angling international - august 2011 - issue 43

PRODUCT UPDATES: EFTTEXWINNERS & IFTD LAUNCHES

TM

Visit our booth

Essential reading for buyers in the tackle trade

August 2011 Issue 43

Online at angling-international.com

FLYFISHINGSPECIAL

NOWMAILED TO

12,000+BUSINESSES

AROUND THE

WORLD

Essential reading for buyers in the tackle trade

August 2011 Issue 43

Online at angling-international.com

FLYFISHINGSPECIAL

NOWMAILED TO

11,000+BUSINESSES

AROUND THE

WORLD

GLOBALNEWS

Redesigned reel follows EFTTEXAwards success for new AeroTechnium p8

SVENDSEN ANDOKUMA EXPANDINGEAST AND WEST

COMMUNIQUÉ continued on page 8 >

“We will be using our existing network of more than2,000 retailers.”

Salmo has excellent distribution links with warehouses inMoscow, Ukraine, Belarus and Latvia from where it deliversother well-known brands including NorFin clothing, Cobrahooks and the Lucky John icefishing lure range.

Okuma is to spearhead the sales of SavageGear lures in North America… and alongwith Svendsen Sport has also announced amajor eastern European distribution deal withLatvian-based Salmo.

The Taiwan company – Svendsen Sport’s Stateside partner– showcased eight of Savage Gear’s most popular lures atICAST last month and revealed details of its strongest strategyyet for distributing the brand throughout the USA.

Savage Gear Head of Product Development Mads Grosellsaid: “We have a solid distribution network and sales chan-nels in place.”

This will be the company’s second attempt at cracking theAmerican market after introducing Savage Gear products acouple of years ago. However, Svendsen admits it had prob-lems fulfilling demand.

Douglas Lasko, President of Okuma Fishing Tackle US,said: “Okuma USA has worked with Lars Svendsen andSvendsen Sport for nearly 20 years and has developed a greatworking relationship.

“We are extremely excited to be able to collaborate withSvendsen on these lures and feel the market in the US is rightto bring in high-quality, stand alone products that will catchfish and give our customers the margins they need.”

In another massive development, Okuma, Svendsen andSalmo announced a partnership that Salmo hopes will bringin sales of US $1.5m in the first year.

Salmo will be distributing Okuma and Svendsen brands inLatvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. ItsManaging Director, Gundars Kurzemnieks said: “This is a verysignificant deal for Salmo.

“Okuma reels are available in some of these eastern Euro-pean countries, but not on the scale Salmo can provide.

“A vintage EFTTEX – a show worthy of its 30th anniversary.” Thatwas the reaction from visitors and exhibitors alike following aglorious return to its popular stamping ground of Amsterdam.

Despite the introduction of entrance fees, EFTTEX 2011attracted 1,630 visitors – the second-best attendance in itshistory – as exhibitors across the hall reported brisk business.

EFTTA Chief Executive Jean-Claude Bel said that on the back ofanother successful show, companies were already booking up forParis 2012 with a large number taking extra space.● Read exhibitor reaction in our EFTTEX review,starting on page 25

EFTTA ANNOUNCES ‘VINTAGE’ EFTTEX

Salmo deal: (From left): Lars Svendsen, Svendsen Sport Managing Director,Gundars Kurzemnieks, Salmo Managing Director and Magnus Gunnarsson,Svendsen Export Manager at EFTTEX.

PRODUCT UPDATES: EFTTEXWINNERS & IFTD LAUNCHES

By the end of the summer shows, the two partners will havecarved out ambitious deals in North America and, with Latvia’sSalmo, eastern Europe.

Shimanoannouncesupdated Baitrunner

Bc

Shimanoannounces

The story behindNanoFil line

hi

How Berkley’s stunning newline was created almost byaccident p46

Predator brandssign key dealWhy Extreme Fishing is joiningforces with Yaris Sports p12

Swisher promisesstunning IFTD ShowWhy New Orleans is shapingup to be the best fly showfor years p29

Angling International August 20116

MAGAZINE CREDITS

AUGUST 2011

Why is it that some people have anobsession with visitor numbersat trade shows? It’s as if the headcount only has to fall slightly belowthe previous year’s total and the

roof of the exhibition centre will fall in, or the perceptionand credibility of the show is improved every time anotherbuyer walks through the door. What nonsense!

The reason I raise the subject is the unreasonableamount of debate about visitor numbers at the recentEFTTEX show in Amsterdam – when what people shouldhave been talking about is the amount of business done.

During and after EFTTEX, Angling International spoketo many exhibitors. Almost without exception theytalked about a ‘great show’. We have faithfully reportedcomments from the dozen or so we have room for inthis issue, but there were many more who considerAmsterdam one of the best, if not the best, EFTTEX theyhave attended.

Many observers will know this magazine has a close

relationship with EFTTA. The association is a goodcustomer. But trust me when I say that we have literallystruggled to find an exhibitor who did not have agood show.

Of course, there must have been some. But perhapsthose who left Amsterdam disappointed should be asking‘what did I do wrong?’

As it happens, EFTTA reports that Amsterdam is thesecond-best attended EFTTEX in history. But the numberof people walking the aisles is not a true measure ofEFTTEX or any other show. The amount of businessdone is! It’s about quality not quantity.

So don’t ask the organisers and definitely don’t askthe media. Ask the exhibitors.

Welcome to nine first time advertisers in this issue.

Mel [email protected]

• Publishing editor: Mel Bagnall; [email protected] +44 (0)1733 392 977 • Assistant Editor: Anthony Hawkswell; [email protected]• Editorial director: Rob Carter; [email protected] • Art Director: Keely Docherty-Lee; [email protected]• Designer: Kate Holt • Database Manager: Graham Goor; [email protected]• Subscription enquiries: [email protected] • Colour reproduction: AT Graphics UK Ltd, Peterborough

Angling International magazine is published by Top Corner Editorial and Design Limited. 4 Milnyard Square, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough Cambridgeshire,United Kingdom, PE2 6GX • International Commercial Director: Lucie Henton; [email protected]; Tel. +44 7825 999230; Skype. lpetrickova• U.S. National Sales Manager: Stuart Pavlik; [email protected]; Tel. 561-627-2520 direct; Skype. stuart.pavlik

•THANKS THIS ISSUE GO TO: Kate Holt, Graham Goor, Ridwan Dockrat, Karolin Heinrigs, Gennardi Schwarz, Dietmar Isaiasch, Pierre Chapelle, Keeton Eoff, Mike Phillips, Ingrid Niehaus,John Mazurkiewicz, Tony Conte, Angela Coe, Doug Long, Mischa Jones, John Tomsett, Linda Saunders, Andy Hill.●Nopartofthismagazinemaybereproducedwithoutthepermissionofthepublisher.Themagazineassumesnoresponsibilityforthesafetyofcontributions,althoughallreasonablecarewillbetaken.

Benvenuto,BienvenidaBienvenue,Willkommen

Meet the makers of Angling International...

ROB CARTER, EDITORIAL DIRECTORRob began his career writing for and editing specialistconsumer magazines in the UK (including Match foot-ball magazine, Fore! golf magazine and Trout Fisher-man) before being appointed editor-in-chief of Emap’scontractpublishingdepartment.He is a founder director ofTop Corner, the publishers of Angling International.

KEELY DOCHERTY-LEE, ART DIRECTORAs Top Corner’s art director and co-founder, Keely has16 years’ design experience, and a proven record ofproducing successful ad campaigns, brochures anddirect mail. She has worked with many angling clientsand today leads the design team on Angling Interna-tional, managing the editorial production of each issue.

LUCIE HENTON,INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL DIRECTORLucie can call upon 11 years’ experience of deliver-ing commercial solutions for angling clients. Czech-born, she is also familiar with other eastern Europeanlanguages. Call her to discuss your advertising andmarketing needs.

MEL BAGNALL, PUBLISHING EDITORMel’s vast experience in the angling industry includessix years as the publisher of UK company Emap’sangling business. He began his career on AnglingTimes where he was reporter, feature writer, subeditor and news editor. He has worked in magazines formore than 39 years.

ANTHONY HAWKSWELL, ASSISTANT EDITORAnthony is an experienced news editor with a strongbackground in angling journalism, having worked asNews Editor on the UK’s leading angling weekly news-paper, Angling Times. His background also includestime spent editing a national business-to-businesstitle in the UK.

STUART PAVLIK, US NATIONAL SALES MANAGERStuart is based in North Palm Beach, Florida where hemanages the accounts of Angling International’s USand Canadian clients. An avid fisherman with advertis-ing experience gained at Florida Sportsman, Stuart hasa strong understanding of worldwide fishing from histenure at IGFA and from extensive travel.

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

10 Angling International August 2011

Simms reverses decision to stopmanufacturing felt-soled boots

The campaign to reduce the manufacture offelt-soled boots has suffered a setback withthe news that Simms Fishing Products is tooffer felt soled versions of three of its wadingboots in 2012. Simms had previously

made a very public commitment to felt-free boots andits about-turn will surprise many who had seen thecompany as a champion of the movement to help reducethe spread of invasive species.

In its latest e-newsletter, Clean Angling News reportsthat Simms is responding to requests from consumerswho have been reluctant to stop using felt.

Simms has been criticised in some quarters for

backtracking and for being driven by commercialreasons, but Clean Angling News says that the returnof felt does not mean a lessening of the company’scommitment to the invasive species fight and thatSimms will continue to educate anglers about theimportance of cleaning their equipment.

Despite the return of Simms to felt soles, and the factthat other companies will continue to produce them in2012, efforts to grow the ban are gathering momentum.

Felt use is currently banned in two states in the US,Maryland and Vermont – and Alaska will join them onJanuary 1st next year. A number of other states are alsoconsidering bans.

PlanomakeschangesA restructure at Plano Molding designed tostrengthen its senior sales and marketingefforts has resulted in new roles for RandyLemcke and Jesse Simpkins, plus two newkey appointments. Industry veteran Lemcke,a Plano executive for 11 years, transfers fromSenior Vice President of Sales into a specialprojects role in a move that sees Simpkinspromoted from Vice President of Marketing toVice President of Sales.

Lemcke will continue to service hisnational accounts and international saleswhile handing over his executive salesduties to Simpkins in what President andCEO Tom Hurt anticipates will be “a seamlesstransition.” Simpkins’s previous roles withthe company include public relations, man-agement of marketing and national accountsales responsibilities.

New to the company as VP of Market-ing is Bryan Emrich, formerly with NewellRubbermaid and Valvoline and most recentlyDirector of Marketing for Wilson SportingGoods. Also joining Plano as Director of

Outdoor Sales is Steve Jongebloed. No stranger to his new company,Jongebloed has represented Plano for more than 27 years, firstly as asalesman for the WJ Cullerton Sales Agency and more recently as theprincipal of his own agency, Jongebloed Sales.

US fishing tackle and outdoor sports retailer,Big Rock Sports, has hit the acquisitiontrail again with the purchase of PA Live BaitVending, of Elverson, Pennsylvania.

After buying British Columbia-based InlandPacific Distributors to mark its entrance into theCanadian market earlier this year, the companyhas continued its expansion with the purchaseof the bait vending machine company.

“This acquisition combines PA Live BaitVending’s eminent vending equipment with BigRock’s unparalleled portfolio of products and

services, resulting in more opportunities for ourcustomers to fuel future growth within theirbusinesses,” said Big Rock CEO Ed Small.

“With this transaction we welcome andembrace PA Live Bait Vending’s customer-focused culture that since 1997 has supportedand supplied 24-hour vending machinesthroughout the US,” he added.

PA Live Bait Vending President Gary Harselwill stay with Big Rock as it expands the24-hour vending concept into other productcategories.

Pradco Fishing has stuck up its biggestpartnership in the Southern Hemisphere withSouth African distributor Sensational AnglingSupplies. The Pretoria company has takendelivery of the complete range of PradcoFishing products and was set to launch themat SAFTAD – South Africa’s annual fishingtrade show – last month (July). The companytook an extra 50 sqm booth at the show tospecifically showcase the Pradco productsalongside its 300sqm stand.

Sensational Angling Supplies, which also

distributes Zoom, Strike Pro, Hayabusaand Eagle Claw, deals with over 500 storesthroughout South Africa.

MD Ridwan Dockrat said: “The Pradcobrand has been established in South Africa forsome time, but to handle a comprehensiveproduct range from a company like Pradco youhave to be a sizeable organisation and we havethe right infrastructure to deal with it.

“Following its launch at SAFTAD, we willbe working with Pradco on a marketing andpublicity campaign.”

Big Rock buys bait vending firm

PRADCO SEALS BIG AFRICAN DEAL

Moving: Randy Lemckeis changing roles.

Arriving: Bryan Emrich isthe new VP of Marketing.


COMMUNIQUÉ


Predatorbrandsforgenewlinks

Two top predator brandshave joined forces in adeal that will see theirproducts sold through-out Europe and Russia.

Extreme Fishing has reached anagreement with Netherlands-basedwholesaler Yaris Sports that will resultin Innovative Technology Team (ITT)brands being sold through ExtremeFishing in Russia.

In return, Extreme Fishing productswill be marketed in the Benelux coun-tries and Germany through Yaris.

Henk Bruins of Yaris Sports whichdistributes ITT, told Angling Interna-tional: “This partnership sees two toppredator brands getting together in anagreement that will take their productsinto new fields.

“Both brands are leaders in theirown particular areas – ITT in Europeand Extreme in Russia. It seemed anatural fit to get the two together.”

Bertus Rozemeijer, the man behindITT, said: “Russia is such a hugecountry and there are a lot of fishingopportunities out there. I believe thatITT can help Russian anglers gain a newinsight into angling techniques and wecan provide the tackle to help them.

“With Henk Bruins ITT had thecourage to launch a completely newline of rods in Europe and matchedthem to the relatively new anglingtechniques like vertical fishing and

jerkbait fishing. A lot of people werequite sceptical at first, but now they arewidely accepted all over Europe – andeven in a rather conservative countrylike Germany.

“I can imagine the same happeningin Russia. It presents similar opportu-nities for ITT.

“In the case of Extreme Fishing – itmakes brilliant lures and I am surethat its products will be sold on a widescale in western Europe.”

Vitaly Pchelnikov, Managing Direc-tor of Extreme Fishing, said: “Thisagreement will help us develop newand existing products for the Beneluxand German markets.”

To facilitate its entrance into theEuropean marketplace, Extreme Fish-ing has opened a warehouse facilityin Latvia to overcome the logisticalproblems of being based in Russia.

Pchelnikov said: “I believe we arein a good position to expand ourmarket share and the agreement withYaris and ITT will allow us to gain afoothold in Europe.

“We will adapt products to meetEuropean demand and introduceproducts that until now have onlybeen available in Russia, like our wad-ers, jackets, rods, reels and lines.”

Opening up boundaries: (from left) ExtremeFishing’s Vitaly Pchelnikov with Henk Bruins(Yaris Sports) and Bertus Rozemeijer (ITT).

“Both brands are leaders in their own areas.It seemed natural to get the two together.”


