Why organiser of Gone Fishing Day in Australia was left stunned

The organiser of Australia’s Gone Fishing Day 2020 has been left ‘stunned’ by its success.

Fishing World magazine reports that 450,000 people were reached on social media and over 1,000 locations around Australia participated to help celebrate recreational fishing as one of the country’s most popular pastimes.

The event was organised by the Australian Recreational Fishing Foundation (ARFF). Its Project Manager, Adam Martin, told the magazine that the level of engagement among Aussie anglers broke all expectations from previous years and that introducing an app for the event provided a platform for more anglers to get involved.

“We basically went digital. It was simply unbelievable watching the number of anglers submitting their catches in real-time and the app’s heat map lighting up like a Christmas tree.”

John Burgess, an ARFF spokesman, added that the event also shone a light on the current health of the country’s waterways by working with one of its members, OzFish Unlimited. “Its core mission is to protect and restore fish habitat so we encouraged people to send an image of their favourite fishing spot that they believe needs help to remain vibrant for fish and other aquatic species.

“This year we also noticed a huge spike in the number of families taking part, along with the occasional fisher – which confirms the reality that Aussies love going fishing and participating in an activity that improves a person’s overall health and wellbeing.”

Burgess said that more than 200 prizes were awarded to participants thanks to the support of Shimano Australia and that plans are already underway to attract more fishermen and partners for Gone Fishing Day 2021.

• Pictures courtesy of Fishing World.