanyEmap’sanglingbusiness. Hebeganhiscareer onAngling Timeswherehewas reporter, featurewriter, subeditor andnewseditor, andwasalso assistanteditorofSeaAngler.Hehasworked inmagazines formore than36years.

6

SHIMANO:RECOVERYIS‘NOTYETSECURE’

Angling International December2010

I N S I G H T • A N A L Y S I S • T R A D E N E W S

COMMUNIQUÉ

Shimano has warned that aglobal economic recoveryis still ‘not yet secure’ as itannounced a 15.9% thirdquarter increase in net sales

to 155,875m yen. Fishing salesincreased by 4.7% to 32,020m yencompared to the same period lastyear and there was a hike in operatingincome of 150.9% to 1,716m yen.

Shimano said the increase in angling-related sales was lead by the 2010models of the flagship Stella spinningreel series, the Tankenmaru mini mobilephone-sized personal fish detector, theDendomaru Beast Master electric reeland rods for saltwater fishing.

However, the group remainedcautious about prospects going into thefourth quarter of the financial year. Itsaid: “Although a moderate economicrecovery is underway in the developedcountries, owing to the impact ofvarious policies, the recovery is not yetsecure because of negative factors, such

as the weak labour markets and thecredit crunch.

“The Japanese market is expected tocontinue on a recovery track alongsidethe broadly based recovery of thedeveloped countries.

“But, the situation is unpredictable inview of the possibility of furtherappreciation of the yen as well asconcerns about the downward riskwith regard to economies overseas anddeflationary pressure in Japan.”

Shimano said that during the firstnine months of 2010 the group hadbenefited from a slow improvementin the world economy. It stated: “TheAmerican and European economiesbegan to pick up somewhat despitethe unclear prospects in view of thesevere employment situation. In Asiaeconomic growth continued to be leadby China and India.

“In Japan, although the labour marketremained weak and deflationary pressurepersisted, both personal consumption

and corporate earnings improved owingto the impact ofgovernment policies.”For the period June toSeptember 2010, it reported:• Consolidated operatingincome rose by 86.8% to25,558m yen;• Ordinary incomeincreased by 55.9% to21,535m yen;• Net income wasup by 83.4% to14,413m yen.

The group saw a19.7% increase in bi-cycle component salesand a 28.7% decreasein its other activities.

In July this yearShimano revised its forecastfor the 2010 fiscal year withordinary income now predicted at27,000m yen and net income18,500m yen.

The global giant remains only cautiously optimistic on theeconomy despite announcing healthy third quarter figures.

Companieswho have not booked forEFTTEX 2011 are almost certain tomissout altogether after a surge of enquiriesfor the show at Amsterdam’s Rai Centre inJune. The 189 companies that had bookedspace at the time of Angling Internationalgoing to presswas 20 up on the same timelast year and the show’s organisers havewarned that latecomers are now likely tomiss out.

The ease of booking flights into theDutch city and the popularity of the RaiCentre as a venue– alongwith the rejuve-nation of the show in recent years – have

combined tomake space a premium.Many in the industry feel it will be themost successful EFTTEX for years.

A higher-than-usual number of first timeexhibitors has added to pressure on spaceasmanufacturers anticipate the numberof visitors being swelled by buyers fromthe Benelux region.

“We have taken 50 new stand bookingsin the space of threeweeks,” said EFTTEXCo-ordinator Sally Steel. “Anyone consider-ing exhibiting should contact us soonerrather than later – or riskmissing out.”• EFTTEX is a sell-out – see page 45

One of the UK’s biggest and best-known tackle dealers, Bennetts ofSheffield, has gone into liquidation.The company, which had been inbusiness for more than 50 years,ceased trading last month and hasmade all of its staff of more than 20employees redundant.

Insolvency specialist, WilsonField, has been appointed as liq-uidator and a meeting of creditorswas due to be held at the time of

Angling International going to press.Wilson Field spokesperson

Emma Bower said it was hopedthat a buyer could be found for thecompany’s internet and mail orderbusiness.

She added: “Bennetts was a wellestablished concern, but like manyother companies it has been hit bythe economic recession and this hasresulted in voluntary liquidationand staff redundancies.”

LeadingUKtackledealerforcedtoceasetrading

EFTTEXISALLBUTSOLDOUT,EFTTAWARNSLATEBOOKERS


COMMUNIQUÉ

8

Lead ban petitionrejected in the US


T he American angling industryhas heaved a huge sigh of relieffollowing a decision by theall powerful EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA) to turn

down a potentially devastating ban on lead infishing tackle.The news has been greeted with wide-

spread delight within the angling communityand has safeguarded the future of a marketwhich is worth $45bn in retail sales and$125bn to the American economy.The EPA rejected a petition presented by

the Centre for Biological Diversity and fourother groups to ban lead in fishing tackle onall US waters. A similar proposal to ban leadin ammunition had earlier been refused.It said that the petitioners had not dem-

onstrated that such a ban was necessary toprotect against an unreasonable risk of injuryto health or the environment.Over 43,000 anglers lobbied against the

Sonik: ‘EFTTEXrepresentsthebiggestopportunityforgrowth’

Sonik is to use EFTTEX 2011 in Amsterdam as the launchpad for its ambitiousinternational expansion plans. Commercial Director Ian McCormack confirmedthat the company had just booked its stand at the June show and said: “We arelooking to expand into new territories so EFTTEX represents the biggestopportunity for us to grow.

“We will be approaching new dealers and distributors in areas appropriate tothe products we have. Currently we are strong in Europe because that is an easierenvironment for us to operate within. We have strong links in Holland, Finlandand the Czech Republic, but little in Spain and nothing in Germany or Italy.

“As far as the rest of the world is concerned, we are doing quite nicely in Japanand have a small presence in Australia and New Zealand. However, there are somany opportunities out there and we are determined to make the most of them.

“Doing business worldwide creates many different challenges, but Sonik has the infrastructure,resources and personnel in place to take ad-vantage of the opportunities. We look forwardto using EFTTEX to establish strong links withnew customers.”

Gordon Robertson: proudof America’s anglers.

proposed legislation andsent comments to theEPA’s administrator LisaJackson through the websiteKeepAmericaFishing.org.Gordon Robertson, Vice-president

of the American Sport Fishing Association(ASA), said: “The sportfishing communityapplauds the EPA decision. It represents asolid review of the biological facts as well asthe economic and social impacts that wouldhave resulted in such a sweeping federalaction. It is a common sense decision.“Increases in the cost of recreational

fishing would have stopped many anglersfrom enjoying the sport. The resultingdecrease in fishing licence sales and thefederal manufacturers’ excise tax on fishingtackle, which represents the two mostimportant funding resources for fisheriesconservation, would be a large setback forfish and wildlife managers and the country’s

Lead productsremain legal inthe US.

natural resources.”The sportfishing industry is very proud

of the fact that America’s anglers were unitedon this important issue and played a pivotolrole in the EPA’s decision to reject thisunwarranted petition.”Robertson declared that the ASA would

continue to work with legislators and the EPAto ensure that future proposals to ban leadfishing tackle are made in response to ‘soundscience’ and not unwarranted petitions.

• In 1992 the EPA received a similar petition,but ruled in 1995 that it was not economicallyviable and there was no evidence to supportthe view that lead represented a threat to wildlife.

Ian McCormack: lookingforward to Amsterdam.

RICKYTEALETOLEAVEPRESTONINJANUARYRicky Teale, one of thebest-known figures in theEuropean industry, is leav-ing Preston Innovationsafter 14 years “to pursueother opportunities.”Teale was a Director with

the UK company and iscredited with a significantcontribution in makingPreston Innovations oneof the most successful andadmired fishing tacklemanufacturers in Europe.A press release issued by

the company said that it“regretfully announced thatRicky Teale will no longer beemployed by the companyafter January 18th, 2011.”Owner David Preston

added: “Ricky has ac-complished a great deal inthe 14 years he has workedwithin Preston Innovations.

We have an excellent recordfor producing successful,innovative products and Iwould like to thank Rickyfor his help in developingthe company and assistingits growth. We all wish himthe very best of success inhis new career.”Teale recalled his “out-

standing experience” andsaid he was delighted tobe leaving the companyin such great shape. “Theproducts designed andexecuted by the team atPreston Innovations areworld class. They haveestablished a strong internalsupport structure to ensurethe growth of the businessin years to come.”The company says it

had not yet determined areplacement.

See page 44 for Sonik’snew launches.

a play to how and fish to when fish, to where out Findequip and plan Learn, boat. your into way the all fish

water. the on day memorable a for


COMMUNIQUÉ

Rapala’s new head offinance Jussi Ristimäki.

PallatraxsecuresChinesepatent

Pallatraxhasannouncedthat the ChinesePatent Office hasofficially recognisedthe patents for the UKcompany’s environ-mentally-friendlyStonzeweights inboth swivel and in-lineversions. DelightedPallatraxManaging Di-rector Simon Pomeroy(abovewith the docu-ment) said: “Withmoreandmore countriesrecognising the nega-tive impact that toxiclead fishingweightsare havingwithin theenvironment, patentprotection of our in-vention is paramountin preventing partiesfrom trying to copy us.With China being suchamajor producer ofinternational fishingtackle, it is a key factorfor us to have gainedthis protection asweseek to expand ourweights worldwide.”

Sales of Sufix linescontributed to Rapala’s

excellent third quarter figures.

“Increases in living expenses maytemporarily effect consumer spendingon fishing tackle” –Rapala

● Jussi Ristimäkihas replaced JouniGrönroos as theRapla group’s ChiefFinancial Officer.Grönroos has leftthe business afterfive years to joinanother companyin Finland, outsideof the anglingindustry. Ristimäki

was previously tax and risk manager for theRapala group.

The Rapala VMC Corporationhas reported record-breakingfigures for its third quarter, withsales of fishing products pro-ducing a robust performance.

The Finland-based company saw its netsales increase 21% compared to the sameperiod last year to €60.6m (from €50.2m).The figures follow a 15% increase in theprevious quarter.Following a hike in sales of lures, fish-

ing lines and accessories, net sales of thegroup’s angling products were up 19%for the quarter and 10% for the nine-yearperiod.The nine month net sales increased14% to €209m (€183.1m).During the third quarter the group – as

exclusively revealed by Angling International– paid €6.5m for UK-based Dynamite Baits,the manufacturer of premium carp baits. Thegroup said it aimed to double Dynamite’s2009 sales of €7.9m in the next few years.In its report to shareholders, the group

said its acquisition of Dynamite Baits makesit a strong player in the European carp market– the fastest growingmarket throughout Europe.The report said that despite continuing

uncertainties about the world economy,the group’s business has developed wellthis year and it continues to be optimistic –while still cautious – about future growth.It said: “Even if the fishing tackle business

has traditionally not been stronglyinfluenced by the increased uncertaintiesand downturns in the general economicclimate, this may influence – at least for ashort while – the sales of fishing tackle asretailers reduce their inventory levels andface financial challenges.

“Also, increases in living expenses anduncertainty about employment maytemporarily effect consumer spending onfishing tackle.”The group added that the global nature

of its business helped spread the risks con-cerning the recovery of the world economy.However, it warned that the market

prices of some commodity raw materialshad started to increase again, puttingpressure on the prices of some products.Rapala reported that its markets in most

western European countries had stabilised,but business in Far East Asia was “moredifficult”.The group’s business in North America is

generally slow due to economic uncertain-ties, but is growing “modestly”.Net sales increased in local currency and

were supported by the strengthening of theUS dollar. Net sales in the rest of the worldincreased 55% for the quarter and 32% forthe first nine months.Despite its record sales surge, the

group’s net profit was down €1.4m(€1.5m) for July to September because ofnegative foreign exchange impacts and€18.9m (€15.1m) for the nine-month period.

* Shimanowarns globaleconomic recovery ‘not yetsecure’. See page 6.


Record-breaking sales forRapala VMC Corporation

Gore’s knowledge in advanced

materials combined with Sufix’s

expertise in fishing line manufacturing and the ground-

breaking R8 precision braiding has created the ultimate in

advanced superline...Sufix 832. Constructedof 8 fibers and 32

weaves (pics) per inch creates the toughest, most durable, small

diameter braid on the market. Smooth line release during

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COMMUNIQUÉ

12 Angling International December2010

T he EUhasstrucka FreeTrade

Agreement (FTA)with South Koreaand embarrassedUS efforts to reacha similar treaty. Thedeal, which removesimportant duties,

was struck last month and signed by EUTrade Commissioner, Karel De Gucht, StevenVanackere, the Belgian Minister of ForeignAffairs and Kim Jong-hoon, South KoreanMinister of Trade.The FTA has been welcomed by South

Korean fishing tackle businesses whobelieve it will make them more competitivein the market place.Among them is Brandon Hwang,

Managing Director of well-known waderand clothing brand Aquaz, who toldAngling International: “This willencourage more business between Koreaand the EU. Importers and buyers fromthe EU will benefit by saving import dutyon products from Korea. We will alsobenefit by paying no import duty onmaterials coming from EU countries.“We hope to see increased orders from

EU customers now that they can savepretty big amounts by the removal of

Ben Yoo, Global SalesManager for SpecialFishing Corporation (SFC) Korea, an OEMsupplier, also applauded the agreement. “Manymanufacturers in Koreawelcome it,” he toldAngling International. “Korea exportsmore toEurope than the US, it is our second largestmarket after China. It will make usmorecompetitive and therefore Korean supplierswill becomemore attractive. We expect tohavemore enquires frombuyers in the EU.“In a survey conducted by The Korean

International TradeAssociation, 73%of companiessay the FTAwill have a positive effect becauseof the removal of duties, improved pricecompetitiveness and cheaper rawmaterialsand components from the EU to Korea.”

Expecting more orders:Aquaz MD Brandon Hwang.

MORE REACTION FROM SOUTH KOREA

INNOVATIVELURESBREAKSINTOTHEUKWITHFISHINGMATTERSDanish manufacturer Innovative Lureshas made its first tentative step into

the UK market by agreeing adistribution deal with FishingMatters. The two companieslinked up at last month’s

Tackle & Guns Showwhere the Innovative

Lures product rangewas showcased inBritain for thefirst time.

InnovativeLures founderLars Sogaardsaid: “We have

been looking at the UK market forsome time and I am delighted thatFishing Matters will be on board withus. Even though the percentage ofpredator fishermen in the UK is smallerthan the rest of Europe, interest isgrowing and we are keen to get afoothold there.”Sogaard also revealed that the

company would be launching a newvertical jerk bait, Jiggy Jr, which will beavailable in the UK next year.Fishing Matters owner Mark

Hamnett, said: “The company hasproduced an innovative lure for thejerk bait market and I believe it is spot

on for that sector. The British marketfor lures is mostly limited to predatorslike pike, perch, zander and is mostlya winter sport and less expansive thanin Scandinavia. But we have receivedsufficient interest to believe that theselures will be popular among UKanglers.“We were attracted to Innovative

Lures because – as its name suggests– the company produces someproducts that are different to thosealready in the marketplace.”Fo more details on the deal contact

[email protected] or [email protected].