COMMUNIQUÉ


Robinson Europe goes public toraise funds for global expansion

R obinson Europe has taken therare step of becoming one ofa select band of fishing tacklemanufacturers to go public onthe financial markets. It has

floated on the Stock Exchange in Poland,taking a lead from industry giants like PureFishing, Rapala and Shimano, all publiclyquoted companies in their own markets.

In its 20th year, Robinson Europe hasdecided to join New Connect, a newalternative market that was set up in 2007 tohelp finance the growth of young companiesin Poland. On its first day Robinson’s sharesincreased by 87% with the company’scapitalisation hovering around $3.5 million.

Robinson Europe Board member PawelBusz told Angling International: “As weapproached our anniversary our attentionturned to how best we could further developour company.

“Robinson Europe has come a long waysince it started business as a dealer for Mustad,Rapala, Okuma and Fladen. We have graduallybuilt our own brand and are in a position totake another big step in our development.

“There are five strong domestic brand

Tubeology, the tube fishing company, has launchedinto America with distribution partner UmpquaFeather Merchants.

The agreement, the latest in a succession of exportdeals for the UK company, will be in evidence at the2011 IFTD show in New Orleans in August, whichmarks Umpqua’s 40th anniversary.

Umpqua will be launching its 2012 product line-up at IFTD with an expanded show presence. TheTubeology team will be present on the Umpqua boothto support the launch.

Riley Cotter, International Sales Manager atUmpqua, said: “We are impressed with the high

Umpqua andTubeology join forces in US

Umpqua’s Riley Cotter islooking forward to takingTubeology into America.

quality components and flexibility of the system.“We have no doubt that Tubeology in the best

all-inclusive tube fly system. It fits perfectly with,and is a significant addition to, the Umpqua productportfolio. We look forward to taking Tubeology acrossthe States via our specialist sales force.”

Ann Kitchener, International Sales Director atTubeology, added: “Given Umpqua’s keen and experteye for quality and detail, this quality assuranceaccolade is a compliment indeed.”

This latest agreement is further evidence ofTubeology’s international growth strategy. Thecompany now has dedicated distributors in most

Investing in the future:Robinson Europe Board

members Pawel Busz,Slawomir Pszczola and

Janusz Starko.

names in Poland and we are one of those,but we want to become the number oneand also expand globally. To do this we needinvestment and the Polish Stock Exchangewill give us the capital to achieve it.”

Fellow Board member Janusz Starkosaid that the first relatively small flotationhad been successfully taken up by newshareholders and the company is planning tomake more available.

He added that some of the investmentwould be used to consolidate the domesticmarket. The company is a big sponsor on theeastern European match fishing scene, whereit has been working with Marcel Van DenEynde to develop a range of match fishingproducts under the Van Den Eynde/Robinsonteam banner.

Busz said: “It has been very successful andwe plan to develop that even further with anew brand of match fishing tackle.”

key territories including the US, Canada, Scandinavia,Europe and the Pacific Rim.

Umpqua’s quality control manager Brian Schmidtdescribed Tubeology as “the Rolls Royce of tubecomponents and technology”.


COMMUNIQUÉ


Praise for Catfish Classic teamfollowing River Ebro clean-up

A Berkley-backed campaign to clean upof one of the world’s best catfish wa-ters has won the seal of approval fromthe Spanish government.

The Pure Fishing brand – sponsor ofthe first-ever World Catfish Classic on the Ebro Riverin Chiprana, Spain– took part in an initiative thatrestored the rubbish-strewn venue to its former gloryin time for the event earlier this year.

News of the work carried out by Berkley andFriends Of The Ebro – a group set up by Catfish Clas-sic founder Ross Honey – reached the Spanish Gov-ernment and its Environment Minister, Rosa Aguilar.She was so impressed that she invited Honey and themayor of Chiprana to Zaragoza to explain its work.

Honey told Angling International: “She realisedthat there was a problem with litter and said that shewas grateful that we had launched the initiative.

“As a result the Ebro is now a 5-euro day ticketwater where the proceeds are used to keep the banks

“The Spanish Governmentis now keen to roll out theinitiative to other waters.”

clean. The clean-up is an initiative the Spanish Gov-ernment is keen to roll out to other waters.”

During the work Berkley donated 50 euros forevery bag of rubbish collected to a children’sangling foundation. It also contacted its JardenCorporation stablemate across the Atlantic, MAPAProfessional, which provided 500 pairs of safetygloves to volunteers.

Honey added he was looking to use the Friends OfThe Ebro restoration project as a template for otherEuropean countries where rubbish is a problem atfishing venues.

He said: “Spain is not the only culprit – thereare many areas all over Europe that are sufferingfrom the problem.”

World Catfish Classic founder Ross Honey (left)and Berkley’s Pascal Grillot have been praised bythe Spanish Environment Minister for their efforts.


COMMUNIQUÉ


Shimano Normark UK startsto assemble its pro-angler team

ShimanoNormark UK –the new jointventure betweenShimano and

Rapala – has started to puttogether a crack team oftop anglers to promotethe company. Predator andcoarse fishing specialist,Mick Brown, has been

named as the first top angler to join a team of sixbehind what has instantly become one of the big-gest tackle companies in the UK.

On the eve of EFTTEX it was announced thatRapala had acquired Advanced Carp Equipment(ACE) and that the carp brand would imme-diately join prestigious brands like Shimano,Rapala, PowerPro, Sufix, Dyna-mite Baits, G.Loomis and Stormin the newly-formed ShimanoNormark UK.

The story was immediately

broken by Angling International on its website(www.angling-international.com).

Shimano Normark is being headed up byManaging Director Craig Brew, with Dynamite’sPete Chandler becoming Sales, Marketing andR&D Director.

Sales, marketing and product developmentwill be handled for all brands in the UK.

Steve Cole, the company’s Marketing Man-ager, told Angling International: ”Response hasbeen very positive indeed. Since the announce-ment we have had a lot of calls from retailers.”

The new company plans to go ‘live’ onSeptember 1st and Cole said that it is currentlyworking on a catalogue that will be distributedto UK retailers and export wholesalers. It isexpected to be ready at the beginning of August.

Cole added: “There are a lot of things goingon, but we are confident thatwith a great sales model, ourmarketing expertise and coveragewe can put everything togetherto provide the ultimate package.”

Fully confident: MarketingManager Steve Cole.

A unique event designed tohelp the European industrypresent its latest products to themedia is planned for 2012.

Angling Press Camp is theidea of Joris De Cnop, ManagingDirector of Belgium companySports*PressLab, who envisagesa three- to four-day gathering at afishing location in Europe.

De Cnop wants to bring together 20 top brands withrepresentatives from 30 of the best-read European fishingmagazines and websites in a series of one-to-one meet-ings and product demonstrations and test sessions.

“The goal is to boost the chemistry between brandsand media, providing each brand with quality, eye-to-eye time to present and promote their key newproducts,” explained De Cnop.

“It’s a great opportunity forbrands to generate extra and

focused media attention. The Angling Press Camp willallow companies to introduce their latest innovationsfor the upcoming season while offering exclusive con-tent to journalists. It is a formula that should result inoptimum media exposure at a very reasonable pricing.”

To maintain the Press Camp’s quality, the numberof places available to brands is limited. Details of pric-

ing and location are being finalised, butin the meantime further information isavailable from [email protected].

Carey Graves (left) has been handeda larger role in Shimano AmericanCorporation’s three-brand strategy asit expands throughout North, Southand Central America.

Announcing the move, ShimanoAmerican President Dave Pfeiffer explained that the veteransales and marketing executive has become Vice President forthe corporation’s fishing tackle division.

Graves, who joined Shimano in 1995, will be responsiblefor sales, product development, marketing and customer/dealer service strategies for the Shimano, G.Loomis andPowerPro brands. He will oversee all operations in the US,Canada and throughout Latin America.

His previous roles with Shimano include regional salesmanager, national accounts manager, national sales managerand senior sales and marketing manager. He plays a leadingrole in the company’s involvement with the American Sport-fishing Association.

New ‘meet the press’ event planned for the European trade

Role change forCarey Graves

Organiser of the newevent: Joris De Cnop.


COMMUNIQUÉ


Jan Willenbruch has a newstrategy for his brands andOEM services.

Angling International: Youare one year into yourownership of Ockert. Canyou explain the circum-stances of your takeover?Jan Willenbruch: It wasalways the intention from thetime I joined in 2007 thatI’d take over. Ulrike Kromeplanned to retire in two tothree years, so I had plenty oftime to prepare.

What were the biggest challenges at the time?Working with OEM was new to me and I had thingsto learn about the manufacturing and sourcing side ofthe business. But that is why the two-and-a-half yearslearning time was so valuable.

Were there any shocks when you finally took over?The time I spent shadowing Ulrike took away anyhuge surprises, but even when you know the day iscoming and you have planned for it, there is still a bigdifference. It is your company and your team and youfeel that responsibility immediately. There is pressureto make sure you do it right.

What are your future plans for the company?You have to understand the structure of the companyand how it has developed in the past. Ockert hastwo main elements – our own brands, Sportex andClimax, and our OEM business.

Fishing line is where we come from and the reasonthe company exists. We started as a line manufacturerin 1949 and were the first company to do braided linewith Dyneema® in the early Nineties. We have a greatheritage but looking ahead, the new plan is to puteven more focus on the Climax brand. The lines are

Ockertowner: “I intendmycompany tobeknownforquality”

developed and braided in Germany andfrom a technical perspective are atthe very top of the sector. But thereis a mismatch between quality andbrand perception in the market.

I want a clearer positioningof the brand. Climax stands forexpertise in fishing line, we don’tdo anything else. Retailers anddistributors need to understandthey are selling a brand with a clearidentity and structure.

The new plan will put muchmore focus on the brand. It isabout presentation and market-ing, taking in everything frompackaging to advertising – even anew logo.

And what about Sportex rods?There are definite parallels betweenthe two brands. Sportex was also founded in 1949,although we did not purchase it until 2006. Thebrand went through a flat period before we tookover and although it was still a fantastic product, weneeded some investments into innovative materialsand products. Now we are restoring its reputationand the increasing demand we are experiencing isproving us right.

We have made a lot of improvements withoutlosing the tradition that Sportex is known for. Onceagain the emphasis is on quality. There are only 190SKUs in the Sportex range compared to the 500-plusrods being produced by some companies. We don’thave five of the same rod in different colours. This isthe kind of approach that we want to communicate.

The aim is to be at the very top of the rod market.We are not there yet but are now moving in the right

direction – in Germany and in other Euro-pean countries. Now the product is right,

we will work on developing the imageof Sportex as a specialist rod brand.

How does this all fit with yoursuccessful OEM business?OEM is the second leg of the businessand is equally important. We have theability to develop special, exclusiveitems for our customers and the de-mand for that service is increasing.

Also, the fact that in the Far Eastthe delivery time is slowing downand costs are going up is givingus a competitive advantage over peo-

ple buying from there. From the heartof Europe, we are usually delivering

within four weeks. This is a big advan-tage in a market where customers require

fast and flexible service.

So what are your priorities for future investment?We recognise there is room for growth in OEM andplan to invest in new, larger capacity machines toimprove our spooling and packaging facilities. Wewill also invest in new line technology to create moreproducts for our increasing customer base.

What are the key factors in your strategy for thenext three years?We will maintain a balance between OEM and ourown brand business. In the medium term – say thenext three to five years – we will focus on brandbuilding and the distribution of our key products andtheir availability in the market. They are the first twosteps for Ockert. We want to be known for innovative,quality products. We won’t do cheap. I believe thatin the next ten years those brands that have a clearstructure will be much more valuable to the trade andto the consumer.

And what about adding other elements to thebusiness?We believe there is enough headroom with our currentbusinesses to achieve the growth that we looking for.There are no firm plans to add other elements at themoment, although if we find the right opportunitieswe might take them.

Angling International Q&AJan Willenbruch, MD Ockert

and

e

ear

a

directioiopean

weof

HosuOEanab

taClimax has beengiven a clear identity.

“I want a clearer positioningof the Climax brand. Peopleneed to know it stands forexpertise in fishing line.”

Above: Sportex rods like the Carp Point are helpingposition the brand at the top of the market.Left: Ockert develops exclusive products at itsGerman braiding facility.


COMMUNIQUÉ

August 2011 Angling International 25

T he long-awaited return of EFTTEX toAmsterdam after an absence of ten yearshas been widely acclaimed as a successby exhibitors.

Companies big and small have reporteddoing good business, with some describing this year’sevent as the best trade show they have ever attended.

Officially recorded by EFTTA as the second-bestattended EFTTEX in the history of the show, the30th anniversary attracted 1,630 visitors despite theintroduction of entrance fees.

Delighted with both the attendance and the qualityof the business reported at the show, EFTTA CEOJean-Claude Bel said: “It was a vintage EFTTEX. Visi-tors and exhibitors were very satisfied. The businessatmosphere was good, with visitors there to do busi-ness and an absence of ‘tourists’ walking around.

“We can be very satisfied, particularly when youconsider the unfavourable economic climate.

And Bel’s verdict was backed by exhibitors in thehall. Steve Millar of American Fishing Wire confirmed:“This was the best show I have ever attended in thefishing industry. I would be happy if the show was inAmsterdam every year.”

Jose Jaakkola of Wake in Finland said: “The showwas great for us. We had more contacts and directorders than I could have imagined.”

First-time exhibitor Pacific Wave from Denmark wasoverwhelmed by the success of the show. Its Manag-ing Director Henrik Agerskov Jensen said: “Withintwo hours of the first day we knew we would be book-ing a booth for Paris.” And fellow first-timers Kruse-Angeln Falkfish agreed, only having some concernabout the mix of visitors. Joint owner Carsten Krusesaid: “There were a lot of wholesalers at the show – wewould have liked to have seen more retailers.”

Added Jean-Claude Bel: “In the last ten yearsthe trade has changed enormously. The number ofretailers has reduced significantly by the merging ofbig chains and the buying groups. For instance, justin France four visitors – Decathlon, Pacific Pêche,

EFTTA CEO PROCLAIMSA ‘VINTAGE EFTTEX’IN AMSTERDAM

Europêche and Espace Pro – represent over 50% ofthe market.”

The location was so popular with exhibitors thata swift return to the Dutch city would clearly bewelcomed by many. However, Bel reminded theindustry that EFTTEX is a European trade show andthat it should move around Europe to be fair to itsmembers’ businesses and to other countries.

“Good retailers and buyers will not be dissuadedfrom attending just because they have to take a shortflight in Europe,” he said.

The response of exhibitors to EFTTA’s decision totake the show to Paris in 2012 and Vienna in 2013would appear to endorse the association’s policy. Ac-cording to Bel, there has been no negative feedbackand bookings for Paris are going extremely well, witha large number of companies taking extra space.

The hall in Paris is also bigger than Amsterdam andEFTTA is confident of accommodating all potentialexhibitors.

On the subject of the newly-introduced entrancefees, Bel reported that no complaints had beenreceived to date and pointed out there was no impact

on the number of visitors but rather a ‘very positive’impact on the quality of visitors.

