Angling International Magazine - August 2010 - 31

PRODUCTS TOSTOCK FOR 2011

Stories behind theEFTTEX award winners

Essential reading for buyers in the tackle trade

August 2010 Issue 31

ies behind theTEX award winners

Now online at angling-international.com

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WHAT NEXT INFLY FISHING?

Haroutunian andSwisher debate the future

Essential reading for buyers in the tackle trade

August 2010 Issue 31

unian andr debate the futu

Now online at angling-international.com

Numbers were up, so why wasn’t everybody happy?Full review with industry reaction starts page 24.

EFTTEX 2010: THE VERDICT

FULL STORY p8

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EFTTA WAR ONLINE CHEATS

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF

Leading brands are among firstto sign new charter on labels

Pierangelo Zanetta: “We have to act”ggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggerangelo Zanetta: We have to act

Jan van de Bovenkamp (Pure Fishing): “We are happy to sign”

EUROPE’SBEST NEWPRODUCTSA new benchmarkin multipliersThe design advances that placethe Okuma Andros above itsrivals p34

This year’s must-have carp baitWhy Pure Fishing is staking somuch on Berkley Gulp! Carp p30

“A genuine stepforward in lines”

Sébile honouredonce againHow the US company wonthree awards in Valencia p32

pnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvaaaaaaaaaaaaaan van de Bovenkamp (Pure g)

Jean Claude Bel: “Consumers need protection”

PLUS

Why Hyperfluorocarbon 3Corewas voted thewinner ofthe EFTTEXmonoawardp31

August 2010 Angling International 5

MAGAZINE CREDITS

AUGUST 2010

We’re not out ofthe woods yet!That seemed tobe the underly-ing message

to emerge from EFTTEX, Europe’sbiggest industry gathering in Valencialast month. As the Managing Directorof one world-leading brand told meat the close of the show: “Clearly thefeedback from most markets is thatthe combination of a tough economicclimate and poor weather conditionshas had a marked impact on theangling trade in Europe. The marketis still running behind last year. Thatmeans it’s probably off the 2007-08peak by over 30%. Sobering condi-tions.”

Another added: “It is evident thatthe European market is being affectedby the world economy and by thispast harsh winter.”

You can read more comments fromexhibitors in our in-depth EFTTEX

report starting on page 24. Althoughthere is a sense of reality about amarket still trying to regain its feet,there’s also a clear and positive viewthat being proactive is the only wayforward.

Just by being at the show, compa-nies were making a positive market-ing statement. It’s been said before,but I’ll say it again, when times gettough the worst thing for a companyto do is cut its marketing budget anddisappear inside its shell. Getting outagain can be extremely difficult – andin some cases impossible!

Easy for me to say, but as I prepareto leave for ICAST I know I will findlots more companies prepared toinvest in getting out there to sell theirproducts, despite the many problemsfacing the sport in the US right now.

I only hope the same attitudeprevails in the fly fishing market, asector that has found it harder thanmost in recent years. The inaugral

International Fly Tackle Dealer Show,rising from the ashes of the failedFFR, is as yet an unknown quantity.Show Director Randi Swisher reportsa further flurry of response fromexhibitors in this issue (page 14), buthe will be fully aware that the futuresuccess of the event hinges on dealersupport. Hopefully the plans he hasput in place to drive attendance willpay off.

Angling International will include afull preview of the show next monthin our annual fly fishing special. Ifyou want to know more about theadvertising and editorial packagesavailable just contact our CommercialDirector Lucie Henton.

Mel [email protected]

• Publishing editor: Mel Bagnall; [email protected] +44 (0)1733 392 977 • Editorial director: Rob Carter; [email protected]• Art Director: Keely Docherty-Lee; [email protected] • Designer: Kate Hooley; [email protected]• Database Manager: Graham Goor; [email protected]• Colour reproduction: AT Graphics UK Ltd, Peterborough, Cambs UK • Printed by: Warners Midlands plc, Bourne, Cambs UK• Subscription enquiries: [email protected]

Angling International magazine is published by Top Corner Editorial and Design Limited. 4 Milnyard Square, Bakewell Road, Orton Southgate, Peterborough Cambridgeshire, UnitedKingdom, PE2 6GX • International Commercial Director: Lucie Henton; [email protected]; Tel. +44 7825 999230; Fax +44 1225 760249; Skype lpetrickova

•THANKS THIS ISSUE GO TO: Dirk Sowietzki, Milja Findlay, Tom Legge, Karina Miller, Graham Goor, Bruno Broughton, Donna Leonard, Anita Pandya, Fanny Champlon, Rindert Jansma, Nic Brown,John Mazurkiewicz, Linda Saunders, Angela Coe, Hilary at China Fish, Tony Conte, Jenny Travis, Sidi Saler Hotel, Loic Corroyer, Gerard Adam, Rudy van Duijnhoven, Juan Fernando Calle, Stanko Popovic.●Nopartofthismagazinemaybereproducedwithoutthepermissionofthepublisher.Themagazineassumesnoresponsibilityforthesafetyofcontributions,althoughallreasonablecarewillbetaken.

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Meet the makers of Angling International...

ROB CARTER,EDITORIAL DIRECTORRob began his career writing for andediting specialist consumermagazines in the UK (includingMatch football magazine, Fore! golfmagazine and Trout Fisherman)before being appointed editor-in-chief of Emap’s contractpublishingdepartment.He is a founder directorof Top Corner, the publishers ofAngling International.

KEELY DOCHERTY-LEE,ART DIRECTORAs Top Corner’s art director andco-founder, Keely has 15 years’design experience, and a proventrack record of producing success-ful ad campaigns, brochures anddirect mail. She has worked withmany angling clients and todayleads the design team on AnglingInternational, managing theeditorial production of each issue.

LUCIE HENTON,INTERNATIONALCOMMERCIAL DIRECTORLucie can call upon seven years’experience of delivering commer-cial solutions for angling clients.Czech-born, she is also familiarwith other eastern Europeanlanguages. Call her to discussyour advertising needs and tofind out ways to promote yourproducts in the magazine.

MEL BAGNALL,PUBLISHING EDITORMel’s vast experience in the anglingindustry includes six years as thepublisher of UK company Emap’sangling business. He began hiscareer on Angling Times where hewas reporter, feature writer, subeditor and news editor, and wasalso assistant editor of Sea Angler.He has worked in magazines formore than 36 years.

Angling International August 20106

“C’est un rêve qui est devenu réalité,”dit Patrick Sébile, créateur de leurres etfier gagnant de trois trophées du meil-leur Nouveau Produit 2010 à EFTTEX.Sa réaction à été très émotionnellemais P.Sébile connait aussi la valeurd’un trophée gagné à EFTTEX. Commeil l’explique (page 32), il cherche desdistributeurs dans certains territoirespour ses deux leurres gagnants et sonsystème de lests interchangeable.Frédéric Parrier, Directeur Général deParralelium, n’a pas perdu de tempspour capitaliser sur son succès dansla catégorie Meilleur Monofilament. Il àdéjà été contacté par dix distributeursen Europe intéressés à distribuer sesproduits (voir page 31). Pure Fish-ing à aussi compris l’intérêt d’êtrereconnu à EFTTEX. Dans ce numéro ilspartagent leur entousiasthme d’avoirété récompensés pour leur nouvellegamme Berkley Gulp! Carpe (page 30).Une récompense à EFTTEX, déclarentil, est un bon outil supplémentaire pourcommencer à introduire et prendre desparts de marché avec cette nouvellegamme de produits. Ils vont l’utiliserdans leur communication la saisonprochaine. Plus loin nous concentronssue les réactions de l’industrie sur cetEFTTEX 2010 (page 24). EFTTA rapporteun nombre de visiteurs en augmenta-tion, la plupart des exposants déclar-ent avoir été satisfaits du Salon et ontdécidé déjà de réserver leur standpour Amsterdam 2011. Mais l’intérêtse porte aussi sur les USA particulière-ment le secteur de le pêche la mouche.Le mois prochain sera un numérod’Angling International particulièrementorienté «Mouche» mais avant lisez nosentretiens avec deux leaders dans lesSalons de pêche à la mouche (page 14).Si leurs paroles sont crédibles, la fin del’été promet d’être intéressante dans cesecteur .Bonne lecture!

“Este es un sueño hecho realidad!”, dijoPatrick Sébile, creador de peces artificilesque recibió con orgullo los tres premios alos mejores Nuevos Productos en EFTTEX2010, celebrado el pasado mes de junioen Valencia/España. Su reacción fuemuy personal, pero también sabe Sébileel valor comercial de ganar en EFTTEX.Como él mismo explica en la página 32,ya está buscando distribuidores parasus dos galardonados señuelos y por suSoft Weight System ,que ganó el premioal mejor accesorio. Del mismo modo,Frédric Parrier, director general de la marcaParallelium no ha perdido tiempo en lacapitalización de su éxito en la categoríaMejor Premio a los nuevos monofila-mentos. Él ha hecho una llamada a losdistribuidores de diez países europeosinteresados en su gama de líneas (véasela página 31). Pure Fishing tambiénentiende la importancia de ser reconocidoen EFTTEX, con el premio conseguidogracias a su nuevo producto, BERKLEYGULP CARPA (página 30). El Premio EFT-TEX, dicen, es el impulso perfecto para laempresa al inicio de su campaña en favorde la cuota de mercado en la carpa cebossector. Esté atento a las referencias dematerial de marketing del próximo año. Enotro lugar, nos centramos en la reacción dela industria más amplia para EFTTEX 2010(página 24). EFTTA reporta un incrementoen el número de visitantes respecto alaño anterior, mientras que la mayoría delos expositores dicen que disfrutaron deun buen espectáculo y están planeandohacer una nueva reserva para Amster-dam en 2011. Pero el lado de atención secentra en América y especialmente, en elsector de pesca con mosca. El próximomes en el número especial de pesca conmosca Pesca Internacional, no dejeis deleer nuestras entrevistas con dos de losprotagonistas de la muestra (página 14).Si es cierto lo que dice, a finales del veranopromete ser un momento interesante en elsector. Disfrute de la revista!

„Ein Traum wird zur Wirklichkeit!“ sagtPatrick Sebile, Köderentwickler undEmpfänger von drei Efttex „Bestes-Neu-es-Produkt“-Preisen in Valancia im Juni.Seine Reaktion war sehr emotional, aberP.Sebile verkennt nicht den kaufmän-nischen Wert dieser Auszeichnungen.Auf Seite 32 erklärt er, dass man bereitsneue Vertriebspartner für die Efttex-Gewinner sucht, die 2 Köder und dasSoft-Weight-System. Frédéric Parrier,Geschäftsführer bei Parallelium, hat auchnicht gezögert, den Gewinn des „Beste-Neue-Schnur“-Preises umzusetzen.Er rief umgehend 10 Vertriebspartnerin Europa an, die an speziell diesemProgramm interessiert sind (siehe Seite31). Auch Pure Fishing weiss um denWiedererkennung-Wert anlässlich derEfttex. In dieser Ausgabe teilen sie unsihre Freude über den Sieg von Berkley-Gulp mit / Karpfen-Programm (Seite30). „Die Efttex-Auszeichnung“, sagtman, „ist die perfekte Unterstützung fürdie Ausweitung des Marktanteiles imKarpfen-Köder-Bereich.“ Ausblick auf dieEmpfehlungen von Marketing-Materialfür dieses Jahr. An anderer Stelle richtenwir unser Augenmerk auf die Reaktionendes Handels bzgl. der EFTTEX 2010(Seite 24). EFTTA berichtet über einegestiegene Besucherzahl im Vergleichzum Vorjahr, während die meistenAussteller mitteilen, dass sie zufriedenseien und zur Messe in Amsterdam 2011wiederkommen wollen. Der nächste Blickgeht nach Amerika, in besonderem Maßein den Bereich Fliegen-Fischen. NächstenMonat gibt es in Angling Internationalein Fliegen-Fischen-Spezial – vorherlesen Sie bitte unser Interview mit zweiführenden Akteuren der Fliegen-Fischen-Messen (Seite 14). Ihnen zufolge wirdder Spätsommer eine äusserst interes-sante Zeit für diesen Bereich. Viel Spaßbeim Lesen!

