ABW Dec 2017

Become an
Sport?
F
ishing has been recognized for some time as
being the most participated sport in the world
with anglers numbering in the hundreds of millions
around the world and 50 million active anglers in the
United States alone.
The World Freshwater Angling Championships have
been dominated by Europeans since its inception in
1954, being staged on rivers, canals and still waters.
Australian, Dave Wesson, became the first non-
European to win the World Title in 1992.
Words by
JAMES
WEBSTER
Photographs
as credited
The International governing
body for fishing (The
International Confederation
of Sport Fishing) has applied
for Olympic status in the 2020
Tokyo Olympic Games, and
why not?
Critics argue
that there is
no athleticism
involved in
fishing.
Angling has already been
an Olympic demonstration
sport with 600 competitors
vying for Olympic Gold at the
1900 Paris Olympic Games.
Since then Angling has
become a major international
competitive sport. There are
now World Championships for
fishing in its many forms with
probably the largest being
“The World Fly Fishing Championship” attracting
fisherman from all over the world. The WWFC also
hosts the Adventure Fishing World Championships,
a very demanding, nine hour, kayak-based fishing
event which would be an outstanding Olympic event
and one that would certainly silence those critics
who argue that there is no athleticism involved in
fishing.
Yet another prestigious world
fishing event is the “Offshore
World Championships” held this
year in Costa Rica. Maybe those
non-athleticism critics need to
discuss the subject with guys
who have tangled with Blue
Marlin in excess of 1,000 pound
on the fitness levels required to
compete at this level.
There are many, many other
branches of fishing World
Championships including
individual species world
titles such as The World Bass
Fishing Championships and
The World Blue Marlin Fishing
Championships.
Many have given up their day jobs for the grind and
prize money of professional fishing. As in all sports
most have failed but the champions have prevailed.
Case in point is Dr. Martin Arostegui who broke 326
world records in his career or Kevin Vandam who
earned $US4.5 million in Bass Tournament prize
money in 2010 and earned 20 consecutive berths
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