IGFA Day 2021
A global celebration of recreational angling
IGFA Day is held annually on June 7th and is a global celebration of recreational angling. Established on the IGFA’s 80th anniversary several years ago, IGFA Day continues to gain momentum within our international network despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year.
Thanks to a passionate and dedicated group of IGFA supporters, and some innovative thinking, IGFA Day 2021 connected thousands of anglers around the world in a global celebration of the sport we love.
Youth Fishing Clinics
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic still threatening many communities around the world, the IGFA was able to coordinate youth and family fishing clinics in celebration of IGFA Day 2021. IGFA Day fishing clinics took place on eight different countries, reaching more than 300 young anglers and their families on shorelines, docks, piers and boats! Let’s take a look at some of these great IGFA Day events held around the world.
Leading into the month of June, the APS Tomis Constanta Fishing Club, an official IGFA Club, hosted a Passports to Fishing event in Romania. This is the first time the Passports to Fishing program has been hosted in this country!
In the United States, events occurred in Alabama, California, Florida, Iowa, Utah and in Puerto Rico. Young anglers fished in both freshwater and saltwater locations with the Boy Scouts of America, Gulf State Park, Reel Guppy Outdoors, IGFA Representative Tom Irizarry, and at the IGFA Headquarters.
A few young anglers joined IGFA Representative Didier de Stoppeleire, Christian Baujard, and Captain Olivier Quach in New Caledonia to celebrate the sport with a fishing boat trip on the Quo Vadis.
Another inaugural event was hosted on IGFA Day in the Philippines at the city’s first Boaters Unlimited Cebu Fishing Tournament where a Passports to Fishing event was offered to young anglers who went through the stations, received their certificates, and then went fishing.
IGFA Representative Laurie Wright also hosted a Passports to Fishing event in Australia for IGFA Day where twenty young anglers spent the day earning their Certificates of Recognition from the IGFA and enjoying some time on the water.
For the first time in South Africa, a Passports to Fishing event was hosted by the Cape Boat and Ski Boat Club where they already have a waiting list of young anglers who want to join the next event!
IGFA Representative Mohamed Kaddah and the Egyptian Angling Federation organized a youth angling education event at the Yacht Club in Alexandria where young anglers had fun learning the basics of recreational fishing.
Finishing out the month of June in Italy, Club Nautico Rimini, an official IGFA Club, hosted an International Youth Education Day in honor of IGFA Day to kick off their Sea School Courses that will run every Friday until September.
Stay tuned for more youth angling education events from around the world and we are optimistic that more events will happen for IGFA Day 2022. Until then, make sure we all continue to enjoy our sport and recreate responsibly.
Digital Participation
Realizing that the COVID-19 pandemic would greatly hinder participation with in-person fishing clinics, the IGFA expanded its virtual IGFA Day participation opportunities, specifically through social media.
Throughout the week leading up to IGFA Day on June 7, 2021, the IGFA flooded our social media outlets with rare angling footage from the E.K. Harry Library of Fishes, engaging with anglers around the world to celebrate the origins of our sport. In total, these posts reached nearly 54,000 individuals, and prompted an engagement from nearly 5,000!
Additionally, the IGFA hosted a campaign on social media where we encouraged our followers around the world to post a photo of their favorite fishing memory using the hashtag “#igfaday”, once again connecting anglers around the world in a global celebration of our sport.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the various IGFA Day events around the world, and we look forward to having an even better celebration in 2022!