“Si è avverato un sogno!” ha esclamato ilcreatore di esche Patrick Sébile, orgogliosodi aver ricevuto tre Premi per il MigliorNuovo Prodotto all’EFTTEX, l’eventofieristico di pesca sportiva tenutosi aValencia lo scorso giugno. La sua reazioneè assolutamente personale ma Sébile èben consapevole del valore commercialedi vincere a questo salone internazionale.Come spiega a pagina 32 è già alla ricercadi distributori per i due suoi modelli di es-che che gli sono valsi la premiazione e peril suo “Sistema di Peso Piuma” che ha vintoil premio come Miglior Nuovo Accessorio.Allo stesso modo anche Frédéric Parrier,General Manager del marchio Parallelium,non ha perso tempo nel capitalizzare ilproprio successo nella categoria dei premiper il Miglior Nuovo Monofilo. Ne è la provail consenso dei distributori di dieci paesieuropei interessati alla sua gamma dilenze (vedere pagina 31). Questi sonosolo alcuni dei nomi di chi si è distintoall’EFTTEX; nondimeno Pure Fishing, a cuiè ben nota l’importanza di parteciparead un tale appuntamento e di riceverericonoscimenti. In questo numero, infatti,l’azienda vuole farvi partecipi della vit-toria per la nuova gamma carpa BerkleyGulp! (pagina 30). Il premio EFTTEX,dice l’azienda, è lo stimolo perfetto checi voleva all’inizio della campagna per ilmarket share nel settore delle esche dacarpa. Attenzione quindi ai riferimenti nelmateriale pubblicitario del prossimo anno.Sempre in questo numero focalizzeremo lanostra attenzione su come il settore abbiaampiamente reagito all’EFTTEX 2010 (pa-gina 24). EFTTA registra un’affluenza mag-giore di visitatori rispetto al 2009, mentregli espositori entusiasti dell’evento stannogià programmando la propria partecipazi-one ad Amsterdam 2011. Ancora, AnglingInternational sposta i propri riflettori anchesull’America ed in particolare sul settoredella pesca a mosca, per darvi un assaggiodi ciò che tratterà più dettagliatamente nelnumero speciale del prossimo mese, in-teramente dedicato a questo tipo di pesca.Vi auguriamo una buona lettura!

Diesen monat, Ce mois, Este mes, Questo mese...


BIG PLAYERS SIGNEFTTA’S LINE CHARTERPure Fishing is the first to officially support the new initiative against false claimson line packaging, quickly followed by Shimano, Sufix and French suppliers.

Pure Fishing has become the firstcompany to sign the new officialline charter introduced by EFTTA.And the global manufacturer nowexpects other companies to follow

its lead in supporting the initiative to ensureinaccurate labelling is outlawed.

Jan van de Bovenkamp, Pure Fishing’sSenior Manager for Line Product Develop-ment in Europe, said: “We are happy tobe the first to do this because we have aleading role in the product development

and worldwide sales of fishing line. Now weexpect others on the market to follow thisgood example.

“Our current lines comply with the existingset of rules so this is an easy commitmentfor us to make. Any newly released productwill be tested by EFTTA and will be certified.Pure Fishing will make this clear on all its linepackaging, starting from January 1st, 2012,when the new regulations become active.”

Shimano, Sufix, Parallelium, Water Queenand Tortue quickly joined Pure Fishing in

signing the charter, lending their combinedweight and influence to an initiative thatEFTTA is fiercely passionate about.

EFTTA’s pioneering project follows yearsof complaints in the trade about incorrectlylabelled fishing lines. Now EFTTA PresidentPierangelo Zanetta has written a letter to theindustry explaining the charter and warningthat failure to clean up the labelling issue canresult in huge fines that put companies atrisk. “We cannot flout the laws forever andexpect to avoid being penalised,” he says.

Pure Fishing’s Jan vande Bovenkamp: “We hopeothers sign up quickly.”

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

WHAT IS THE TRADE’S REACTION TO EFTTEX 2010? See p24


“As a trade association we cannot acceptthis situation… when we know law-abidingmembers are at a disadvantage comparedto companies that do not respect the laws.We have to show we act for an industry thatrespects consumer rights.”

EFTTA plans to regularly publish in themedia those companies that have signed thecharter, thus exposing those not committedto giving true and accurate information ontheir monofilament lines.

“Companies who sign up have a power-ful sales tool at their disposal,” points outZanetta. “Not signing the charter will clearlyshow you do not want to accept our industrystandards.”

The Association plans to launch a wide-spread marketing and promotional campaignto educate retailers and consumers aboutthe meaning of the charter and the qualitystandard attached to it.

And EFTTA CEO Jean Claude Bel leftno doubt that it will target non-compliantcompanies. “We will use magazines to influ-ence buyers and consumers to trust thosebrands that sign the charter and not the otherones. We will also encourage the trade and

consumers to claim for their rights if they feelcheated,” he stressed.

“EFTTA does not have the role of thepolice, but we believe that manufacturersare now committed to protecting themselveswith legal actions and that some court caseswill result in heavy fines. We are convincedthe market will self-discipline itself.

“Whenever a company is found to bedishonest in its labelling EFTTA will contactthem to try to convince them to change.”

EFTTA will make random tests to policethe scheme and will lobby the European Un-ion to validate it as the legal official standardfor fishing lines.

Pure Fishing produces many leading linebrands including Berkley, Stren, Spider, Penn,JRC, Mitchell, Abu and Shakespeare and eachof these will be 100% aligned with the newEFTTA regulations.

SOWIETZKI: “IT’S NOT ENOUGH”Not everyone agrees that EFTTA’s plan goes farenough in its attempt to stop the line cheats. “I amnot of the same opinion that the trade itself canregulate the cheating,” said Dirk Sowietzki, ExportSales Manager for German line company MonofilTechnik.

“This dishonesty can only be stopped byexternal pressure. EFTTA has to announce thisirregular behaviour to the EU in Brussels in orderto come to a solution.

“It is misguided to believe that the offender canheal himself without having fixed laws estab-lished outside the trade.

“Understandably, EFTTA is afraid to annoy itsmembers and exhibitors by using a strongerhand. But the honest companies and theircustomers are already sick about an associationnot being able to change what is more or lesscriminal behaviour that has been hurting honestmanufacturers and consumers for years.

“An official, legal regulation is long overdue.We are tired of listening to the apologies.”

EFTTA CEO Jean-Claude Bel commented:“Fake advertising is illegal, whether it be fishinglines or other products. It is against the law andpunishable.”

“The time has come for accurate linelabelling in Europe,” added Bovenkamp.“The decision by Pure Fishing to complywith EFTTA’s line charter is the perfect startin making this happen. We hope many otherline manufacturers and wholesalers sign up.”

Bovenkamp has been a long-time cam-paigner for stricter line regulation and, speak-ing in Angling International earlier this year,he called for more honesty from manufactur-ers to provide clarity for the consumer.

“Fishermen have a right to know whatthey are buying,” he said. “False claims areselling a lot of line but not the best line. Weare in the ridiculous situation when honestlabelling makes it harder to sell the product.”

Further information on the line charter,which accepts tolerance levels of 10% in bothdiameter and breaking strength, is availablefrom [email protected].

Above: EFTTA PresidentPierangelo Zanetta andCEO Jean Claude Belhave contacted thetrade directly.

Below: Jan van deBovenkamp signs thenew charter.


COMMUNIQUÉ

10

Triple award successfor Shimano and Sébile


International brands Shimano and Sébilecame to the fore in last month’s prestigiousBest New Product Awards at EFTTEX, bothcompanies securing a hat-tick of first places.

Shimano, widely acclaimed as the world’stop reel maker, added to that reputation when itsStella FE was adjudged best new spinning reelamid very impressive company. And it dominatedthe rods category with the top awards for theLesath AX and the G.Loomis NRX fly rod.

“Shimano is honoured to collect three awards,”

said Senior Marketing Manager Gerard Bakkenes.“The products are truly innovative and a testa-ment to our continued commitment and contri-bution to the industry and to the next generationof fishing tackle. At Shimano it is always our goalto develop captivating products that bring pleas-ure to the angler.”

Sébile, a double winner at American showICAST last year, added to its trophy collection byscooping both the hard and metal categories inthe lures section with its D&S Crank and Pro-Shad Spinnerbait – and then for good measurecollected the Best New Accessory Award with itsSoft Weight System.

“Our first bait was sold in the US on June 10th,2006, so this was a great way to celebrate ourfourth anniversary,” said owner Patrick Sébile.“We have produced more than three million baitssince then.”

Another previous winner to win again wasFrench line brand Parallelium whose Hyper-fluorocarbon 3Core was selected by the five-manindependent judging panel as best new monofila-ment. Managing Director Frédéric Parrier collectedthe same award at EFTTEX 2008 in Rome.

And Leeda brand Wychwood repeated its suc-cess of last year in the Best New Fy Reel categorywith an “exquisite extension” of its Truefly reelinto the saltwater arena.

Double award winner on the night was StrikePro, which lifted the Best New Braided LineAward and Best New Soft Lure Award with itsStrike Wire Extreme and Strike Pro Reaction Baitrespectively.

Pure Fishing also did a best product double,first celebrating success in the natural hook baitssection with its brand new Berkley Gulp! Carp – arange, said the judges, to make the world’s carpanglers sit up and take notice – and then addingthe best carp bivvy shelter accolade with the JRCCocoon Carp Crib.

Sponsored and managed by Angling Interna-tional, the awards attracted an amazing 150-plusentries from exhibitors travelling to Valencia fromall over the world. “The response to this year’sawards was amazing and possibly the best ever,”said Angling International’s Editorial Director RobCarter. “The quality of the entries gets better andthe panel of independent judges selected from theEuropean media found it very difficult choosingthe winners. The reaction of the winners said it all.It proves what these awards mean to people.”

The International Business Reception, heldon Valencia’s spectacular Umbracle Terraza, wassponsored by VMC Pêche, which is celebrating its100th anniversary, and Agility Logistics.

Far left: Taizo Shimano, Vice President Shimano Inc. and SeniorMarketing Manager Europe Gerard Bakennes celebrate with one ofShimano’s three awards.Left: A delighted Patrick Sébile shows off his trophies.Below: The Umbracle Terraza, the venue for the Business Reception.

● Best New Rod – Shimano Lesath AXCommended – Snowbee SBS

● Best New Fly Rod – G.Loomis NRXCommended – Greys XF2 Streamflex Plus

● Best New Fly Reel – Wychwood Truefly SaltCommended – Greys GX 500

● Best New Spinning Reel – Shimano Stella FECommended – MAP ACS FD

● Best New Multiplier Reel – Okuma AndrosCommended – Albacore Gorilla 8 Veloce

● Best New Fly Line – Snowbee XS-Tra DistanceCommended – Climax PE+ Jet Shooting

● Best New Monofilament Line – Parallelium Hyperfluorocarbon 3CoreCommended – Eagle Claw Bioline

● Best New Braided Line – Strike Wire ExtremeCommended – Berkley Whiplash Camo

● Best New Hard Lure (wobbler style) – Sébile D&S Crank DRCommended – Rapala Clackin’ Minnow

● Best New Soft Lure (soft plastics style) – Strike Pro Reaction BaitsCommended – Molix Supernato

● Best New Metal Lure – Sébile Pro-Shad Spinnerbait FinesseCommended – Salmo KIBS Carboni 1 EX

● Soft/dough natural hook baits – Berkley Gulp! CarpCommended – SBS Tactical Bait Double Trick Boilies

● Best New Accessory – Sebile Soft Weight SystemCommended – Aquateko Invisaswivel

● Best New Carp Bivvy /Shelter – JRC Cocoon Carp CribCommended – Hardy & Greys S-Plus Max

● Clothing – Patagonia Rio Gallegos Breathable WaderCommended – Mackelly Flotation Wader

● Visitors’ Choice – Rapala Touch Screen Scale

● Best Stand under 30sqm – Dragon Tackle International Ltd

● Best Stand over 30sqm – Pure Fishing

● Best Press Release – Wychwood WaderbagCommended – Koppers Livetarget

EFTTEX 2010: THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS


COMMUNIQUÉ


said Swisher. “I am continuing to work withmultiple cities and convention centres andhope to be able to visit the top two sites bylate July and be able to make a final decisionby mid-August.

“We’ve had a flurry of activity as the showapproaches and have added some great newexhibitors to the show floor. I anticipate therewill be over 150 exhibitors for this year.”

In a press release to the market, Swishersaid: “However, in response to concerns fromindustry members, we are planning to rotatethe show locations in the future. Next yearour plan is to be on the East Coast. But eventhough the show will be moving, Denver isstill one of the most convenient and centrallylocated cities in the country.”

In the same letter explaining IFTD’s posi-tion on the location issue, Swisher explainshow the new show will be different fromits predecessor, Fly Fishing Retailer (FFR).“When AFFTA made the decision to produceits own trade show, the biggest challenge washow it was going to be different from anyother year,” he wrote.

“Since the trade show is now owned by theindustry, we took the feedback, commentsand suggestions and created some new andexciting features for 2010. We have the sup-port of the best fly fishing manufacturers andbusinesses in the world that believe in thefuture of our industry.”

New features and ideas being introduced atIFTD 2010 include an area where small busi-ness owners can exhibit for $350. AFFTA’sobjective is that these smaller specialist com-panies, often without sales reps, will exhibitproducts and services the show has not seen

before, presenting a unique opportunity forbuyers.

A conservation area will also make itsdebut on the show floor, highlighting conser-vation groups, non-profit organisation andenvironmental agencies.

A new profitability seminar aimed atretailers will be delivered by a well-respectedconsultant from the fishing industry and willexplore the detail of sales, margins, expensesand inventory velocity.

Retailers will be further incentivised toattend the show by profit-driven showspecials offered by exhibiting companies fororders written and submitted at the show.These could include product discounts,special buys on exclusive show items,extended dating terms, shipping discounts orvolume incentives. The move is part of AF-

FTA’s goal to create an order writingmentality at the new show.

Another new introduction is a new productrelease and information area where exhibit-ing companies can promote and discuss theirnew products and services with retailers andthe media. Retailers can sign up for a timeslot in the designated area.