However, he was less happy about media reportssuggesting that EFTTA’s visitor numbers were ‘ques-tionable’.

He said: “I do not normally comment on the me-dia, but too much is too much. This is recurrent yearafter year. It is always the same people seeing the glassis half empty and giving lessons to the industry andto the association.

“They even tried to organise a competitive event,arguing that they could do better. I will not commenton the results – they spoke for themselves! On theother hand these people are happy to visit EFTTEX todo business by selling ads against free editorials.

“I am ready to accept constructive criticism andideas from EFTTA members but not this kind of pressunder advertising pressure.”

‘The business atmospherewas good with visitorsthere to do business’

Jean-Claude Bel has expressed his delight at the success of EFTTEX 2011in the Netherlands– and rounded on critics in the media who have openlyquestioned the official visitor numbers.

Turn the page forthe trade’s verdict›


COMMUNIQUÉ


“We were non-stopbusy from start tofinish …even afterclosing time”Large and small, exhibitors have given a hugely positive reaction to EFTTEX 2011.

Marc Bale, Directorof Sales, Sage“The show was excellent.Amsterdam always seems to bevery positive. I always say thatif you go to EFTTEX looking forthe reasons why you came, theywill not manifest themselves atthe show. You need a plan, some

advance foot and legwork, some co-ordination withyour dealers and distributors. If you do these thingsyou won’t be disappointed. So we knew going inthat – aside from the bonus of the Best New Fly RodAward – we were going to have a pretty good show.The other highlights were meeting with a few dealersI have corresponded with for years, but have neverhad a chance to meet face to face and, of course, thecocktail party and banquet.”

Jose Jaakkola, ManagingDirector, Wake Fishing“The show was great for us. Wehad more contacts and direct or-ders than I could have imagined.Now we just need to keep themomentum going.”

Steve Miller, Sales Manager,American Fishing Wire“This was the best show I haveever attended in the fishingindustry. I would be happy ifthe show was in Amsterdamevery year. Around 50% of ourtime was spent with scheduledmeetings and the rest was spent

meeting good, solid new contacts, having good meet-ings with people asking the right questions and withthe right intentions. We were non-stop busy fromstart to finish, even after closing time. Our highlightproduct was Titanium. The feedback was that it is thebest on the market and as a result of requests for dif-ferent sizes and colours we plan to extend the range.I would be happy if the show was in Amsterdamevery year, but we will definitely exhibit in Paris.”

Henrik Agerskov Jensen,Managing Director, Pacific Wave“EFTTEX was fantastic for us. Iwas overwhelmed. We did notreally know what to expect butwithin two hours of the first daywe knew we would be booking abooth for Paris.”

Terry Clease, Owner, DragonInternational“We had people waiting in theaisles on the last day trying toget a meeting with us. And thesewere all serious players. I didn’tstop once on the final day ofthe show. I can’t praise EFTTEXhighly enough. We had a bril-liant show once again.”

Kris Reibel, Co-owner, ReactionStrike and Castaic (Trophy Tech-nologies)“I thought there were fewernew customers coming fromfurther abroad than in previous

years. However, in terms of signing up new distribu-tors following talks at EFTTEX, we expect to be ableannounce some great news to the trade soon. Wehave already signed up for Paris next year and expecta huge show. With the strength of our ever-growingbooth, brands and our French distributors we antici-pate a very, very busy booth indeed.”

Rex Nelson, President,Western Filament“We had a great show. Ourobjectives were to have meetingswith all our current distributorsto discuss items like promotionalideas and advertising options.Everyone was very receptive to

the new products and we were able to share greatideas on marketing opportunities. Now we are look-ing forward to the show in 2012 with a great deal ofoptimism. Who wouldn’t want to go to Paris?”

Carsten Kruse, Co-owner, Kruse-Angeln Falkfish“We secured agreements with new partners in Russia,Estonia, Latvia and Finland during EFTTEX and expectto appoint a few more when leads have been followedup. There were a lot of wholesalers at the show – wewould have liked to have seen more retailers.”

Li Jiang, President, China Fish“I was absolutely delightedwhen I heard that two Chinesemanufacturers – Old Ghost andStrike Pro – had been success-ful in the Best New ProductsAwards. I was particularly happyfor Old Ghost as a first time

EFTTEX 2011 THE VERDICT FROM THE SHOW FLOOR

exhibitor. Overall the show was very successful for us.Our booth was busy as we provided services for ourChinese manufacturers. It was a good opportunityto gauge industry trends and meet industry figuresthroughout the world. It was also a chance for Euro-pean customers to learn more about the fishing tackleindustry in China. Attending EFTTEX is importantfor us as it strengthens the ties between the twoorganisations.”

Ralf Vosseler, Owner andManaging Director, Vosseler“EFTTEX was very successful forus – and winning an award in theBest New Product Awards wasthe icing on the cake. We feel likepart of the EFTTEX family. Theorganisers do a very good job

and I believe it is important that we support the show.We have met a lot of our customers and establishednew contacts. As well as getting new business,EFTTEX is also important as a brand-building exercise.”

Mads Grosell, Head of ProductDevelopment, Svendsen Sport“EFTTEX was the best ever – wegot an incredible response fromour distributors. We had fourproducts in the awards and cameout with a winner and threecommended – a great result for

the first year under the new rules and tremendousreward for our hard work. EFTTEX gave us an oppor-tunity to present our new programme to our custom-ers and get early orders in the book – and we certainlyachieved that. The highlights of the show was thereaction of some big clients to our new Savage Gearsaltwater range and our Okuma programme. And, ofcourse, winning the Soft Lure Award with our SavageGear Soft4Play 25cm!”

Christian Rademann, Interna-tional Sales Manager, Ockert“We were really busy all the timeand had plenty of interest in ourproducts. It was a good show forus overall and we had plenty ofpositive feedback from visitors.”

Jeff Kolodzinzki, Vice-President Marketing, Frabill“This was our first EFTTEX and it proved reallyworthwhile. We had realistic, measured expectationsand we met them. We were not sure how much ofour ice fishing gear and other product would transferto European use and this experience has provided avery encouraging insight. It was interesting – and verypositive – to meet people who had purchased Frabillproducts via the internet. The show pointed us inthe direction of the keenest interest territorially andnow we have to capitalise on that interest. There wasenough of an indication for us to be in Paris next year– this has to be a two to three year commitment.”

2011 2010 2009 2008Retailer 4.76 24 23 31Manufacturer 13.21 21 15 19Wholesaler 32.37 45 58 46Agent 49.66 9 4 4

Exhibitors2011 2010 2009 2008254 247 233 213

Countries2011 2010 2009 200839 40 32 -

First Time Exhibitors2011 2010 2009 200834 52 56 42

Show space (sqm)2011 2010 2009 20087,124 7,874 7,323 7,309

HOW EFTTEX HAS DEVELOPEDIN RECENT YEARS

2011(numbers)

Netherlands – 226NGermany – 149GFrance – 100FUK – 95USpain – 60

Top visitors by country

Types of visitor (Percentage)

2010 (numbers)

Spain – 572SpFrance – 78FItaly – 75IGermany – 71GPortugal – 61

2009 (percentage)

Hungary – 18HGermany – 6GGItaly – 5Czech Republic – 4

2008 (percentage)

Italy – 26IRussian Federation – 5RGermany – 5GUK – 5

Visitor count2011 2010 2009* 2008*

Friday 1,066 830 - -Saturday 388 551 - -Sunday 176 225 - -Total 1630 1606 1505 1425*EFTTEX did not break down the figures by visitor type in these years

* EFTTA advises that the variances from previous years could beaccounted for by the category entered by visitors when buying a ticket.

2011 2010 2009 2008

There to do business: The busy Mercanbooth was typical of most at EFTTEX 2011in Amsterdam.



inassociation

withTM

FLY FISHINGUPDATES

As International Fly TackleDealer (IFTD) Show Direc-tor Randi Swisher put thefinishing touches to thisyear’s event, he told AnglingInternational: “This is going tobe one of the best fly fishingtrade shows the industry hasseen in a long time.”

In only its second year sincetaking on ownership of the

show, America’s trade fly fishingtrade association AFFTA appears to have attractedalmost all the key manufacturers to New Orleans.

It is surely significant that companies includingFlying Fisherman, Costa Del Mar, Patagonia andSimms, who opted not to attend the inaugural eventlast year, have rejoined the fold.

While acknowledging it is “unfortunate” that flyfishing sector luminaries G.Loomis and St.Croix haveelected not to exhibit in New Orleans, Swisher’s posi-tive outlook remains uncurbed.

“It will be a major event for all facets of the indus-try,” he enthused. “All types of fly-related businessesare taking advantage of this great opportunity to seeeveryone under one roof.

“We are delighted with the support and commit-ment from exhibitors. We are up 15-20% on lastyear’s exhibitor numbers with six weeks to go.”

In addition to growing domestic interest in theIFTD show, AFFTA is committed to growing inter-national engagement with the event and has made a

“large investment” this year to achieve this. Swisherhimself was an interested visitor to the recent EFT-TEX show in Amsterdam and confessed to learninga lot from the European event, as well as canvassingpotential future exhibitors.

“Seeing how EFTTEX was produced and promotedwas a great learning experience,” he said. “I was veryimpressed with how the Best New Product Awards isconducted and promoted and I will try to incorporatesome of my findings into IFTD to make it stronger forall attendees.

“We are delighted with thetrade’s support. We areup 15-20% on last year’sexhibitor numbers.”

Upbeat: IFTD ShowDirector Randi Swisher.

Swisher: ‘New Orleans is going to be oneof the best shows we’ve seen in a long time’

“The US fly fishing market is the largest in theworld so it makes sense for any company wanting toincrease its international market share to exhibit atIFTD. Any European company wanting to establishitself on the world fly fishing stage needs to have apresence in the US as part of their sales and market-ing efforts.

“They should come to IFTD because it is theworld’s largest gathering of fly fishing businesses.New Orleans is also a great destination, with a uniqueculture and great red fishing.”

What will happen inside? The NewOrleans Ernest N. Morial ConventionCenter is the venue for the muchantipicated IFTD Show next month.


Hobie will be introducing two new kayaks and arange of accessories at this year’s IFTD Show inNew Orleans.

The company says that it has concentrated a lot ofits attention over the last 12 months on developingan accessory line to fulfil the needs of the fly angler.

As well as the two new craft, it has developed anew Hobie H-Bar that will be making its debut atthe show.

Hobie Strategic Development Fishing AnalystKeeton Eoff said: “We are excited about the two newcraft and I believe visitors will also be impressed withthe T-Bar – it makes fishing from a standing positiona breeze. It is definitely a ‘must see’ at the show.”

The Hobie Mirage Revolution® 11 and Quest 11are the smaller versions of the Mirage Revolution 13and the Quest 13.

Hobie says that they have the same angler-friendlydesign, but are lighter and shorter. They are expectedto be popular with fishermen looking to stalk fishwith compact, lightweight and manoeuverablefishing kayaks.

The Mirage Revolution 11 is powered by Hobie’s

patented MirageDrive® pedal system, while the Quest11 is for those who prefer to paddle.

Designed to be fast and nimble, the boats trackstraight and have a sharp turning radius. The cockpitareas include a large front hatch for storing gear aswell as a centre eight-inch round hatch.

Two moulded-in rod holders make trolling easy,while Hobie’s Livewell can be added into the trunkareas and can accommodate extra rod storage space.

The Livewell has a high-flow, self-primingAttwood pump, a six volt sealed gell cell battery,adjustable drain and the capability of holding eightgallons of water.

A plug-in Hobie Trax ‘2’ Cart with pneumaticwheels helps it to travel over rough ground or sand.

Turbo fins can also be fitted that can increase boatspeed by 10%.

And new from Hobie is what it describes as thefirst ever horizontal rod holder that allows anglers tostore kit along either side of their vessel.

Both kayaks come in a variety of colours, includingCaribbean Blue, Red Hibiscus, Golden Papaya, IvoryDune and Olive.

The hulls are made of rotomoulded polyethelyeneand are designed with an open deck. Two-piece pad-dles with fibre-glass shafts and padded back supportseatbacks are included with both models.

Hobie expects these kayaks to be popular amonganglers looking to fish shallow, fast-moving water,adding: “It does not stop there – they are equallyproficient in calm water and on ocean waves. Theydo not use fuel and they go into places that power-boats cannot, like rocky shallows, up narrow creek

channels and over prop-snagging vegetation.”

inassociation

withTM

Hobie® adds new ‘lighter, shorter’ models

FLY FISHINGUPDATES

Flymen Fishing Company will arrivein New Orleans with a range of nextgeneration streamer flies featuring itsFish-Skull™ weighted head. They covera broad range of freshwater and saltwaterapplications.

The Fish-Skull is a weighted headthat has a realistic baitfish profile and isspecifically designed for tying freshwa-ter and saltwater streamer fly patterns.Following its successful launch in 2010,Flymen has also expanded the range

with new designs in time for theIFTD Show.

The Fish-Skull Sculpin Headis, says Flymen, an exciting

new style of Fish-Skullwith a realistic

profile typical

of many bottom-dwelling species. TheFish-Skull Articulated Shank is a flytying material designed to simplifythe tying of articulated streamerflies. And the Fish-Skull Frantic Tailsis an extensive range of ultra-light-weight, bite-proof synthetic suede tails.

“We are excited to expand ourproduct portfolio with these launches,”said Flymen Fishing Company CEOMartin Bawden, who can becontacted for meetings by [email protected].

Flymen adds to its Fish-Skull range ahead of IFTD Show

“They do not use fuel andthey go into places thatpowerboats can’t reach.”

ations.applicat Flymen has also expawith new designs

IFTD Show.The Fishis, says

ne


ALERT SETTOLIGHTUPNEWORLEANS

Dragonfly shows teeth withnew paddle board design

Alert Stamping & Mfg Co has added to its range of LED magnificationsystems for fly tyers with a new product – the FTL 200.

The American-based company will be showing off thenewcomer to the range at the IFTD Show. It has twoCree LED headlights on flexible arms and is de-signed to eliminate shadows. The LEDs have beenadjusted to provide true colour rendition whilereducing eye fatigue during continuous use.

The latest model will be shown alongside theFTL 100. Both models have been made to fitand lock onto the 3/8” post of common fly ty-ing devices. They also have a heavy base with astorage tray that can be clamp-mounted tosurfaces 2 ¾” thick.

Each has a long power cord with lowvoltage transformer plug end and a modu-lar design that makes them easier to carry.

The LED is said to last over 100,000hours and both lens and light are fullydirectional on separate 18” flexible arms.

Dragonfly Pad-dleboards go tothe IFTD Showin August on theback of whatcompany ownerMark Castlow(left) describesas “a phenom-enal growth ex-

plosion” in the sport. The young Floridabusiness is excited about introducing anew product that it believes is unique tothe paddle boarding arena.

Together with partner Jimbo Meador,Castlow had worked on a stand-up boardfor Native Kayaks around four years ago.“At that time it was about the only stand-up fishing board out there and it was alittle ahead of the field,” he recalls.