Part of the Innovative Luresrangewhichwill nowbeavailabletoUKpredator anglers.

Free Trade Agreement with EUdelights Korean manufacturers

these import costs. We are also looking formore business in the US and we are monitor-ing the progress of FTA discussions there.”The agreement is the most ambitious ever

negotiated by the EU and is its first with anAsian country. It will take effect from July2011 and virtually remove all import barriersbetween the two economies.Once the duties are fully eliminated, EU

exporters will save €1.6bn annually and itwill more than double trade between the twoparties over the next 20 years.Commissioner Gucht said: “The agree-

ment between the EU and South Koreamarks a significant achievement in improvingour trade links. It will provide a real boost tojobs and growth in Europe at a critical time.”The FTA is the largest free trade agreement

since NAFTA in 1994 – a trade treaty signedbetween America, Canada and Mexico. Ithas come ahead of the stalled US-SouthKorea FTA talks which have been ongoingfor three years.Negotiations about an agreement started

long before the EU’s, but have hit the buffersfollowing fears that it could affect jobs in theUnited States.President Barack Obama had promised

to give the agreement a push before lastmonth’s G2 summit in Korea, but despitedays of talks no concrete result has beenforthcoming.The EU has welcomed its agreement with

South Korea. A spokesman said: “Exports are

an important source of growth and employ-ment in the European economy, making uparound 10% of GDP in 2008 and supportingmillions of jobs.“European businesses have for some time

asked for better terms of access to key Asianmarkets and responding to these calls, EUmember states authorised the Commissionto negotiate new ambitious FTAs with India,Korea and ASEAN countries.”Aquaz, which manufactures in its own

factories, will be introducing new waders,jackets, shoes and vests for 2011 and is nowlooking forward to exhibiting at next year’sChina Fish, EFTTEX and ICAST shows witheven greater optimism.

Below: Products suchaswadersmadebyAquazwill nowhave reducedimport costs.


COMMUNIQUÉ

14

CD Rods strengthens in Africa


Expanding New Zealand company,Composite Developments (CD Rods) hasstruck distributor agreements in Australiaand South Africa. It has linked up withlong-established South African company

C1-D2 Tackle Traders for the first time at this year’sSAFTAD Trade Show in Johannesburg.And, following hot on the heels of that deal, CD

Rods announced a tie-up with one of Australia’soldest importers and distributors of top endproducts, E.J. Todd and Sons.Todd’s plan to run most of CD’s products. These

include its full range of rods, blanks, sunglasses, hats,Ball Busters (heads for getting soft baits down quicklyin stiff currents), the Taimer series of fly rods andreels and general accessories.E.J. Todd and Sons currently distributes brands

including Sunline, Yamashita, Maria, Chaos knife jigs,Snowbee and Jackson and was, up until this year, theexclusive agent for G.Loomis.CD Rods Managing Director Marty Johanson said:

“With CD being just across ‘The Ditch’ and beingable to manufacture more rods and blanks exclusively

for this demanding market, it will be able to serviceits customers there a lot faster than in the past.”E.J. Todd and Sons is based in Sydney. The

company’s MD is Graham Todd and he can becontacted at [email protected] to the new agreement in South Africa,

Johanson said: “For some 25 years CD Rods has beenexporting rods all over South Africa and neighbouringcountries directly as orders came in, but we neverhad an agent handling the lower half of Africa belowthe Equator. This deal remedies that situation.”CD Rods has traditionally supplied mainly

Graphcast and Viper fly rods for the South Africanmarket but at the SAFTAD show took the wraps offnew Russian spin designs, jigging rods from the Jigaloseries and Terminator rods built to cast large baits. Italso introduced new CDX products and XTC fly reels.C1-D2 Tackle Traders is managed by Cobus Van

Biljon and his wife Denise. It has been the exclusiveagent for top-selling Australian lure manufacturerHalco for the last 12 years.Johanson added: “Cobus has a team of reps

already running around the country getting excellentresults following our awesome launch at the tradeshow.” Further information from C1-D2 is available [email protected] or www.tackletraders.co.za.

MDMarty Johansonwith CobusVanBiljon at theSAFTADshow.

Spro showcases itslatest ranges in new380-page catalogueAmbitious Spro has sent out yet another positivemessage tothe trade in Europe.

New rods and reels, further additions to the Strategy Fuzzrange, a new TroutMaster series and a BigWaller catfish rangecan all be seen for the first time in the newly released 380-page Spro catalogue for 2011.

Under The Fuzz range, highly visible Fluo Fuzz hooks havebeen introduced tomatch the brand’s fluoro pop-ups, whileThe Fuzz camouflage programmenow includes ready-to-fishFuzz Super and Specialist carp rigs in silt andweed coloursalongwith some additional hook patters.

The Spro Predator range features new accessories, pliersand traces, plus some new colours in the BBZ-Swimbait luresand five new colours and a new length in the DullShad range.There are new sizes and colours among theWobShadmodels.

Spro’s Heavy-Duty luggage can also be found in the cata-logue, comprising seven robust andwaterproof bags, whileextensions to Gamakatsu’s rod and hook ranges can also befound. The catalogue is available atwww.spro.eu, with thechoice of English, German, Dutch and Czech languages.

NORTHLANDMAKESAPPOINTMENTSINFINANCEANDSALESDEPARTMENTSNorthland Fishing Tackle has bolsteredits finance and sales departmentswith two new appointments. JoiningtheMinnesota producer of premiumjigs and livebait rigs as FinanceManager is Luke Lundt, whoseresponsibilities will include financialplanning and reporting,managingbudgets, implementing costs andinventory controls aswell as forminglong-term financial strategies.

Lundt has been in the fishingindustry for six years, previouslyworking in the finance andmarketingdepartments at Pure Fishing.

Also joining Northland is supplychain specialist John Rosemore,whose primary responsibilities includesales analysis and forecasting, buyingand inventory control. Rosemore is arecent graduate of business adminis-tration and brings knowledge of salesand finance.

Formore information and a 2011catalogue contact Northland at+12187516723 or email [email protected]. The company’swebsite iswww.northlandtackle.com.

LukeLundt (inset)and JohnRosemore.

“Thenewsales repsarealreadygettingexcellentresults” –MartyJohanson

Sonik Sports Limited, Riverside Business Park, Coniston Court, Blyth, Northumberland, NE24 4RP, United Kingdom

International Dealer Opportunities.

®

GROW YOUR PROFITS WITH SONIK – a dynamic company with a big vision. One which aims toprovide anglers all over the world with superbly designed fishing tackle that sets new standards forquality, performance and value for money.

Fishing tackle dealers today are increasingly looking for new, innovative products that offer a goodmargin and are correctly marketed to ensure strong consumer demand. In addition, they requirea good back-up service from a company that will stand by its products. At SONIK, our passion fordesigning and developing world beating fishing tackle is founded on many years of experience, bothas anglers and industry professionals. By working closely with our chosen manufacturing partners,and liaising with our team of approved guides and consultants, we are confident that the knowledgeand experience captured in every SONIK product will show through.

Contact us today for more information on how to become a SONIK dealer:

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16

Custom Rod Showdefies US recession

Angling International December 2010

Following twoyears of recordattendancesand exhibi-tor numbers,

the International CustomRod Building Exposition isexpected to grow still furtherin 2011. Organisers of theevent at High Point, NorthCarolina, are confident thatFebruary’s two-day show will

eclipse those numbers by a wide margin. The successof such a niche show has surprised the industry andis testimony to the faith of owner Tom Kirkman, whotold Angling International: “Others had tried to stagean event, but it never really got off the ground.

“The rod building industry didn’t really think itcould be successful even though the industry andcraft were hungry for such a show.”Kirkman, however, had other ideas and in 2004

he launched The Rod Builders Show, which attracted500 custom rod builders and 14 vendors. That laidthe groundwork for what has now become TheInternational Custom Rod Building Exposition, whichlast year attracted 2,400 custom rod builders and 51vendors. Says Kirkman: “It has come on in leaps andbounds and has continued to defy the worldwiderecession.”Explaining the success of the show, he adds:

“Demographics tell us that there is no particularlyhigh density of rod builders anywhere in the world.While there are many rod builders, they are spreadout over a large area.That means that 99% of attendees

REBRANDED ‘CARP ZWOLLE’ SETS SIGHTS ON MORE RECORDS

have to travel some distance and getting them to dothat requires a large assortment of exhibitors, goodtiming and a good geographical location.”Kirkman says The Expo was the first rod building

event that was advertised and marketed on a globalscale, with sufficient monetary investment to makesure the world’s rod builders knew it was taking place.He adds: “No one had ever been willing to take thesort of financial risk that I have.”And the results are there are for all to see with the

likes of top marques, including Fuji, St Croix, BatsonEnterprises, Pacific Bay and American Tackle, alltaking stand space.Kirkman maintains that seminars and demonstra-

tions also play an important part in the success ofthe Expo. “Where else can you learn about rod blankdesign from folks like Gary Loomis and JasonBrunner?” he asks.The bulk of visitors are from North America, with

additional interest from Asia, South America andEurope. The contingent from outside North Americais around 10% and growing each year.The Expo started life as a consumer show, but as

it evolved and attracted the majority of the world’scustom rod makers and suppliers, it has begun todouble as the sector’s premier trade event. The showtakes place on February 26th and 27th. Furtherinformation is available from +1 336 882 3226 [email protected] or by visiting www.rodexpo.com.

One of Europe’s most important fishing shows hasbeen rebranded and given a new name. The annualDutch carp fishing show will now be known as CarpZwolle to reflect its home for the last 15 years in theNetherlands city.Last year’s event was a record-breaker with best-

ever attendances and an unprecedented line-up ofexhibitors and top carp anglers. Over 5,000 visitors

attended the first day of the show with almost 9,500overall – a 5% rise on the previous year.Exhibitors last year included Shimano, Korda,

Delkim, Fox International, Nash and Trakker.Following what he described as his “best ever”

show, organiser Mick Paine says that Carp Zwollewill continue to grow and he is expecting even morevisitors to next year’s event.

Carp Zwolle 2011 will be held in the IJsselhallencomplex in Zwolle on February 5th and 6th.For furtherdetails [email protected] visit www.carpzwolle.nl.

Owner Tom Kirkman: “Theshow has come on in leapsand bounds.”


COMMUNIQUÉ


Members of the AmericanSportfishing Association(ASA) have enthusiasticallythrown their weight behindthe Association’s Keep

AmericaFishing campaign at its annual Sport-fishing Summit in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Industry leaders representing more than

100 companies and organisations unani-mously endorsed the initiative, which is beingheralded as the most important campaign inthe history of the sport.KeepAmericaFishing was set up to encour-

age individual anglers to support their sportand has grown over the last four years tobecome ‘the voice of the American angler’.The ASA’s Board of Directors Chairman,

Jeff Marble, told delegates at the summit:“The membership’s decision to supportKeepAmericaFishing reinforces how importantindividual anglers are to our collective future

The Sportfishing Summit also passed amotionto include three new categories in the ICAST NewProduct Showcase for 2011– fly rods, fly reelsand fly fishing accessories.

Themove is evidence that the ASA and theICAST show committee is continuing to work onideas to bring added emphasis to fly fishing atthe big trade show.

The ASAmade overtures to fly fishingexhibitors that previously attended the FFRshow following the split between FFR ownersNielsen and the American Fly Fishing TradeAssociation (AFFTA) at the beginning of thisyear. The ASA issued a release to the AFFTAmembership list at that time extending ageneral invitation to attend ICAST.

AFFTA has previously rejected the concept ofan alliancewith ICAST, with timing and venuebeing among the issues. AFFTA has sincelaunched it own International Fly Tackle Dealershow, with the inaugural event taking place inDenver in September this year.

New ASA Chairman JeffMarble lead the support forKeepAmericaFishing.

ICAST ADDS NEW FLY AWARDS

SBSTACTICALBAITSRAISESSTAKESINDISPUTEWITHDESTAYLORHungarian bait company SBS Tactical Baits Kfthas spoken out against UK business OriginalSBS Ltd, owned by Des Taylor, saying that thelatter is acting in breach of contract bycontinuing to supply products to Europe.Its response follows the decision by Mr Taylor

to write to European distributors explainingthat his company has declared itself a limitedcompany under the new name of Original SBSLimited. The letter explained that all intel-lectual property rights, stocks and tradingagreements have been transferred to the newcompany. It also states that “...there is noconstraint or restriction of any kind on ourbusiness... in respect of future dealings.”But SBS Tactical Baits alleges that a “valid

and effective sales contract” was entered intoby themselves and Mr Taylor in December2008 which gave the Hungarian business

ASA unanimously endorses‘critical’ grassroots initiative

and sends out a strong message about theresolve and dedication of this industry.“Launching an angler advocacy brand is a

much-needed critical step towards ensuringthat our public waters remain open, cleanand abundant with fish.”The administration also showed its

support of recreational fishing with a keynoteaddress by the Assistant Secretary of theInterior for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, TomStrickland.He addressed recreational fishing

participation, access issues and talked aboutthe new America’s Great Outdoors Initiative– a community-lead effort to conserve thenation’s great countryside.Eric Schwaab, Assistant Administrator for

Fisheries, National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration’s (NOAA) National MarineFisheries Service, provided members withan update on efforts to address theindustry’s concerns about marine fisheries

management.During the summit, the

ASA’s board of directors alsoelected its officers: ChairmanJeff Marble; Vice ChairmanGregg Wollner; Secretary DaveBulthuis; Treasurer Peter Foley;Immediate Past ChairmanJeff Pontius.

At the association’s annual dinner, the ASApresented a special award to former Board ofDirectors Chairman Burt Steinberg, and theNorville Prosser Lifetime Achievement Awardto Robert Hayes, General Council for the ASAand the Coastal Conservation Association.

“both the SBS Tactical Baits name and theproduction know-how exclusively.” Theymaintain that under the contract only theircompany is entitled to supply distributors inmainland Europe.SBS Tactical Baits further argues that the

alleged contract remains lawful and governsthe relationship between the two parties andthe intellectual property connected to theproducts.“The fact that Mr Taylor founded a new

company changes nothing, because thecontract was made lawfully and he is respon-sible for performing his obligations,” saidSBS Tactical Baits owner Zoltan Kovacs, whoalso insists that SBS products have grown inpopularity in the past two years thanks to hiscompany’s “constant work, technological de-velopments and serious marketing activity”.

SBS Tactical Baits ownerZoltan Kovacs.

Mr Taylor insists that he has continuedto trade with Europe because paymentsagreed in the contract had allegedly not beencompleted, but SBS Tactical Baits says itsuspended payment of the last instalment ofthe purchase price as the result of purportedinfringements of the contract by Mr Taylor.For more information, SBS Tactical Baits

suggests distributors should visit http://oami.europa.eu/CTMOnline/RequestManager/en_Detail_NoReg#down and search for TradeMark no. 008410748.Mr Kovacs also recommends that

distributors visit the English website thathis company plans to launch soon atwww.sbsbaits.net where it says it will publishthe names of the companies it has initiatedproceedings against and where they can getnews of new products.

