FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Courtesy of GreatLakesBass.com
Date: January 14, 2006
Contact: Pete Johnson – Johnsoncom@aol.com, Johnson Communications, Inc.
Scottsdale AZ 85267
480-951-3654 (ph) 480-951-0040 (fax)
Sportfishing’s most valued reference book for the avid angler
DANIA BEACH, Fla. — The book has been referred to by outdoors/fishing writers and avid anglers alike as “the most comprehensive piece of fishing information available anywhere.”
The 2006 World Record Game Fishes book published by the non-profit International Game Fish Association (IGFA) continues its legacy as one of the most reliable and complete source books of international fishing records and fishing-related reference materials. Members of the IGFA will be receiving their copy beginning the week of January 16.
The popular annual is the official guide to saltwater and freshwater catches – for nearly 400 species around the world — in all-tackle, line class, fly, junior angler and U.S. state records.
One outdoor editor wrote: “The IGFA’s (WRGF) book is an encyclopedia on fishing and fishes of the world, second to none. If ever there were a textbook on the up-to-date status of fishes and fishing, IGFA’s annual publication would be it.”
A writer/radio fishing show host added, “There isn’t a week that goes by that I don’t refer to it for a record or any number of other facts and information. It’s hard to put down.”
In 2005 a record total 1,234 applications were received and reviewed by the IGFA world records department and of those 864 were approved with 144 still pending. The total number of fish record categories stands at 8,950 with nearly 100,000 files.
The 2006 edition of World Record Game Fishes features a great deal more than a listing of the thousands of world records, international angling rules and the protocol for documenting a world record submission. It’s also a guide to species identification and drawings, illustrated articles, tag and release information, and offers a worldwide network of fishing stakeholders communicating and acting upon their passion for fisheries research and conservation.
The new mission for the IGFA is the theme of this book; conservation, education, science, history and IGFA rule-making elements appear in several feature articles and departments.
For example:
- In The Tuna Club of Santa Catalina Island – Birthplace of Big Game Fishing, fishing historian and IGFA Trustee Mike Farrior takes a look back at the many “firsts” in the history of fishing, including the first marlin caught on rod and reel and the invention of the fishing kite.
- Dr. Keith Jones, the director of research at the Berkley Fish Research Center, offers A Matter of View, an intense look at the sensory world of fish that gives anglers an inside track for both every-day fishing and competitive events.
- Dean Butler writes about the more radical perspective of fly fishing and targeting species of fish that commonly leave anglers struggling to regain most of their backing in Extreme Fly Fishing.
- In Be Prepared for Luck light-line fishing enthusiast and IGFA world record holder Raleigh Werking explains his technical approach to breaking hard-to-beat world records on light line.
- New Zealander Sam Mossman covers the science and history behind the longest-running striped marlin IGFA record streak in his New Zealand’s Mammoth Stripies.
- IGFA Conservation Director Jason Schratwieser summarizes a recent study where scientists and anglers worked closely together to evaluate the performance of circle hooks in Of Sails and Circle Hooks.
There’s also a special photo spread by photographer Pat Ford, and information about the 2006 release of his coffee-table book entitled The Best Fly Fishing Trips Money Can Buy.
It also includes listings of IGFA’s certified captains, weigh stations, certified observers and the IGFA’s member discount program.
Recognized as the official keeper of world saltwater fishing records since its founding in 1939, the IGFA entered the field of freshwater record keeping when Field & Stream transferred its 68 years of records to the association in 1978.
The 2006 World Record Game Fishes book is only available from the IGFA with a $35 annual IGFA membership. The membership also includes on-line access to the most current updated world records on the IGFA web site, six issues of the International Angler bi-monthly news magazine, unlimited admission to the IGFA’s interactive Fishing Hall of Fame & Museum in Dania Beach, Fla., plus much more.
To join, or to renew your IGFA membership, go on-line to www.igfa.org or call the IGFA headquarters at 954-927-2628.
The IGFA is a not-for-profit organization committed to the conservation of game fish and promotion of responsible, ethical angling practices through science, education, rule making and record keeping. IGFA members are located in over 125 countries and territories. The IGFA welcomes visitors to its 60,000-sq.ft. interactive Fishing Hall of Fame and Museum seven days a week.
The IGFA’s 2006 World Record Games Fishes annual, which contains 384 pages, features cover art by renowned marine artist Don Ray entitled Mako Moon (Graphic above).
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