Further measures to make the IFTD ascost-effective as possible include an offer ofone free night’s lodging to any new retailerjoining AFFTA at level two membership orabove, and a $99 room rate at the HyattRegency Hotel for single or doubleoccupancy per night.

Below: Denver remainsa popular choice withthe industry, despite thedemise of the FFR Showheld there.

TM

“In response to concerns, we are planning torotate the show locations in the future.”

FLY SHOWS SPECIAL REPORT

DON’T MISSNEXT MONTH’S

Special fly fishing issueincluding a further previewto the IFTD show

18 Angling International August 2010

z

Skilled Russianlure inventor seeksglobal partnersRobert Khakimov has been developing lures for 30years. He is now looking for support to deliver hisunique creations to the global market.

HARD BAITS● Floating poppers and

walkers (new andmodified)

● Midwater models(for trolling)

● Bottom layer models(stillandrunningwater)

SOFT BAITS● Soft plastic grub● New hook types● New jig heads● Spinners (new and

modified)● Spoons (modified)● Accessories (modified)

The Robert Khakimov productlisting of new and modified baits

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

The lures sector is arguably the mostheavily populated in the industry –whether measured by company or prod-uct. Manufacturers large and small arecontinually adding to the consumers’

choice. But according to Russian product developerRobert Khakimov, there is still plenty of room forinnovation in new product and the improvement ofexisting models, many of which, he says, do not dothe job for which they are intended.

Khakimov describes himself as an inventor andmoderniser of fishing lures. He has produced hisown baits in the past and specialises in upgradingand improving current lures.

So why is it that you have never heard of him?The answer is that Khakimov is not currently at-tached to any lure company. His work is born out ofa passion for a sport and industry that he loves but,frustratingly, has so far remained just out of reach.

Now however, he is sending out a ‘come andget me’ plea to the world’s lure manufacturers,confident that his skills will prove invaluable to anycompany that decides to offer him a role.

“I simply have not had the opportunity or resourceto form my own company and patent my inventions,”he told Angling International. “I am not a lawyer,but I understand that my ideas and products cannot

go into large-scale manufacture without the support ofa company in the fishing tackle field. Legal protectionof my products is a priority and that can onlyhappen if I partner with someone who understandsthis aspect of the business in particular.

“I am interested in uniting with a brand that has adealer network, manufacturing resource, experienceof hard and soft bait production and good testingfacilities, a company that can help me bring myproducts to the market under proper legal protection.In turn I will provide complete information about myproducts, plus my skills, new ideas and and imagina-tive mind, all developed over the past 30 years.”

The theory behind Khakimov’s baits is based ondetailed observation and analysis of existing products.His study of surface baits like ‘poppers’ for instancereveals, he says, that predators are more likely toattack the floating bait if it remains in one place whilestill creating its distinctive sounds. He has also madetelling discoveries about the action of ‘walker’ baitsand reports that his extensive field tests have resultedin consistently increased catch rates. Similar observa-tions regarding hard baits for mid and deep waterlevels have led to Khakimov producing baits he believes

are more effective than many currently available.Khakimov has applied his inventive thinking to

soft baits, but is reluctant to reveal too much detailfor fear of copying. However, he did tell AnglingInternational: “I have invented a new contour, formand content for soft plastics baits. I know that theselures will be in demand both in Russia and aroundthe world and will be produced in their multi-millions. I prefer not to say any more about theirinnovative qualities as any fishing designer mayguess what it is.” His portfolio also includes hooksand jig heads which he believes will be acclaimedaround the world.

In addition to the potential for new baits, Khaki-mov has worked on the upgrading of spinners,spoons and hard baits. His work in these areas caneasily be translated into improved sales by the rightcompany, he says. “Small modifications can makeall the difference,” he explains. “For instance, justby adjusting the speed of the horizontal ascent offloating hard baits can dramatically improve results.

“I have lots of great ideas but I am preparedto share them only with the team who wants towork with me. Lots of manufacturers are not fullymeeting the demands of anglers and I believe I havesomething to offer them. My head is full of sugges-tions for new and improved products.”

Khakimov will continue his work on discover-ing new baits and improving old ones, all the timehoping that companies reading this article will wantto know more about him and what he does. “Get intouch,” he urges. “What have you got to lose?”

“I’ve invented a new formfor soft baits. I know theselures will be in demandaround the world.”

PEOPLE YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...

?Want to talk to Robert Khakimov?Here’s how to contact him...Interested parties can email [email protected] or make contactby skype at robert.khakimov


COMMUNIQUÉ

Hart finds alternative to EFTTEX


International brand Hart reported its“most successful EFTTEX in recentyears” – without exhibiting at the show.Aike Klein, Sales Co-ordinator for theEuropean distribution of Hart, experi-

mented with an innovative approach to theshow by inviting customers to the beachsideSidi Saler Hotel in Valencia rather than takinga booth in the hall.

Klein still plans to exhibit at Amsterdam in2011 and believes the show will be a successthere, but he is delighted with the results ofhis three-day informal gathering in Valencia.

“It was a great opportunity to meet andtalk with people in a relaxed atmosphere,”he told Angling International. “We mademany interesting new contacts and, moreimportantly, we strengthened our relation-ships with existing distributors and met somenew distributors.”

A shuttle bus was organised to take hisguests to the Feria Valencia each day andin the evenings customers were able to testproduct on the beach or in the hotel pool.

Klein is convinced that a more central

European location isimportant if EFTTEXis to attract a biggerand better audienceand, looking ahead,believes that EFTTAshould consider a dif-ferent format to reflecta changing market.This, he says, shouldinclude reduced stand

prices in Amsterdam to encourage morecompanies to go.

“EFTTEX is a get together of the industryand not an order-writing show. I question if Ineed to pay money for a stand for this type ofgathering,” he added. “Perhaps EFTTA shouldnow start to think about a different approach.

“I think that EFTTA as the organisers ofEFTTEX and also Angling International as theofficial media partner would be more cred-ible if they accepted that we are all passingthrough a profound crisis. If somebody tellsme that new records have been broken andeverything is perfect then there is a loss ofcredibility.

“It is not a timeto be pessimistichowever. It is a timeto be pro-active anduse different ways toapproach the market,to question the oldways and move on.But the first step is toaccept the reality.”

Leeda makes key appointments

Above: Aike Klein (centre) with Philip Roden (left) andJacob Behar from Shlomo Behar Ltd., the company whichdistributes Hart products in Israel.

Top: The Sidi Saler Hotel where Hart hosted wholesalers.

Left: Fish caught with Hart products on a trip to theCanary Islands in June.

UK company Leeda hasmade two key appoint-ments as it gears up foranticipated growth in2011. Mick Barnes (below),previously Head of Op-erations at Cemex Angling,becomes Brand Managerfor Wychwood Specimen,while former journalist NicBrown takes up the newlycreated role of MarketingManager.

Barnes is charged withthe continued growth ofLeeda’s big fish brand andhis role will revolve heavilyaround product develop-

ment. His appointment, says Leeda, is key to thedirection of the brand.

“In such a competitive market, it is imperativefor me that the brand is forward thinking, profes-sional and striving to create new and excitingproducts that anglers genuinely need,” he said.

New marketing head Brown includes experienceof running a tackle shop in a varied career, but wasEditor of proposed new fishing trade magazineInside Line immediately before joining Leeda.Owner Target Publishing subsequently decided tosuspend the launch of the magazine.

He will be responsible for marketing and pro-motions across all the Leeda brands, allowing thebrand managers to dedicate more of their time tocreating new products.

Both Barnes and Brown will be based at thecompany’s headquarters in Redditch.

MASHAMA LAUNCHMashama, a new high-end range of fly fishing hooks forsalmon anglers and fly tiers, will be available in the UK andEurope in the autumn. Manufactured from Japanese highcarbon steel, the range includes some hooks never seenbefore, including the ‘Hugh Falkus’ tube treble hooks featuringan anchor-style gape and barbed on the outside of the point. Itwill, says Mashama, be one of the best designs ever producedfor salmon fishing.

In addition, there will be a range of Scandinavian-style, largegape double hooks in black nickel and gold plate. The fly tyingrange will include double and treble hooks in long and shortshanks in a variety of patterns and colours.

Salmon fly fishing is the smallest sector of the hooksmarket and has had no dedicated company to serve it, arguesMashama. The company is targeting fly tiers and retailers andpromises good margins because it is not trading through dis-tributors or wholesalers. Information from [email protected]; +44 1750 62320 or +44 7764 359473.

AbJacodist

To

LeCa

Moran for Hardy & Greys


Hardy & Greys has reacted to theresurgence in the demand for canefishing rods by entering into a partner-ship agreement with world-renownedcane rod maker Tom Moran.

Moran will join forces with residentHardy’s rod builder Calum Gladstoneat the company’s newly extendedcane department in Alnwick, England,to develop and grow the company’scane proposition.

Although Hardy anticipates anincrease in cane fly rod production, itinsists this is not a large-scale produc-tion line, with every rod and its com-ponents being individually handmadeand each product taking many manhours to build.

Having only recently announced itsinvestment in Sintrix – a new technol-ogy it believes will herald the biggestdevelopment in rod design for 25years – the company has moved from

one end of the rod building spectrumto the other in a matter of weeks.

“We have seen growing interestin cane rods in parts of Europe, theUK, Japan and especially in the US,”explained Steve Peterson, Market-ing Manager Game and Sea. “So wehave invested in the future of canerod manufacture and are delighted tobring Tom’s considerable skills andexpertise to Hardy & Greys.”

Moran gained his reputation as arod builder in the Seventies, usingonly the best Tonkin cane and makinghis components from scratch, includ-ing the famous Moran snake guides.He later spent three years in the USwhere his rods were in great demand.

“I can remember the magic andgrace of the Hardy Marvel and CCde France. It’s a thrill for me now tobe part of that Hardy tradition,” saidMoran.

Above: Tom Moran (right) and Calum Gladstone join forces at Hardy & Greys.

• The 2010 Greys catalogue is now available from Greys dealer or as a download fromwww.greysfishing.com. The 177-page catalogue features all the current Greys productfrom its fly, spinning, coarse, predator, carp and sea ranges. For further information [email protected] or [email protected].

AFTA TO ADD MARINE SECTIONPlans to introduce a marine accessoriesfloor into Australia’s biggest fishingtackle show – held over from last yeardue to the downturn in that sector –are expected to stimulate increasedexhibitor space and visitor attendancein 2010.

The Australian Fishing Tackle Asso-ciation (AFTA) trade show, scheduledfor August 14th to 16th at Queens-land’s Gold Coast Convention Centre,had already added extra floor spacelast year in anticipation of the move.

The show will also present an op-portunity for AFTA to further promoteits consumer website, launched atlast year’s show and a key element

in the association’s strategy. AlmostAus$170,000 dollars have alreadybeen invested in the website – includ-ing spend on national consumer adver-tising – in a bid to make it the numberone fishing reference site in Australia.

The prize draw that is so popularwith retailers will again be repeated,giving retailers who vote in the NewProducts Awards the chance to winAus$500 worth of stock every hour.

Only registered Australian compa-nies can exhibit at the show. Exhibitorinformation is available from [email protected], on +61 2 9695 7799 orby visiting www.afta.net.au. For venueinformation visit www.gccec.com.au


COMMUNIQUÉ

Spro prepares ground forbrand expansion


Spro BV is already known theworld over for its quality brandsand distribution partners. But theNetherlands-based business is nowputting an expansion programme

in place that will increase its influence in theindustry still further.

The company, which also operates in Ger-many as Spro GmbH and in the US as SproCorp, has exciting plans for the developmentof its own brands – and may even includeacquisitions in its pursuit of market share.

As exclusive distributor of Gamakatsuproducts in Europe and having recentlyadded Dynamite Baits to its impressive list ofpartners, Spro is certainly in a strong positionto move on to another level.

“Expansion will come mainly through ourown brands. The key focus is definitely onthe product development of Spro, Gamakatsuand Strategy,” explained Senior Manager(Product Development and Sourcing) PascalVermeulen.

“It also goes without saying that ourfirst steps in the watersports business withWatersnake electric motors and boataccessories have been successful. Then, ofcourse, we have exclusive distribution rightsfor Dynamite Baits in our main markets, agreat addition to our programme that hasboosted sales.

“Nevertheless, concentrating on our ownbrands will be most important since ourexpansion goes beyond the product range.It means moving into new markets andterritories and may even mean looking atacquisitions to grow market share.

“Of course, we are driven by numbers,but when it comes to making decisions wealso follow our gut feel.”

The Spro, Strategy and Gamakatsu brands

Left: Pascal Vermeulenwith Spro PresidentTakayoshi Fujimoto atSpro’s lure test tank.

Below left: The SproBV head office in theNetherlands.

Below: New for 2011,Strategy ‘The Fuzz’ rigcomplete with hook.

are already sold throughout Europe, but asmarkets and economies have changed soSpro has identified the need to look forwardand stay ahead of the game in order toassure growth.

Countries being supplied directlyinclude Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg,Germany and Denmark, with plans inthe making to add the Czech Republiclater this year. Behind the scenes, Sprois looking seriously at a number of othermarkets but understandably prefers to keepdetails under wraps for the moment.

The forward-looking company has adoptedan alternative, more relevant approach tothe US, where a different market situationand competition has directed its focus ontolures, swivels and Gamakatsu hookstargeting the bass and saltwater markets.