December 2010 Angling International 19

HOW DID THE TRADE REACT TO THE CGC EXPO? See p30

Pure Fishing puts trade andGulp! Carp catalogues onlinePure Fishing’s 2011 trade catalogue is now available online. The catalogue, whichhas already been despatched to the global company’s many trade customers,contains all the many Pure Fishing brands under one cover, with each brand havingits own clearly indentifiable section. Some countries receive single-brand catalogueswhere appropriate.Pure Fishing has also released the new Gulp! Carp catalogue introducing its

extensive bait range. As well as showcasing the baits, the catalogue gives usefulinformation and advice on where and whento use the boilies, seeds, pellets, liquids andattractants that are includedin the range.The catalogue is

available to dealers in theUnited Kingdom, France,Germany, the Nether-lands, Belgium and Italy.Anyone who has not

received a copy of eithercatalogue can contact EMEAMarketing CommunicationsManager Fanny Champlondirectly at [email protected].

SportfishinspiresUKanglersA collaboration between Sportfish andFish&Fly.com has produced the coverimage for the UK retail company’s2011 edition of its quarterly catalogue.Sportfish asked visitors to the

website to capture ‘that specialmoment’ and enter their images intoan online competition.Alan Shephard, Brands and Market-

ing Manager at Sportfish, explained:“We teamed up with Fish&Fly.com togive one customer a unique opportunityto feature their fishing photo on the

cover of our catalogue. After muchdeliberation, Colin Raich’s (Cap’nFishy) picture of Loch Bornish in SouthUlst was chosen against stiff opposition.“This is a great way of building

customer relationships. It has beensuch a success that we are consideringrepeating the competition next year.”Phil Broughton, Head of Sales and

Marketing at Fish&Fly, said: “Ourforum members are some of themost enthusiastic and knowledgeablefishermen you will find anywhere and

Sportfish found a brilliantway to engage them andbring them closer to itsbusiness.”On top of the thrill of

seeing his photograph inprint, Colin Raich alsoreceived a £100 gift voucherto spend at Sportfish.

Left: the winning photo set tograce the catalogue cover.


COMMUNIQUÉ

20

Recfishwest angeredby marine park plans


R ecfishwest, therepresentativebody for recrea-tional fishers inWestern Australia,

has warned that “emotion-based” marine planning is athreat to the fishing industry.This follows proposals by theMinister for Environmentfor four new marine parks inwhat is described as one of

the most significant environmental initiatives in theState’s history.Environment Minister Donna Faragher said the

release of the plan reflected the State Government’scommitment to implementing its bold vision forconservation along the Kimberley Coast.But Tim Carter, Marketing Manager for Halco

Tackle, said: “The industry certainly feels underthreat and we are all spending a lot of time and effortto try to have some sensible debate on the issue. It isa political decision to try to satisfy green voters but

there was absolutely no science or consultation onthe matter, which angered anglers due to the lack ofprocess.”And Dean Logan, lobbyist for the Boating and

Fishing Council of Australia, told Angling Internationalthat the Council had made it clear nationally thatthe industry, recreational anglers and boaters will notsupport the process, the Government and associatedecisions unless all science is made public.“We are deeply concerned with the sheer volume

of km/s being assessed as areas that could possiblybe closed on what is poor and in many instancesidealogically-driven science,” he said. “If you overlapState plans with the Federal Marine Bio-RegionalPlanning Process, fishers and boaters in WesternAustralia should be very concerned.“Donna Faragher would be well advised to follow

the line of the new Federal Parliamentary Secretary forFisheries, Mike Kelly, who made assurances last weekthat the mistakes of the past will not be revisited.Greater levels of consultation must occur, co-man-agement models will work and the science must betransparent and open to peer review.

“Frankly, you can drive a truck through the scienceand it’s time governments started to genuinelyconsult fishers, boaters and the industry.”Recfishwest Acting Executive Director Kane Moyle

has also called on state and commonwealthgovernments to improve the process for all marinepark planning and for the fishing sector to have abigger say.Moyle said marine parks require sign-off from state

environment and fisheries ministers, yet the fishingsector’s first opportunity to formally comment onthe plans is when planning is complete and draftmanagement plans released.“Recreational and commercial fishers are typically

the groups most affected by marine park zoning, butthey have no say in the planning,” Moyle added.“Sensible discussion and careful planning must in-volve the recreational and commercial fishing sectors.”

Concerned: Boating andFishing Council lobbyistDean Logan.

Ian McKenzie retiresfrom UK’s Fulling Mill

World renowned flydresser IanMcKenziehas retired after 17years as TechnicalManager at FullingMill. During his timewith the England-basedmanufacturerof flies, McKenzie hasbeen at the forefrontof quality fly develop-ment. FullingMill’sManaging DirectorBarry Unwin, said:“Ian is one of themost

skilled and technically perfect fly dressers in theworld. There is nodoubt that those skills, combinedwith his commitment, reliability andsupremework ethic, have helped FullingMill retain its position at the topof the ladder of high quality fly fishingmanufacturers.”Coming into the business after a long career in themotor trade,

McKenzie has been a passionate fly fisher since his childhood andachieved considerable success on the competition circuit. Hewill bereplaced by his understudy, Steve Carew. FullingMill will also recruit anoperationsmanager to work alongside Carew. Anyone interested in theposition can call Barry Unwin on+441293778600.

YELLOW DOG HITS YOUTUBE INNEW COMMERCIAL FOR VERIZON

Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures, theMontana-based travel company, is featured in a newnationwide commercial for wireless networkprovider Verizon. The commercial is part ofVerizon’s ‘Put Your Business on theMap’campaign and Yellow Dog is the only fishing-based business included in the promotion.“Verizon liked the fact that our company

thrives and survives on our ability to com-municate –with our customers, our worldwidenetwork of lodges andwith each other,” said IanDavis, co-owner of the businesswith JimKlug(left), the newly appointed AFFTA chairman.“Nomatter wherewe are in theworld –

scouting new locations in South America,hosting groups in the Caribbean or visitinglodge partners in Alaska –we can stay in touchat all times. Verizon,more than any other cellcompanywe’ve found, has given us the abilityto do that.”A New York film crew spent three days

filmingwith Yellow Dog inMontana, shooting interviewswith Davis and Klug. The commercial isavailable on Verizon’s website and is scheduled to appear as part of other advertisingmediumsin the future. Visit YouTube atwww.youtube.com/verizonwireless#p/u/8/7QuNIusydn8.

KEYCOASTALAREARich in specieshabitats, theKimberleyCoast is oneof the last remainingwildernessareas in theworld.


COMMUNIQUÉ

22

RBFF bringing in newanglers, survey reveals


A new survey releasedby the RecreationalBoating and FishingFoundation (RBFF)reveals the positive

impact that its Anglers Legacyprogramme is having on participa-tion in the US.Anglers Legacy participants –

called ‘Ambassadors’ – introducean average 68% more newcomersto the sport than non-Ambassa-dors, says the study. Ambassadorsalso spend on average $530 moreannually than non-Ambassadorson boating- and fishing-relatedproducts, travel and services. Andin another clear example of theircontribution to the sport and con-

servation, around 90% purchaseda fishing licence for themselves orsomeone else in the past year.Conducted for the first time this

year, the survey also askedAmbassadors about their level ofinterest in receiving more informationabout conservation efforts and newproducts as well as exploring theextent to which their activities andviews on aquatic stewardship wereaffected by the Gulf of Mexico oilspill. Key findings include:● Ambassadors are introducingyouths and newcomers to fishing.● More than 80% of Ambassadors tooka newcomer fishingwithin the last12months (average 4.2 newcomerseach), compared to 59.5% of non-Ambassadors (average 2.5 newcomerseach).● Ambassadors introduced anaverage of 3.3 youths to fishing;73%more than non-Ambassadors.● Almost all (97%) feel that thenewcomers they introduced to fishingwill continue to fish in the future.● Ambassadors are fishing frequently,many from a boat.● More than 80% have fished from aboat in the past year.● Nearly 60% own a boat or othertype of watercraft; nearly 60% ofnon-Ambassadors do not.● Ambassadors generate significantrevenue for the industry.● They spend on average $530more

annually than non-Ambassadors onboating- and fishing-related products,travel and services.● Ambassadors have a stronginterest in receivingmore informationabout conservation efforts and newproducts.● More than 60% are interested inreceiving updates about new products.● More than 50% are interested inupdates on new conservationinitiatives that impact anglers.● Two-thirds of both respondentgroups feel strongly that the Gulf oilspill has affected their feelings aboutkeepingwaters safe fromenvironmental damage.

Anglers’ Legacy, an integral part ofthe RBFF’s Take Me Fishing™ cam-paign, asks avid boaters and anglersto take a pledge to introduce at leastone new person to the sport eachyear. Currently, there are more than230,000 Ambassadors nationwide.The survey, conducted by inde-

pendent research firm EurekaFactsin September, polled approximately5,500 Ambassadors. The non-Ambassador sample was drawn froma national online survey panel andcomprised 405 avid anglers whoare not participants in the Anglers’Legacy programme. For an executivesummary or more information, visitthe website RBFF.org or call RBFF at+1 703 519 0013.

Chinese company Yatai has drawn up a hit list ofEuropean countries which it intends to target forsales of its Haswing trollingmotor brand. Buoyedbyvisitor responseat ICAST inLasVegasearlier thisyear–andbackedbyanewlyopened50,000sqmfactory–Yatai isreadyfor itsassaultonnewmarkets.General Manager, Kei Ho, told Angling Interna-

tional that his companywas focused on buildingnewmarkets in Germany, France, Spain, Turkey,the UK and Ukraine.Mr Ho said that the company had survived the

two-year economic downturn andwas now readyforexpansion.HeaddedthatYataihadcomethroughstronger thanks to a competitive pricing policy.That policy, he explained – plus the company’s

productqualityandinnovation–wouldprovepopularin Europeanmarkets. The products he believeswillappeal include the Osapian Series, Comax Seriesand Cayman Series – products he sayswill be thebedrock for the company’s success in 2011.Mr Ho added: “Fishermenwantmotors that are

easy to use, safe and offer enough energy toprovide extensive fishing time. That is whatHaswing has achievedwith its trollingmotors. Ourcustomers also appreciate our innovative ideas.”

Yatai intends to build on its success bymovingforwardwith sales drives at ICAST 2011 and theShanghai Boat Show. For information telephone+86 139 233 286 81.

YataiannouncesEuropean‘hitlist’


‘YATAI-Electric’ is a factory integrating R&D, product-design, molding, manufacturing and sales for 15 years. With professional management andremarkable manufacturing, YATAI has won a high reputation for consistent quality, durable performance and values. With 5 years of making

and selling the HASWING trolling motor in Asia and Europe, this year HASWING is ready for the fishing market worldwide.We are open to any opportunity for distribution and OEM projects.

www.haswing.comMr. Kei Ho (GM) Tel:+86 13923328681 Email: [email protected] Add: No. 4 Xinlong Rd Nanlong Sanxiang Zhongshan Guangdong China

New 50,000 sqm plant Life test proveperformanceand durability

Advance toolingfacilities

100,000 unitsproduction

per year R&D design teams

®


COMMUNIQUÉ

24

Belstane capturesSportexandTrabucco


Belstane hasexpanded itspresence in theangling market bysecuring exclusive

UK distribution rights forSportex and Trabucco. TheUK company, best known fora footwear range that includesthe famous Muckboots brand,already distributes Cormoran

and believes that adding the two new overseas brandsto its fishing portfolio will help make it a major playerin the angling industry.“Over the last five years we have evolved from a

clothing company into a footwear company and thatremains our core business,” explained ManagingDirector David Stuart-Monteith.“But we are deadly serious about angling and by

taking these two major brands on board I feel we

can be a major force in angling within a year or two.That’s the strategy.“We are the first distributor of premium Sportex

rods in the UK, and Trabucco fills an important gapin our portfolio. The potential is very exciting for thismixed, strong product portfolio – I am not sure justhow big right now but it certainly takes us a long wayin the right direction.”Belstane has separate sales forces serving each of

its markets in equestrian, gardening and angling andbelieves its expansion in angling will create a gatewayto more shops.“This company has always been about quality

products that we believe in, and these new brandsmeet those same criteria,” added Stuart-Monteith,whose Derbyshire company also recently took onthe distribution for products from Hi-Tec boots andRockfish clothing.For further information call +44 1335 372600,

email [email protected] or visit www.belstane.com.

Big ambitions in angling:MD David Stuart-Monteith.

Mashama is set to bring in the new year with a rangeof fishing hooks aimed specifically at salmon anglersand fly tyers. Made from Japanese high carbon steel,they will include the popular styles of double andtreble hooks for fly tying and a series of wide gapedouble tube fly hooks in both nickel silver and24-carat gold plate.In addition to salmon hooks, the company has

introduced a range of tungsten fly tying tubes inthree different sizes. Both ranges will be availablein January 2011. Mashama says that there is nominimum order quantity and is currently invitingenquiries from retailers prior to its advertisingcampaign and website launch.

Mashama targetssalmon anglerswith new hooks


COMMUNIQUÉ

26

CHINA FISH HEADSBACKTO 2009 VENUE


China Fish 2011is to returnto its 2009venue follow-ing complaints

about the facilities and loca-tion of the 2010 event. Aswidely predicted, the showis to switch back to the NewChina International ExhibitionCentre (NCIEC) in Beijing.The move will prove popular

with exhibitors and visitors alike who were unhappywith the remoteness of the new Jiuhua InternationalExhibition Centre, inadequate hotel facilities and lackof shuttlebus transport into the city.There were also health and safety concerns about

the venue – much of which was uncarpeted. Visitorsalso complained about the very low temperaturesthroughout the show.Following the event, China Fish organisers prom-

ised to conduct a review and this has resulted in achange of venue.Li Jiang, the President of China Fish, said: “Only

7% of visitors and 21% of exhibitors liked the JiuhuaCentre so a change had to be made.”He added that over the last three years China Fish

has been looking at different venue options for theevent, explaining that in Beijing there are only threeexhibition centres big enough to hold China Fish.Those venue are: the China International ExhibitionCentre, which was the 2007 venue for the show; theNew China International Exhibition Centre (NCIEC),which held the show in 2009 and will do again in

2011; and the Jiuhua International ExhibitionCentre, the 2010 venue.Added Li Jiang: “In the feedback we received,

84% of attendees said they liked the NCIEC.Visitors also liked the old exhibition centre

because it was downtown, but only 50% of exhibitorswere in favour of it because they disliked being on thesecond floor of the exhibition centre where there areso many pillars.“With those comments in mind, we have decided

that the NCIEC is best choice. Since the exhibitionwas last held at the NCIEC, significant improvementshave been made to the venue with regards to taxis,food and other facilities.“In 2009 there was only Chinese food available,

but since then some new eateries have been opened,including a McDonalds, a Subway and a buffetrestaurant.”Li Jiang added that transport links have also been

improved, with a new subway linking the centre tothe city and the nearby Beijing International Airport.Li Jiang said that significant improvements had

also been made to the signage both inside andoutside of the hall. He added: “We have concludedthat the NCIEC is the most favoured of the threelocations and look forward to welcoming visitorsthere next year.”