“We have refined the running sur-faces using the same ones we use onour fishing skiffs. There is no other fish-ing board out there that can track as welland is as quiet as this design. It leavesno signature on the water.”

Dragonfly became interested in pad-dle boarding after it became popular inHawaii. The company quickly identifiedits customer profile as someone whohas probably kayak fished but enjoysfishing standing up and the easiercasting it affords.

“In the past the growth has beenmainly in coastal regions but now

there is a huge participation spurt in thefreshwater market,” added Castlow.

Castlow is no stranger to IFTD and itsforerunner the FFR show, havingparticipated at all levels. This year heplans to show Dragonfly’s stand-upfishing board line, The Fly Fisher (anelectric motorised skiff) and one of thecompany’s 16 Dragonfly Emergers.

“The show is geared for dealers but Ilook at it as getting people talking aboutour products in different geographicalareas and visiting with old friends,”explained Castlow. “Our company isunusual in today’s business climate inthat we cater to fishermen who want avery specific product.

“Our design and manufacturing isdone entirely in the US, which is veryimportant to us. We hope that othercompanies can figure out ways tosupport the US job market.”

For details call 772 567 8835 orvisit www.dragonflypaddleboards.com.

-

ed

Business contactsTel: +1 440 232 5020 Email:[email protected]: www.alertstamping.com


33 Scientific Anglers34 Aquaz36 JMC36 Dragon Tackle38 Pacific Wave38 Spotted Tail40 G.Loomis40 CDC Feathers & Flytying42 Somerset Fly Fishing Show42 Northern Sport43 Textreme43 Diablo

IN THIS SECTIONA broad mix of manufacturers reveal the products andmarket trends they believe will shape the fly fishing sectorin the next 12 months and beyond.

I N S I G H T • A N A L Y S I S • N E W P R O D U C T S

FLY SPECIAL

Rods, reels, lines, waders, clothing, flies, materi-als, innovative accessories and even shows – theyare all to be found in this, Angling international’sthird annual Fly Fishing Special, a mix of worldwidemanufacturers talking about the sector and the prod-ucts that populate it. It is particularly pleasing to seesome new names in this year’s feature – companieslike CDC Feathers, Spotted Tail and Pacific Wave whohave not featured in the magazine before. A year agoin this very feature I wrote about fly fishing experienc-ing more than its quota of trading troubles during the

economic downturn. Sad to say there has not been adramatic improvement since then, but the articles onthe following pages are evidence that there is no short-age of creativity. And the resurgence of the IFTD Showhints at better times ahead. While the bigger brandscontinue to develop their products still further, themore modest businesses enrich the section withinnovative ideas designed to meet consumer needs.Take a look – and see if their products can benefityour business.

Angling International Publishing Editor, Mel Bagnall

Scientific Anglers portfolioboosted by RossScientific Anglers once again has an

exciting line-up of new productsfor both ICAST and IFTD. Buildingon the technology that spawned itshighly popular Mastery Textured

Series of lines, the Michigan-based innovator ispreparing to unveil a collection of brand newproducts including:●Mastery Textured Trout Stalker Availableas a floating three through seven weight for-ward, it incorporates dry tip technology andScientific Anglers Line Identification (SAID),a technique which enables the printing of keydata including type, weight and sink rate onthe line’s surface.● Mastery Textured Saltwater Clear TipA floating saltwater version with sinking cleartip, available in seven through 12 weight.

● Mastery Textured Titan Taper A heavierversion of last year’s Magnum designed tohandle big flies and intended for species suchas muskie, salmon and for light to mediumsaltwater fishing. It is available in six throughten weight.● Mastery Textured Tarpon An intermediatesinking line, available in ten through13 weight.● Mastery Textured Streamer ExpressAvailable as 150 grain through 450 grain in50 grain increments.● Mastery Smooth VPT (Versatile Presenta-tion Taper) A weight-forward floating lineavailable in three through six weight.

Ross Reels, acquired by the owner of Sci-entific Anglers, 3M, last year, will have boothspace adjacent to its sister company at both

ContactTel: +1 651/736 5952Email: [email protected]: www.scientificanglers.com

ICAST and IFTD and also has new productready for launch.

Rod launches will include nine to 12weight four-piece models added to the RXSeries, plus three 9ft 6ins rods (five, six andseven weight) to augment the Essence FS col-lection. In addition, Ross will be showcasingthe first saltwater reel in its acclaimed F1 largearbor series.

“The market has shown little sign of im-provement over the past year but while someshops have been lost other shops have gotstronger,” observed Business DevelopmentManager Jeff Wieringa. “We will have plentyto interest those dealers who turn out in LasVegas and New Orleans.”

Above: Rod launchesfrom Ross will be a keyfeature at the summertrade shows, particularlythese new additions tothe RX Series.Below: The latestlaunches in ScientificAnglers’ acclaimedMastery Textured Series.

Aquaz switches focus toUSA after making a flyingstart to the summer shows


“We continue to grow in the USAand have plans to expand in SouthAmerica too.” – Brandon Hwang


FLY SPECIAL

Wader and clothingspecialist Aquaz is ap-proaching the ICASTand IFTD shows in theUS in the hope that it

will replicate the success it enjoyed at June’sEFTTEX show in Europe.

The Korean company went to Amsterdamwith ambitions to expand its distributionnetwork in the European market, and it had anumber of successes. New distribution dealswere confirmed for Germany, Norway andDenmark and further discussions are takingplace with possible partners in Portugal,Spain, Israel, Turkey, Iceland and the UK.

“We had a very busy and successful showthis year, with many enquiries,” confirmedManaging Director Brandon Hwang. “Thiswas partly because we already had manypre-arranged meetings. We met both oldand new customers and were able toachieve our goals.

“The quality and value of the productswe manufacture are the reasons behindthe rapid growth in the business.All of our products are above thestandard quality in the market.We have 25 years’ experience ofmaking quality products for manydifferent markets.

“Even our low-end wader –made from Japanese materialsand produced in our own Koreanfactory – performs to a highmarket standard.

“EFTTEX visitors were very interested inour value-priced waders and also our high-end waders. Our new breathable wadingjackets were also very popular.”

The new distributor agreements mean thatAquaz now sells products in over 20 countriesin Europe and North America. And Hwang isconfident that his company’s expansion willcontinue with further business done at ICASTand IFTD.

He continued: “The US has always been agood market for us and we work well with ourpartners there. We will continue to grow thebusiness in North America and have plans toexpand in South America as well.”

FIVE STAR PERFORMERS

manyth oldto

oductsind

w in the USA

ContactTel: +82 51 621 6001Email: [email protected]: www.aquazfishing.com

The latest products from theextensive Aquaz range thatare currently grabbing theattention of global buyers.1 Aquaz has looked to Japan for the three-

layer Aqualex Pro material incorporated in itsBR J 200S wader, a stocking-foot, chest waderwith 4mm high-density neoprene socks on thebottom sole. The front chest pocket is seam-less with a water-repellent zipper.

2 Aquaz is renowned for its high quality butaffordable waders and the BR 203S DX isamong the most popular in its range. UsingJapanese-made, breathable, four-layer AqualexMegaflow, this chest wader incorporatesneoprene socks with rubber dot soles, backsupport protector with wide belt and heavy-du-ty buckle. Other features include double kneepads, gravel guard and inside zipper pocket.

3 The BR 1013 breathable wading jacketis 100% waterproof and is guaranteed forcomfortable fishing in the rain, says Aquaz.The upgraded features include Aqualex Prothree-layer fabric, two large front pockets toaccommodate fly boxes, YKK water-repellentmain zipper, Spandex cuffs with adjustableVelcro closure and adjustable hoods.

4 The design of the BR 1012 wadingjacket puts the emphasis on comfort andlightness, achieved largely by the omissionof a mesh lining inside. Breathability and

durability are greater than the previous1012 model. Hand-warming fleecepockets, two large front pockets,adjustable hood, jacket length andwaist cord are among the otheradvantages.

5 The new AQ 303 fly fishing vesthas no less than 12 pockets on the

front to accommodate small and bigger flyboxes, tools and other accessories. The 100%nylon jacket is coated with PU inside for awater-repellent finish.

3

4

5



FLY SPECIAL

UK fly maker Dragon close to fullproduction after ‘brilliant’ EFTTEX

Fly maker Dragon Tackle is advisingnew customers to place their ordersearly after enjoying its best EFTTEXshow for years.

The UK manufacturer expects tobe at near full capacity in Septemberafter a ‘brilliant’ show in Amsterdamgenerated a number of new businessenquiries, including from the USAand Japan.

“We had people waiting in theaisles on the last day trying to get a meeting with us,”owner Terry Clease told Angling International. “And thesewere serious players. We had distributors interested in ourbranded flies and big international brands wanting to talkabout our OEM services. I didn’t stop once on the finalday of the show.

“We also had our current distributors placing repeatorders,” he added. “We are steadily working through theenquiries now, but all the indications are that we will be atalmost full capacity from September onwards.

“We never let any customers down – that’s a big reasonfor our success at Dragon – but we need our clients towork with us. My advice is to place your order early so wecan provide you with the fastest and best service possible.”

Clease attributes his current success to being a repeatexhibitor at EFTTEX. Much of the new business Dragon isnow developing was first generated at EFTTEX in 2010 inValencia and 2009 in Budapest.

He says: “I can’t praise EFTTEX highly enough. Wehad a brilliant show once again and were delighted withthe number and quality of the visitors to our stand. Wewanted to meet distributors and manufacturers and we gotplenty of both.

“EFTTEX always marks the start of the year for Dragonand this year was no exception.”

ContactTel: +44 1656 862444 Email: [email protected]

Delighted with orders:owner Terry Clease.

JMC puts delivery and choiceat the heart of its serviceJMC – Mouches de Charette (JMC/MDC),from the Rhone-Alpes region, near Lyon, wasestablished in 1986 by Jean-Marc Chignardand has become the French leader in fly fish-ing since 1995.

The company has a catalogue containingmore than 5,000 product references that, itsays, covers 100% of the needs of the fly fish-erman, including rods, reels, lines, leaders andtippets, accessories, landing nets, float tubes,polarising sunglasses, waders, apparel, flyboxes and flies, fly tying tools and materials.

JMC/MDC adds that the quality and choiceof products, along with its delivery andservice have helped it develop strongly in Eu-rope, rapidly delivering retailers and wholesal-ers a product availability rate of over 96% andno minimum order quantity.

The company views itself as a partner for theretailer, keeping stock and helping the shopswith their product rotation and cash flow.

“Many companies do not want to risk over-stocking their products, but this is our job asa brand. We want all our products to be easilyavailable to the shops without obliging them toorder many products of each reference,”

ContactTel: +33 474 243919 (English & Spanish)+33 474 242273 (French) Email: [email protected]: www.mouchesdecharette.com

says the company MD Andrew Ayer.“The retailer can order whatever he needs

whenever he needs it. He needs only minimumstock in the shop and can carry out frequentreassessments according to his sales, helpinghim maintain healthy cash flows and openingup opportunities for a wider product range.”

Ayer added that the company’s cataloguehas acquired a reputation in France as ‘the flyfisherman’s Bible’ and is awaited every Octo-ber by crowds of anglers eager to discover thenew products within.

The 200-page catalogue, only available inFrench until last year, is now downloadable inEnglish. A Spanish version is planned soon.Essentials to look out for are: JMC Specialistfishing vests; JMC Control zip waders; JMCComet multiplier fly reels; JMC Ruby flyrods; JMC Kamoufil camo tippets; JMCCommando heavy duty float tubes; andJMC Oural wading shoes.



FLY SPECIAL

New digital guide systemto be launched at IFTDSpotted Tail Outdoors will be showingoff its Reservations Management Sys-tem (RMS) at the IFTD Show for thevery first time.

The web-based package has beendesigned by former guide, CaptainAndy Parker, and is packed withfeatures to make your guide service,outfitter or charter fleet business moreorganised and efficient.

Parker has pulled together his experi-ence as a guide with his professionalbusiness and financial qualifications asa CPA to design the easy-to-use module.

Spotted Tail RMS is based on sys-tems used by the hotel and hospitalityindustries and allows users to log reser-vations and organise client informa-tion into a web-based application thatguides can access from any computerwith an internet connection.

The system also has a suite offinancial reports that allows users to

check instantly onhow their businessis doing; see whichclients owe money;and even manageguide payroll andcommissions. Userscan also send outconfirmation emailsto clients. Also atIFTD, the companywill be launching a mobile phoneversion of the system that will allowusers to access many of the RMSfeatures while on the go.

Parker said: “RMS is a huge timesaver. It gives users more time to geton with their business and less timebehind a desk.”ContactTel: +1 205 585 5553Email: [email protected]: www.spottedtailoutdoors.com

Pacific Wave signs sevennew deals at EFTTEXPacific Wave (A Jensen) signed dealswith distributors for seven newcountries during what the Danish flycompany described as a ‘phenomenal’first-ever EFTTEX.

Managing Director Henrik AgerskovJensen told Angling International:“EFTTEX was fantastic for us. I wasoverwhelmed. We did not really knowwhat to expect, but within two hoursof the first day we knew we would bebooking a booth for EFTTEX in Paris.

“We secured seven distributors andare still in negotiations with two more.We endured all kinds of difficulties ac-tually getting to Amsterdam with halfour booth being smashed on arrival atthe Rai. But what started in panic hada really happy ending.”

Jensen said that the company tiedup partnerships in eastern Europe, theIberian Peninsula and Finland duringa hectic three days at the exhibition.“Besides that we signed with a newemployee, well-known Dutch person-ality Herman Broers, who will act asour salesman for Holland, Belgiumand Luxembourg.”

It has been an amazing year forPacific Wave, resulting in an impressive46% rise in sales – its tenth increasein a row.

Jensen said: “We knew we had beenbusy – especially in the latter partof the year. We have seen existing com-panies increasing their orders and newcustomers – especially internationalones – coming on stream all the time.”

Jensen believes that Pacific Wave’scalm approach has been key to its suc-

cess. He explained: “We do not over-sell or have a minimum order policy.Our customers know their businessbetter than we do. That, combinedwith a very transparent price structure,makes things easy for our customers.It means they can concentrate on theimportant thing – sales.”

All products in the extensive flyfishing range have proved popular indifferent countries, said Jensen – par-ticularly the Seatrout Specialist and theTrophy Specialist rods.

Jensen said: “People have had theireyes on our 8ft rods. They have madean impact and were among our best-sellers, especially in Scandinavia andnorthern Germany.

“Our new goals are to find partnersin the missing areas of Europe and es-pecially in the Southern Hemisphere.

“Our main targets are South Africa,Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Chileand Argentina. The bar is set high,but I strongly believe we will get therewithin the next few seasons.”

ContactTel: +45 482 64547Email: [email protected]: www.AJensenFlyFishing.com

The Trophy Specialistrod in action.