Back in Europe, Spro’s main focus forproduct investment will be on new spinningand freeliner reels, a project started this yearwith the results due during late 2010 andearly 2011.

“The reel sector is very important for us,”explained Vermeulen. “The Spro RedArc – amultiple price-winning front drag reel – isour current flagship model and we will havenew models coming out featuring out-standing drag systems, smooth gears and amodern design.

“Besides this, wewill focus on carp andpredator fishing, thetwo main markets forus. Our team is work-ing closely with keyconsultants to developnew and innovativeproducts. So there willalso be investment intooling for exclusiveaccessories andhardbaits.”

Spro is under no

illusions that, in an increasingly competitivemarket, clear differentiation of its productsis essential if it is to succeed with its plansto take greater share. The company’sphilosophy is that every one of its productsis designed to make it easier for anglers tocatch fish, Vermeulen despising the copiesdesigned “to catch fishermen and make easymoney.”

“Our innovation strength is evident in thepredator scene in particular, with European

lures like theScreamin Devil andPikefighter series andthe US-originatedBBZ Swimbait, Aruku-Shad and Bronze-eyeFrog, plus morerecently the introduc-tion of our Strategy‘The Fuzz’ productson to the carp scene.”

The RedArc – Spro’scurrent flagship model.

Bordeaux to stage EFTTEX?

HOW MANY COMPANIES HAVE PRE-BOOKED FOR EFTTEX 2011? See p40

Graham Thomas hasleft his position asManaging Director ofPure Fishing in theUK after 22 years withthe company. Thomasoriginally joined AbuGarcia in Middlewichin May 1988 asFinancial Controller.The company wassubsequently bought

by Outdoor Technologies, which later evolvedinto Pure Fishing.

Thomas handled the sale of Pure Fishing’s flyline production facility to Canadian companyNorthern Sports last year and also orchestratedthe company’s move to its new headquartersin Redditch, incorporating the set up of PureFishing’s dedicated warehouse in Bristol.

Explaining his departure to Angling Interna-tional, he said: “The key task of reorganising

and restructuring the company into a newhead office and new warehouse in the UK iscomplete. Everything is set up perfectly forPure Fishing to carry on going forward.

“Now, after travelling from my home inManchester to Pure Fishing’s offices in Red-ditch for two and half years, the time is rightto move on. It is a great company and I havereally enjoyed driving the business forward.If the right opportunity arises to return to thefishing tackle industry in the future then ofcourse I would consider it positively.”

Thomas’s role included responsibility forShakespeare Fishing Tackle (following thedeparture of its Managing Director Paul Caseyin June 2008) as well as Penn Fishing Tackle.Angling International understands there areno plans to replace him.

Speaking to this magazine in July last year,he said: “Everything is set for a really goodyear next year. I am really excited about thefuture for Pure Fishing.”

PowerTeam Lures, a new US company that madeits debut at this year’s ICAST, has recruited bassveteran and guide Pete Gluszek to its pro staff.

Gluszek, co-owner with Mike Iaconelli of The BassUniversity instructional programme, became a fan of the soft plasticbaits after using them in the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay andbeing impressed by their scent, design and action.

The FLW pro was signed by PowerTeam owner Bob Bernotsky, whosaid: “As an avid bass fisherman for over 25 years I think I have triedevery bait in the market. It was time for something new and innovativeand I believe I have the answer.”

Bernotsky, who founded the business with his wife Katie inJackson, New Jersey, after two years of research and development,reports that his baits were flying off the shelves even before they wereformally advertised. Now the industry has been able to see the newlures first hand following the official unveiling of the company in LasVegas. Products on show included PowerTeam’snewest addition to its line of creature baits,the Diesel Craw, a “killer bait” designed forflippin’ and pitchin’. For further informa-tion about PowerTeam and its productsvisit www.powerteamlures.com

Graham Thomas: “The timeis right to move on.”


EFTTEX could be held in Bordeauxfor the first time ever in 2012.When members were asked tochoose their favoured destinationat the Association’s recent Annual

General Assembly, the French city emergedthe clear favourite over other shortlistedcities, Nuremburg and Munich.

EFTTA President Pierangelo Zanetta wasat pains to point out the vote was taken onlyto guage the feelings of the members presentand was in no way final, emphasising that the

cost implications of each of the three cities inquestion still had to be taken into account.

But the chance to go back to France foronly the fourth time since the show waslaunched almost 30 years ago – Paris was thevenue in 1983 and 1987 and Lyon in 2000– clearly proved very popular with memberspresent. Famous for its wines, its chateauxand gothic cathedrals, the beautiful Aquitainecity fulfils many of the ‘tourist’ criterianecessary for a successful show destination.

EFTTEX is heading back to Amsterdam

UK MD Graham Thomasleaves Pure Fishing

for the first time in ten years in 2011, a movewelcomed by the worldwide industry becauseof the Dutch city’s excellent travel links, anexhibition centre with a proven track recordand the high concentration of distributorsand dealers in the Benelux region. Ten of the29 shows to date have been held there, fourof them consecutively between 1988 and 1991.

Nuremburg has twice hosted the show, in1998 and 2003, and was on the shortlist for2010. Munich however has never been anEFTTEX venue.

Gluszek joinsPowerTeam


COMMUNIQUÉ

“SOME FELT NUMBERS WERE LOWBUT STILL SAID THEY HAD A GOODSHOW AND BOOKED FOR 2011.” 5

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‘FEW CROWDS’ BUTEFTTEX ENDS ON APOSITIVE NOTE FORMOST EXHIBITORSVisitor numbers were up year-on-year but for someexhibitors it just didn’t feel like it. Once again, thosethat planned ahead reported the best business.

Statistics, it is said, can be made tosay anything. But whichever wayyou look at them, the official post-show numbers from EFTTEX makeimpressive reading. EFTTA has

reported its fifth ‘sell-out show’ in succession,with a year-on-year increase of 7% in floorspace, along with 247 exhibitors and 1606visitors, both of which are up on the previoustwo years.

And yet, almost without exception theexhibitors spoken to by Angling Internationalfelt the visitor numbers at Valencia werelow. However, the fact that most, if not all,of those same exhibitors reported a ‘goodshow’ suggests that EFTTA got it right for themajority.

In truth visitor numbers don’t always guar-antee a good show. Speak to most exhibitorsand they will tell you that it is the quality ofthe meetings rather than the quantity that ismost important.

Spain had been an interesting – somewould say controversial – choice of venue.Critics pointed to the relatively modest sizedmarket in the Iberian Peninsula and otherscomplained of complex travel arrangements.

Although the attendance from the homenation was high compared to Hungary andItaly in previous years, the number of Spanish

retailers clearly did not meet the expectationsof some exhibitors on the show floor.

“I was surprised tosee only a few Spanishretailers at the show,”said Marta Szalkowska,left, Export Manager forPolish lure manufacturerDesign Fishing. “I don’tknow the numbers butthat was certainly myimpression. However,

I had great feedback from my 2009 newdistributors in France, Benelux and Greece.They all decided to make the Dragon rangewider in their countries.

“I also had interesting meetings with com-panies from my targetcountries like Hun-gary, Romania, Bulgaria,Turkey, Switzerland andSpain where we arelooking for distributors.The next few monthswill show the measur-able effect.”

Hardy & Greys Managing Director andEFTTA Board member Richard Sanderson,(above) reflected on a “good overall show”for his company but also noted a lower than

anticipated home turnout. “Although trafficon the stand was down on previous years,we did see our key customers,” he said. “Ithink the disappointment was over the localSpanish retailers. However, Spain is havinga tough time with their economy so it isperhaps understandable.

“Clearly the feedback from most marketsis that the combination of a tough economicclimate and poor weather conditions hashad a marked impact on the angling trade inEurope. I think we all expected a rough ridewith sales in 2010, but currently the marketis still running behind last year. That meansit’s probably off the 2007-08 peak by over30%. Sobering conditions.”

Brandon Hwang, Managing Directorof wader and clothing brand Aquaz, alsopointed to the economic situation as thereason for the show being a “little slow”.He added: “It is still affecting customers insome countries. However, I had a good showand have met several distributors in existingmarkets and some from new territories.We introduced new products including abreathable wader, wading shoes, sandals andseveral new clothing lines. Feedback wasvery good with the expanded clothing rangebeing particularly well received. There will bemore new items soon.”

For its part EFTTA has pointed out thatthere are obvious risks inherent in its centralstrategy, that of moving Europe’s keynoteshow to a different location each year. Says

WHICH LURE COMPANY WON THREE EFTTEX AWARDS? See p32

EFTTEX 2010 was the fifth consecutive sell out show, where a total of 7,874sqmexhibition floor space (including EFTTA and association stands) was sold, anincrease of 7% on last year in Budapest. EFTTEX 2010 welcomed 247 exhibitorsand co-exhibitors from 40 countries.


CEO Jean Claude Bel: “Spain was a riskaccording to some people, but then we havepeople predicting a disaster whenever wechoose any location other than Amsterdam.We heard the same arguments: flight con-nections, distances, the Spanish economicsituation, no retailers will come. I haven’theard the risk of malaria yet, but I wouldn’thave been surprised!

“It is not easy to find the right place, youalways have to make compromises, butValencia was a good choice,” he added. “Thelocation was brilliant, Spanish retailers camemassively given that it was the first EFTTEXin Spain and most of the people who gath-ered there were satisfied.

“We had more visitors from the south ofEurope and probably less from the north, butthat’s why we try to reach everybody by mov-ing the show each year. We actively workedwith some Spanish companies months beforethe show in order to encourage Spanish buy-ers to come.”

But what about the perception of low visi-tor numbers? “Being in two halls always givesthe impression that numbers are lower, plusthe aisles were wider than usual. And what Iwould say to those exhibitors that com-plained about the attendance is this: is it theattendance at EFTTEX or the attendance attheir stand? There is a difference. Exhibitorswho helped promote EFTTEX by investing intheir own marketing beforehand would havehad people stopping at their stand. It canmake a big difference at the end.”

It is a point borne out by UK companyTubeology. As one of the 52 new exhibitors(ten more than last year), it saw EFTTEXfrom a fresh perspective. “Our experiencewas excellent,” said co-owner Ann Kitchener.“We were delighted to have seen a goodnumber of new distributors from all aroundthe world. Some visitors said they were gladto find something new at the show as a lotof the other products and stands were verytraditional and not innovative. They werepleased to take Tubeology as a new offering totheir clients. Continued overleaf...

E F T T E X W E L C O M E D A T O T A L O F 1 5 0 5 V I S I T O R S T O T H E 2 0 0 9 S H O W , B U D A P E S T *

E F T T E X W E L C O M E D A T O T A L O F 1 6 0 6 V I S I T O R S T O T H E 2 0 1 0 S H O W , V A L E N C I A *

*includes press visitors

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Visitor numbers by day

Statistics for EFTTEX ValenciaFRIDAY 11TH JUNE 830SATURDAY 12TH JUNE 551SUNDAY 13TH JUNE 225

Types of visitors RETAILER 24%MANUFACTURER 21%WHOLESALER 45%AGENT 9%

SPAIN 572FRANCE 78ITALY 75GERMANY 71PORTUGAL 61

Top five visitors by country

SPAIN 255FRANCE 30PORTUGAL 19UNITED KINGDOM 11

SPAIN 123CHINA 38JAPAN 23GERMANY 22

SPAIN 229ITALY 38PORTUGAL 36GERMANY 35

SPAIN 77FRANCE 9GREECE 8ITALY 8

Top 4 retailers by country Top 4 wholesalers by country

Top 4 manufacturers by country Top 4 agents by country

European vs non-European visitors

EUROPEAN 1373 NON EUROPEAN 233


COMMUNIQUÉ


EDITOR’S COMMENT

Left: Lineaeffe had animpressive stand andenjoyed a good show.“Spain was the rightplace for us,” they said.

Above: Extreme Fishingfrom Russia saw a drop-off in interest on thefinal day and will have anew strategy in place forAmsterdam.

Left: Steven Miller of HI-SEAS (on right) felt theshow was quieter thannormal but still did goodbusiness.

“Other traders said they felt the numberswere down, but as this was our first time wecouldn’t comment. We were just pleased tobe busy non-stop and secure some excellentnew business which has already turned intosigned distribution agreements and stockorders.”

EFTTA’s choice of Spain as a venue couldhardly have been better timed for Italiancompany Lineaeffe, which has recentlyestablished a company in Madrid. “We had agood exhibition, mainly because we receivedvisits from a lot of our Spanish customers,”explained owner Federico Ferrari. “This wasimportant because we have just openedLineaeffe Iberica Pesca, a sister company inMadrid. So Spain was the right place for us.

“We thought we would see more buyersfrom the North African territories and Arabia,but they did not come.”

Once again EFTTEX attracted a strongcontingent of American exhibitors, amongthem lure company Sébile. Chief OperatingOfficer Russell Gray expounded the benefitsof forward planning as a key reason behindhis company’s very successful event. “Weensure that we schedule time with not onlyour current international distributors, butalso any potential distributors that we have

identified or who might have contacted us,”he explained. “So our time is very full withbusiness meetings. Our casting pool is alsovery important at any event and this year’sEFTTEX reinforced that.