Li Jiang: “The NCIEC is thebest choice for the show.”

y20Ce

84Vi

Left: The JiuhuaExhibition Centreprovedunpopular last year.Main image:Beijing’sNCIEC. Themajority of last year’sChina Fish visitors favour a return there.


WHATNEXTFORTHE IFTDSHOW?Seep29

THE REACTIONFROM THE TRADE

CHINAFISH2011: THEDETAILS

Ding Fuqing, Sales Manager,Mustad Fishing Tackle“The facilities at the NCIEC are good. It is veryclose to the airport and easy for foreignvisitors to find. The transport links are quickand convenient.”

Sun Linan,General Manager,Dalian Ocean Fishing Tackle“The NCIEC is better for its transport links andmakes it easier for exhibitors to go downtown.”

Matti Seppala,OPM Fishing Tackle (Finland)“I have been to China Fish since it started andbelieve that the NCIEC is the best place for it.”

Masayoshi Dohi,Dohitomi & Co (Japan)“The decision sounds good tome because theNCIECmade the right impression. Jiuhuawasnot good enough in terms of accommodation.”

Dieter Willenbruch, Fisherman’s Partner(Germany)“It is difficult to find a place that suits everyone,but I believe themajority of people prefer to goback to the 2009 venue.”

Brandon Hwang,Managing Director, Aquaz“The 2009 venue is better than the one for 2010.However, I would still prefer a return to theold venue in the city of Beijing.”

Wang Qian Gang,Owner, Weihai Hanigh“I prefer the 2010 venue in Jiuhua. It was a littlefar from the city centre but for us, as an exhibi-tor, ourmain purpose is to show our productand our company and it is not so importantto be close to the city. Last yearmost of thecustomers stayed in the hotel near to the show,whichwasmore convenient for havingmeet-ings and also easier to reach our booth everyday. Changing venues every year is not good foreither exhibitors or visitors.”

Date: February 17 to 19, 2011Venue:New China International ExhibitionCentre, Beijing, ChinaHalls:33,000 sqmexhibiting areawithinthree halls (E1, E2 and E3)Exhibitors: 422 booked*, including 22international companies from ten countriesand regionsBuyers: International buyers from47countries and regions*Bookings as of November 3, 2010

ChangeofemphasisforGermany’sANSPO

Thismonth’s Carp Expo 2010 is setto be the biggest ever with the eventtaking up two halls in Stockerau,Vienna. In its seventh year sincelaunch, the show– organised by topcarp angler Kurt Grabmeyer –will

be held on December 4th and 5th inthe Sporthalle andMillenniumshalle,where 45 exhibitors will be presentingmore than 80 different brands frommajormanufacturers.Visitors will get the chance tomeet

top carp anglers, including Ronny DeGroote, Martin Locke, Bill Cottam andDave Chilton. Formore details, visitwww.carp-expo.com. Multi-mediashows and expert forumswill alsofeature in the schedule.

Carp Expo 2010 will be biggest yet

More major developments could be instore for ANSPO, the German fishingtackle show that has undergonechanges in structure, frequency andtiming in recent years. It seems likely

that the show’s target group of visitors is going tochange, with a greater dependence on consumers.And there is a possibility that the venue will changefor each show.However, amid some expectations that the show

would revert from its current biennial timing to anannual event, the organisers have ruled that the nextshow will not be until 2012.Few hard and fast decisions were taken at a meeting

of the BVA, the trade organisation behind the show, heldon November 10th to review the recent ANSPO inKassel and to consider the future of the show. But amood of change was certainly in the air.Said Dr Sabrina Preuss, Secretary of the BVA who

attended the Board meeting: “While everything is stillopen for discussion, it seems likely that the target groupmay be a little different in the future. It is likely that theAnglermeile and the Competence Centre, which weintroduced successfully this year, will be enlarged.“I don’t think we can reach substantially more

dealers. But we may decide it is right to address theshow more towards the end consumer.

“There will not be another ANSPO until 2012 andthat show will be different from the last one.“With regard to location, we will have further

discussions about a rolling system. There are not manypeople voting for Kassel and there are more suggestingthat we choose bigger cities such as Berlin or heavilypopulated areas like Ruhrgebiet near to Holland.“There are so many ideas that we cannot make final

decisions just yet. We are meeting again in Februarywhen we will consider three to five different proposalsand then our members will be consulted to help reach adecision on the final concept.”Despite praise from some quarters, ANSPO didn’t

satisfy everyone. Zebco Marketing and PublicityManager Frerk Petersen pointed out that the number

of visiting dealers was less than450, while the company dealswith approximately 1,600dealers in Germany.He added: “The relationship

between the efforts of theexhibitors to attract dealers andthe true response from thedealers is not matching.“Despite the seemingly good

consumer attendance, therewere some negative commentsfrom consumers that the show

was too small and could be seenin two hours, which wasn’t goodconsidering the long travel distancesinvolved for some and the seveneuro entry fee.“Other consumers felt cheated

there was a trade show in the nexthall which they couldn’t see.”

Frerk Petersen: “Someconsumers felt cheated.”


COMMUNIQUÉ

28

AFFTA defends show’smove to New Orleans


T he American Fly Fishing TradeAssociation (AFFTA) hasdefended its decision to movethe International Fly TackleDealer (IFTD) show to New

Orleans as it seeks to unify the trade behindthe choice of location.IFTD had already announced before its

inaugural event in September that it plannedto go east in 2011, a decision that appearedto be widely well received. But some areas of thetrade were surprised when the Big Easy was an-nounced as the venue during the Denver show.Doubt has been raised about the show

drawing dealers from both the Northeastor Northwestern states. The point has beenmade that while Denver is centred amid ahigh concentration of fly shops, there are veryfew in the vicinity of the 2011 venue.The August dateline is also at odds with

the traditional holiday break in Europe,adding further questions for a show thatpurports to be international.

received by the industry. It’s difficult to findone date that works perfectly for exhibitorsand retailers, but mid-August will accommodatethe majority of retailers and meet the needs ofmanufacturers regarding their selling season.”A big question hanging over the show is

whether it can bring back some of the highprofile companies missing from this year’sshow floor. Swisher acknowledged that futuresuccess depends on the support of thesecompanies but believes that most of the non-attenders at Denver will make a return, withsome having already pledged their support.The indication by Simms that it plans to exhibitin 2011 is certainly a big positive, althoughplenty can happen in the next nine months.And what is AFFTA’s view on companies

Despite this, IFTD Director Randi Swishersays there has been very positive feedbackfrom the industry, making a case for themove from its long-time home in Colorado.While conceding it was impossible to keepeveryone satisfied, he told Angling Interna-tional: “AFFTA felt it was time for changeand New Orleans is a logical choice.“Since there are retailers throughout all

parts of the country, it is impossible to keepeveryone satisfied with an ideal location. NewOrleans is a good choice from the standpointof convenience, geographic location, great ac-commodation and services, as well as fishing.“We will continue to make improvements

to IFTD and I am confident this will ignitemore participation both at the show andwithin our membership.”In answer to comments from some

exhibitors that New Orleans is not EastCoast, Swisher responded: “Our plan was tokeep the show east of theMississippi River. Eventhough it is right on the river, it is convenient fortravellers. All major airlines feed into the city andit is accessible from both west and east coasts.“The venue and the dates have been well

IFTD Show organiser RandiSwisher: “It is impossible tokeep everyone satisfied.”

TM

Below: Businesswassatisfactory, but howwillNewOrleans compare?

Right: Denver hosted theinaugural IFTD show.

NewOrleansDenver

WHAT IS WONDER STRIKE’S SECRET? See p40

The use of the nano silica resin systembyHardy&Greys andG.Loomis, with3M technology being the likely source,has beenwell documented. Thosemanufacturers who have chosen notto use the system–Scott, Sage andOrvis among them–appear to see noadditional benefits over what they arealready using and our guess is thatthey are adopting await and see posi-tion. If the efforts of Hardy, G.Loomisand St Croix (not at the show butmaking a running change to the new3M resin in their Legend Elite rods)prove successful in the field and at thecash register, wemaywell seemorecompanies switching.On the retro side, both Scott and

Cortland re-introduced fibreglass rodsand there were commendable reportsof casting performance. Scott’s F2series honours the look of the originalglass Scotts from the Seventies withyellow blanks and brownwraps. Theyare not cheap at $595, but thereappear to be a lot of anglers in the USand Japanwho have rediscovered thevirtues of fibreglass.Cortland’s newDiamondback Glass

series looks like a reworking of its dis-continued rods of the Nineties, whichachieved something of a cult statusamong glass afficionados and havesold at a premiumon eBay. The new,navy blue blanks are sourced offshorebut finished in the US and at $299 looklike a good deal.TheOrvis Superfine Touch series(around $475) picks up the look of themuch earlier Superfines and also casts

nicely in the pool, as did the Sage TXK-F.At lower price points, new rods thatcaught the attention included theWinston VSL at $200 andRedington’sPursuitmodels at $99, a rodwe heardwas “ridiculously nice” to cast.In the lines category,Northern

Sport’s Aqua Nova retails at $30 atthe top end and it’s hard to see how flyshopswon’t jump on them.Rio’s Avidlines, amid-price series, is differenti-ated by having a loop on the front onlyand is single coloured, while Scien-tific Anglers is very proud of its SAIDtechnologywhich enables the printingof key data, includingweight and sinkrate on the line tomake identificationsimple for the angler.In footwear, the sonically welded

seams onRedington’s Sonic Pro wad-ers got people talking, as did the Chotaknee highmodels, breathable and theheight of wellies. AndKorkers Chromewading boots, with new interchange-able soles, look likely to be a big hit withbuyers.On the reel front, Cortland’s inexpen-

sive ‘retro’ model, a handsome clickpawl trout reel in two sizes; Tibor’s newsealed drag Signature reels ($775-$795); andNautilus’s newFWX sealed carbon fibredrag reel to steelhead sizesat a very affordable $230-$280 seemed high amongbuyers’ priorities.

WHAT WE LEARNED FROM IFTD 2010

Right: Redington’s Sonic Prowaderswere a talkingpoint atIFTD,while Scientific Anglers’new line caught theeye.

The organisers of last month’s BritishFly Fair International reported abustling show – and then immediatelyannounced a new venue and differentdates for next year’s event.From 2011 the show will move to

a permanent venue at StaffordshireCounty Showground and will bebrought forward from late October toJune 18th and 19th to avoid the darknights and bad weather.Consumers from Ireland and Europe

as well as the UK attended this year’s

show and, despite the lingering reces-sion, organiser Steve Cooper reportedthat the numbers of people aroundthe fly tyers and in the theatres, plusthe feedback from exhibitors, were allexcellent. New exhibitors includedAu Ver A Soie from France and SpirexAquatec and The Alternative Tackle Cofrom the UK.UK consumers had their first chance

to try the new Hardy SinTrix Zenithand Proaxis rods which created hugeinterest at the IFTD show in Denver,

earlier in the year. “As this show at-tracts some of the most knowledgeablefly fishers, I was very pleased to see theamount of customers who had alreadyheard about SinTrix technology andwere eager to test cast the new rods,”said Hardy’s Game Marketing ManagerSteve Peterson.Fulling Mill was another delighted

exhibitor, particularly whenconsultant OliverEdwards reportedthat the many visi-

tors to the stand believed that a largeselection of Fulling Mill tied flies in anunmarked box had been tied by him.“Approval indeed!” said Edwards. “Theflies were very good – and I’m not easyto please!”

Marketing Manager

ther delightedwhen

New dates and venue for British Fly Fair International

not taking floor space but meeting customersin nearby hotels or in the aisles, a practiceobserved at this year’s show? “We do notsupport the decision to do business withoutsupporting the trade show. This not onlytakes legitimate retailers off the show floorbut also ultimately hurts everyone that didsupport the show,” says Swisher. “I believethat those companies that made this decisionthis past year will support the 2011 show.”AFFTA has yet to finalise its decision over

location for 2012, but the original plan toalternate regionally remains the favouriteoption, with further discussion due at theAssociation’s January Board meeting.

In a follow-up to our report on the IFTD show inDenver, Angling Internationallooks at someof the products on the showfloor that caught the eyebutwhichwedidn’t have room tomention.


Never afraid to tamper with the formula, China’s CGC Expo this year expandedits original trade-only format by adding two days for the public. “We want tocreate direct links between manufacturers and consumers,” says owner Li Jiang.

FOCUS ON CHINESE CONSUMERSSETS CGC EXPO IN NEW

CGC Expo, introduced to themarket by the organisers ofthe bigger and more globally-focused China Fish show threeyears ago as an option for

smaller, domestic Chinese manufacturers, isclearly a work in progress.

The show has undoubtedly proved itselfa success. It has quickly established itself aspart of the industry calendar and an effectiveplatform for smaller and medium-sizedChinese factories to trade with domestic andforeign buyers.

It has even won favour over the its biggerChina Fish ‘sister’ show among some exhibi-tors because of its location in Weihai, theheartland of China’s fishing tackle industry,and due to its earlier timing.

But, just as changes were made in 2009and to this year’s show, so more significantdevelopments are already being planned for2011, including changes in format and timing.

CGC Expo President Li Jianghas happily made changesto the show this year... andhas more planned.

and consumers. This is a rare chance forChinese manufacturers as there is noconsumer show here. Few Chinese anglersread fishing magazines and the only fishingTV channel costs money so is not popular.

“Our Fishing Carnival will try to build thiscommunication channel. Manufacturers canget consumer feedback on their products andservices and can also promote their brands toend-users.”

The move to open the doors to consumerswasn’t popular with all exhibitors however.Though impressed with the expansion of theshow and delighted with the reaction to hisproducts, Holly Kudos President Wu Dongsaid: “The number of domestic visitors thisyear was a big shock. We had big troublerepeating to them again and again that we arenot a retailing company.

“How could CGC be improved? I thinkthe domestic sales booths and export boothsshould be divided into different areas. Also,there should be separate times for trade andpublic attendance.”

Time will tell what shape the show takesin the future, but CGC 2010’s inclusion ofconsumer activities such as seminars, fishingcompetitions, a lure tank and casting pond,plus more activities to attract families andchildren would seem to indicate the directionthe show is taking is towards consumers.

Last year, when faced with a competitorshow, CGC brought its dates forward, andincreased duration from three to four days,the first two for international buyers and thelast two for domestic buyers and the public.The rival show has since closed.

This year revealed perhaps the most sur-prising development, with the first two daysreserved for buyers from home and abroadbut the second two days open to the public.

President Li Jiang has demonstrated thathe is not afraid of change and is happy tojustify his decisions as being customer driven.“We took this step because of the visitorstatistics from last year,” he told AnglingInternational. “Although it was a trade show,some 3,000 public visitors came unexpect-edly from other cities and provinces. So thisyear we opened the last two days toconsumers and called it a ‘fishing carnival’.

