Former World Champion joins Sonik Sports’ new Nytro brand

Nytro, the new coarse fishing brand from Sonik Sports, has recruited former World Champion Tommy Pickering.

Pickering has an extensive knowledge of the fishing industry, having previously worked with Tri-Cast, Daiwa, Preston Innovations and Maver – and is currently representing the Fjuka bait company.

“It is great to have Tommy on board,” said Nytro’s Managing Director Europe, Pascal Vermeulen. “We are currently working on lots of projects for 2023 and beyond and he is the right person to work closely with. He will give us feedback, share ideas and help us develop lots of new and innovative tackle that anglers didn’t even know they needed.”

Speaking about the collaboration on Facebook, Pickering said: “It is a really exciting project and I couldn’t say no when Nytro showed me its short and long-term plans. I was gobsmacked.”

Doncaster-based Pickering is a household name in match fishing, having been a member of the formidable Barnsley Blacks team at the age of 18 and the youngest-ever angler to be selected for the England team when aged 23.

He has fished 18 World Championships and was crowned individual World Champion in Bulgaria in 1989. He was coach of the England feeder fishing team that won five team and six individual medals and also coached the England ladies’ team to numerous successes.

“Tommy is one of the most popular fishing personalities in Europe,” said Sonik Sports founder Ian McCormack. “I am really excited about the prospect of working with him to build our new Nytro brand.”

Nytro is a stand-alone coarse brand that will be in the shops by March. It will focus on the feeder fishing sector in the first year, with products including rods, reels, seat boxes, feeder chairs, luggage, brollies and clothing.

But Vermeulen says it won’t stop at feeder fishing. The brand already has waggler rods in four commercial ranges and there are plans to develop a range of poles. The brand is also working on numerous accessories that Vermeulen says ‘will cause a lot of excitement.’

• Tommy Pickering (centre) is pictured with Ian McCormack (left) and Pascal Vermeulen