“Overall, the attendance seemed good.There were some periods of inactivity but thismay have been the effect of the show beingsplit between two halls. We look forward toa single hall in Amsterdam to maximise thevisitor presence at the booths.

“The exhibitor and visitor quality seemedhigh which, when combined with our own

experience in increasing international sales,indicates that while some economies are stillstruggling, there is definitely a strong andactive retail/wholesale group in the interna-tional fishing market.”

Steven Miller, Sales Manager for fellow UScompany American Fishing Wire/HI-SEAS,echoed some of Gray’s thoughts, but feltthere were not very many new distributorsor dealers walking the show floor. “It seemedquieter than normal,” he told AnglingInternational. “However, it was a good showfor us. There were a pleasing amount of new

opportunities to expand business with ourcurrent customers and also a handful of newopportunities with some prospects. It is evi-dent that the industry in the European mar-ket is being affected by the world economyand by this past harsh winter. We will alwayscontinue to attend and support EFTTEX as itprovides a great platform for cultivating newand existing business.”

Russian lure company Extreme Fishing isanother to have already booked for Amster-dam, but not on the strength of its experi-ence in Valencia. “Overall, the show wasnot so good for us,” said Managing DirectorVitaly Pchelnikov, who felt visitor numberswere below Budapest. “The first day was verybusy, but the second day we got five timesless and the third day hardly anyone. The lownumbers suggest the industry is still affectedby the financial crisis. We would be preparedto work with EFTTA on special promotionsto make the show more attractive.

“It seems the market does not need highquality, high price products. So it is time forus to think about changes in strategy, pricingand products. We are a Russian companytrying to build an international brand. I amconfident we have the best quality lures onthe market, a great catalogue, attractive pack-aging and, most importantly, the ability andambition to compete with top brands in theinternational marketplace. We will think hardabout the next step.”

EFTTEX in Valenciaproved to be intriguingin more ways than one.While the organisers arecelebrating an increasein visitor numbers – areal triumph given thecurrent economic cli-mate and a brave choice

of venue – the perception of a high propor-tion of the exhibitors I spoke to is that visitornumbers were down.

These comments have come not fromindividuals with any kind of axe to grindagainst EFTTA and are certainly not foundedin mischief, but rather stem from construc-tive criticism from staunch supporters ofthe organisation, Board members included.Indeed most of these comments come fromcompanies who have gladly signed up forEFTTEX 2011 in Amsterdam.

So why the difference in perception?Well, holding the show in two separate halls

“MAYBE WE SHOULDASK HOW LONGBUYERS STAY”

MORE EXHIBITOR COMMENTS ON THE QUALITY OF EFTTEX

WHAT AWARD DID RAPALA WIN AT EFTTEX? See p36


SO HOW WAS IT FOR YOU?

Piotr Piskorski,Salmo“The show was goodenough for us, with anumber of meetingswith our distributorsto discuss futurebusiness and newdevelopments.However, we havenot seen many newclients and the overallattendance did notseem high. I thinkbusiness was prob-ably poor for manyexhibitors.”

Paul Bernegger,Fishouflage“We viewed the show

as being a real suc-cess. In addition tointerest from around12 distributors in tendifferent countries,we had quality meet-ings with some largemanufacturers.”

Brigitte Carlson,Wright and McGill/Eagle Claw“EFTTEX was wellorganised and for usit was a good show.We had a few newproducts which drewinterest from manypeople and we signedup three new ac-counts. Many of ourexisting customerswere able to comeand look at our newproducts and all ofthem had very posi-tive reactions. Over-all, I would say that

the show was a goodshow for companiesoutside the Eurozone, considering theeconomic situation inEurope and the weak-ness of the Euro.”

Kiril Andreev,K&K Ltd“It was a success-ful show. I heardfrom quite a fewcompanies that theywould not attend thisyear (both exhibitorsand visitors) becauseof the distance. Theimpression I got wasthat there were lessvisitors than usual.

However, the qualityof the visitors wasprobably higherbecause we werevery busy almost allthe time and I couldhardly find time tovisit some of our part-ners, who were alsoexhibiting. As for thetrading climate, I gotthe impression thatmany companieshave not expectedthe depth to whichthe stagnation hasgone and were notprepared for this.Many are also cau-tious for the futurewith fears of a newwave of the crisis. Ialso tend to think thatthe coming winter willnot be an easy one.But we have alreadybooked our standin Amsterdam and

expect another suc-cessful show there.”

Ole Bjerke, Mustad“Mustad had a goodshow. We pre-bookedwith our distributorsand had productivemeetings. Sundaysare mostly drop-inbusiness and thisyear we saw quite afew retailers to shownext year’s productsto. The exhibitionvenue was superband worked very well.I think two halls tendsto spread visitorsand results in lessactivity in the aisles.

All in all, a good show.The industry needs ameeting point.”

Mike Brooks, Ardent“Attendance mayhave been flat ordown, but the qualitywas high. The level oftraffic doesn’t neces-sarily have anythingto do with completingquality businesstransactions, andthat’s the reason wewere there this year.The first day, Friday,was a little slow butI attributed that tothe fact that manyvisitors would still

have been travelling.Saturday was busyand Sunday evenbusier.”

John Zerihoun,Imago“The crowd was miss-ing. Everyone exhibit-ing said the same.The retailers weresimply not there.”

Marty Johanson,CD Rods“The show this yearwas good for megiven it seemed to beway down on num-bers, which I think isdown to the location.”

certainly creates the illusion of fewer people,a factor identified by some of the exhibitorsthat we spoke to. This was also compound-ed by the fact that in the interests of itsmembers and its visitors EFTTA expandedthe width of the aisles. This had a positiveeffect on the professional appearance andaccessibility of the show and I personallyspoke to a number of exhibitors who praisedthe smooth running and layout of the show.EFTTA are to be congratulated on a superblyorganised event that raises the bar for showorganisers everywhere. But it does make ashow look less busy.

There is however another question, theanswer to which may usefully contribute tothe debate. That is, how long do visitors stayin the halls? There is no easy answer withoutrecourse to research, but clearly 1600 peopleattending the show for an average of a dayand a half makes for a much busier showthan if they stay for only a day.

Does EFTTA have this kind of informationfrom post-show research – and if so whatdoes it tell them? I don’t know, but I plan tofind out. It’s information that could proveinvaluable to exhibitors planning their activityand marketing at the show.

MEL BAGNALL

Individualvisitors bycountry

Spain

France

ItalyGermanyPortugal

China

UK

Russian Fed

Netherlands

Japan

Greece

USA

Others

AustriaTurkeyPolandKoreaCzech RepublicIsraelSwedenFinlandRomania

Norway

Bulgaria

CyprusAustralia

Ukraine

28 Angling International August 2010

z

Further growth predictedfor Greys & Chub CarpGavin Burn, Marketing Manager Carp & Coarse, explains why the Greysand Chub Carp brands are facing the future with renewed confidence.

A D V E R T I S I N G F E A T U R E

spods, propelling them out with theminimum of effort.

“When regularly fishing in excessof 100 yards or when ultimatedistance is required, the 12ft6ins Distance Spod Plus is therod for the job. Now fittedwith distance 50mm ringingpattern to a 16mm tip, long-range casting and big spodsare what this rod is all about.

“In the modern carping age amarker rod is essential. Using one willhelp provide a better understanding of thelake bed and enable the user to find featuressuch as depressions, gravel bars, weed bedsand silt gulleys. The blank construction ofthe Greys Marker Plus rods has beenenhanced to make it capable of castingbig leads and markers to the horizon.

“These blank improvements arecombined with a ground down rod tipfor increased responsiveness. This givesthe perfect balance between a powerful fasttaper butt section and a sensitive tip.

“The standard 12ft Marker Plus is able to copewith leads up to 4oz and is the perfect multi-rangerod for all but the most extreme distance markerwork. The rod guides have been upgraded to ourG-Lite™ Ultralite SIC guides with a standard 40mmbutt to a 12mm low profile tip.

“The 12ft 6ins version is built for all long-rangemarker work when needed. Leads up to 5oz get themost out of this blank, which is now fitted withG-Lite™ Ultralite SIC guides and distance 50mmringing pattern and 16mm low profile tip.

At Chub we continually strive to make innovativeproducts that anglers want. The guys in our New

“While 2009 was a great yearfor Greys and Chub Carp,here at our base in Alnwickin the UK there is renewedexcitement. The launch of thenew Greys Spod and MarkerPlus rods has caused a hugestir in the market. Better thantheir predecessors and at avery affordable price, theserods will continue to go fromstrength to strength.

“It’s testament to their design just how well theoriginal Greys Spod and Marker rods have stood upto the test of time. For their successors, we’ve takennothing away but improved the composite materialswhere needed to ensure that these rods outperformanything on the market.

“The new Greys Spod Plus rods build upontheir predecessors’ impressive reputation. We haveenhanced the blank construction to allow for asmoother progression of power through the rodwhilst retaining a lightning-fast tip recovery speedfor accurate spodding.

“Improvements to rod balance and blank torquehelp to optimise casting performance no matterwhat the size of spod. The rod guides have also been

upgraded to our G-Lite™ Ultralite SIC guides.“The standard 12ft model is the perfect

tool for baiting up at ranges up to 100yards. Anglers will find the

blank is easy to compresswith a wide range of

Product Development team are some of the bestanglers in the country. Fish welfare also plays a hugepart in our thinking and with this in mind, Chubhas developed a new range of protection cradles.

“The new Xtra Protection Cradle features aunique fold-flat design that allows the side panelsto stay upright, affording more protection than itspredecessor. It is fitted with a calming cover and anew roll-up kneeling pad, providing the ultimate infish welfare and protection. The Euro version hasbeen redesigned to feature an integral mat that iswell padded and removable for easier cleaning. Itcomes with a carry bag, webbing and straps.”

Left and below: the newChub Xtra ProtectionCradle puts fish welfareat the forefront of design.

Above: the improvedGreys Marker Plus andSpod Plus rods.

COMPANIES YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT...

Gavin Burn: “Our new rodsoutperform anything onthe market.”

?Want to talk to Greys and Chub?Here’s how to find them...Tel: +44 1665 511507 Fax: +44 1665 602389Email: [email protected] Web: www.greysfishing.com

BESTNEWPRODUCTAWARD

The bite alarms destined to become abig hit with young anglers. European Brand Manager Raffaele

Mascaro on the NRX fly rod range.G.Loomis p35

THE EFTTEXAWARD WINNERSIN THIS SECTIONPart One of our review of the Best New ProductAward winners includes reaction from Shimanoand Sébile, two companies that celebratedtriple success in Valencia, plus the thoughts ofPure Fishing after success in a new category.


The bite alarms destined to become abig hit with young anglers. G.LoomisThe bite alarms destined to become a

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EELLLLWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNERWINNER

30 Berkley Gulp! CarpPure Fishing has big ambitions for the carp baitsmarket, so what could be better than victory inthe new Soft/Hook Bait category introduced to theawards for the first time at EFTTEX 2010?

31 Parallelium HyperfluorocarbonThe French line brand secured its second victory inthree years in the Best New Monofilament Awardcategory. Now it is looking for distributors in the USAand ten European countries.

32 Sébile’s triple success“This is a dream come true,” said owner PatrickSébile after finishing top in three categories atValencia: Best New Hard Lure, Best New Metal Lureand Best New Accessory. Here’s how he plans tomake the most of his success.

34 Okuma AndrosA popular choice in the Best New Multiplier Awardcategory. “We view this as deserved reward forthe Okuma team’s great development work,” saysProduct Manager Mads Grosell.

35 G.Loomis NRX fly rod range“We have a new jewel,” say the rod pioneers. Nowthey aim to capitalise on their win with a massiveinternational sales push, backed by Shimano’ssuperior distribution network.

36 Rapala Digital ScaleVictory for diversification! The lure giants haveworked hard to add high quality accessories andequipment to their portfolio and were delighted towin the Visitors’ Choice Award at EFTTEX.

AF TER VALENCIA , WHAT NEX T FOR THE 2010 AWARD WINNERS

WELCOME to the first part of our review of the EFTTEX Best New ProductAward winners for 2010. As part of the panel made up of six independent judges, itwas a privilege for me to assess this year’s entries at the show in Valencia. I knowmy fellow judges – all respected angling journalists from different parts of Europe– felt as I did: this year’s awards were probably the most keenly fought and tightlycontested that we have ever known.

On behalf of the judging panel I would like to congratulate all the entrants. Theyproved beyond all doubt that innovation is alive and well in our industry. This sectionis a celebration of the winners, but it is only fitting that we also reflect on the qualityof those products that were commended by the judges in each category. All wouldhave been worthy winners and many came very, very close to taking home an award.You will find the full list of commended products on page 10 of this issue. If you are abuyer or distributor I would urge you to contact the companies behind them. You willnot be disappointed. But in the meantime, enjoy this special winners’ section.

TOM LEGGEAngling Internationalstaff writer

Why the new Androstops the list of newuser-friendly multi-plier reels.

Okuma p34

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

BEST NEW PRODUCT AWARD


Abrand new venture for globalangling powerhouse Pure Fish-ing began perfectly with victoryin the new soft bait section ofthe EFTTEX Best New Product

Awards. Berkley Gulp! Carp – a range ofboilies, pellets and seeds, plus additives andflavourings – is the Pure Fishing group’s firstserious move towards tapping into themassive carp fishing market.