“The purpose is to provide a direct com-munication platform between manufacturers

Above and right: CGC wasconceived as a tradeshow for smaller Chinesecompanies but itsappeal has grown amonglocal consumers.


COMMUNIQUÉ

December2010 Angling International 31

CONSUMERSNEW DIRECTION

Further evidence is the presence of retailersat the show. Explained Li Jiang: “Some 90%of exhibitors are manufacturers. Many of thesehave their own agents so they cannot sell directlyto consumers. In order to satisfy the buyingdemands of anglers we allowed manufacturersto invite their agents to take part in the carnival,together with some small, independent tackleshops, so the audience could not just see thenew products but buy them as well.

“This isa rarechance forChinesemanufacturersas there isnoconsumershowhere.” – Li Jiang

Continued changes to CGC Expowill no doubt receive amixed reception but the show’s impressive year-on-yearexpansion at a timewhen economic conditions are farfrom ideal speaks volumes for its emergence on theglobal stage.

The total number of exhibiting companieswas up from253 to379, an increase of50%, with the exhibitingarea increased from16,000 sqm to 20,000 sqm.The341exhibitingmanufacturers compared to 229last year (+49%)while trading companies increased to31 (+72%).

There was also a noticeable trend in global engagementwith the show, with international buyers (individuals) upfrom483 last year to628 (+30%) and internationalbuyers (companies) up from260 to296 (+14%).

Domestic buyers(individuals) went from300 to1,115(+400%) and domestic companies from389 to533(+37%).

Further evidence that CGC Expo is heading along theright track comes from the fact that by the end of theshow326 exhibiting companies (86% of the totalshow floor) had already booked space for 2011.

* All data supplied by CGC Expo.

CGC INNUMBERS

A change in date is also a strong possibility. “I am consideringbringing CGC Expo forward in the year, perhaps to lateSeptember or maybe early October,” confirmed Li Jiang.“We will stay at the same venue.”

››

OVERLEAFVIEWSFROMTHEFLOOR...

Outdoor eventswere the focusof the consumer-friendly ‘FishingCarnival’ at the show.

“These activities were warmly welcomed,with 15,000 consumer visitors to the show.Anglers bought everything they need.”So what can we expect from CGC Expo in

2011? The current hope of the organisers isto divide the show into two parts – an indoortrade section for manufacturers and all buy-ers, and an outdoor activity and retail sectionfor consumers, with a strong emphasis onpromoting the sport to young people.


MrWuDong,Holly Kudos“CGC doubled insize this year, withtwice the number ofexhibitor stands. HollyKudos had the biggeststand in the show andattracted a lot of

attention from visitors home and abroad.“Supported by our 500 sqm showroom in

Weihai, we impressed quite a few new visitors.Some of them placed initial orders while alot more have expressed their willingnessto start business next season. They compli-mented us on the size of our European carpand coarse ranges. The number of new itemswe displayed was tremendous, although wedecided to postpone the release of our newsea rigs until China Fish in February.

“CGC is held at a better time and placecompared to China Fish. Weihai is China’slargest manufacturing centre for fishing tackleand there are buyers in Wehai every day,every week, every month. I hope that CGCcan play a more and more important role inthe export business of companies like ours.The weather and food are good and every-thing is cheaper compared to other big citiesin China. The number of foreign visitors wasless than I expected, maybe because ofthe Tackle and Gun Show in the UK at thesame time.”

RodolpheJacques,VMC, France“The show is goodand much bigger thanI expected. China isnot a cheap place anymore. People comehere for good quality.If you want cheap

products you should go to places like Viet-nam. China is almost like Europe now. If youwant cheap, forget about China.”

LydiaWong, eNInternational“This year’s CGCseemed double thesize of last year andthere were a lot morevisitors. The showcertainly met myexpectations, with

many buyers showing an interest in our newproducts. Some of our regular customers alsomade additional orders for our new lures.“We were pleased to meet many inter-

national buyers, as this was one of our keyobjectives. We had particularly strong interestfrom eastern Europe. Many buyers had seenour advertisements in Angling International,but this was their first chance to see Usamilures for real.“We plan to return to CGC next year

because it is well timed for the purchasing

season for most customers. It is convenientand efficient for them because it means theydo not need to go to the factory.”

SimonHenton,First Dart“The show was fine,better than I expected,but some people saidworse than last year.It’s a bit like T&Gfor China, someinternational visitors

but mostly it’s domestic suppliers/tradingcompanies looking for other trading com-pany business and for business in China. Bigplayers like Guangwei, HuanQiu, Viva, HengFeng and Okuma did not exhibit. There wereno global brands either.”

MattWilson, OEMAccountManager,Eagle Claw“The show wasexceptional exposurefor our Eagle Claw,Lazer Sharp and Trokarhooks. Creating morebrand recognition in

Asia is key to our success.“CGC differs from any other show in the

world by giving people the opportunity tovisit numerous factories before, during and/or after the show.“Our objective in exhibiting is creating the

brand recognition and credibility in the Asiamarket among lure manufacturers. Our AsiaDistribution Center, located in Taiwan, stocksbulk hooks to be shipped immediately intomainland China.“Customers can go to www.echooks.com

and use ‘ec1925’ for the password to checkavailable inventory in Taiwan.“With the positive responses from this

year, we plan to exhibit next year at CGC.The number of buyers seemed down thisyear compared to last, yet the number ofattendees from the public was up.”

Top right and below: Theincreased number ofconsumers was notedon the show floor, butexhibitors were still ableto make strong tradeconnections.

VIEWS FROM THE SHOW FLOOR


COMMUNIQUÉ

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34 Angling International December 2010

S P E C I A L F E A T U R E

LURE SPECIALISTDRAGON UNLEASHESFOUR MORE KILLERSDistributors and predator anglers throughout Europe take note. Extensivefield testing has proved what Dragon has long suspected – it has four moreexceptional soft lures to add to its popular V-Lures range.

COMPANIES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...

is the popular 2.5cm “flecks”, which is perfect fora side lead and for Micro-type jig heads. We caughtrudd, roach, bream and perch with this bait duringthe tests. The largest 8.5cm Jumpers are a devastat-ing lure for pike and zander, and very easy to use. Asteady retrieve, regardless of whether you fish in ariver or lake, is just enough.”

Says Dragon: “At the request of a number of anglers,we have introduced the Hitman and Maggot softlures. Similar ones were previously available on themarket, but we have dug a little deeper. The frilly tailof the Maggot has been developed so that it workseven at the slowest retrieves. We have improved the

L ure specialist Dragon has announcedthe availability of its four latest modelsof V-Lures soft baits: Bandit,Hitman, Jumper and Maggot. ThePoland-based manufacturer says the

tests that it carried out before introducing thesebaits revealed that they form a very effective weaponin the hands of a spinning angler. Here it outlinesthe qualities that set its new launches apart.

Says Dragon: “Bandit is a ripper with a massivebody and enlarged and heavy tail, designed forzander fishing in rivers with heavier jig heads. Itpassed the test very well, but later our convictions

about the possibilities of this bait were shaken. An ag-gressively used Bandit the colour of motor oil outper-formed all other soft lures in a perch lake. The perchdevoured it as if they had never seen an artificial baitbefore! We experienced it in mid-October and sincethen the Bandit has held a special place in our fishingboxes. It is available in sizes between 6.5cm and12.5cm; the biggest are also extremely efficient forbig pike.”

Says Dragon: “Jumper is another new product witha classic construction. Its short, wide tail generatesintense vibrations at a frequency adored by predators,as well as – so we discovered – by coarse fish. There

1. BANDIT

1

2

2. JUMPER3. MAGGOT

December2010 Angling International 35

WHAT ARE THE TOP LURES FOR 2011? See next issue

?Want to talk to Dragon?Here’s how to find them...Tel:+48 52 326 80 16Email: [email protected] Web: www.firmadragon.pl

proportions of the tail and body, while the hardnessof the silicon we use has turned out to be very impor-tant. The typical and slow movements of the Maggotmake pike more aggressive when they are normallynot willing to prey, and this bait often becomes thebait of last resort. Try it for yourself.“Also, not everyone realises that the Maggot is also

a real zander killer. There are two ways of leading thatwe recommend – the first one is classic and aggressiveleading on a heavy jig head, where a single pull provesvery effective. Maggots can also be pulled from thebottom really quickly, and will fall with full controlover the tip. It is usual to catch fish while the bait isdropping or right after it has reached the bottom, thelatter being a zander classic.“Another less popular method is known as ‘scuff-

ing’, where you have to lead the bait slowly so thatit does not take off from the bottom. Flecks of sandand sludge raise the interest of predators. Note thatfish bite delicately at this bait, so you should observethe tip all the time. Avoid using heavy jig heads withthis method – select ones that will allow you to feelthe bottom at slow retrieves. Maggots comes in sizesranging from 5cm to 10cm, and in many colours.”

Says Dragon: “Finally, it is worth remembering a veryinteresting ripper known as Hitman – adored both byanglers and the pike they seek. We think that we caneasily call it a soft lure that is strictly for pike – theycannot resist the Hitman regardless of the ground or

3

Proof of the effectivenessof thenewV-lures came inhigh-level field tests. “Our lureswill be adoredbothbyanglers and thefish theyseek,” sayDragonnow that the lures areheading tomarket.

4. HITMAN

4

method of leading the fishing rod. The largest sizesof this bait are an autumn classic for large pike. Youcan either lead the soft lure slowly with breaks orpull it suddenly – anything goes. Even 15cm softlures are available, and they are especially usefulwhen fishing for metre-long pike.“We know some excellent spinning anglers who

only take this type of ripper in two sizes and severalcolours when pike fishing, real evidence of the bait’sefficiency. The greatest surprise we have prepared foryou are 5cm and 7.5cm Hitmans – this kind ofbait has not been commercially available before andthey certainly create new opportunities for pike orperch anglers. We didn’t have a chance to test themon brown trout, but we have high expectations withthese fish too.”



Big thinking Salmolooks west for growthAfter massive success over 20 years in Latvia and its neighbours, Salmo has thefunds to invest in more expansion. “We should be ranked amongst Europe’sbiggest tackle companies,” says its confident Export Director Guntars Vaisla.

Guntars Vaisla: “We cansucceed in any number ofcategories.”


Export Director Guntars Vaisla. “Yet we haveexpanded rapidly through the years, growing throughour subsidiaries in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Latvia,Lithuania and Estonia.“Also in recent years we have been developing

not only by organic growth in these markets, butalso by geographical expansion through distributionagreements in Kazakhstan, Poland, Bulgaria, Finlandand Sweden. Considering the number of own labelbrands, the size of the range we produce and thenumber of territories in which we do business, thiscompany should be ranked among the biggesttraders of fishing goods in Europe.”

For a companygenerating anannual turn-over of morethan 20 million

euros, Salmo is one of thefishing tackle industry’sbest kept secrets. TheLatvian company – notto be confused with thePolish lure manufacturerof the same name – dates

back to 1988 when it was established as one ofthe first co-operatives making and selling fishingproducts in the Soviet state.The first catalogue quickly followed and today

the Riga-based business is the producer of a highlyrespected collection of own brands covering everythingfrom tackle through to clothing and footwear andeven including inflatable boats and trolling engines.It also distributes dozens of well-known brands

including Mora, Salmo (Poland), Sensas, Vision,Flambeau, Kamasan and Pradco into eastern Europe.“Yes it’s true that for such a big company, not

everybody is familiar with Salmo Lativia,” confesses


WHYHASEFTTEXSOLDOUTSOQUICKLY?Seep45

?Want to talk to Salmo?Here’s how to find them...Tel:+371 67467975Email: [email protected] Web: www.salmo.lv

Surprisingly, given the existence of the other Salmoin Poland, identity has never been a problem. Thecompany launched at a time when the registration ofcompany names in eastern Europe was less stringentthan it is today. At the same time, and purely by co-incidence, Salmo in Poland also came into being as alure company. Far from causing conflict, the potentialproblem has long since been resolved and the Latvianbusiness is now the official distributor of Salmo luresin countries where it has subsidaries (Russia, Ukraine,Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) and the com-panies are good friends.

Now Salmo believes the time is right to raise itsprofile across Europe. Distribution into new territoriesin 2011 is high on its list of priorities, along withattendance at key trade shows.It plans to exhibit for the third consecutive year at

EFTTEX in Amsterdam and is also considering ICASTin Las Vegas. Shows in Moscow, Ukraine and Belarusare also planned.So, as it determines to put itself on the fishing

industry map in a bigger way in the future, wheredoes Salmo’s product focus lie for 2011?“In a general sense, we plan to develop further

our clothing brand Norfin by widening our summerprogramme. We see big potential in this sector,”

explained Vaisla. “However we will also focus on ourother categories because we understand thateverything is important if our range is to worktogether in the way we want.“Ice fishing is a very important sector for us.

We publish two product catalogues each year,summer and winter. Our summer assortmentcurrently accounts for more turnover but each yearour winter product sales are getting bigger and verysoon they will overtake summer.“Sales of the ice fishing range, which includes

mormyshka, balanced lures, lines and rods, havebeen following a very positive trend, while the cloth-ing is also growing very quickly. We’ve observed thatpeople are paying more attention to what they wearthese days and more of them are switching tospecially developed fishing suits.“Years ago, the majority of ice fishermen in eastern

Europe would just put on an extra sweater andjacket, but now people are more discerning andappreciate the comfort afforded by specially designedclothing that is warmer, weighs less and providesmore freedom of movement. Also people havebecome more educated about how to use layersystems to stay warm.

“Yes, you can ice fish using a snowboard costume,but it has been developed for snowboarding andnot for fishing. There are significant differences anddesign details that are very important.“These consumer demands have influenced our

Norfin range, which now offers the widest selectionof clothing developed specifically for anglers.”Salmo has also factored considerable research and

development into its ice fishing range and deploysthe services of world champions among the Salmo‘team’ to ensure a constant stream of expertfeedback into the product development process.The company’s ‘home’ markets – Russia, Ukraine,

Belarus, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – are anotherkey source of information.Vaisla works closely with his distributor partners

to gather information on fishing styles and trends,

noting that anglers in one territory are keen to trynew tackle and methods being used in another.Salmo also takes pride in the fact that the majority

of its ice fishing lures are still made at its own facilityin Latvia, maintaining that this gives them an edgeover lures made in the Far East. “Many of our otherproducts are from Japan, Korea, Germany and Russiaand not everything is sourced fromChina,” added Vaisla.

● NORFIN A clothing a footwear brand designed inFrance and developed in Latvia. Norfin, says Salmo,is significantly different from other outdoor clothingbrands, focusing entirely on the requirements ofanglers and tested under “real” field trial conditions.

● LUCKY JOHN A hugelypopular lure range among icefishermen. The selection of

mormyshka, balanced and vertical lures isconstantly updated and is complemented by snapsand swivels, all made to the same high quality.

● COBRA Salmo’s hookbrand is available at twoprice levels. Cobra Profes-

sional aremade in Japanwith no compromise onquality. An alternative Cobra selection ismade inKorea andmarketed at amore affordable level.