FLY SPECIAL

French fly tying specialisthas expansion in mindFrench company CDC Feathers &Flytying is preparing to expand its net-work of international customers for itshigh quality natural CDC feathers andfly tying materials. Already, customersin 42 countries are taking advantage ofits premium materials, which includefeathers derived from ducks on special-ist French farms and premium qualitydubbings sourced naturally from otherselected species.

The company produces seven natu-ral CDC feather colours and 33 dyedand re-oiled colours. It sells premiumquality dubbings in ranges of 12 to30 colours using fur from wild hare,domestic rabbit, beaver, camel, cash-gora goat, chinchilla, coypu, muskrat,opossum, raccoon and seal.

Says owner Mariza Olmus Prieu:“Our renowned CDC feathers arefrom giant ducks that live on specialist‘foie gras’ farms in France. When wesource our materials the ducks weighon average ten pounds, which is theperfect weight for taking the feathers.That’s what gives them their uniquequality and uniformity.

“We are a family business that hasbeen producing materials since 1988.Apart from the quality of our materi-als, our strength is that we understandfly fishing. Our many clients from allover the world often invite us to fishtheir favourite spots. Naturally, weaccept! It’s the perfect way to improvethe quality of our products.”

CDC Feathers & Flytying says it offerstop quality materials at very reason-able prices. It is seeking wholesalers,distributors and retailers from allover the world and can supply inbulk or in smaller packages.

ContactTel: +33 558 791 928Email: [email protected]: frenchflycdc

G.Loomis builds on NRX tech with eleven new designsG.Loomis introduced a whole new series of 11 flyrods at ICAST – the Pro-4X rods – built on a similardesign philosophy as its NRX rods. The US companysays its guiding principles have been to reduce asmuch weight as possible, take total advantage of thematerials and create a taper that is dynamic and user-friendly. G.Loomis took the covers of the new rangeto ICAST, announcing: “We have built a range that‘new-to-the-sport’. Intermediate fly fishers will learnto appreciate it and expert anglers will wonder howmuch performance gets packed into such an afford-able package.” Prior to exhibiting at the IFTD show,G.Loomis talked Angling International through therange:PRO-4X 963-4 FR“Designed for small flies, light lines and a stealthyapproach in small streams and creeks. This 8ftbeauty will make even the smallest trout look like amonster.”PRO-4X 964-4 FR“Sometimes the small stream holds big surprisesand you need a little more beef in a short rod. This8ft 4-weight is designed to handle larger trout andpanfish and for fishing bush-lined creeks where youneed to make short, accurate casts.”

PRO-4X 1084-4 FR“A longer 4-weight for fishing small dry flies andnymphs on bigger streams and lakes. It is softenough to protect light tippets but has the power tomake longer casts and handle large fish.”PRO-4X 1085-4FR“The best all-round size for trout on rivers, smallstreams and stillwaters, this is a delightful casting rodwith sufficient power for long-range casts, yet lightenough to enjoy small fish. Capable of fishing sink-tiplines and full-sink lines, but more suited to a floater.”PRO-4X 1086-4FR“Good in windy conditions, it is more powerful thanits 5-weight counterpart and is a good choice for fish-ing streamers, large dries and bigger nymphs.”PRO-4X 1088-4FR“The beginning of the saltwater tapers, this 8-weightis designed for distance, accuracy and fish-fightingpower. Handles larger flies and windy conditions andhas the attributes for light saltwater applications.”PRO-4X 1089-4FR“Designed for bigger fish when wind is an issue inlight saltwater fisheries. The fast taper provides anextended range and its powerful butt-section helpslaunch large flies. Great for permit and redfish.”

PRO-4X 10810-4FR“An exceptional and surprisingly lightweight big fishrod made to handle large permit, small tarpon andbig snook.”PRO-4X 1206-4 FR“A big water, big trout rod and a good choice for floattubes, pontoon boats, canoes and kayaks.”PRO-4X 1207-4 FR“A fun rod designed for small to mid-sized steelheadrivers where long casts are the rule and fish control isa matter of hanging on!”PRO-4X 1208-4FR“Powerful, light and an excellent choice for big water,big steelhead and king salmon. Powerful enough tohandle large flies, full sink lines and shooting heads.”

ContactTel: +1 574 289 1331Email: [email protected]: www.gloomis.com


Chuck Furimsky expectinganother Somerset sell-out

Northern Sport casts for high-end sales in AmericaNorthern Sport plans to launch itsrange of UK-manufactured lines intothe US and Canada when it exhibits atthe IFTD show in August. Fresh from

a very successful debut at EFTTEX, theCanadian company aims to continue itsinternational expansion programme byextending its offering in North America.

Allistair Fergusson, co-owner of Northern

Sport with RickTramer, explained:“Our Canadian

operation focusesmainly on entry-level

to mid-range lines. Nowwe plan to augment what we

offer with the mid- to upper-range lines we produce in the

UK factory.

“We also have the ability in the UKto produce two-colour and multi-den-sity lines, so we will now have a morecomplete package available in the USand Canada.”

Northern Sport purchased its UKproduction facility from Pure Fishing twoyears ago and initially considered movingit to Canada. However, the UK marketproved so successful that Fergusson andTramer changed their minds.

The Redditch business has contin-ued to prosper under GeneralManager Chris Shepherd and SalesConsultant John Tomsett, a formerShakespeare UK Managing Director.

Now the company is hoping it canreplicate its Amsterdam success inNew Orleans. “The EFTTEX show wasexcellent for us and the busiest tradeshow I have ever been to,” added Fer-gusson. “We held 34 meetings in threedays and already have two firm orders,with more expected.

“We’re hoping that the IFTD showwill be just as positive. Visitors are wel-come to come along to booth 647.”

w in August. Fresh from extending its offeriAllistai

ow

mato mid Contact

Tel: +1 519 824 4023 (Canada);+44 1527 833 902 (UK)Email: [email protected]: www.flyline.net


FLY SPECIAL

ContactTel: +1 814 443 3638Email: [email protected]: www.flyfishingshow.com

The Somerset FlyFishing Show cel-ebrates it 20th an-niversary in 2012.One of seven

shows run annually in the USAby Chuck Furimsky, the NewJersey show remains the big-gest of Furimsky’s shows andhas become established as the

flagship event of the series.“From the first year, when crowds were so large the

fire marshall had to close the doors until people left,Somerset has continued to live up to the title of theworld’s largest show for fly fishers,” says Furimsky.

“I fondly remember Leon Chandler, an icon in oursport who represented Cortland, telling me he hadnever run out of brochures in 42 years. But he wasout by mid-day at that first Somerset show.”

Many fly fishing manufacturers are expected toexhibit in 2012, giving customers the opportunity tocast the latest rods and run their eyes over new reels,

Furimsky runs sevenshows in total.

lines, clothing, waders, tying materialsand other accessories.

The three-day event hosts an impres-sive list of fly fishing celebrities and ex-perts including Lefty Kreh, Gary Borger,Barry and Cathy Beck, Dave Whitlock,Bob Clouser, Enrico Puglisi, Bob Jacklin,Steve Rajeff, Marc Petitjean, A.K. Best,Ed Engle, Jake Jordan, Michael Mauriand Bob Popovics. There are also over60 free-to-enter seminars on each of thethree days.

“We have sold all exhibition spaceevery year,” said Furimsky. “But we al-ways try to accommodate new people,providing it is not at the last minute.”

“It continues to be theworld’s largest fly fishingshow.” – Chuck Furimsky


Textreme, the Italian manufacturer offly tying materials, received a signifi-cant boost to its export strategy duringthe recent EFTTEX show.

The company launched a new spoolprogramme, called Spools Plan, andvarious synthetic materials in Amster-dam, and also introduced its compre-hensive new catalogue.

Owner Gilberto Alberti reportedconsiderable interest in Textremeproducts and believes that the com-pany, which already trades in the US,Canada, Russia and Europe, will addfurther territories to its distributionnetwork as a result.

“We believed Amsterdam would bea good venue and that proved to bethe case. We had a very good show,”he told Angling International.

Textreme was founded in 2005 asa subsidiary of the long-establishedFiltex company, with the aim of

reinforcing Filtex’s presence in the flyfishing market. All manufacturing takesplace in Italy, as well as packaging,stocking and delivery.

The Spools Plan has been designedto meet the needs of dealers anddistributors who want easily stored andpackaged products, helping optimiseshipping and storage costs. The clear,transparent plastics boxes enable thehorizontal or vertical storage of spools,easy identification of colours, easy re-filling and easy management of stocks.

Also in the Textreme range is the‘revolutionary’ snap spool, designedto maximise compatibility with bobbinholders, and a thread display cabinetthat accommodates up to 432 spools.

ContactTel: +39 015 247 6194Email: [email protected]: www.textreme.it

Gilberto Albertipictured on theTextreme standat EFTTEX.

Response to spool storageplan delights Textreme

ContactTel: +1 512 282 2628Email: [email protected]: www.diablopaddlesports.com

Diablo doubles up withinnovations for IFTDDiablo Paddlesports is introducingtwo new accessories this summer.The Flydeck (pictured) is a simplecover that will go over all possiblesnag points from the front of the boatto the rear of the footpegs. This givesa clean, flat deck to avoid snags onexcess fishing/fly line.

The other new addition is a retract-able skeg for both craft in the Diablorange. Basic yet functional in design,Diablo says you simply mount thenew hardware into the existinghandle holes and you are readyto go. The new skeg greatly

helps tracking in open water andstand-up paddling.

Both new accessories will be show-cased at the forthcoming IFTD Showin New Orleans.


BESTNEWPRODUCTAWARD

BEST NEW SOFT/NATURAL HOOKBAITOLD GHOST FRESH-KEEPING HOOKBAIT SAUSAGE

“We feel we have joined the elite in Europe,”says a delighted Yi Zhe, the man behind thewinning hookbait at EFTTEX 2011.

“Five years ago, when we began to research theEuropean market, we found that, in carp fishing,boilies are extensively used. The problem withboilies is that you have to pierce a needle throughthem for baiting. To stop them breaking, the boilieshave to be semi-wet. But to keep semi-wet boilies

from going offwithin one year,lots of preserva-tives are used– not what fishwant. Besides,many worth-while ingredi-

ents, which are rich in protein, such as Antarctickrill and mussel meat, can’t be used because theyget oxidised and lose their freshness. Our sausagebaits are produced using world-class fresh-keepingfilm, which is effective in keeping air from reachingthe bait so it can’t be oxidised. It means we canuse lots of ingredients carp love suchas Antarctic krill, mussel meat,bloodworm, snail and lugworm.Also during the productionprocess we sterilised the bait at120°C killing 99% of harmful germs.We analyse results all the time so wecan continue to improve the baits.”

Winning awards at tradeshows comes natu-rally to Old Ghost, butEFTTEX 2011 wassomething extra-special

for its owner Yi Zhe. Yes, the great bait devel-oper has enjoyed enormous success at China’sbiggest shows – and enormous sales on thedomestic market to match.

But to win the Best New Soft/NaturalHookbait Award at his first ever EFTTEXas an exhibitor left Yi Zhe more than a littleoverwhelmed, as he told Angling Internationalafterwards: “It’s true that we often win awardsin China, but I am so excited by this awardbecause we were in the company of so manyelite companies. To win just at the point weare trying to join them by entering the Euro-pean market is so encouraging for us.”

The winning product is Old Ghost’s Fresh-keeping Hookbait Sausage, one of eight OldGhost baits planned for launch into theEuropean market in 2012. After years ofdevelopment, Old Ghost has found a way tosterilise a complex mix of natural ingredientsand attractants and wrap them tightly in aspecial film. By doing this, it has dramaticallyreduced the amount of preservatives neededto keep the bait fresh, meaning fish have thebest possible natural bait to eat and rivers areexposed to fewer harmful preservatives when-ever the bait is used.

Fresh-keeping Hookbait Sausage is, saysOld Ghost, a new, convenient, healthy andenvironmentally-friendly product.

T: +86 27 8756 1355E: [email protected]: www.oldghostbait.com

C O N TA C T

HOW THOSE FRESH BAITS WERE DEVELOPED

””

B

EST NEW

SO

FT/DOUGH

BA

ITSWINNER

water will never know where an angler’s baitis from. They will simply choose to strike attheir favourite food. And we firmly believethat our Fresh-keeping Hookbait Sausagetogether with its twin product, Fresh-keepingGroundbait Sausage, will successfully enterthe European market.”

OLD GHOST CELEBRATES ‘MAJORBREAKTHROUGH FOR CHINA’

Yi Zhe explains some of the science behind Old Ghost’s sausages

But for Yi Zhe, its significance stretchesfurther still. He believes Old Ghost’s victoryat EFTTEX will have far-reaching conse-quences for the angling industry, saying:“This award is also important for mainlandChinese factories. I feel it is a breakthrough,one that marks the start of a new erabecause it signifies an important shift. Itproves Chinese factories can successfullymove from OEM towards developing theirown brands.

“I also understand that for Old Ghost,this is just the start,” he added. “When I heldthat heavy trophy and accepted the congratu-lations from members of the fishing industry,especially those excellent and respectablecounterparts from Europe, I felt the pressure.This is only the first step towards success, andI know the road ahead is long and tough.”

“But,” he added, “we know the fish in the

Yi Zhe does it: the OldGhost owner holdsaloft the trophy atthe EFTTEX GalaDinner and awardceremony.

T: +33 450 967 700E: [email protected]: www.berkley-fishing.eu

C O N TA C T

W H A T N E X T F O R T H E 2 0 1 1 A W A R D W I N N N E R S

BEST NEW PRODUCT AWARD


of a journey that was not the smoothest. Ittook years before the full potential of thediscovery was fully appreciated.

He said: “People needed some persuadingthat this line was truly revolutionary. In theend it was Tom Bedell, the son of the Berkleyfounder, who got behind the idea and gave itthe go-ahead.”

The breakthrough technology – which wasdeveloped by Dyneema and Pure Fishing/Berkley – utilises hundreds of fine DyneemaNano filaments that are molecularly linkedtogether. The process produces a fishing linethat has significant advantages over bothmono and braided lines.

Van de Bovenkamp said: “Unified filamenttechnology is a unique development thathas been made possible by our partnershipwith DSM Dyneema. Our co-operation hasallowed us to bring this new spinning reelline to the market.

“It will take fishing to the next level interms of performance and reliability.”

Pure Fishing claims that the NanoFil line is:Berkley’s longest casting line. It says:“Anglers will experience exceptionalcasting distance and accuracy, allowing

them to cover more water and catch more fish.It is the ‘ultimate’ spinning reel line becauseit is outstanding for a wide range of finessetechniques where long casts or superb sensi-tivity is the key.”

Super sensitive with zero stretch. Thisensures that the angler can feel every-thing from the lightest pick-ups to the

most jarring strikes.Thinner than anything it has everbrought to market. Made with 100%Dyneema, NanoFil has an ‘incredibly’

high strength-to-diameter ratio. As Berkley’sthinnest line yet, anglers can go lighter thanever before.

Virtually tangle free. Its zero memorymeans you spend less time untan-gling lines and more time fishing.