Although some of its other brands likeShakespeare and Abu Garcia have producedrods and reels aimed at carp anglers, it wasthe acquisition of dedicated specimen brandJRC a couple of years ago which sparkedprogress towards a major assault on the carpbait sector.

Rather than launching under the JRC brand,Pure Fishing knew it would make bettersense to harness existing in-house expertisefrom the Berkley Gulp! stable, producers of ahost of baits which have sold strongly in the

USA, Europe and beyond over thepast decade.

Headed by Pure Fishing Europe’sProducts and Marketing DirectorPascal Grillot, the Gulp! Carpproject featured the expertise of

Berkley makes impressivestart in its ambitious assaulton the carp baits sector

two vastly experienced carp experts: FransDe Cuelaer – who for many years led theStarbaits brand development for Sensas ofFrance – and Jan Mertens, who oversees theJRC brand and previously worked for FoxInternational.

With added input from Berkley’s bait scien-tists including a full-time nutritional chemist,the result of the team’s two-year developmentprogramme was unveiled at EFTTEX 2010 inValencia via an innovative display includingsweet dispenser-style units, which allowedvisitors to handle and smell the baits.

Winning the new Best New Soft Dough/Natural Bait Award at EFTTEX was indeeda satisfying start for Berkley Gulp! Carp, butwhat now lies ahead? In a colourful sectorwhere shelves already bulge with dedicatedcarp baits, retailers will doubtless ponderthe advantages of stocking the Berkley Gulp!Carp range.

At EFTTEX, Pascal Grillot and FannyChamplon, Pure Fishing Europe’s Head of PR& Marketing, were quick to reel off a host ofcompelling reasons ahead of September’s firstdeliveries into shops in the UK, France, Ben-elux, Continental Europe and Japan. BerkleyGulp! Carp, they say, offers a compelling mix

of marketing and product support, including:● A strong merchandising campaign forretailers in these countries, underlining the‘Superior Catch Rate’ slogan.● A dedicated Gulp! Carp website (www.gulpcarp.com) to be launched in September,inc luding high resolution video footage.● Product support from a 60-strong prostaff team across Europe to provide websitecontent and answer consumer questions.● A dedicated Gulp! Carp catalogue, againavailable in September, to be published inseveral different languages.● A commitment to have all baits made inEurope to ensure fast reaction times,innovation and continuing development.● A pledge to meet regional demands andlisten to consumers when deciding onadditional products to join the range.

“This is a big step for us,” said Grillot. “Weknow these baits bring a Superior Catch Rateand we will make sure this message is heardand understood.”

BEST NEW SOFT DOUGH / NATURAL HOOK BAITBERKLEY GULP! CARP

Victory in the new soft bait category is the perfect launchpad forGulp! Carp, says Products and Marketing Director Pascal Grillot.

B

EST NEW

SO

FT/DOUGH

BA

ITSWINNER

T: + 33 450 967700E: [email protected]: www.purefishing.com

C O N TA C T

● Boilies Eight proven new flavours, choice of popular sizes, made with onlybest human-grade ingredients to ensure highly digestible bait with excellentnutritional profile.● Pellets Nine flavours, five sizes. Extruded not pressed, containing only thefinest natural, nutritious, attractive and biodegradable ingredients to enhancecarp health with no harmful preservatives.● Ready Seeds Nine varieties, supplied in 800ml or 1800ml tubs and buckets.Cooked using a new and advanced preparation technique in a special pre-mixedGulp! technology liquid to further enhance all the natural attractants and oils.● Boilie Dips Eight flavours, supplied in 150ml jars.Combine carp-attracting oils with a range of flavours at theoptimum ratio to attract without overloading the fish.● Oils/Liquid Attractants 11 flavours, in 150ml, 250mlor 500ml bottles. Provide extra pulling power through care-fully sourced ingredients for an all-important extra edge.● Pop-Ups Eight flavours to complement the boilie range.High visibility, incredible buoyancy even after long dura-tions in the lake. Available in 12mm, 16mm and 20mmsizes with free special attraction liquid.

THE GULP! CARP RANGE AT A GLANCE

Above: Pascal Grillot(centre) and the Gulp!Carp development teamcelebrate their win.


Fresh from success at EFTTEX2010, award-winning line manu-facturer Parallelium wants to formnew business partnerships in tenEuropean nations. The French

company’s new Hyperfluorocarbon 3Corewas voted Best New Monofilament by a panelof independent judges at June’s prestigiousshowcase in Valencia, Spain.

Parallelium’s General Manager FrédéricParrier was quick to identify territories wherehe believes mutually beneficial partnershipscan flourish, with HyperFluorocarbon 3Coreat the vanguard of a host of other high gradefishing lines covering all aspects of the sport.

Speaking to Angling International themorning after the EFTTEX Awards BusinessReception, Parrier looked ahead to July’sICAST show in Las Vegas – and predictedstrong US growth for the brand, putting his

trust in an irresistible combination of productquality and targeted marketing. Backing hislines are a number of American pro staff con-sultants such as competition bass circuit acesScott Martin, Joe Thomas, Mark Pack, JustinRackley and Tom Redington.

Not that Parallelium is ignoring its homecontinent. Quite the opposite. Parrier isinviting enquiries from potential distributors/wholesalers from all of the following nations:Russia, Ukraine, Kazhakstan, UK, Ireland,Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden andNorway.

“This year was our best ever EFTTEX show.We are very pleased because we had lots ofcontacts. Take Russia for example. Valenciamay prove to have been even better than lastyear in Budapest, which is a pleasant surprisefor a show in Spain. But more contacts from theselisted countries are still wanted,” said Parrier.

So what is so special about the new Paral-lelium Hyperfluorocarbon 3Core to bringthis company its second EFTTEX Best NewProduct Award in three years? Parrier andhis leading European consultant, worldwideangling guide Alban Choinier, point out a

number advantages their product has overother fluorocarbons on the market including:● A triple structure ‘innovation by rupture’construction, which creates genuine all-in-onepure fluorocarbon.● A combination of high knot strength and hugeabrasion resistance.● The line’s availability in two options, shockleader (0.17mm to 0.70mm) and regular (0.17mmto 0.50mm), in a variety of spool capacities.● Shop-friendly packaging and fast delivery.

“This line is proper innovation, not mar-keting spin,” insists Parrier. “As a premiumproduct with heavy research, developmentand field testing behind its launch, the pricereflects this. But we know anglers willrecognise this as a genuinestep forward infishing lines.”

“This is a genuine step forward in lines,” says General Manager Frédéric Parrierof Hyperfluorocarbon 3Core. “Distributors around the world should take note.”

T: +33 676 362 325E: [email protected]: www.parallelium.com

C O N TA C T

Mel Bagnall presentsFrédéric Parrierwith his award.

BEST NEW MONOFILAMENTPARALLELIUMHYPERFLUOROCARBON 3CORE

PARALLELIUM READY TOCAPITALISE ON SECONDWIN IN THREE YEARS

B

EST NEW

MONO LIN

EWINNER




Even if its previous successessomehow escaped your attention,EFTTEX 2010 surely confirmsSébile’s status among the world’selite fishing lure creators. The

company, founded in 2006 by FrenchmanPatrick Sébile, won an unprecedented threeBest New Product Awards at June’s 29thannual EFTTEX show in Valencia, Spain: BestNew Hard Lure, Best New Metal Lure andBest New Accessory.

Sébile is now headquartered in Colorado,USA. Its products are distributed in morethan 40 countries across the globe, but newenquiries are always welcomed from potentialbusiness partners in other nations.

Speaking to Angling International themorning after his EFTTEX triumph, PatrickSébile said: “To win three categories at EFT-TEX 2010 is a dream. At the awards evening Iwas pinching myself to be sure this was true.It means we have now received six best inshow awards following our first ever at EFT-TEX 2008 then two more last year at ICAST.

“It is so pleasing to gain recognition thisway. Sébile is not a company that producescommon styles and already popular tacklelike copy makers in the industry. Instead we

research, test and offer unique products thattruly speak to the fish more than the angler.This I believe is a big part of our success insuch a short time.

“We position ourselves at the sharpestleading edge of fishing tackle evolution.Always there, nowhere else,” added anglerextraordinaire Sébile, who designed tackle forother companies for 20 years before foundinghis own business, and whose personal catchCV includes more than 600 species of fish in63 countries.

BEST NEW METAL LURESÉBILE PRO-SHAD SPINNERBAITFINESSE

Sebile’s Pro-Shad Spinnerbait and Soft Weight System will be available worldwidefrom January 2011. The D&S Crank will be released in Europe in January 2011and in the USA at a later date.

THE WINNERS’ RELEASE DATES

The Pro-Shad Spinnerbait Finesseimpressed with its key featuresand detailed finish.

BEST NEW HARD LURESÉBILE D&S CRANK DR

BEST NEW ACCESSORYSÉBILE SOFT WEIGHT SYSTEM

B

EST NEW

M

ETAL LUR

E

WINNER

B

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A

CCESSOR

Y

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Sébile’s plans for ICAST in Las Vegas in July includeentering another innovative new lure design intocompetition, the A.T. Worm. “This is not just one moreworm. It works on all terrain – which is why it’s called A.T. – and under all condi-tions. It has unique new features and benefits for anglers,” said Patrick Sébile.

SÉBILE AT ICAST

EFTTEX 2010 caps an extraordinary rise to power for the lure company. “Wealways want to be at the leading edge,” says Patrick Sébile. “Nowhere else.”

The Soft WeightSystem allowsanglers to fine-tune their lures.

Three more awards confirmSébile as angling’s coming force


Mel Bagnall presentsMel Bagnall presentsFrédéric Parrierédéric Parwith his award.th his award.

August 2010 Angling International 33Angl

T: +1 325 437 8103E: [email protected]: www.sebileusa.com

C O N TA C T

SÉBILE D&S CRANK DRRevolutionary in its ability to catch more fishand snag less weeds, roots and assorted junkin heavy cover, Sébile’s patent-pending Grav-ity Snagless Hook System is the core innova-tion of the D&S Crank DR, a large-lipped,triangular-bodied series of hard crankbaits.

Boosted by incredibly lifelike finishes anda super-tough coating, the Gravity SnaglessHook System is essentially a large, super-sharp, rust-resistant, black, wide gape hookwhich articulates freely with protection from arecess in the lure’s flattened tail section, thusavoiding unwanted snag-ups.

The advantages over crankbaits armed withtraditional treble hooks are many, says PatrickSébile: further and truer casting, easier releaseof fish, vastly reduced snagging in landingnets, plus better penetration through hardmouth sections thanks to perfect angles onthe strike.

Ideal for casting or trolling, the Sébile D&SCrank DR is a floating diver and comes intwo sizes, 55mm (17.5g) and 70mm (25.5g),and nine colours.

SÉBILE PRO-SHADSPINNERBAIT FINESSEFeaturing tandem high-shine blades plus ahard plastic-encased bismuth body with scale,eye and gillflap detail hitherto unseen on anyspinnerbait, Sébile’s new Pro-Shade Finesse

has truly raised the bar in the sector.And the innovation is deeper than just

cosmetic: a special steel wire lets the angleradjust the bend angle to suit depths andterrain, while an offset black nickel wide gapehook with super-sharpened point results inmore hits converted to fish in the net.

Built to last with quality ball bearingswivels of precisely balanced sizes, rubberline retainer at attachment point plus durablehi-attraction skirts, Sébile’s Pro-Shad Spin-nerbait Finesse presents the very image of atempting baitfish shoal to the eyes of preda-tors. It is available in two sizes, 0.5oz (14g)and 0.75oz (21g), and six colour options.

SÉBILE SOFT WEIGHT SYSTEMUsable with any kind of soft plastic bodies– swimbaits, worms, grubs, craws,frogs, even soft jerkbaits – theSoft Weight System bringsa new level of fine-tuningand customer choice tothis popular sector oflure fishing.

Combiningcustom-de-

Three more awards confirmSébile as angling’s coming force

B

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HARD LUR

E

WINNER

signed high grade Japanese hooks with a setof tungsten gum rubber weights to add andremove for a perfect balance, this innovativenew system allows the user to create differentdescent profiles and retrieve actions to suitany fishing situation.

Weight forward for an angled descent,weight rear for level descent or weightinside for a unique fluttering side-swimretrieve motion – the more you experiment,the more options you’ll discover.

Sébile’s Soft Weight System comes in sixsize options. To add and remove the reusableweights whilst maximising their lifespan,a screwing motion is advised rather than astraight pull.

Revolutionary: the D&SCrank DR impressed withits new hook system.

A delighted Patrick Sébile atEFTTEX on the morning after

the awards ceremony.




Gone are the days whenanglers seeking a multiplier totackle big powerful fish in greatdepths and strong tides faceda limited choice of enormous,

basic and often downright ugly reels. Armedwith more high-tech features plus muchsmaller and sleeker frames and handles,modern multipliers are far more user-friendlywhile packing the same power as their giantpredecessors.

Retailers and their customers understandthat to really stand out from the crowd nowa-days requires something extra special. Andthe newest multiplier reel to emerge aheadof the pack is the Okuma Andros 2-Speed,winner of the Best New Multiplier Award atEFTTEX 2010.