● HOLIDAYDescribed atthe company’s ‘tourism’

brand, Holiday includes tents, sleepingbags, campingfurniture and accessories for the outdoors.

● OUTLAND Salmo also offers inflatable boats andelectric trollingmotors for the angler afloat.

SALMO’SMONEYMAKING BRANDS

TheSalmoofficeanddistribution centre.

EFTTEXwill be on theagendaagain in2011.

Icefishing clothinghashelpeddrive revenues.

TheSalmosports teamplaysabig role in product development.



GRUPPODPCOMBINESEUROPEANVISIONANDASIANTECHNOLOGY

It was the first European company to exhibit at China Fish; it has ahistory of applying the best Japanese technology; and it distributesquickly from India. Now, says Sales Director Nicola Dagnino,Italian line company Gruppo DP is preparing for greater expansion.

Above: The Asso brand isgrowing in importancefor Gruppo DP.


launched a range of six PE braided lines, which wesupply both in bulk and spooled quantities. It isgoing very well and was a necessary step to comple-ment our range of monofilament fishing lines andto provide a complete service to our customers,who otherwise had to look for braids from othersuppliers. Now we can supply the best braids to goalongside our monofilament lines.

Youhave established a comprehensive distributionnetwork. Howmanycountries are you in right nowandare there particular territories that youwouldlike to reach in2011?We are distributing to a little more than 80 countriesright now. These are spread mainly throughoutEurope, North and South America, the Middle East,Asia and the Pacific. We have historically promotedstrongly in the Asian market, where we have beenselling since 1995, especially bulk lines to be

Angling International: GruppoDPmarkets bothown-brand andOEMproducts.Which is currentlythe bigger business for you?NicolaDagnino:Our OEM business, whichincludes both private spooled brands and line soldin bulk to spooling companies, is definitely larger.It’s about 80% of our total business. The globalpotential for OEM is much larger and we expect thisto be where the major growth will come from. Themarket is much bigger. However, at the same timewe are focusing on and spending a lot of energyin promoting our Asso brand as well. We considerit equally important in our business plan. Asso iscertainly our top brand and is rapidly increasing inpopularity. We also manufacture spooling lines forsome major international brands.

Canyouexplain your Japanese connection?Japan is a country well known worldwide for itshigh-tech expertise, so for many years we havedeveloped a good knowledge of that market. Overthat time we have built up close relations withJapanese companies at all levels – for machinery,raw materials and high-tech lines that we developedto complete our range of products. This has enabledus to supply all market segments with very highquality products.

Is it accurate to sayGruppoDP is focusedmainlyon themanufacture ofmonofilament lines?Doyoumanufacture anybraids?Yes, that is definitely correct. However, in 2010 we

GRUPPO DP

ove: The Asso brand isowing in importance

Gruppo DP.

P


WHICHCOMPANIESHAVESIGNEDTHEEFTTALINECHARTER?Seep46

Above: GruppoDPprides itself onthe sheer number of options itoffersOEMcustomers, includinglines in45different colours.

?Want to talk to Gruppo DP?Here’s how to find them...Tel:+39 010 3696846Email: [email protected] Web: www.gruppodp.com

“We carry an inventory of more than150 tons of line ready for dispatch inbulk or to be spooled immediately.”

respooled locally andOEM products. Inciden-tally, we were the first Europeancompany to exhibit at China Fishand have been exhibiting continu-ously there since 1995 when theshow was at its very beginning.We are not targeting specificcountries, but we will devote ourenergies uniformly across the globe.

How is the Gruppo DP teamstructured to provide a goodservice to customers globally?Our export sales team is made ofsix salesmen who speak severallanguages in order to makecommunication easier. They cancommunicate in English, French,Spanish, Russian and Japanese. The team has specificareas to service and are travelling almost 50% ofthe year to visit customers and prospects across fivecontinents. We believe this is very important in orderto properly understand the market and the needs ofthe customers and to create a very good relationshipwith customers. This way we can provide the bestpossible service, even in the smallest markets. We alsohave two people in the office focused on customerservice to answer customers’ questions and resolveany problems that arise.

You also say that prompt delivery is one of yourkey advantages...Yes, this is one of our strong selling points. We candeliver both from Italy and our manufacturing facilityin India, saving time and costs depending on thedestination. Some years ago we decided to offerour customers a very fast delivery time and smallminimum quantity, so we are carrying an inventoryof more than 150 tons of line ready for dispatch inbulk or to be spooled immediately. This is the onlyway we can guarantee a very fast service for small andmedium quantities, while large orders can be plannedand produced accordingly on order. Then we havea large spooling capacity of two million spools permonth to allow fast spooling time and delivery.

So how does Gruppo DP differentiate itself in anincreasingly competitive line market?Our motto is ‘European Vision and Asian Technology’and it speaks for itself. There are a number of otherreasons. Firstly, we have an inventory on hand andno, or small, minimum quantities. We also have adedicated sales team for specific areas, providingsuperior service, knowledge and communication.We have a large range of products covering all pricelevels and quality needs: 14 grades of nylon; eightgrades of fluorocarbon; six grades of PE braids; morethan 45 standard colours; tapered lines; and over 25different types of spools in stock, so, I repeat, thereare no or, certainly, little minimum orders.We have in-house line-injection of plastic spools

and a labelling and packing design service forprivate brands. Finally, we are moving most of ourproduction of spooled lines from normal spoolingto parallel spooling, a technology the Japanese callHekomaki. As well as improving shelf appeal, thisproduces a smoother line with less memory andbetter casting qualities. This is especially importantfor spinning, but all fishing applications will findHekomaki a real advantage. Even for snelling hooksyou have a straighter, no memory leader.

How does GruppoDP plan to stayahead of itscompetitors?

All the above willplay a part, but weare also in continu-ous contact with thebest fishermen andteams around theworld so we areaware of consumertrends. We are also

working closely withtechnology suppliers to

develop products for specific needs. This includesspecific lines as well as innovative packaging, andnot forgetting the Hekomaki concept which isbecoming increasingly important to us – a markof distinction for our company.

In terms of your future strategy, do you see growthcoming from increased distribution (that is, gettingyour product into more countries worldwide),through pricing policies, or something else?We expect growth from several directions:1) Stronger distribution campaigns for our brandsin Europe, Asia and America;2) Increased distribution for OEM globally but withparticular emphasis on the US market;3) Sale of bulk lines to OEM Asian companies; and4) Cooperation with other monofilament producersinterested in outsourcing products not in theirproduction range. We can enable them to enlargetheir offering without the need of new technologyor machines. This is particularly applicable to small/medium quantities that do not justify investment.



CANADIANRODMAKERSEEKS PARTNERSFOR ‘NEXT BIG PUSH’After making its mark in North America’s ice fishing sector,Wonder Strike now wants backers for its push into the restof the world. “It’s a great opportunity for an investor withthe right connections,” says President Alexander Shvarts.“We’re outselling everyone.”


popular fishing show, TSN Sportsfishing.“After appearing on this show we were able to

take our product to Bass Pro Shops, who were veryimpressed with the most unique ice fishing rodsthey have seen in years. They introduced our rodsin their stores in Canada where we outsold all theother ice fishing rods combined,” says AlexanderShvarts.

Bass Pro’s reaction was to extend its stocking ofWonder Strike rods to the USA. Cabela’s followedsuit in some of its US stores, where again theyoutsold competitors in their field.

Success at North America’s ‘big two’ openedmany other doors. Right now, together with meet-ing increased orders in North America, Shvarts hashis sights fixed firmly on the European market –especially Russia and Scandinavia – plus Asia too.

All this in a time of global economic uncertaintyand recession?

“Published research seems to demon-strate that, regardless of economic condi-

tions, a stable and maintainable markethas been established. I believe thefishing industry is somewhat recession-proof. No matter how difficult a posi-tion people are in financially, they arenot willing to give up their favouritehobby,” adds Shvarts.

“Looking towards the future,and with the aggressive inclusion ofEuropean markets, it is easily foresee-able that our sales could increase by

Fast growth is welcome for any new com-pany. Fast growth confirms its productsare right for the target market whilstsimultaneously providing the lifebloodof cashflow and motivating everyone

involved. However, fast growth can also create prob-lems which require fast thinking and fast solutionsto ensure smooth and profitable progress.

Even companies with the brightest of teams and allthe latest angling, technology and market expertisecan stall at this stage without fresh investment tomake their innovations a reality on tackle store shelves.

‘The next big push’ is exactly the stage whichWonder Strike Ltd of Canada is heading for rightnow, and company President Alexander Shvarts isconfident of attracting the right investment to goglobal. Such confidence looks entirely justified,

backed as it is by a phenomenal success story whichhas seen Wonder Strike ice rods become top sellersin mega chains including Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s,Canadian Tire, Wholesale Sports of Canada andFishin’ Hole in just three years.

The story so far...Wonder Strike first hit the stores in 2007 withunique patent pending ice fishing rods which hadbeen in official development over the previous fouryears – though closer to 20 years in the mind andhands of their creator, vastly experienced fishermanIgor Rozenberg.

Wonder Strike Ltd is now the sole licensedmanufacturer, marketer and distributor for Igor’sWonder Strike rods, for which demand grew to epicproportions soon after appearing on Canada’s most

Left:Wonder Strike ice rodsare available infiveactions fromsuper ultra-light to heavy.


WHICHCOMPANYHAS IMPROVED ITS ICEFISHINGAUGERS?Seep54

300% over this winter season with a five-year increasein sales of upwards of 500%,” he says.

Investment proposals– who wants in?Shvarts admits his ambitious five-year sales forecast isdependent upon attracting the right level of invest-ment, and is entirely open about the amounts.

“In order for us to expand into the spring/summerfishing market and expand our sales all over the USand Canada and into the European, Scandinavian andRussian markets, we definitely need an investor withthe right connections and distributor network,” heexplains.

Wonder Strike is actively looking for an investor/partner who can help it expand its sales to the Euro-pean, Scandinavian and Russian markets. In exchangefor their investment, the investor would become anequity partner and share equally in worldwide profits,including reaping the benefits of existing North Ameri-can sales.

“I will use the investment to increase our manufac-turing capacity, for advertising and marketing to helpwith future growth, and for new product develop-ment,” says Shvarts.

“We have just signed agreements with a large bro-kerage company and a distributor in the United Statesthat have been to several trade shows demonstratingour products. The presidents of both companies haveindicated that, based on their meetings with the big-gest chain store buyers in the United States, Canada,Europe, Scandinavia, and Russia, they are anticipatingseven-figure sales for next year.”

Why Wonder Strike?When pressed for the reasons why Wonder Strikerods have taken the ice fishing market by storm,Shvarts lists a host of factors.

Most boil down to a single word – innovation.Wonder Strike is providing fishermen withsomething immediately recognisable and provento increase their catches.

Quality, longevity plus the right price are also inthe mix. So too, during their early days in thecompany’s homeland at least, is patriotism.

“I believe a lot of people in the US and Canadawere frustrated that everything is made in China and

we are losing all of our manufacturingjobs to China. Customers were ex-tremely happy to buy a product madein Canada, that uses the services ofCanadian companies ANFE Mouldsto make our moulds and CMP Plas-tics to manufacture the handles, withCanadian employees to assemble therods. Our quality surpasses all others,they last for five to ten years not justone year,” says Shvarts.

The memory stainless steel sensoradjusts to fit small and large size jigs and comesin different gauges depending on action strength.Each Wonder Strike rod is also equipped with a2BB graphite bait casting reel with free spool forquick line release, except the longer size rod whichfeatures a more advanced 3BB version. The ten-sion of the line goes from 2lbs to 12lbs and it canhold up to 80m (260ft) of line depending on thethickness of line. The rods are constructed usingspecial materials including polypropylene and ABSrod handles, luminous fibreglass blank, and thermofoam around the handle to withstand extremely lowtemperatures.Wonder Strike’s profile was boosted by the appearances of

creator Igor Rozenberg on Canadian TV. Big sales soon followed.

NEW PRODUCTS AND TARGETS FOR 2011“The Strike Indicator componentwhich comes with our uniquememory stainless steel sensorhas been developed specifically toincrease fish catching capabil-ity for the winter ice fishing andspring/summer open waterfishing seasons,” say Shvarts. “Iteasily attaches to any ice fishingor open water bait casting rod andit comes with two different levelsof thickness of stainless steelsensors: the thinner stainlesssteel sensor is suited for lighterjigs and the thicker stainless steelsensor is suited for heavier jigs.

“With our new all-season rangewe are also prepared to enter anyother European countries, Asiancountries, Africa, Australia andNew Zealand, India, South andCentral America, and MiddleEastern countries,” he concluded.

?Want to talk to Wonder Strike?Here’s how to find them...Alexander Shvarts, President Tel: +1 416 616 7034 Fax: +1 905 597 4461Email: [email protected] Web: www.wonderstrike.net

The top-selling long-size andshort-size ice fishing rods.

With Igor Rozenberg still driving product innovation – including an expansionbeyond the ice fishing market sector into all-season product lines – WonderStrike has unveiled a host of new designs including the following:

● Wonder Strike Force Bait Casting Reel● Wonder Strike Evolution Bait Casting Reel● Wonder Strike Force Bait Casting Rod/Reel Combo with Strike Indicator● Wonder Strike Triple Force Bait Casting Rod/Reel Combo with Strike Indicator● Wonder Strike Bass Force Bait Casting Rod/Reel Combo with Strike Indicator● Wonder Strike Evolution Bait Casting Rod with Strike Indicator● Wonder Strike Evolution Spinning Rod● Strike Indicator Component for Bait Casting Rods

Above: Wonder Strike’snew spring/summerfishing rods.Right: A rod showing thenew Strike Indicator.

GIVE YOURSHOW DISPLAYSREAL IMPACTwith

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To discuss your show plans and for a free quote for your next display contactAngling International Editorial Director Rob Carter on +44 1733 392975

Our exhibition design partners, Hytner in the UK, have built an enviable reputation since 1993 for creating impactfulinstallations – and delivering them on time and on budget. Their growing list of longstanding clients includes The BritishArmy and the Royal Navy. Our 360-degree service means we can design, build, deliver and store any kind of display orinstallation – and manage your project before, during and after every show. We offer tailor-made options for first-timeexhibitors; show-stopping stands for more ambitious companies; and ongoing solutions for long-term partners.Put your trust in Angling International and make your next stand your best ever.

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ARTUR SZAŁKOWSKI:ARTUR SZAŁKOWSKI:No other lure works in the slow drop like MutantNo other lure works in the slow drop like Mutant– its tail action will attract every pike.– its tail action will attract every pike.