INNOVATION OF THE YEARBERKLEY NANOFIL

Berkley’s sensational new line amassed the highest score of all theentries into the EFTTEX Best New Product Awards. There could beno more deserving winner of the Innovation of the Year title.

It started as an accidentaldiscovery in a laboratory situ-ated deep in the Netherlandscountryside. Seven eventfulyears later, Berkley’s NanoFil

was acclaimed the most innovativeproduct at Europe’s top fishingtackle trade show.

The development of Berkley’srevolutionary NanoFil line hasbeen a long and often event-ful journey, but in the words ofSenior Product DevelopmentManager Line, Jan Van deBovenkamp: “Wow – it wassure worth it.”

Winner of the Innovation ofthe Year Award at EFTTEX,NanoFil is a result of a long-running partnership betweenBerkley’s parent company PureFishing and DSM Dyneema,the inventor and maker of theworld’s strongest fibre.

NanoFil is a unifilamentline that, according toVan de Bovenkamp, will‘change lives’ and is destinedto become one of the mostimportant developments infishing line.

However the line thateveryone is now talking

about came about only aftera worker at DSM Dyneema’s

Netherlands headquarters discov-ered the groundbreaking molecular bondingsystem almost by accident.

Van de Bovenkamp said: “The people atDSM were not looking for anything particularas they were running line through one ofthe machines. Someone there recognisedsomething quite amazing following a processthat produced the unified fibre.”

Van de Bovenkamp admits it was the start

Innovation Award crowns sevenyears of development for NanoFil

the exhibition, impressing visitors and theEFTTEX judges.

Van de Bovenkamp said: “We were allextremely happy about the award. We werein the best possible frame of mind after itslaunch and then winning the award justtopped it off. It was tremendous to be able toshow off the award at our annual sales meet-ing immediately after EFTTEX. It was a hugeboost for us all.”


In contrast to existing mono and braids,Van de Bovenkamp says that the line has anexceptionally high breaking strain. He added:“This means you can use lighter tackle with-out impacting on line strength, and increaseyour casting by up to 25%.”

After its successful launch to the world’smedia at Pure Fishing’s European HQ inEtten-Leur in The Netherlands on the eve ofEFTTEX, NanoFil became a showstopper at

It isn’t a mono and it isn’t a braid, but in the end it didn’tmatter. NanoFil amassed enough votes from the EFTTEXjudges to win either line category at the show. There couldbe no worthier winner of the first-ever EFTTEX Innovationof the Year Award, a new category designed to recog-nise and reward truly new and groundbreaking productlaunches.

Says Rob Carter, Editorial Director of EFTTEX Best NewProduct Awards sponsor Angling International: “Our pan-el of independent judges from the European media was

unanimous in its verdict. The judgesconsistently gave NanoFil theirhighest marks, making it clear thatthey believed it to be the stand-outproduct at EFTTEX 2011.

“We use a points system to score the products andNanoFil scored more points than any other entry. Therewere more than 100 products entered into the awardsthis year so to stand out marks NanoFil as a trulygroundbreaking product destined to re-shape the market.”

Introducing Berkley’sworld-beating partnerDSM Dyneema is the inventor and manufac-turer of Dyneema® – the world’s strongestfibre. It struck up a working partnership withPure Fishing in 1995 when it started makingbraided line, and signed a global strategicagreement in 2009 that strengthened thecompanies’ joint commitment to the researchand development, marketing and sales offishing lines made with Dyneema.

Here are ten things you may not knowabout the corporation and its products:1. Dyneema was invented 30 years ago.2. It took ten years for the original dyneemafibre to develop.3. Dyneema is 15 times stronger than steel.4. Its suitability as a fishing line was discov-ered in 1995.5. DSM Dyneema has locations in Europe, Asia,Australia, Africa and the Americas.6. Dyneema is produced in Heerlen (The Neth-erlands) and Greenville, North Carolina (USA).7. DSM Dyneema has 22,000 employees.8. Dyneema is used in ropes, cables and netsin the commercial fishing industry and manyother markets, including the medical andsporting sectors.9. A growing application is in bullet-resistantarmour for police and military personnel.10. Dyneema in body armour can stop a bulletfrom an AK47 assault rifle.

IN

NOVATIO

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FTHE YE

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WINNER

Above: Jan Van deBovenkamp shows offthe line that was sevenyears in the making.Below: A delightedJoe Meyer, ProductDevelopment Managerat Pure Fishing in the US,with the EFTTEX award.

HOW NANOFIL IMPRESSED THE EFTTEX JUDGES

he products anand

S

Innovation Award crowns sevenyears of development for NanoFil




The decision by Sage to showcaseits brand new ONE rod atEurope’s biggest trade showpaid perfect dividends when itsecured victory in the prestig-

ious Best New Fly Rod category.Sage Sales Director Marc Bale revealed that

the original plan had been to unveil the rodat the IFTD show in August, but a change ofheart saw the rod introduced to an apprecia-tive audience in Amsterdam.

The Sage ONE, the first of the company’srods to incorporate Konnetic technology, wasthe result of a two-fold design rationale – the

Sage now in pole position for IFTDafter impressing Europe’s casterswith its high-tech ONE rod

first goal being to build the most accurate rodever created and the second to take out asmuch weight as possible.

Explained Bale: “As always, it’s the inef-fable that carries the day. With fly rods thatmeans the distillation of action, taper, weight,feel and cosmetic that somehow createssuperior performance. It’s the designer’sart – from the very narrow, light shaft thatKonnetic technology makes possible to thestunning cosmetics, the Sage ONE has a lotgoing for it.

“The reaction was very positive, both fromdealers who were predisposed to like it and

by visitors who didn’t knowanything about it until theycame to the show. There aremany, very fine Europeancasters and it was thereforegratifying to get this response.

“Winning this award isincredibly gratifying in sucha competitive world. It is alsovery important, attractingworldwide attention andgiving us an early leg-upwith our marketing and salesefforts. It validates a lot ofhard work and paves the wayfor the product launch inAugust. Hats off to the Sagedesign team of Jerry Siem, KurtVanWyck and Steve Greist,who have been producing greatproducts for many years.”


BEST NEW FLY RODSAGE ONE

Winning the Best New Fly Rod Award at EFTTEX “will attract worldwideattention,” says a delighted Sales Director Marc Bale as focus switches to the US.

Above: The Sage ONErod, which triumphedin a hugely competitivecategory at EFTTEX.Below: Marc Bale on theSage stand at the show.“Winning is incrediblygratifying.”

B

EST NEW

FLY ROD

WINNER

● Round tip eye● New low-profile ferrules● Black ice colour● Fuji stainless steel and ceramic stripper guide● Custom cork handle● Aluminium reel seat with walnut insert

THE ONE’S KEY FEATURES

T: +1 800 533 3004 or +1 206 842 6608E: Sage Marketing Manager Eric [email protected]; Sales DirectorMarc Bale [email protected]

C O N TA C T

● Konnetic technology combines proprietaryaerospace-grade materials with innovativemanufacturing methods and processes.

● It incorporates an optimised ratio of Sage’sproprietary resin to carbon fibre with the company’sAdvanced Modulus Positioning System (AMPS), aprocess that places the carbon materials to exactingtolerances for the greatest blank strength andefficient energy transfer throughout the shaft.

● Sage’s High Compression Molding (HCM) processthen compacts the blank’s carbon fibres for optimumdensity and precise alignment, simultaneously fus-ing the 50% lighter inner core.

● Adds Marc Bale: “Konnetic technology is, in amaterial form, about less rather than more. It is away of compressing the same amount of fibre into asmaller amount of space, hence the shaft diameterbeing so small. The result is a five weight that has theusual look of the three weight.”

THE TECHNOLOGY EXPLAINED

FFLLYY RROODD

WWWIINNENNNNEERR




Iinternational brand Hart was not shortof confidence when it entered theEFTTEX Best New Product Awardsfor the first time in Amsterdam,declaring its Metal Vib to be the “best

blade available in the market.” And its beliefwas justified when the judges declared theentry the winner of the fiercely-contested BestNew Metal Lure section.

“We are more than happy to have won atthe first time of trying,” said Iñaki Odriozola,from Hart’s team in Spain. “We could nothave expected a better start.

“It is a reward for the many years of hardwork and innovation from the Hart team,with input from France, Spain, Portugal,Germany and Scandinavia.

“It is evidence of the excellent co-operationthat exists between out international develop-ment staff and our team of experts.

“In particular, we would like to acknowl-edge the co-operation and input from David

Hart looking to capitaliseon its perfect start with theoutstanding Metal Vib

Dubreuil, one of the best freshwater fisher-men in France.”

Now Hart plans to build on its success byestablishing new distributor partnerships, atask made easier by the number of companiesthat expressed an interest in its products dur-ing the EFTTEX show.

“The award has demonstrated to ourpartners – and possible new partners – thatHart is a brand with a very bright future,”added Odriozola. “In Amsterdam we met ahigh number of quality contacts. We saw al-most all of our existing customers plus somepotential new customers who were alreadyaware of our brand.

“In many cases, we met several companiesinterested in distributing the Hart brand intheir country, so now we can spend sometime choosing those that are really seriousand committed to the brand.

“Our philosophy here at Hart is to buildlong-term business relationships based on

“The award demonstrates to our current andfuture partners that Hart is a brand with a verybright future.” – Iñaki Odriozola

BEST NEW METAL LUREHART METAL VIB

Victory in its first ever EFTTEX Awards is the perfect launchpad for growing international sales, says Hart’s Iñaki Odriozola.

B

EST NEW

M

ETAL LUR

E

WINNER

T: +34 9438 20033E: [email protected]: www.evia.es

C O N TA C T

● The Metal Vib casts further and deepens fasterthan comparable lures and its wild swimming actionprojects sparkling reflections, says Hart. Steadycranking, slow bottom scratching or vertical fishingare all recommended to produce rapid animation ofthe lure, which can be used anywhere at any time.

● Hart adds that the lure’s exclusive Take & Cutsystem – a serrated edge or saw incorporated inthe design – offers the ultimate in weed cutting andprotection.

● The Metal Vib is available in three sizes: 45mm(10g), 55mm (18g) and 62.5mm (24g).

HOW THE HART METAL VIB WORKS

Above left: SebastienClee, Product Managerwith the Hart team inFrance, holds the BestNew Metal Lure award inAmsterdam.Above right: The MetalVib was recognised forits versatility. Details arealso available onlineat www.angling-international.com.

mutual confidence and sustainable growth.“Our constant presence in and co-oper-

ation with Angling International during thelast year has surely helped us to make newcontacts and attract ever increasing attentionto our company. Our stand in Amsterdamwas constantly busy.”




Delight forTeam Shimanoas Aero Techniumjustifies its star billingThe hot favourite thrilled the crowds in Amsterdam,and there’s plenty more to come, promises Shimano.

T: +31 341 272233E: [email protected]: www.shimano.com

C O N TA C T

Above: Rindert Jansma,Shimano MarketingAssistant and part ofTeam Shimano, with bothawards at EFTTEX.

E R S

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EST NEW

FIX

EDSPOOL

RE

ELWINNER

BEST NEW BRAIDED LINEPOWERPRO SUPER 8 SLICK

BEST NEW FIXED SPOOL REELSHIMANO AERO TECHNIUM MGS 10000

A determination to make the ‘world’s bestbraided lines’ paid dividends for Shimanoat the EFTTEX Awards with victory in thecategory for the PowerPro Super 8 Slick.

Niki Baars, Product Developer PowerProBraid, Shimano Monofilaments, Sunglassesand Tools, told Angling International:“PowerPro is made by a Shimano-ownedcompany with only one goal – to make theworld’s best braided line. The EFTTEX awardis a great boost for the PowerPro brand, ourR&D team at Innovative Textiles Incorporationand Team Shimano. It also confirms that ourstrong focus on R&D is right.

The PowerPro Super 8 Slick is made byInnovative Textiles Incorporated (ITI), aworld renowned braiding brand acquired byShimano in 2008.

Baars added: “PowerPro Super 8 Slick is aline that meets the high expectations of theadvanced angler – the eight carrier ultra-smooth braided line is slick like a mono lineand silent during casting.

“Anglers are able to fish at distances thatwere not possible before – and thereforecatch more fish.”

Victory forPowerPro seals amemorable EFTTEX

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WINNER

Chris de Haan, ProductDeveloper Rods & Reels, ledthe celebrations at Shimanoafter victory in the Best NewFixed Spool Reel category. He

told Angling International: “Despite our size,Shimano is one big family, internally knownas Team Shimano – all having blue blood inour veins! So receiving this award is a tokenof appreciation for all the hard work TeamShimano has put into it.

“Sometimes we are too busy creating newproducts that we sometimes forget about ourachievements over the years.”

de Haan added that winning the awardhelps Shimano in its quest to reach a greaterworldwide audience. He explained: “TheEFTTEX Awards are viewed in many ofthe trade and consumer magazines andwebsites as well as in our catalogues andadvertisements. It has an influence onconsumer awareness.”

The judges described Shimano’s winningAero Technium Mgs as ‘a classic reel, perfectlyupdated’ and de Haan said: “It is the perfectcombination between beautiful appearance,extreme lightness and functional features.

“After holding it in your hand for the firsttime it will be love at first sight. It is theperfect fishing partner.”

It was a crowd-pleaser at EFTTEX accordingto de Haan. “The first reaction was alwaysabout its appearance. The reel looks stunning.Then, when people handled it, all conversationstopped. They could not believe it.

“They were left wondering if there wasanything inside it because it was so light.Turning the handle, they felt the smoothness

and experienced the super slow oscillationspeed, wondering if the spool even moves.”

Shimano is intent on moving theboundaries of reel development, says deHaan. “Shimano Europe is developing allits reels together with Shimano Japan andMalaysia. Having our own factories means allthe technology is exclusive to us.

“There are very few brands that have theirown reel factories –most reels in the marketare made in OEM factories which can blockreal innovation and uniqueness. Many areeven made on the same tooling and have onlydifferent cosmetics and brand names.

“Our quality standards are extremely highand applied rigorously from our entry levelHyperloop spinning reel to the ultra high-endStella.”

Next off the production line at Shimanowill be the new Big and Medium BaitrunnerXT-A LC, which will be launched in the lastquarter of the year.

de Haan said: “The Big Baitrunner LC hasbeen one of the best sellers for years, but ithas been on the market since 1998. We havetotally redesigned the reel using the latesttechnology and materials.

“New entry-level Big Pit reels, Aerlex andBeastmaster, with the Baitrunner II spool orInstant Drag will also be introduced. They willhave our unbeatable Aero Wrap II oscillationsystem and many other features.”




“This confirms thatinvesting in a reelfactory was the rightdecision by Zebco US.”

Having just announced that itwas focusing on establishingthe Fin-Nor and Van Staalbrands in Europe, victory inthe Best New Multiplier Reel

Award category could hardly have come at abetter time for Zebco Europe.

The Germany-based company took overdistribution of the two premium sea brandsearlier this year. Having made them an inte-gral part of its product portfolio, the covetedaward is a welcome boost.