This five-size reel was recognised byindependent judges from the angling journal-ism community at Europe’s major tackleexhibition. The Andros was applauded forits incredibly compact design, super smoothdual anti-reverse drag system, superior dragforce, impressive line capacity, and not leastits tasteful and minimalist design.

Mads Grosell, Product Manager forOkuma’s European distributors Svendsen

Introducing the OkumaAndros – the best of the newuser-friendly multiplier reels

Sport of Denmark, said: “We were very happyto receive this award, which we view asdeserved reward for the Okuma team’s greatdevelopment work.

“The reel achieved enormous respect andadmiration during test fishing for halibut,amberjacks and other hard-fighting species.Without a doubt the brilliant Andros willreach cult status among sea fishermen ingeneral. It is just part of a truly impressive2011 programme from Okuma that will bringgreat innovation and quality to anglers allover the world,” he added.

Among the multiplier’s innovative designfeatures is its hitherto unseen low profile,which makes it feel like an extension of therod rather than a clumsy add-on.

The secret of Okuma’s success in thisarea is a low-profile recessed reel seat designwhich no equivalent rival two-speedmultiplier on the current market can offer.

In creating this, Okuma’s expert engineersfreed up extra spool capacity meaning moreline can be loaded, allowing effective fishingin greater depths or at longer distances.

This extra capacity – 350m of 0.40mm or260m of 0.45mm – also allows the user toload safe amounts of stronger, higher

diameter lines. The end result is greaterconfidence, better performance and, bestof all, more big fish brought to the boat., ig gh

BEST NEW MULTIPLIER REELOKUMA ANDROS 2-SPEED

A new low-profile reel seat design is the stand-out feature,giving extra spool capacity and more room for stronger lines.

T: + 45 46191913 (Europe)E: [email protected] (Europe)W: www.okumafishing.com (international)www.svendsen-sport.dk (Europe)

C O N TA C T

Right: Svendsen’s MagnusGunnarsson with theaward at the EFTTEXBusiness Reception.

Other features and benefits of thenew Okuma Andros include:

● Two speed settings – 6.4:1and 3.8:1

● Six EZO Japan ball bearings● Dual anti-reverse with quick set

rolling bearing plus ratchetsystem lever drag

● Ergo grip handle knob● 460g net weight● Max drag force of 11kg (full)

and 6kg (strike)● Cast control system

All this is backed by Okuma’sstrong worldwide distribution andsales network plus beneficialretailer terms and support.

B

EST NEW

MU

LTIPLIERRE

ELWINNER

Sleek, compact and strong, the Andros willbe a big hit with anglers predict Svendsen.

EXTRA FEATURES


The continuing growth of theG.Loomis brand in the global flyfishing market shows no sign ofstopping following recognition atEFTTEX 2010 in Valencia. The

US company’s 16-strong NRX rod series wasjudged Best New Fly Rod amid strong com-petition, adding further impetus to what iswidely regarded as one of the industry’s topcross-Atlantic success stories of recent times.

Bolstered by its connections with ShimanoEurope’s powerful set-up, there has neverbeen a better time for retailers to stock andsell G.Loomis products. That’s the confidentview of the company’s European BrandManager Raffaele Mascaro.

“We will sell these new rods in every areaaround the globe. In Europe, all our distribu-tors are more excited than ever to start sellingNRX rods as soon as possible,” declared Mas-caro, himself an expert fly angler from Italy.

“A lot of people worked hard and deservedthis prize, not least the G.Loomis factoryteam. In a period of economical crisis, theyhave been able to increase quality and

production to meet market demand. Alsopraise must go to Steve Rajeff and his skillfulengineering team, plus our R&D people fortheir continued development of technologies,and our sales and marketing teams in theUSA and Europe.

“Our pro staff extensively tested these rodswith amazing results, both in freshwater andsaltwater, in the USA, Europe and Australia.We caught salmon, steelhead, big rainbows andbrown trout, tarpon, barramundi, striped bass,pike, bass... the list is pretty long!” added Mascaro.

Extra strength for less weight – it’s surelythe perfect formula for any fishing rod whenit comes to improving distance, accuracy and‘feel’ whilst at the same time reducing fatiguefor the user. A proprietary new technologycalled ‘nano resin’ makes this dream thereality with all 16 NRX rods. Combined withhigher modulus graphite, nano resin allowsthe use of thinner blank walls.

“We are not used to voodoo marketingcomparisons and our company is famous foralways being in the forefront of new technol-ogy development,” added Mascaro. “There-

fore we like to compare our NRX rods onlywith our GLX, which is still considered a topend rod in the industry.

“NRX rods are 15-20% lighter, meaning anNRX 9#8 feels like a GLX 9#6. They are also20-25% stronger than GLX and more impactresistant. NRX will not replace GLX, it will bean addiction to our range, our jewel.”

The rod pioneer with its Shimano connections is braced for high worldwidedemand for its high-strength, low weight NRX fly rod range.

T: + 31 341 272216E: [email protected]: www.gloomis.com (US)www.gloomis.eu (Europe)

C O N TA C T

PRAISE FOR AN OUTSTANDINGTEAM EFFORT AS G.LOOMISCREATES A ‘NEW JEWEL’


BEST NEW FLY RODG.LOOMIS NRX The full G.Loomis NRX fly rod range comprises:

● 4 Trout models: 9#3, 9#4, 9#5, 9#6● 3 Stillwater, Seatrout, Salmon models: 10#7, 10#8, 10#9● 6 Predator models (Pike, Asp, Wels, Zander): 9#7, 9#8, 9#9,9#10, 9#11, 9#12● 3 Double-handed models: 13#8/9, 14#9/10, 15#10/11

All 16 are equipped with ION-coated Recoil guides, a special newreel seat, new denser H-D cork for extra comfort and sensitivity,plus soft micro-fibre protective bag and durable graphite travelcase. Each has a limited lifetime warranty.

Above, from left: JustinPoe (Brand ManagerShimano US), JimLebson (MD G.Loomis)and Raffaele Mascaro(Brand ManagerG.Loomis Europe)collect their award.

B

EST NEW

FLY RO

D

WINNER

THE NRX RANGE




Visitors warm toRapala’s innovativedigital scale

Winning the Visitors’Choice Award atEFTTEX is particu-larly satisfying foran exhibitor. To gain

the most votes cast by a wide cross-section of tackle trade professionals– distributors, wholesalers, retailers,fellow exhibitors and media – representsa huge boost for any new product’s salesprospects.

Rapala is no stranger to collectingawards at EFTTEX. However, the successof its new Touch Screen Digital Scale atthe 2010 show in Valencia, Spain had anew global significance for the Finnishcompany... for this product was actuallycreated in the USA.

“Our whole team are delighted withthis award for a product we all believe

is a major advance for anglers every-where,” said Rapala’s Henri Eppertbetween business appointments at the

company’s impressive Valencia booth.Eppert also acknowledged theaward’s significance in terms

of confirming marketapproval for Rapala’s recent

expansion into creatingfishing equipment beyond its

core product of lures. It also confirms theimpact of its Stateside operation.

“Jeremy Grayson at Rapala USA isthe guy behind the Touch Screen DigitalScale’s design and what he and colleaguescreated is a truly innovative, user-friendlycompanion which anglers everywhere willquickly love and regard as indispensible,”he added.

Available in two options – 25kg (50lbUS version) and 7kg Tournament (15lbUS version) – Rapala’s Touch ScreenDigital Scale boasts an intuitive usabilityelement comparable to the world’sleading mobile phones and computertechnologies. It is powered by two AAbatteries (not included) which give upto 400 hours of life.

Bass tournament anglers will love thesmaller version’s inclusion of eight cullingtags equipped with numerically labelledfloating rubber tubes with secure clips.

“Whether they’re tournament anglersor weekend warriors, anglers will beamazed by the functionality and usabilityof this new touch screen digital scale,”says Mark Fisher, Rapala USA Director ofField Promotions and tournament veteran.

In Europe, where the bass scene is farsmaller but specimen fishing for carp,pike and other freshwater giants is anever-growing market, a compact touchscreen scale with memory storage facilityincluding weather as well as weights looksguaranteed to become a big seller forRapala in 2011 and beyond.

VISITORS’ CHOICE AWARDRAPALA TOUCH SCREEN DIGITAL SCALE

The touch screen scale has alreadyproved a big hit – and vindicated Rapala’sstrategy to diversify away from lures.

Left: Rapala ProductManager Henri Eppertwith the award.

Large digitaltouch screen

VISITORS’

CHOICE

WINNER

T: +358 9 7562 540E: [email protected]: www.rapala.com

C O N TA C T

Hard-wearingwater-resistantcasing

Comfortable contouredhand grip

Backlight fornight use

Eight datastorage bins

Total catchweight facility

Heavy duty compositeweigh clamp or stainlesssteel hook


Pierangelo Zanetta: ‘Copyistsand licences are the biggestcurrent threats to our industry’

Pierangelo Zanetta has warned thefishing tackle industry of contin-ued threats in the future, pointingto political dangers, the abuse ofintellectual property rights and

proposed taxes on fishing as key issues. TheEFTTA President has sent out a reminder tothe trade of the important role theAssociation plays in defending andpromoting the sport in the face of adversity.

“As an association,we have to keep avery close eye onwhat is going on ata political level inEurope. We mustkeep lobbying for ourinterests as muchas our finances willallow, in order to pro-mote our activity andour sport,” he said.

“In Italy a newthreat has appearedwith the proposal tointroduce a saltwaterfishing licence. Thisis an additional taxwithout any advan-tage for fishermen.We will help FIPO(Italy’s trade associa-

tion) to make strong opposition and to avoidthe disaster when a similar measure wasintroduced in Portugal. These are the kind ofactions that a serious European associationhas to implement.”

Speaking at the recent EFTTEX show, heurged the industry to combine its efforts tomake the market more healthy and efficientand to make sure there was no room in it for“pirate companies who copy or abuseintellectual ownership.” EFTTA, says Zanetta,has two key duties.

“We have an internal duty to find con-sensus on the fair rules of the game. This iswhy I have sent a letter to all members toask them to accept the EFTTA standard onfishing line and to commit to adjust theirproducts within two years.

“We cannot continue to cheat ourcustomers by announcing crazy (product)features. If we do not control this situationsomeone else will – with unknownconsequences. It will be so much better toimpose our own proper discipline.”

And repeating his message of a year ago inBudapest, he once again urged the unifica-tion of the world’s fishing tackle trade bodies.

“An external duty is to keep dealing with

all the important players to achieve our goals.In the last few years we have built very goodand positive relationships with the American,Chinese and Japanese trade associations andwe constantly share our passions andworries. I strongly believe that it won’t belong before the major trade associationsspeak with one voice.”

Despite the problems, Zanetta was quickto praise EFTTA members for their resiliencein difficult circumstances. “EFTTA marks an-other record year and is pleased to announcea significant increase (in floor space) at a timethat is not easy for anybody. It shows thatour members favoured the decision to cometo Spain.

“It is a sign that EFTTA is working in theright direction and merits more respect andtrust from the market. The economy is verydifficult, but I am proud to see how ourcolleagues are reacting. I see attractivebooths, captivating products and a strongwish to overcome difficulties with hard work,imagination and good spirit. This is surelythe right way to minimise the effects of asituation we cannot fully control.

“At this time, a strong European associa-tion is more important than ever before.”

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

NEW MEMBERSJOIN THE BOARDEFTTA appoints CiroEsposito and HansJurgen Sanger.

AMSTERDAMSALES BEGINOver 100 exhibitorshave already bookedfor 2011.

EFTTA FINANCES INBETTER SHAPEThe Association has turned aprofit on increased revenues,reveals Richard Sanderson.

4-PAGEEFTTA

SECTION

>

Below: EFTTA PresidentPierangelo Zanettaaddressed the member-ship in Valencia, praisingthe industry‘s resiliencein tough times.

“In Italy there is a new threat with the proposalto introduce a saltwater fishing licence.”

EFTTATRADING WITH

The voice of the European Tackle Trade


EFTTA has delivered on its promiseto turn last year’s loss into aprofit. Presenting the Associa-tion’s 2009 figures to the AnnualGeneral Assembly in Valencia,

Board member Richard Sanderson reporteda “small profit” of 20,014 Euros – a positiveswing of almost 39,000 Euros on 2008.

It is the third consecutive improvementin EFTTA’s profit line and improves on the7,540 Euros predicted by the Board when ittook the unprecedented step of delivering anext year’s forecast at the Budapest meetingover a year ago.

The 2009 performance is driven princi-pally by a 25% growth in net income fromEFTTEX along with the positive effect of a7% increase in subscriptions. These werethe main contributors that saw total incomeincrease from 533,531 Euros to 623,521Euros, a rise of 17%.

Another major influence on the figures was

Sanderson announcesprofit increase for EFTTA

a 57,000 Euros reduction in operating costs,due largely to a 20% saving effected by therenegotiation of the contract with the EFTTAmanagement and secretarial team.

“At last year’s AGA I forecast a robustincome line for 2009,” Sanderson toldAssociation members gathered in the FeriaValencia. “We have achieved that with asuccessful EFTTEX and increased subscrip-tions, which is good recognition of thebenefits of EFTTA membership.