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SUPERSONIKREADYTOACCELERATE ITSEXPANSIONPLANS

THE PICK OF THE NEW PRODUCTSW hen Sonik secured majorinvestment from the VardyGroup it was with theintention of becoming aglobal player in the fishing

tackle market. A bold declaration outlined a gameplan that would see Sonik increase its productrange and dealership network.One year on, Commercial Director Ian McCormack

says that the injection of funds is beginning toproduce tangible results for the UK company.“The 2009 Tackle and Gun Show saw the company

introduce 165 new products. At this year’s eventwe launched another 60,” says McCormack.“This has allowed us to expand into international

territories and expand our network of dealerships.In 2009 Sonik had 38 dealers. Now that number is230 and increasing.”This impressive progress looks set to continue

with good stock levels and an exciting new productplan that will see introductions across fly, carp, seaand coarse fishing categories.New products launched over the last year have

included rods, reels, lines, clothing, luggage,waders and boots. “The Sonik brand is all aboutextra performance, looks and great value for money.Anglers today are faced with more choice than everbefore, so winning products need to stand out onthe shelf and over deliver in terms of performanceand reliability. We try to ensure we are alwaysworking at least one year ahead in our productdevelopment process, to ensure we give sufficienttime for research, testing and validation of eachnew product introduction,” comments McCormack.With EFTTEX 2011 in Amsterdam planned to

play a pivotal role (see story on page 8) and keyproducts in place, Sonik, says McCormack, is nowready to launch an all-out assault on the globalmarket place. ?Want to talk toSonikSports?

Here’s how tofind them...Tel:+44 (0) 1670 798 910Email: [email protected] Web: www.soniksports.com

COMPANIESYOUNEEDTOKNOWABOUT...

The SK4 Spinning Rods (above) have been some of the company’s bestsellersin 2010. They will be joined by a number of new products in 2011, while Sonik hasalso delighted dealers by re-introducing its popular ‘Buy two get one free’ dealon its range of carp rods. New for 2011 are the SK4 50mm butt ring carp rods.Long awaited by Sonik stockists, they are suited for those using big pit reels. Theyboast powerful casting actions that will adapt to a variety of casting styles. Aimedprimarily at the European market, the SK3 and SK4 13ft carp rods are built forperformance and come with a full five-year warranty.

The 42-inch and 46-inch landing nets (right) have a stiff six-foot carbon fibrehandle and are supplied in a nylon bag with Velcro closure.

The SK3 Pro-Specialist and Specimen rods represent Sonik’s first foray intothe general coarse market and are competitively priced at £99.99 and £129.99respectively. Meanwhile, the SK3 and SK4 Spod Marker and Margin rods have wonnumerous accolades and are fast becoming leaders in their field.

For fly fishermen, Sonik has introduced the SK3 Pre-loaded Cassette reel,which comes with four spools. The reels are loaded with SK3 floating, intermediateand sinking lines, together with 20lb orange micro backing and leader loop. Soldseparately to the loaded reels are the SK3 Pre-loaded lines (below right), whichare already loaded onto the spools with backing and tapered leader. The fact thatthese spools can be fitted onto the reel for either left- or right-hand wind makesthem unique in the marketplace. Priced at under £199.99 and £99.99 respectivelyare the SK4 Breathable Waders and Boots. They are pitched at anglers looking fora top quality, durable wading solution at realistic prices.

Using new carbon technology, the Sonik ‘NCT’ shore rods break newground in that they are significantly lighter and slimmer compared to other14ft beachcasting rods on the market, while retaining smooth, powerfulcasting actions with a fast recovery. The weights are approximately 25% lighterthan comparable rods. Available from next year will be the new Sonik rod stands(top right) which are delivered flat-packed and come at a competitive price.

New ranges in all sectors are fuelling the UK’s company’s rapid rise, saysCommercial Director Ian McCormack. “And we have the stock to go faster.”


EEFTTAFTTATRADINGWITH

Thevoiceof theEuropeanTackleTrade

W hen Iwrotethe lines‘EFTTEXis sold

out’ I had just learned that theshow organising team had only200 sqm of stand space stillavailable for sale. Some of thisspace was on hold and waitingfor the confirmation of booking,

so to all intents and purposes, Europe’s number onetrade show is a sell-out.It is a big surprise that for the first time ever the show

is sold out a full eight months before the event. Webegan with over 6,700 sqm of floor space to sell andwe have done it in record time.Sure, we expect some cancellations. We always

get some. But it will not be enough to satisfy thedemands of all the companies on the waiting list.If you have pre-booked a stand and are not sure you

will confirm and attend the show then please tell us assoon as possible. We need to be in the best possibleposition to satisfy the numerous incoming demands.If you are keen to add your name to the waiting

list, please be aware that regular EFTTA members andold loyal exhibitors will be given priority in the standallocation.Many thanks for your wonderful support. I look

forward to seeing as many of you as possible inAmsterdam in June.

JEANCLAUDEBELEFTTA CEO

A surge of sales in October hasprompted EFTTA CEO Jean ClaudeBel to make an unprecedentedannouncement: Europe’s key tradeshow is effectively a sell-out eightmonths ahead of opening.

SOLDOUT!

17th-19th JUNE 2011

To join the fight against line cheats and pledge your support for EFTTA’s initiative act now by

THEYHAVESIGNEDTHEHANFIRMADOELPROTOCOLILSONT SIGNÉ LACHARTE EFTTAPOURLOROHANNOGIÀADERITOALLThese companies have pledged to

abide by new rules on labelling. Will you followtheir lead and help clean up the industry?Show your respect for your customers and

your fellow manufacturers.Sign this charter today.

The EFTTA Line Charter aims to ensure the end of inaccurate labellingon line packaging. Says EFTTA President Pierangelo Zanetta: “As a trade

association we cannot accept a situation where law-abidingmembers are at a disadvantage compared to companies that donot respect the laws. We have to show we act for an industry that

respects consumer rights.”

● Respect and promote the EFTTA Monofilament Line Charterwhen producing, selling or distributing monofilaments.● Print on the products clear and accurate descriptions in terms ofdiameters and breaking strength that are easy to understand, truthfuland respectful of consumer protection laws and the standards ofthe industry.● Run regular quality controls to ensure that the products’ labelsare always accurate.● Refuse to produce for any customer any branded productswhich break the rules on agreed standards.● Refuse any customer’s request to make inaccurate labels.● Not to use any other labeling in terms of breaking strengths thatis not scientifically demonstrated or agreed by the industry so as toavoid any confusion among consumers leading to unfaircompetition.● Conform to those rules within two years from June 2010.

EFTTA Monofilaments Line Charter

JOIN THEM IN THE FIGHT AGAINSTLINE CHEATS

Estas empresas se han comprometido aacatar las nuevas normas sobre el etiquetado.¿Va a seguir su ejemplo y ayudar a limpiarla industria? Muestre su respeto por susclientes y compañeros fabricantes.Firme este protocolo hoy.

El protocolo de líneas de EFTTA tiene como objetivo garantizar el finalde etiquetado inexacto en el envasado de las líneas. El presidentede EFTTA, Pierangelo Zanetta dice: “Como asociación de comerciono podemos aceptar una situación en la que los miembros respetu-osos de la ley se encuentran en desventaja en comparación conlas empresas que no respetan las leyes. Tenemos que demostrarque actuamos para una industria que respete los derechos de los

consumidores.”

● Respete y promueva el Protocolo de monofilamentos cuandofabrique, venda o distribuya monofilamentos.● Imprima en sus productos descripciones claras y precisas entérminos de diámetros y resistencias a la rotura que sean fáciles deentender, veraces y respetuosas con la ley de protección de losconsumidores y los estándares de la industria.● Establezca regularmente control de calidad, para garantizar quelas etiquetas de los productos son siempre exactas.● Niéguese a producir para cualquier cliente de cualquier marca,que rompa las reglas sobre las normas acordadas.● Rechace cualquier petición del cliente para imprimir etiquetascon datos inexactos.● No utilice ningún término en el etiquetado que no sedemuestre científicamente o que no esté acorde por la industriaa fin de evitar cualquier confusión entre los consumidores, ycompetencia desleal.● Adáptese a las reglas en un plazo dedos años a partir de junio de 2010.

Protocolo de líneas de EFTTA

ÚNASE A ELLOS EN LA LUCHA CONTRA LOSTRAMPOSOS DE LAS LÍNEAS

contacting EFTTA CEO Jean-Claude Bel at [email protected] or+33 608 06 22 64

THEEFTTALINECHARTEROLODEEFTTAPARALASLÍNEASURLESMONOFILAMENTPOURLAPÊCHE

ALLACARTADEIMONOFILI EFTTACes sociétés se sont engagées à respecter

les règles légales sur l’étiquetage. Allez-voussuivre leur exemple et d’aider à assainirl’industrie? Montrez votre respect pour vos

clients et vos collègues fabricants. Inscrivez-voussur cette charte aujourd’hui.

EFTTA Line Charter vise à assurer la fin de l’étiquetage inexact sur lesemballages de Monofilament de pêche. Pierangelo Zanetta

Président de EFTTA déclare : “Comme Association Professionnelle, nousne pouvons pas accepter une situation où les membres respectueux dela loi sont désavantagés par rapport aux entreprises qui ne respectent

pas les lois. Nous devons montrer que nous agissons pour uneindustrie honnête qui respecte les droits des consommateurs.”

● Respecter et promouvoir la Charte lors de la production, la venteou la distribution de Monofilament pour la pêche.● Imprimer sur les produits des descriptions claires et précises entermes de diamètres et de résistance à la rupture qui sont faciles àcomprendre, véridiques et respectueuses des lois sur la protectiondes consommateurs et les normes de l’industrie.● Exécuter des contrôles réguliers et précis pour s’assurer que lesétiquettes des produits sont toujours exactes.● Refuser de produire pour tous clients des produits de marquesqui enfreignent les règles sur des normes convenues.● Refuser la demande de tout client de faire des étiquettes inexactes.● Ne pas utiliser l’étiquetage d’autres en termes de résistance à larupture qui ne seraient pas scientifiquement démontrés ou acceptéspar l’industrie afin d’éviter toute confusion chez les consommateurset ne pas entraîner une concurrence déloyale.● Se conformer à à ces règles dans les deux ans à partir de Juin 2010.

EFTTA Monofilaments Line Charter

REJOIGNEZ-LES DANS LA LUTTE CONTRE LESDISTRIBUTEURS DE FILS QUI TRICHENT

Queste aziende si sono già impegnate adaderire alle nuove regole sull’etichettatura. Vuoiseguirle anche tu ed aiutarci a rendere ilmercato più trasparente? Dimostra il tuorispetto per i clienti e per i fabbricanti.Firma questa Carta oggi stesso.

Lo scopo finale della Carta dei Monofili EFTA è la fine delle informazioniinesatte sulle confezioni. Come affermato del Presidente dell’EFTTA

Pierangelo Zanetta: “Come associazione di categoria, non possiamoaccettare l’attuale situazione in cui membri che rispettano le regole si

trovano svantaggiati rispetto ad altri che non fanno altrettanto.Dobbiamo mostrare che siamo un’industria che agisce nel

rispetto delle regole e dei diritti del consumatori.”

● Rispettare e promuovere l’uso della Carta dei Monofili EFTTA nellaproduzione, vendita e distribuzione dei monofili.● Stampare sui prodotti descrizioni chiare ed accurate in termini didiametri e carichi di rottura che siano facili da comprendere, veritierie rispettosi sia degli standard dell’industria che delle leggi sulla tuteladei consumatori.● Effettuare controlli regolari sulla qualità per assicurare semprel’accuratezza delle informazioni stampate sulle etichette.● Rifiutarsi di produrre per qualsiasi cliente qualsiasi prodotto chenon rispetti le regole secondo gli standard convenuti● Rifiutare qualsiasi richiesta da parte di clienti di stampare etichettecon dati inesatti.● Non utilizzare alcun dato di carico di rottura che non sia scien-tificamente dimostrato o riconosciuto dall’industria per evitare dicreare confusione tra i consumatori o che possa portare ad unaconcorrenza sleale.● Adeguarsi a queste regole entro due anni dal Giugno 2010.

Carta dei Monofili EFTTA

UNISCITI A NOI NELLA BATTAGLIA CONTROLE FRODI NEI MONOFILI

TUBEOLOGY SET TO RETURN AFTER ‘FANTASTIC’ FIRST EFTTEX

AnglingInternational December 201048

EEFTTAFTTAT R A D I N G W I T H

T H E V O I C E O F T H E E U R O P E A N T A C K L E T R A D E

“The answers to these questions could putat risk many stocking programmes and havea severely negative impact on angling.”

T here is an urgent desire inBrussels to tackle the problemof invasive species. Good newsfor anglers, you would think.Angling organisations across

Europe are terrified about invasive species.They monitor and report year-round to theauthorities if they discover an invasive species,be it a plant, a fish or other animals. However,the debate does throw up some awkwardquestions for anglers – as you will see.There is currently no comprehensive

instrument at EU level to tackle invasivespecies, but this is about to change. Morecross-border and cross-regional co-operationis needed – and new legislation is also likely.Recently, I gave input as the only anglingsector representative in a meeting roompacked with national representatives,Commission staff, scientists, green NGOsand other stakeholders called in by theCommission. They were there because theCommission has been tasked by the MemberStates to bring forward an invasive speciesstrategy in 2011, as a component of thepost-2010 biodiversity strategy.Nobody can be against more efforts put in

place to fight invasive species… or can they?It all depends on the content of the strategy ofcourse. But beyond that, for anglers there aresome delicate open questions thrown at thetable such as, ‘When is an invasive species tobe deemed invasive and eventually deemed

to be eradicated?’ and ‘Who is to blame forthe introduction of this or that invasive fishspecies?’The answers will be a mix of scientific and

political opinions and could put at risk manyangling-supported stocking programmes witha severely negative impact on the anglingsector. For example, rainbow trout are stockedin some countries to ease the fishing pressureon native species. Can this continue underthe upcoming European Invasive SpeciesStrategy? Nobody knows for sure. Anotherworry is that a key Commission documentcirculated to the stakeholders hasit that: “As regards introductionpathways, most invasive plantsoriginally escape from gardensor aquaria, while invasive fresh-water fauna reach the wild viaaquaculture escapes or deliberatestocking by anglers.”I stressed that this gives a very

misleading picture of what isgoing on in Europe concerninginvasive species. As an example,I showed a sheet (right) with allof the 19 invasive fish species tobe found in Dutch waters. None of them issuspected to be there because of anglers butinstead because of the Main-Danube Canal(completed in 1992) and the ornamentalfish business.The green NGOs’ attitude to non-native

species were black and white with nothingin between. I countered their rigid views bystressing that the scientific opinion is thatnon-native species can be invasive, not soinvasive or not invasive at all. I backed thisup with a quote from the Commission’s keydocument that a project (DAISY) “…hasidentified 10,822 non-native species presentin Europe, 10-15% of which are expectedto have a negative economic or ecologicalimpact”.So, in fact 85-90% of non-native species

are of little or no concern, I said. And I

concluded: “In fact – at least for fish – non-native species often will show a positivecontribution to the protection of biodiversityand the economy.”