The award was also an endorsement of thedecision by Zebco US – which purchasedZebco Europe in February this year – toinvest in its own reel factory.

“We are very proud,” said Marketing andPublic relations Manager Frerk Petersenfollowing victory for the Fin-Nor Marquesa2-Speed. “This confirms that investing in a

reel factory was the right decision by ZebcoUS. This position allows them to have fullcontrol over engineering and quality.

“The Marquesa 2-Speed is surely one of thenicest sea multipliers ever built, so the judges’decision did not surprise us, to be honest.You only have to feel it to realise why it isspecial – just as the judges did.

“The gear feel, the smoothness of the drag,the retrieve speed, the clicker noise – evennon-sea anglers will love this reel.”

Fin-Nor has positioned the Marquesa onthe leading edge of smaller, more powerfuland highly versatile saltwater multipliers andsays: “These fully machined and anodisedreels have the smoothness and refinement ofa fine watch but the strength and stoppingpower of offshore big game reels. The twospeeds, 6.1:1 and 3.1:1, provide the versatil-ity for any saltwater application.

“Marquesa starts with the basic designphilosophy that Fin-Nor puts into Santiagobig game reels. Specifically that means afully-machined one-piece frame for strength,a fully-machined gear side to accommodateoversize stainless gears, our proven ‘push to

shift/twist to release’ 2-Speed shifting mecha-nism, and the same advanced carbon fibredrags as in our big game reels.

“These features give Marquesa its tough-ness and ability to handle big fish. The reelsstill free spool at 25lbs of strike drag and canbe set up to achieve 45lbs of drag at full. Theinfinite anti-reverse provides instant hooksets,while the double dog ratchets take the heavyload of a big fish. And yet the Marquesa2-Speeds are also lightweight and fast.

“Weighing approximately 800g, they arecomfortable for stand-up fishing, with an in-ternal set of casting brakes for true castability.The 20 and 30 size reels hold 300m of 20lbsor 30lbs monofilament respectively. Whenloaded with line, the 6:1 high-speed gearingprovides an amazing 1.3m of line retrieve perhandle turn. This is up to 20% faster thancompetitive reels due to Marquesa’s taller,narrower spool design.

“The Marquesa 2-Speeds are also highlyrefined. The handsome silver and gold finishis fully anodised. We take the extra time andexpense to machine ergonomic curves intothe reels so they feel good in the hand. Thespool tension knob has a clicker to help holdthe tension you set even after hours of off-shore engine vibration. The experienced eyewill appreciate the attention to detail.”

T: + 49 41 82/29 43 34E: [email protected]: zse_fpetersen

C O N TA C T

BEST NEW MULTIPLIER REELFIN-NOR MARQUESA 2-SPEED

BOLD MOVE AT ZEBCOREWARDED WITH WINFOR NEW MARQUESA

Left: Frerk Petersen andJeff Pontius celebratevictory at the GalaEvening at EFTTEX. Right:The Fin-Nor Marquesa2-Speed has features tothrill any angler, saysFrerk Petersen.

How’s that for quick results? Within months of renewingits focus on Fin-Nor, Zebco scoops the multiplier award.

B

EST NEW

MU

LTIPLIERRE

ELWINNER


Fisherman Corp’s Japan Export Group LeaderTaiki Yamashita was at EFTTEX. He told AnglingInternational: “Almost all of the Japanese fishingtackle sold into the European market is made up ofso-called ‘temporary’ products – products that havealready been released on the Japanese market but donot meet the needs of the European angler.

“But for the Valleyhill Euro Edition we collaboratedwith the Japanese brand Valleyhill and came up withan exclusive design based on the advice of Europeananglers. Making full use of Japanese high technologyand design skills, we came up with a rod that meetsthe needs of European anglers.

“We have appointed Jean-Claude Weisskopf ofExtreme Fishing Gmbh as our pro-staffer and he willalso be distributing these fantastic rods across thewhole of Europe.”

JAPANESE GIANT FINDSPERFECT MIX AT EFTTEXBy adapting Japanese designs to the needs ofinternational anglers, Fisherman Corp is developinga portfolio of brands with the widest possibleappeal, as EFTTEX 2011 proved beyond all doubt.

Japanese manufacturer and wholesalerFisherman Corp is accelerating its searchfor international partners after anothersuccessful EFTTEX show. A long-timesupporter of EFTTEX, Fisherman

Corp used its large-scale stand in Amsterdamto showcase its own products as well as otherJapanese brands it represents internationally.

Its experience of the show and its understandingof international markets resulted in huge interestthroughout the three days. Of particular interest inAmsterdam was a new rod that has been specificallydesigned for the European market. The ValleyhillEuro Edition rod (pictured right) is proof, says thecompany, that Fisherman Corp is perfectly placedto adapt Japanese craftsmanship to the needs ofanglers around the world.

Valleyhill is just one of a number of brands thatFisherman Corp will be focusing on in the next12 months (see panel right). Its own-brand fishinghooks, Fudo Hooks, was established in 2005 andhas been a favourite with anglers worldwide whoappreciate Japanese quality. “We have been sellingwell overseas since launch, especially in Russiaand Turkey and other European countries,” saysYamashita. “Now we want to hear from distributorselsewhere in the world.”

Fudo Hooks represents major export business.But it is Fisherman Corp’s wide range of representedbrands that sets it apart. As an export agent forthese brands, it can offer almost any type of highquality tackle to international partners. It sees itsrole as a ‘bridge’ between buyers and the brandsand also between the brands and the factories in

Top: Fudo Hooks ondisplay at EFTTEX.Right: Jean-ClaudeWeisskopf withFisherman Corp staff.

COMPANIES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...

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

?Want to talk to Fisherman Corp Japan?Here’s how to find them...Tel: +81 78 856 3400 Fax: +81 78 856 3339 Web: www.fisherman-corp.jpEmail: [email protected] or [email protected]


HOW HAS RESEARCH INTO THE US MARKET SUDDENLY IMPROVED? See p52

THE BRANDS IT BROUGHT TO AMSTERDAMChina making their products. “We have a worldwidenetwork plus expert sales staff that fly overseas to visitour customers. We also have two Chinese speakerswho offer a valuable service talking to the factories,”explains Yamashita. “That’s how we add value.”

The company’s main markets are Europe andAsia, but its sales network is now starting to expandto Australia and the United States. Thanks to itsconnections with the growing manufacturing centresin China, Vietnam and Pakistan, Fisherman Corp cansource its products from a wide variety of countries.Its own factory in Shanghai allows it to monitorquality control and delivery times in a way that manycompanies can not.

A main strength of the company is its fishing linespooling business, with both Japanese and Chinese-made materials available.

Factories in Weihai and Hangzhou, China’s mostwell known manufacturing regions, are also trading

Fisherman Corp is looking for international partners foreach of the top quality Japanese brands listed below.

“We are keen to builddistribution in the USA,Scandinavia and the MiddleEast.” – Taiki Yamashita

ONE KNACKSpecially-made lures and

accessories, including HookAssist Tape.

AQUARIUSA well established brand thatsays it never compromises on

the quality of its lures.

FUDO HOOKSMade by Fisherman CorpJapan, Fudo Hooks are

technically advanced, highquality hooks made from the

best materials.

HALCYON SYSTEMA range of top quality lures.

MIYA EPOCHThese pioneering electricreels are said to be reliable

and waterproof and known fortheir excellent quality.qu y.

NORTH CRAFTDescribed as ‘the most beautifullures in the world’. Painting iscarried out using traditional

Japanese methods.

PAZDESIGNFamous for its high quality

lures, waders, vests and shoes.lures, waders, vests and shoes.

RAIGLONA range of high performance

fishing lines.

STUDIO OCEAN MARKBig game fishing productsincluding quality reels andaccessories that are said to

surpass other brands.surpass other brands.

BREADENA brand of exclusive squid

lures for jig fishing, allJapanese-made.

VALLEYHILLIts ‘Imagine You’ conceptoffers rods for beginners

through to experts.

RIVER OLDJapanese spoons and

spinners available in manydifferent colours.

partners of Fisherman Corp and these relationshipsoffer partners the opportunity to combine differentproducts from different factories.

Fisherman Corp also offers an OEM service withproducts sourced from its own factory in Chinaand through a network of facilities in Taiwan andPakistan. The company says that its policy is ‘Grow UpTogether’. It supports its customers through magazineadvertisements and promotions at exhibitions andworkshops. Yamashita adds that Fisherman Corp islooking for new partners across the world.

“We are especially interested in buildingdistribution in Scandinavia, the USA and in theMiddle East,” he says.

European retailers wishing to talk to ExtremeFishing about the new Valleyhill rods should contactJean-Claude Weisskopf directly on +41 32 3223220 or by email: [email protected]



From its base in Florida, SuthwickAssociates has been providingbenchmark market reports foranglers, hunters and shooters for21 years. The reliable data in its

surveys is used by non-profit organisationsand outdoor product manufacturers tounderstand the purchasing decisions ofconsumers.

The type of information available, saysthe company, is critical to industry leaderslooking to grow their markets and improvetheir programmes and profitability.

Now, outdoor media outlets – as well asadvertisement buyers looking for the bestoutlets through which to sell their message– can get that same detailed informationon the media usage habits of fishermen,hunters and shooters through the newSouthwick Associates’ Media Monitor(SAMM).

It presents the results of an online panelthat tracks the media consumption of thethree sectors, particularly in the areas ofoutdoor magazines, television and the use ofwebsites and social media.

In short, SAMM helps companies makeinformed decisions about their advertisinginvestments.

Rob Southwick, President of SouthwickAssociates, explained: “The ultimate goalof the report is to measure the type andamount of media usage among sportsmenand match their purchasing preferencesto specific media programmes and titles.Never before has this been available.

“The data is invaluable to outdoortelevision show producers, print and onlinepublishers and advertisement buyers whowant or need to understand better whereoutdoor enthusiasts get the most of theirinformation and how it affects their buyingdecisions,” he added.

A sample of the sort ofinformation available in eachstandard report includes:● The types of media sources (television,

magazines and online) used bysportsmen for outdoor information orentertainment.

● Ratings for national and regional fishing,hunting and shooting-related magazines,television shows, websites and socialmedia sites.

● Results for all shows relating to the threesectors on national and major regionalsports and outdoor networks.

REVEALED: THEMEDIA HABITS OFANGLERS IN THE USA

A new monitoring system is set to reveal which magazines, TV showsand websites are favoured by US anglers, helping you get better valueadvertising, says its creator Southwick Associates. “It’s data that’sinvaluable for understanding the buying decisions of anglers.”

“This is invaluable to outdoor television show producers,print and online publishers and advertisement buyers whoneed to understand where anglers get their information.”

As well as standard reports,customised feedback can beprovided to help companies:● To track media usage by consumers of its

brands against competing brands.● To understand the buying habits and

demographics for all different typesof outdoor media users (television vmagazines v online users by species andpreferred types of fishing, hunting andshooting).

● To profile the demographics and outdoorhabits for nearly every outdoor televisionprogramme.

Southwick Associates is able to workwith individual magazine publishers andeditors, TV producers, network executives,research departments and others to developcustomised analytical reports that best fit acompany’s needs.

Through SAMM and its extensive outdoorinformation databases, Southwick Associatessays that it can help in a number of ways.It can specify: a particular media outlet’sdemographics; the type of activities mostenjoyed by their viewers or readers; thetypes of equipment, brand names and pricepoints of related products; and the storesand websites where the purchases mostoften take place.

SAMM was first available to the tradein June this year and will be publishedquarterly with an annual summary at theend of the year.


Southwick Associatesowner Rob Southwick.

?Want to talk to Southwick Associates?Here’s how to find them...Call Courtney Olson on +1 303 955 2194or email him at [email protected]


WHAT HAS PATRICK SEBILE GOT PLANNED NEXT? See p60

Of respondents who used anglingmedia in the first quarter of2011, the majority (84.2%) readmagazines as a source of fishing,shooting, and hunting information.Seventy-three percent (75.8%)used websites and 29.6% usedsocial media for this information.

Says Southwick Associates: “Thesky’s the limit when it comes tomedia usage. We can match data

from our outdoor databases to learnmore about your customers.”

Topics Southwick Associatescan investigate for clients include:demographics (age, income,education); types of activity(freshwater or saltwater fishing);types of equipment purchases(rods, reels, line, lures, tackle);brand names; and stores where theyshopped for fishing equipment.

WHERE ANGLERS GET THEIR INFORMATION

There are a number of ways tointerpret this data, says SouthwickAssociates, and here is one example:Magazine 4 was more popular withthose purchasing fishing rods (31.2%)than those purchasing fishing lures(21.9%) or fishing line (22.4%).

WHICH MAGAZINEREADERS BOUGHTWHAT TACKLE

What the data can tell you

1. 44% of anglers who watched outdoorTV programming watched Program 1 onNetwork A (11% were regular viewers,33% were occasional viewers).

2. Program 2 on Network B was the mostregularly viewed programme at 19%.

3. Program 1 on Network A had the mostoccasional angler viewers at 33%.

WHAT OUTDOORTV PROGRAMMESANGLERS PREFER

“Online media is breakingnew ground,” says SouthwickAssociates. “The trend towardsincreased cyber communicationis not lost on hunters, shootersand anglers. Southwick Associatescan report your customers’ useof specific websites and theirinvolvement in 23 differentsocial media platforms includingFacebook, Twitter and YouTube.”

HOW ANGLERSARE EMBRACINGSOCIAL MEDIA

WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM SAMMFour ways in which the Southwick Associates Media Monitor can help you

better understand anglers and other outdoor sportsmen.

“Online media is breakingnew ground and we have

the capability to reportyour customers’ use of

specific websites.”

1

2

34


“I have a lot of things toexpress in the soft plasticmarket... starting now!”Now fully at home at Pure Fishing, Patrick Sébile tells of his intent to give hisportfolio more balance, starting with two classics for the softbait market: the ATMinnow and the Sébile Swimbait Rig. “They are close to being perfect,” he says.

“This is part of the Sébileproduct line which hasn’tyet been developed veryfar. That’s changing.”

Angling International: Patrick, what inspired youto develop these particular products?Patrick Sébile: As always, my inspiration camefrom real consumer needs. One was for a rig thatis easy and convenient to use for soft plasticsand swimbaits in particular. The other was for asoft paddle tail minnow that can be easily andperfectly rigged not just in the usual ways but alsonew ones, to cover every situation and technique.

Generally my inspiration comes from what ismissing in the market. I never try to copy a lurefrom another company that is selling well. My aimis truly to introduce something genuinely new,efficient and truly innovative for the benefit of theangler. This challenge is what fuels my search forthe next thing that will satisfy the angler and bethe new best seller. The AT Minnow is close tobeing the perfect example.

This year I wanted to design a lure and a termi-nal tackle both linked to the soft plastic world, be-cause this is part of the Sébile product line whichhasn’t yet been developed very far. More than 90%of the line are hardbaits. Now I am part of thePure Fishing team, I have a lot of things to do andto express in the soft plastic market, starting withthese two products.