“I am sure that next year’s EFTTEX inAmsterdam will be very successful. We antici-pate a significant improvement in profitabilitywhich will enable us to channel more fund-ing into our all-important lobbying efforts.”

EFTTA spent 38,270 Euros on its lobbyingservice and 12,000 Euros on its youth grantscheme in 2009. It is estimated that 70,000Euros and 21,000 Euros will be invested inthese initiatives respectively in the currentyear. With reference to the 133,362 Euros

cost for a full-time CEO, Sanderson said theappointment had been critical to drivingbusiness forward, adding: “The major issuesfacing the industry clearly necessitate afull-time Chief Executive and we believe thisis very good value.”

CapyionCapyion

Right: RichardSanderson deliversthe good news tothe AGA at EFTTEX.

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


EFTTA has changed the way itappoints new Board members, itwas revealed at the Association’sAnnual General Assembly inValencia. With two Board seats

to fill, President Pierangelo Zanetta explainedthat the German and Italian trade associa-tions had been approached directly to putforward appropriate representatives.

As a result, the President was able toannounce that Ciro Esposito and HansJürgen Sänger had been recruited to fill thevacancies left by Lelio Nahum and UlrikeKrome, both of whom recently decided tostep down. Nahum, the owner of Italiancompany Duel and a previous EFTTAPresident, resigned from the Board due toill health, while Krome retired from Germancompany Ockert at the end of June.

Mr Zanetta, who was also re-elected asPresident at the meeting, has made no secretin the past of his desire for EFTTA to workmore closely with national trade bodies and

National associations nominatetwo new EFTTA Board members

these latest Board appointments are evidenceof growing co-operation.

“This has been my dream,” said Zanetta.”It is the first time we have people nominatedby their national associations.

“I hope this will continue in the future.It is a key factor in making the associationstronger.”

Hans Jürgen Sänger is owner and CEO ofSänger-Rollenlager GmbH, a fishing tacklewholesaler located in Franfurt/Main and is

also a board member of Germany’s fishingtackle association, the BVA. His companybrands include Anaconda, Iron Trout, UniCat and Iron Claw. Also available in theSänger Top Tackle System range are PureFishing products. Sänger has been in theindustry for almost 30 years.

Ciro Esposito became President of FIPO,the Italian fishing tackle trade association,last year. He is the Managing Director ofEuropesca Sport, a Rome-based wholesalerand import company which is more than 100years old after being established by his greatgrandfather in 1898. Europesca has ware-houses in Rome and Naples. It distributes anumber of leading brands, including someof the most prestigious names in the marineelectronics field.

Speaking about the new appointments,Pierangelo Zanetta told EFTTA members:“We expect them to make a great contribu-tion to the building of a more modern anddynamic association.”

EFTTEX appearance inspires China Fish PresidentOrganisers of the China Fish show took astand at EFTTEX for the first time – andPresident Li Jiang believes that what helearned from the experience will benefit hisown event in the future.

Li Jiang, who received criticism from somequarters about the location and organisationof China Fish 2010 in February this year, toldAngling International: “The service providedby EFTTEX for exhibitors and visitors inValencia was excellent. The facilities were alsovery good. I hope that China Fish will makeimprovements in these aspects in the nearfuture.

“It is amazing how EFTTEX brings peopletogether from all over the world to share theiropinions about the fishing tackle market intheir own countries.

“By doing this EFTTA ties the worldfishing tackle industry together, building aplatform for communication and problemsolving. For me it is the most importantevent.”

Li Jiang believes that there are also thingsto be learned from the show about thecurrent trading climate. “The depreciationof the Euro greatly influences Chinese and

WHICH US COMPANY HAD AN EXCEPTIONAL EFTTEX? See p41

New board member CiroEsposito from Italy isalso President of FIPO.

American export, but for Europe it could bea good time to import stocks,” he observed.“European customers are interested in theChinese market and want to do businessthere. I find that powder bait has huge po-tential for the European market. For example,China Old Ghost Bait Company attracted alot of attention during the show. “

As for activity on China Fish’s own booth,Li Jiang considered the show“very successful”. Many EFT-TEX exhibitors are China Fishmembers and Valencia proveda good opportunity to officiallyconfirm their space at ChinaFish 2011. The booth alsoproved a good meeting placefor Chinese enterprises.

In addition, Chinese Intel-lectual Property Rights OfficerMs Liu Zhiping was present forall three days on the booth toprovide consultation and dealwith IPR violations for 11 com-panies at the show. Ms Zhipingalso hosted a ‘How to protectyour IPR in China’ seminar

while Mr Yi Zhe, President of the largest baitcompany in China, and Mr Li Ziwei, GeneralManager of China’s largest business-to-consumer website, staged another seminarentitled ‘How to fish in China and how tosell your products in China’.

“Numerous companies visited us and gavetheir opinions on our two shows, China Fishand CGC Expo,” said Li Jiang.

“It is the first time wehave had peoplenominated by theirnational associations.”


More than 100 exhibitors atEFTTEX 2010 have alreadypre-booked stand spacefor next year‘s show. Theappetite for stand space has

been fed by the appeal of the show’s venue,Amsterdam in the Netherlands, and theanticipation that EFTTEX will be marking its30th year with a particularly strong show.

Amsterdam is regarded as a popular venuebecause of its central location, excellenttransport links and its proximity to many ofEurope’s strongest angling markets. Based on

More than 100 stands alreadysold for Amsterdam 2011

past shows at the Rai Exhibition Centre in thecity, exhibitors can expect a high visitor turn-out.

In total 114 exhibitors at Valencia bookedstand space for Amsterdam, almost half of allthe exhibitors in the hall. EFTTEX ExhibitionManager Neena Tailor explained that thiswas in line with EFTTA’s expectations. “It’s abenefit we traditionally extend to those in thehall. Exhibitors like to take advantage of theopportunity to choose their stand space forthe following year’s show.

“During this year’s show we knew exhibi-tors were extremely busy with high quality

meetings, so we are delighted that more than100 found the time to pre-book for nextyear,” added Neena.

“There was plenty of enthusiasm forAmsterdam, which has always been a popularvenue for the trade. We are already makingplans for EFTTEX 2011 and are lookingforward to another successful show.”

After a short summer break, EFTTA willbegin taking bookings for EFTTEX 2011from September when the floorplan will bepublished. For more details [email protected]

Left: The huge single hall at theRAI Centre will host EFTTEX 2011.Below: The modern looking exteriorof the RAI will be a familiar sight tomany in the angling trade.

EEFTTAFTTAT R A D I N G W I T H

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

41August 2010 Angling International

Ardent, the US manufacturer ofreels and the Reel Care rangeof products, could soon bedoing business in as many as16 more countries following a

hugely successful EFTTEX show in Valencia.Exhibiting at only his second EFTTEX,

CEO Mike Brooks reported a series of“substantive and committed” meetings withpartners in Europe and Asia and is alreadyprocessing purchase orders.

“It was a really strong show for us. Iheard some complaints about traffic andbuying commitments, but we had no suchproblems,” enthused Brooks. “Budapest lastyear was really our introduction to Europe.Since then we have engaged in an aggressivelevel of sales and marketing support that hasresonated with people.

“We have a new product, a strongmerchandising programme and good termsthat have captured peoples’ attention.”

USA’s Ardent confirmspower of EFTTEX

Core to the Reel Care proposition is that ithelps the consumer justify the investment inpremium quality reels and, says Brooks, thishas not gone unnoticed by potential partners.

“While terminal tackle sales have remainedhealthy, rods and reels continue to struggle,”he continued. “So a product that promotessales of high-end reels because it enablesanglers to maintain them is what every dealerwants to hear about. It’s what is driving thesales of the Reel Care range. It’s gun care forfishing reels.”

In addition, the fact that Reel Care canbe sold independently or as an add-on salewith fishing reels, adding profitability to thecategory, has increased the attraction.

For further information about the productline email [email protected] orvisit www.ardentoutdoors.com.

Ardent CEO Mike Brookswas delighted withthe response to hisproducts in Valencia.

The Reel Care range couldsoon be in as many as 16more countries.


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

you needproductsto knowabout

Each month the product editors at Angling

International select the most exciting new

tackle being brought to market. To help you

decide on their appeal to your customers, we

will include insight from the manufacturers so

you can start doing business immediately.10Variety is key: the loosebodies of the 4Play Softlures can be rigged invarious ways.

lip sculls for the loose bodies. Just push the 4Play Soft into thematching head size and secure it with pins or toothpicks through thegill plate and you have the most incredible lipped swimbait.

“Finally we have gone one step further and produced offset, strongforged tournament hooks designed especially for the loose bodyswimbaits.”

The 4Play Soft, which attracted a lot of admirers at the recentEFTTEX show due to its unparalleled, hand-painted detail, comes in9.5cm, 13cm and 19cm sizes.

A versatile soft lure from SavageGearthat gives anglers outstanding optionsThere is much more to SavageGear’s new 4Play Soft lure thanfirst meets the eye. The lure – a follow-up to the hugely successful4Play Hard range – comes in a ready-to-fish model equipped withan integrated hook. But in addition, SavageGear is making the lureavailable as a loose-body version, giving the angler the option ofrigging up in several different ways. And on top of this, the Danishcompany has created transparent lip sculls and weedless hooksdesigned specifically for the new lure.

Mads Grosell, the head of SavageGear’s product development,explains: “The ready-to-fish model is perfectly balanced and so simpleto use. Whether retrieving, twitching or trolling, you can’t go wrong.It is incredibly lifelike and has the natural sink rate of a distressedherring minnow.

“We have introduced the loose bodies as well to give the specialista number of options – on a jighead for unparalleled swimbait action,on an offset hook for weedless presentation or tuned with TungstenTube Weights to get the most natural crankbait available.

“And as a further development, we have made available transparent

1Business contactsTel: +45 46 191 913Email: [email protected]: www.savage-gear.com

The LPXe Switch rods from Guideline are based on the same actions found in theSwedish company’s LPXe 11-footers. Fast and lightweight, the rods have a brandnew extendable fighting butt that allows them to be fished single- or double-handed. There are three 11ft, four-piece models available in #6/7, #7/8 and #8/9.What the makers say: “The term Switch is here to stay. These rods have all beenconfigured to make them versatile enough to fish single-handed or double-handed,providing the best of both worlds. These rods are awesome to fish when usedin the right environment. These four-piece fly rods stand up to any rodsavailable at any price.”

Business contactsTel: +7 495 730 1709 Email: [email protected]: www.rb-bait.ru; www.rb-bait.com; www.rb-devon.de

Versatile swimbaits from Japan

Business contactsTel: +371 294 90008 Email: [email protected]: www.izumi-fishing.eu

Business contactsTel: +46 31 923650 Email: [email protected]: www.guidelineflyfish.com

Russia’s RB Company, recipient of the Best New Metal Lure Award at EFTTEX in2009, believes it has introduced another winner to the market with this modelcalled the ‘Professional’. It is available in weights of 14g, 21g and 28g.What the makers say: “This lure is the result of long-term testing and is thefirst to combine two different lure actions – rotation and oscillation. The rowingblades on the microbearing rotate and create hydro-acoustic vibrations. Thesecombine with the oscillating movement made by the blade of the lureto create an action that mimics an injured fish and provokes predatorsto attack. Equipped with a single treble at the tail, it is ideal for catchingpike, salmon, zander, walleye and asp.”

A metal lure with double action

6

Fashionable bandanas for anglers

Business contactsTel: +1 305 852 8989 Email: [email protected] Website: www.flyingfisherman.com

Left and below: theLPXe Switch can befished single anddouble-handed.

‘Awesome’ Switch rodsfrom Swedish specialists

Ready for market: thePotenza range hasbeen tested to theextreme.

8

7The Shad Alive swimbait from Japanese lure specialists Izumi is available in 50mm,80mm, 105mm, 120mm and 145mm sizes. There are floating, slow-sinking andfast-sinking models from 2.9g to 58.8g, ranging from ultra-light to heavy jerk.What the makers say: “The Shad Alive is equipped with tungsten balls preciselyplaced in special chambers and guaranteed to work under any kind of retrieve,from very slow to fast and aggressive, as well as jerking. It can also be guided acrossareas of grass and other vegetation without snagging and weight can be adjusted tofish at different depths. The lure has already proved its worth in tests.”

double-handed.

Ready for market: thePotenza range hasbeen tested to theextreme.

www.rb-bait.ru; www.rb-bait.com; www.rb-devon.de

9Recognising the trend for bandana-style masks among anglers, Flying Fisherman hasadded this SunBandit series of UV protective, tubular bandanas decorated with originalgame fish art to its head gear range. The collection includes six fish camo designs –marlin, dolphin, tarpon, redfish, bass and rainbow trout – along with several others.More designs will be added in 2011.What the makers say: “The 100% polyester fabric is breathable and wind resistant,keeping you warm in the cold and cool in the summer. It wicks and evaporates moisture,is seamless, soft and stretchy and wears comfortably as a mask, headband, wristband,scarf or bandana. When used with sunscreen it offers added protection from the sun.”

Angling International Magazine - August 2010 - 31

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Transcript of Angling International Magazine - August 2010 - 31