EFTTA’SMANINBRUSSELS

JANKAPPEL is EFTTA’slobbyist to the EuropeanUnion. Part of EFTTA’s remitis to talk to decision-makers to ensure policiescreated at a EuropeanUnion level do not harm theirangling industry. Read Jan’sfull monthly updates atwww.eftta.com/news

Canweshapethenewstrategyon invasivespecies?Non-native and invasive species are high on the EU agenda right now,and it is throwing up some interesting challenges for the angling sector.

Above: A diagram showing the 19 invasivespecies in Dutch waters. None are suspected tobe there because of anglers. Right: The pumpkin-seed or sunfish is an example of the invasiveornamental fish now widespread in Europe.

Tubeology has re-booked for EFTTEX2011 following what it describes as a‘fantastic’ experience at the 2010 show.The UK company marked its firstanniversary at EFTTEX in Valencia and,four months on, is still celebrating thehuge amount of business it generatedover the three days at the show.Company owner Ann Kitchener

was delighted by the response frombuyers. Since June, Tubeology has

added distributors in Scandinavia andCanada. It is already looking forward tobuilding on that success in Amsterdamnext year.She said: “EFTTEX was fantastic for

us. We cemented a lot of deals andnew partners who we can do businesswith. The response from visitors wasfantastic. We had people returning tothe stand to look at our products timeand again.”

Tubeology is a unique tube fishingsystem designed to catch salmon, troutand predatory fish in both salt andfreshwater.Adds Ann: “We put a lot of prepara-

tion into the show and it worked betterthan we could have imagined. We werenon-stop. It was fabulous to see peopleenjoying what we had to offer. We evenhad visitors coming up to us as wewere packing up.”

The company now has over 30dealers in Scandinavia, Europe, Canadaand Japan and is looking to groweven further in its second year. Annadded: “We have a presence in mostEuropean countries, but we are keen tomaintain the momentum that we haveestablished.“EFTTEX 2011 will definitely be

important to us and we are alreadylooking forward to it.”


[email protected]

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In theJanuary2011 issueAngling Internationalwill be talking to luremanufacturersaroundtheworldaboutthemajor issuesaffecting the sector today. Thiswill beamust-read issue formanufacturersandbuyers.Sell yourproducts tobuyersworldwidebycallingLucieHentontoday.Following thesuccessof lastyear’sLureSpecial, spacewill beatapremiumsomakethatcall soon.

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We’re looking for an Operations Manager!You probably know of us, but do we know of you? See our web site:

www.fullingmill.com (see Recent News section)for fuller details. If this is you then why not apply?

This could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Don’t waste it!Fulling Mill Limited - world leaders in high quality fly manufacture and tackle.

BETTERBUSINESS Howtosellmorelures in2011p17

Mustad’s pledgeto retailers“We’ll speed up delivery tohelp your costs” p7

The independent global tackle trade magazine

January 2011 Issue 36

more2011p17

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BESTFORNEWS

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NEWS FORRETAILERSRapaladefiesthedownturnThe secret behind itsstunning Q3 figures p10

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OUR WIDESTREACH YET

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Hugesurge inEFTTEXbookingsAlready booked your stand?Tell your customers p36 & 48

LURES YOUMUST STOCK

Shout launchesin FranceDistributor Powerline makesprofit promise to shops p32

SPECIAL

Daiwa’s incredibledeal onRSi reelsSeries “will be availablethroughout Europe” p11

LURESISSUE


S U P P O R T I N G P R O D U C T I N N O V A T I O N W O R L D W I D E

you needproductsto knowabout

10High quality, hand-made luresmade from Siberian cedarHard Baits Tackle Companyplans to extend the good reputation its jerkbaitsenjoy in its Russian homeland by further expansion into Europe in 2011.Manual processing and elaborate finishing techniques are producing a stronggrowing customer demand for its two product lines – the first an elite brand,Hard Baits, the second a lower-cost alternative, Pikeland. The company alsooffers customers the option to select their own colour patterns.What the makers say: “All our lures are made of durable but light Siberiancedar, a particularly strong wood that barely absorbs moisture even in its rawstate. Each lure has two layers of epoxy coating, the first penetrating deepinto the wood to protect the bait, even in saltwater. These layers are carefullypolished before the application of white primer to improve the adhesionand brightness of the paint. The lure is finally coated with two layers ofepoxy finish. The manufacturing process for Pikeland is very similarbut involves paints and coatings made in Russia that reduceproduction costs. Pikeland lures are selling in large volumeson the Russian market.”

Business contactsTel: +7 495 9697858 or +371 297 20007Email: [email protected]: www.hardbaits.ru

Each month the product editors at Angling

International select the most exciting new

tackle being brought to market. To help you

decide on their appeal to your customers, we

will include insight from the manufacturers so

you can start doing business immediately.

1



10BioEdge Fishing Products of Maine, USA, has developed all-natural scents made from real bait extractscontaining amino acids, pheromones and oils. The range comprises 31 different all-natural scents, eachavailable in a liquid oil form called a Potion, or as a unique, long-lasting rub-on stick called a Wand.BioEdge is currently seeking distribution partners worldwide.What themakerssay: “Novelty scents like garlic and tooti-fruity may stimulate fish to strike once ortwice but to entice wise, hook-shy monsters why not go natural and make lures smell and taste of thebaits they mimic so well? BioEdge is a proven fish-catcher which is differentiated from its competitors.”

Natural scents proven to attract fish

3

Ultra-accurate dry fly rods‘with backbone’ from Cortland

Businesscontacts:Tel:+1 207 848 3300 Email: [email protected]:www.bioedgefishing.com

Flies from a new Kenyan factory

BusinessContactsTel:+254 715 463 445 Email: [email protected]

Knotless lure adaptorseasy2HookUSA has followed its ‘no knot’ fish hooks with lure adaptors that usethe same loop, wrap and pull-tight process for attaching lures to the line. Launchedat ICAST 2010, they are available in six packs for fitting to existing lures. Pre-fittedlures can also be purchased from the company’s website.What themakerssay: “Our knotless lure adaptors save time and maintain 98% ofline strength. They can be attached in seconds and increase the chances of successbecause your line is in the water for longer!”

New Kenyan fly tying company Classic Flies is seeking distributors andshops as it looks to build a reputation for world class flies.What themakerssay: “We have 20 experienced fly tyers in our factory inLimuru, using carefully selected, high quality, natural materials. We havethe potential to supply large numbers of orders. Maintaining high qualityand delivering customer satisfaction and trust are the driving forcesbehind the business.”

BusinesscontactsTel: +1 607 756 2851 Email: [email protected] Website:www.cortlandline.com

4

5Cortland created a real stir at the recent IFTD show in Denver with the introductionof its DiamondbackGlass series of rods. Based on the popular Diamondglass series,the new rods are made from a proprietary S2 fibreglass blend in a striking midnight-blue blank, with dark blue wraps, silver accent wraps, stainless steel chrome snakeguides and burled Mappa reel seat.What themakerssay: “Diamondback glass rods are designed to be ultra-accurate atclose range, yet capable of reaching out when necessary. Each model has a uniquetaper that maintains the distinct glass ‘touch’ in the tip and mid-section, while stillproviding enough backbone to strike and play large fish. You won’t find a sweeterseries of dry fly rods on the market.”

BusinesscontactsTel:+1 602 418 5364 Email: [email protected]:www.easy2hookusa.com

2

Savage Gear has safety at sea in mind with its new life vest, part of a whole seriesof radical fishing equipment for predator hunters. The vest is in stock and readyfor delivery. First shipments are already with dealers.What the makers say: “The perfect combination of cool design, performanceand comfort, this one-size-fits-all, gas-inflated vest sets new standard for safety atsea. It inflates immediately on contact with water and features a series of designelements that make it ideal for all types of boat fishing, including freshwater.”

Business contactsTel:+61 89430 5080 Email: [email protected]:www.halcotackle.com

Telescopic nets heading to Europe

Business contactsTel:+1 310 515 8881 Website:www.promarnets.com

Business contactsTel: +45 46 191 913 Email:[email protected]:www.savage-gear.com

9

When world-known Australian manufacturer Halco says its Hamma lure is destined to turn the lurefishing world on its head, it’s worth finding out more. The ‘hard as nails’ casting minnow is a clear-bodied suspending lure supplied with two easily changeable bibs for 1m and 3m running depths.What the makers say: “The Hamma is purpose-built to give maximum flexibility in one easy-to-fishpackage. It has an incredibly realistic baitfish profile and features a weight transfer system forbetter casting, five extra strong Mustad trables and Halco’s famous heavy duty rings.It has an enticing swimming action with a subtle shift mid-cycle to mimic woundedbait fish. The Hamma is designed to tackle tough sportfish such asbarramundi, black bass, mangrove jack, tigerfish and tarpon.”

Incredibly realistic lures from Halco

An extra-light pod for bank sticksWychwood aims to lighten the angler’s load with its new Pocket Pod. The pod consistsof two uprights that connect to four bank sticks with a longer central bank stickcompleting the versatile and solid set-up. It’s available in aluminium and stainless steel.What the makers say: “The Pocket Pod incorporates two small extras that weigh nextto nothing and work in conjunction with the angler’s existing bank sticks. It takesseconds to assemble, looks stunning and performs perfectly without compromisingthe angler’s preparation. It’s a great alternative to bulkier, heavier pods.”

A safety vest that inflatesas soon as it contacts water

6

8

7Following a successful ICAST 2010, American brand Promar is now generatinginterest in Europe with its Promesh series of landing nets. The nets feature hook-resistant, rubber-coated, knotless mesh, with telescopic, soft-grip handles. Inthe two larger models the handles are detachable. The three available sizes are12-16-inch frame/26-inch handle/14-inch deep net; 18-20-inch frame/36- inchhandle/19-inch deep net; 22-24-inch frame/48-inch handle/24-inch deep net.What the makers say: “Promesh nets are fantastic for stowing in the car or boatand there has been no compromise on either functionality or strength. The pricingis unmatched in the market for this level of quality.”

Business contactsTel:+44 1527 587414 Email:[email protected]:www.wychwood-tackle.co.uk



10

Business contactsTel: +1 763 263 8999 Email: [email protected]: www.strikemaster.com

Not content with the overhaul of its popular Lazer Magpower ice auger last season, StrikeMasterhas furtherimproved the machine’s durability to match itsperformance.What the makers say: “The Lazer Mag has been thetrusty workhorse auger for everyday anglers who demandtrustworthy performance tools. The question is, howdo you build upon a legend? Well, the latest Lazer Maghas been fitted with high-impact composite handles,giving ice anglers an ergonomic, light-weight drilling tool.Engineering highlights include a 42cc, 2.5-hp engine bySolo in Germany, a 40:1 gear ratio with heat treated gearsand a 24-ounce gas tank enabling extended operation. It isavailable in six, seven, eight and ten inch drill sizes and upto 10lb lighter that competitor augers.”

Anew improvementontheLazerMagpower iceauger fromStrikeMaster 10

Well known European trade figure DrPaulGarnerhas joined carp tackle and bait company Nash Groupplc as Brand Manager for the Fish Frenzy and (soon-to-be-released) Peg 1 brands. Garner, who haspreviously worked for companies including Leeda,Preston Innovations and Dynamite Baits, began hisnew role in October and is involved with productdesign, development and marketing.“With Peg 1 and Fish Frenzy we will bring the

Nash know-how and commitment to innovation andquality to a whole new group of anglers,” he said.The appointment of GarethGoldson to the

Hardy & Greys Coarse Academy is, says the company,an indication of its intention to expand even furtherinto the coarse fishing market. The float-fishing expertwill be assisting with product development. Anothernew face in the Hardy & Greys ranks is talentedall-rounder and prolific angling magazine contributorDominicGarnett, who joins the company as asponsored angler.Hobie Cat, one of the foremost companies making

kayaks for fishermen, has “reaffirmed its commit-ment to the fishing market” with the appointment

ofMorganPromnitz (left)as Fishing Product Manager.Promoted from Sales Associ-ate, his responsibilities at theCalifornian company includeoverseeing the developmentand launch of an expandingfishing range including boats,accessories and parts. He willbe the liaison between the

design, engineering, sales and marketing teams.“Morgan can help us launch into a new and exciting timefor fishing products,” said President Doug Skidmore.Johnson Outdoors Marine Electronics, the manu-

facturer of fish finders, chartplotters, trolling motors anddownriggers, has appointedGianlucaBugli (left) asEuropean Sales and MarketingDirector. Bugli, who previouslyheld a similar role with SvamaNautica, a leading Italianmarine importing company,

Garner joins NashPEOPLE

will take responsibility for the Geonav, Humminbird,Minn Kota and Cannon brands in nine countries inthe west and south of Europe.Turrall, the fly manufacturer and distributor of fly

fishing accessories, has appointedMillerGourlayas representative for its products in Scotland andnorthern England. The experienced Gourlay hasextensive knowledge of the fly fishing market in allthe regions for which he is responsible.After two seasons as counsellor at The Fly Shop’s

Fishcamp programme, KaraTripp has now joinedthe Californian company full-time. Her responsibili-ties will include retail, graphic design and castinginstruction. Tripp began fly fishing in her home stateof Montana and graduated from the state universitywith a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design.FishPal, the online provider of booking, advice

and fishing information services, has hired AnneWoodcock as its new Marketing Director. A keenangler, Anne has spent 18 years in account manage-ment and web development with leading interna-tional directories business Yell. For the past year shehas been managing the client base and establishinga social marketing strategy for advertising agencyArmadillo.Carp angler LeonBartropp has joined Fox

International as a consultant. The Essex, England-based fisherman has been at the forefront of carpangling for more than 30 years and is an author andmaker of instructional DVDs. “Leon will help ourproduct development team continue to producemarket-leading tackle,” said Fox Director ShaunMcSpadden. Bartropp was previously with Drennan.

Shimano P4 stands for Power, Precision, Performance and Pleasure and

combines uncompromising quality with mid-priced affordability.

The collection includes three established Shimano favourites - Exage, Nexave and Catana

and blends some of the very latest technical innovations with eye-catching design and

excellent engineering to produce reels that are totally reliable and a pleasure to use.

Available in front and rear drag versions, P4 reels have many features

found on Shimano ‘top of the range’ models which improves

performance and promotes ease of use.

P4 reels are available in front and rear drag

options, in sizes 1000, 2500, 3000 and

4000, making them suitable for a wide

range of European styles using either

mono or braided main lines.

TOTALLY SHIMANOTOTALLY AFFORDABLE

One look at the aggressive redCatana tells you this is a reel ofquality and excitement.The superb design of the Catanafeatures two ball bearings anda roller bearing, providingsmoothness usually found on muchmore expensive reels.

With its distinctive blue colourscheme, designed to complimentthe full range of Nexave rods, theNexave is certainly a reel that getsnoticed by the water.Three ball bearings and a rollerbearing combine to producepowerful performance.

Exage is the top P4 model andradiates quality with a visuallystunningmetalic platinum and goldcolour scheme.Featuring 4 ball bearings and a rollerbearing, the rear drag (RC) modelincludes Fightin’ Drag for preciseadjustable control.

www.shimano.com

www.youtube.com/FishingShimano

angling international magazine - december 2010 - 35

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