You always have specific goals in mind beforedeveloping new product. What were they in thiscase?The AT Minnow is related to the AT, or All Terrain,family, such as the AT Worm. Soft lures from thisfamily have to be able to do way more than



?Want to talk to Sébile?Here’s how to find them...Tel: +33 45 09 67 700 Email: [email protected]: www.sebile.com


WHY DOES EFTTA HAVE MORE POLITICAL POWER NOW? See p65

Above: The AT Minnowhas holes for hooksin different places forextreme versatility.Left: the new SébileSwimbait Rig.

Another success! The AT Minnow took eight monthsto go from first drawing to proven fish catcher.

Weedless

Front holding slot Belly soft or seedlessAnus hook holding

Tail Hook holding for finicky bitesFront hole entrancefor perfect Jig Head/Hook/Leader position

– was the most important part of the fine-tuningwork. The development of the Swimbait Rig waspretty quick, as I had already known for some timethe range of weights needed to keel a single hookpoint up. It did take me several months to finalise,but that was because I didn’t have the time todedicate only to this.

Do the products incorporate new materials?The body of the AT Minnow is basically all softplastic, but the mold has a complex mixture ofmoving tubes and metal plaques, which is veryinteresting from an engineering point of view. I cre-ated a very specific 15-degree opened worm wide-gap hook for the Swimbait Rig, and because of thatopening the point is always outside the soft plastic,making it better for instant hook setting.

What is it that makes these products genuinelyinnovative and unique?The AT Minnow can be rigged in absolutely everyway a soft plastic minnow can be. Clever anglersmay even find new ways to use it. The SwimbaitRig offers coverage on the back and underneath thebelly of the lure, plus the benefit of an adjustableweight. These features are genuinely innovativeand unique!

you would normally expect from regular, similarlyshaped lures.

As a result, this minnow is not typical. Yes, you cansimply rig it on a round jighead, but this is far frombeing the only way to fish it. It can be used on a dropshot rig, or an inverse rig when you want the bait toswim head first, with the leader coming out from thetail’s end. This allows it to enter into branches andweeds on a free fall, coming out backwards.

It can also be rigged as a swimbait, weighted orunweighted. The idea is to allow the angler to trymany kinds of rigs, from conventional to unusual, tofit his needs. It can be cast, trolled, jigged or verticallyfished. The strength of the AT Minnow is that it isso versatile. One of the best rigging styles is witha jighead on which you can attach a stinger hookpositioned in the anus for a typical action, or eveninto the tail’s end when fish like zander or perch areextremely finicky.

All this is made possible by the presence of slotsand holes in different parts of the lure, making riggingeasy and fast.

How difficult is this to achieve?To achieve all this means having a very complicatedand expensive mold, but it makes the final result a‘no brainer’ purchase for the angler. And anothergood thing to highlight here is that these holes makethe bait last a lot longer than normal soft plastics,because the hook and leader won’t tear the plasticas fast as when you have to puncture the soft plasticwith the hook point, which makes normal soft plas-tics weaker.

So while the AT Minnow may cost a bit more, itlasts so much longer and catches more fish – makingit a good value investment.

And what about the Swimbait Rig?That is a totally different story, although once again Ihad a clear goal in mind. I was looking for a rig to beused with swimbaits and others soft plastics (grubs,shads, curly tails, worms, slugs and so on) to get thebenefit of a soft plastic for a very realistic and silentapproach. I also wanted to ensure a high hookingratio by using an open, wide gap hook plus a treblehook positioned underneath the belly.

Then I wanted to be able to modify and adjust theweight of the bait in a way that would change its bal-ance and dive curve. I made that possible by havinga fixed weight in front of the rig and by being able toadd one or more of our award-winning Soft WeightSystem on the back of the hook shank. By doing this

you really can change the way your bait will swim andsink within seconds. This can make all the differencein getting a predator fish to bite or not.

To add to all these features, this Swimbait Rig isalso perfect when used with a dead baitfish, a tech-nique I grew up with and which is sometimes justdeadly for pike!

What anglers will it appeal to?The Sébile Swimbait Rig is a simple but unique rigthat I believe will benefit most spinning/casting an-glers – which is exactly why I created it. I really like tofish it whenever I don’t need to hide my hook pointin the plastic to fish into heavy cover. There are alsolots of cases where the soft plastic lure or a naturaldeadbait can be used in open and/or clean water.

What about the development process? How long didit all take?For the AT Minnow, it took me eight months fromthe first drawing to creating the final lure. Several littlechanges in the mold were needed, especially on thetail as I wanted it to hold the treble hook perfectly forvertical rigging with a finesse rig.

Getting the lure to stay straight when fished on thebottom and offering the hook at the very end – thisis where most soft plastics have a weakness. That –and the exact position of the different holes and slots

IT’S HERE! THE NEW ONLINERESOURCE FOR THE TACKLE TRADE

62

MANUFACTURERS!TELL MORE

BUYERS ABOUTYOUR PRODUCTSFASTER AND INMORE DETAIL

www.angling-international.com – more product news more often

Daily productnews & alertsRead about new launches from brandsaround the world every day.

Virtual magazines hereRead the latest issue of Angling International as avirtual magazine plus view back issues here too.

62

wwwAngling International August 2011

NEW ONLINEFOR THE TACKLE TRADE


RETAILERS!FIND NEWPRODUCTS

HERE EVERYDAY

EFTTEX New Product AwardsDetails of Europe’s biggest launches of the year – altogether in oneplace for the first time.

COMING SOON! VIRTUAL CATALOGUES SECTIONî Turn the pages of the latest tackle cataloguesî Choose by market sector or target brandî Major brands, growing companies and niche manufacturers all listedî The best way to source new products

N

acturers all listed

EFTTEX winnersAll the winning products from the show are listed hereplus read the winners’ stories in our news section.

EFTTEX i

EFTTEX N P d t A d


EEFTTAFTTATRADING WITH

The voice of the European Tackle Trade

EFTTA is on its way to becominga major voice on the Euro-pean political stage, its President,Pierangelo Zanetta, told delegatesin his annual address. Speaking at

the Association’s Annual General Assembly,he said EFTTA was forging links with nationaltackle trade associations in Europe in a bidto get the voice of the industry heard at thehighest level.

“EFTTA is now supporting the national tradeassociations within Europe,” he said. “OurCEO, Jean-Claude Bel, read a message fromme during a recent meeting between FIPO andthe new Italian Agriculture Minister, SaverioRomano, and our input was appreciated.

“Authority comes from representativepower and today we have representativesfrom two national trade associations – CiroEsposito from FIPO and ANSPO’s Hans Juer-gen Saenger – sitting on the EFTTA Board.

“EFTTA sits on all the most important Euro-pean commissions where angling is discussed– and that is the way forward for us. We have tohave more power and authority at those levels.”

He added: “I have never hidden my twodreams for EFTTA – turning the associationinto a federation of European national trade

Pierangelo Zanetta atthe EFTTA AGA: “We arecreating a federationwith real power.”

In his annual address to members, EFTTA President Pierangelo Zanetta hasreaffirmed his growing confidence in the Association’s political power.

Pierangelo Zanetta: ‘EFTTAis on its way to becoming afar stronger political force’

associations with real power andcreating a worldwide trade bodythat can discuss global industryproblems. Those dreams arenow close to reality thanksto the support of my Boardmembers.”

Zanetta also revealed thatEFTTA was doubling its lobby-ing budget and has taken on auniversity student to compile areport on the status of the Eu-ropean fishing tackle market.

He said: “We know too littleabout our industry and needsome up-to-date statistics.

“This is important when we are lobbying.The first thing top politicians ask when weapproach them is ‘who are you?’. We have todeliver reliable data to justify their attention.”

Another project that has been receivingEFTTA investment, said Zanetta, was theproduction of a documentary about theimpact of hydo-electric production and itseffect on the eco-system.

He explained: “In Europe these hydro-electricity stations have been responsible forthe destruction of fishing in many valleys.

“The film is ready for release soon and wewill be using it to make national governmentsaware of the problem.”

Delegates were also asked to rememberthe victims of the Japanese earthquake andtsunami. Zanetta said: “The country has beenone of the world’s leading developers of fish-ing tackle. Its fantastic technological advancesand crafted products are renowned.

“I urge EFTTA members to rememberthem and contribute to the country’sreconstruction.”

“EFTTA now sits on allthe important Europeancommissions whereangling is discussed.”

EFTTA saw its income increase by11% as it posted a profit of nearly€54,000 in 2010. Board memberRichard Sanderson told delegates:“In the current economic climatenot many fishing tackle companiesenjoyed such growth.”

The association saw its sub-scriptions revenue rise in 2010 to€175,707 from €154,842. However,the biggest contributor to its bottom

line was – as in previous years – theEFFTEX exhibition. The event inValencia, Spain realised €505,199compared to €449,544 in 2009.

Management and Secretariatexpenditure increased by nearly€20,000 from €280,806 to€299,573 and the remunerationpaid to CEO Jean-Claude Bel wasup from €133,362 to €139,702.

Equipment maintenance, post

and stationery costs were slashed by€26,819 from €31,651 to €4,832following a renegotiation of EFTTA’scontract with its secretariat provider,Resolutions.

Spend on its lobbying services inBrussels last year was down from€38,270 to €37,035, while EFTTA’scontribution to the Youth GrantScheme rose from €12,000 to€20,750.

EFTTA revenue increases by 11%


EFTTAT 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

Main image and above: theMesse Wein Exhibition &Conference Centre, Vienna,venue for EFTTEX 2013.

Vienna is to be the venuefor the 2013 EFTTEX. In apresentation to delegates,EFTTA General ManagerJanet Doyle outlined the

reasons for the association’s choice ofthe Austrian capital and the Messe WeinExhibition & Conference Centre for theevent in two years’ time.

She said that as well as being a beauti-ful city, Vienna ticked all the boxes forvisitors to the show with:● Good transport and connection links;

MaMainin iimamagegege aandnd aaboboboveve:: thththeee

● Comparably low costs;● Modern venue facilities;● Good availability of hotel rooms;● Plenty of tourist attractions.She added: “Austria is centrally located andis the gateway to the west. It is bordered byeight countries, making it easily accessiblefor the whole of Europe.

“The event will take place in one 15,888-sqm hall that is completely clear of obstaclesand the venue is easily accessed via Austria’sU-Bahn underground system with two sta-tions close by.”

Vienna to hostEFTTEX in 2013




Leading European lure brand, FoxRAGE, agreed an exclusive distributiondeal with Swedish company GladsaxeFiske at EFTTEX.

The private company in the southof Sweden is a leading brand for seatrout and salmon spoons and hasits own distribution network acrossthe country.

Following the agreement, GladsaxFiske will distribute RAGE productsand both companies will work togetheron marketing and promotions to retail-ers and dealers.

Fox International’s European Preda-tor Manager Dietmar Isaiasch said:“Swedish anglers are hungry for newtechniques, like vertical jigging – andwe have the right stuff for it.

“The range as it stands is ready forthe market, but we listen carefully toour customers and therefore will comeup with special lure colours and termi-nal tackle for Swedish anglers duringthe season.

“We have more than 1,000 products

in our range, including many innova-tive soft and hard lures that can beused for jigging and jerkbait fishing,mainly for pike, zander and perch.”

RAGE is already an establishedbrand in Germany, Austria and theBenelux countries and is growing inFrance and Italy, says Isaiasch. Healso revealed that his target in the com-ing months will be Russia andthe Baltic States.

New EFTTA Boardmember appointed

Michele Adinolfihas joined theEFTTA Board.He was elected atthe association’sAnnual Gen-eral Assemblyand succeeds hisfather, Ermanno,

who had servedon the Board for28 years.

Adinolfi has worked in his father’scompany, Adinolfi Fulpa, for thelast 23 years and is currently VicePresident with direct responsibility forsales, advertising and marketing.

He said: “I am honoured to workon the Board and believe that my

experience can be of value to the as-sociation.

“I would like to see EFTTA continueto grow and EFTTEX to develop fur-ther and open its doors to consumers– our end users and the source of ourprofitability.”

The following Board members wereall re-elected unopposed to serve an-other term: Rudi Heger of Rudi Heger/Traun River (Germany), MontserratCalico of Calico SA (Spain), Gen-nadi Zharkov of Lottaolt, (RussianFederation) and Jacques Prallet of PureFishing Europe (France).

Delegates were told that PierangeloZanetta had been re-elected to servefor another three years as EFTTAPresident at its last Board meeting.

New EFTTA Boardmember: MicheleAdinolfi.

Fox RAGE seals deal atEFTTEX to enter Sweden

Dietmar Isaiasch (left) seals thedeal with Gladsaxe Fiske’s PeterLindström and Mats Andersson.

“Swedish anglersare hungry for newtechniques – and wehave the right stuff.”




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Fears are growingthat the RussianGovernment maydeclare free fishingon all the federa-

tion’s waters as a pre-election‘gift’ to voters. The RussianSalmon Fund is campaigningagainst a move being con-sidered by rulers inside TheKremlin to approve proposedlegislation to allow free anduncontrolled access to all riversand lakes for all species of fish.

Chairman of the RussianSalmon Fund and EFTTABoard member GennardiZharkov believes such a movewould have serious implica-tions for the survival ofPacific and Atlantic salmonin the country. Zharkov’s

organisation is campaigning for controlled areas tobe introduced where Russian anglers have to pay toenjoy their sport, but where stocks can be closelycontrolled and monitored.

As reported in last month’s Angling International,EFTTA has written to the Russian Prime Minister,Vladimir Putin, and the President, Dmitry Medvedevcalling for constraint.

EFTTA’s President, Pierangelo Zanetta, and itsChief Executive Officer, Jean-Claude Bel, urged thetwo leaders to consider controlling quotas for endan-gered species.

The letter said that while EFTTA generally sup-ported this type of free access, it was ‘extremely con-cerned’ about the consequences of such an approachwhen applied to rare and endangered species likeAtlantic and Pacific salmon.

Zharkov said: “The problem is very serious. There isa fear that in autumn on the eve of the elections to theState Parliament that the Government will take a popu-list step and totally eliminate managed fishing areas.”

Zharkov is a member of the Parliament Commis-

sion that is working on the law regarding sport andrecreational fishing with the Agency of Fishing of theRussian Federation. He is hoping to prevent totalelimination of managed angling and set up areas oforganised fishing to preserve fish stocks.

He said: “The Russian Salmon Fund position isconstructive and open to compromise. We considerthat reservoirs should have a responsible managerinterested in the preservation and restoration offish stocks.

“We are ready to agree that 95% of these reservoirsremain accessible and free of charge, but believethat 5% should be assigned to users who will havesupervised access on these waters and their fishingmethods controlled.”

Zharkov added: “We have had no Governmentreaction to the letters received from foreign organisa-tions, however we know they have been read.”

The Salmon Fund has created a special section onits website dedicated to discussing the draft propos-als. It has also been actively involved in making itsposition clear within the media and to state officials.

Russian campaign update

Key role: EFTTA’sGennardi Zharkov.

Prime Minister Putin’splans are in question.

angling international - august 2011 - issue 43

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