Fishing Year 2024 in Vas County: Results and Challenges

2024.12.31. Share

At the end of every year, it is time to look back on the past year, evaluate the achievements and draw lessons for the future. This is no different: we are happy to share how this year went for our fishing community, the challenges we faced and the results we achieved.

Fishing Year 2024 in Vas County: Results and Challenges

Although we are not closing an ordinary year, after the difficulties of the past period, we may have started to find our way back to a slightly more stable rhythm of everyday life. The effects of inflation eased somewhat by the end of the year, but the economy showed fluctuating performance throughout the year, which of course also affects fishing, as the most popular leisure activity in our country and the county. In addition to the difficulties of the economic environment, this year in Vas County we were not left without natural challenges. In the middle of the year, for example, the Rába and its tributaries, such as the Pinka, brought extreme flood protection situations, which occupied all of our attention and resources. The extraordinary flood also affected the center of our Association in Vaskerestes, and also partially destroyed our resting places created on the backwater of the Pinka in Vaskerestes.

Last year, the number of our fishing community started to grow again, as a result of which we already have 11,700 members in 2024. Last year, a total of 11,570 people exchanged valid fishing licenses in our community, which means a total increase of 130 people in the total number of members compared to 2023. This result not only reflects the commitment of our community, but also that fishing continues to serve as a popular and accessible leisure activity for wide segments of society.

We are particularly pleased that 1,765 children purchased state tickets last year, while this year this number has increased to 1,903. This represents an increase of 138 people compared to the previous year, which is a remarkable achievement in the world of technical gadgets. They are the anglers of the future, and increasing their numbers is the most important guarantee of the long-term sustainability and recruitment of our community. Involving and supporting young people remains a priority for us, as they are the ones who carry on the traditions and values of fishing. The environmental condition of our association's fishing lakes has also undergone remarkable development in recent years, thanks to numerous public welfare investments. We have been continuously working to maintain these conditions throughout the year, so that everyone can find a cultured waterfront environment for their recreational activities, if possible.

This year, our project entitled “Renewable fishing tourism locations in Vas County” was launched, which is being implemented within the framework of the TOP Plusz program, with a non-refundable grant of 199.92 million HUF from the European Union. The project aimed to develop the environmental and tourism infrastructure of seven fishing waters: the Bük fishing lake, the Kőszeg Boating Lake, the Kőszeg Brick Factory Lake, the Vassurányi Lake, the Sárvár-Rábasömjén fishing lake, the Ikervár section of the Rába River and the Vasvári II fishing lake. The planning and regulatory coordination of the investments have been fully completed, and after the approval of the final technical content of the tender project, the public procurement procedure can begin. We hope that the actual developments can begin next year, and due to time delays, the project is expected to be completed by mid-2026. The developments will bring significant progress to the county's community fishing opportunities.

The aim remains that the developments will make the affected fish farming water areas and their surroundings even more suitable for visitors' recreational needs, providing a more orderly environment for spending free time. The planned investments – such as roads, parking lots, fishing spots, rest areas, places for people with disabilities, event spaces and camp toilets – will serve not only anglers, but also the local population and tourists, contributing to the improvement of the settlement image and the development of the region.

In addition to the continuous growth of fishing membership, we strive every year to have as many people as possible buy regional fishing tickets for the waters we manage. We are pleased to report that this year the sale of the important adult annual regional tickets (complete county, 3 lakes + rivers, river, partial tickets) increased: a total of 2,664 people bought annual tickets. A total of 3,331 adult anglers bought some kind of federal annual regional ticket, which also increased compared to last year. Moreover, the number of daily fishing tickets also increased, so the losses and price increases experienced in other areas were compensated for while continuing to maintain fishing. More and more people continue to find the opportunity to relax and recharge on the banks of the Vásárhely waters, which is a real pleasure and recognition for us. Although the increase in ticket prices in January and the decline experienced in 2023 were cause for concern, this year's results show that enthusiasm for fishing is unwavering.

This year, thanks to the increase in the price of regional fishing tickets, the slight decrease in fish prices, and the fishing subsidies provided by MOHOSZ and its member associations, we managed to purchase nearly 125 million forints worth of native fish for our waters. As a result, 54,260 kg of catchable-sized carp, 20,610 kg of mixed bream, 4,787 kg of other fish species in the one- to two-year-old age group (perch, pike, baleen, tench, bream, etc.) and 32,000 pieces of pre-reared fish (barbel, tench, pike) were brought into the Vásárlón waters. The annual amount of predatory fish that meets fishing expectations reached 4,065 kg. This not only serves to maintain the predatory fish population, but also to increase the diverse fishing opportunities for fellow anglers. We would like to express our special thanks to the Hungarian National Fishing Association and the associations that participated in the support for their help. In 2024, our Association organized numerous events in the field of competitive fishing, we were the main or co-organizers of nearly 20 events. The competitions were almost all full, and based on the positive feedback from the anglers, they were implemented without any problems. This year, the "Best Sport Angler of Iron Waters" competition series was successfully held again, with the Garbolino - TackleBait company as its title sponsor for the third year, and the partnership will continue in 2025.

548 participants participated in the MOHOSZ IX. Freestyle Method Feeder OB final championship, and we organized one of the semi-finals and semi-finals on Lake Abert in Vas County. In our spring season, we launched the XIX Vasi Vizeken Primary School Competition with 12 teams and 48 participants, and with the involvement of volunteers and colleagues from all over the county, we ensured the education of the county's fishing youth with several fishing clubs, schools, and youth programs. At the beginning of August, 33 children from all parts of the county participated in our fishing camp in Vaskeresztes - at a discounted price - in a boarding and day care system. Our youth programs were implemented with the partial support of the MOHOSZ Fishing Youth Education and Training Program.

Our Association organized the Pinka Valley Fish Day for the tenth time in mid-July, which initially started as a program to promote the consumption of fish dishes, but has now become a true gastronomic specialty on the county's program palette.

This year's integrated fishing afternoon was held for the sixth time, and was jointly organized by the Vas County ÉFOÉSZ Association and the Vas County Association of Sport Fishing Associations on the Szombathely Boating Lake. The aim of the integrated fishing afternoon continues to be community building, with 14 teams of experienced anglers "working" together with two disabled competitors.

In December, a fishing and fishing tourism agreement was concluded between Dr. Lajos Szűcs, the president of MOHOSZ, and Miklós Seregi, the president of the Vas County Association of Sport Fishing Associations. According to the agreement, the Döröskei Reservoir will be available to Vas County anglers from January 1, 2025, and daily, weekly and annual fishing tickets issued for Vas waters will be valid in the area. (We wrote about this in detail here>>>). It is important to mention that next year, Vas regional tickets will not increase in price and thus the number of fishing areas will not decrease, despite the fact that the Gersekarát Sárvíz Lake will be utilized by the local government itself from February 1, 2025.

Our Association's prominent media supporter, Vas Népe, regularly and in detail reported on our programs and current events, and in this daily newspaper, there is a biweekly fishing page about the events in the waters of Vas. Szombathelyi Televízió also reported on all our important events and current events, and the recordings are available in the video gallery of our website. We can be proud that our community, as the largest civil organization in the county, has continued to maintain its significance. Without the joint responsibility and fair decisions of the anglers, fishing guides, and those working in the sector, volunteers, partners, and supporters, none of this would have been possible, for which we would like to thank you!

The past year has been difficult, but it is the work together and the hope that gives meaning to our future. We believe that the coming year will bring even more opportunities and successes for our fishing community.

In closing, we would like to remind fellow anglers that the 2024 state annual tickets are valid until January 31, 2025, so you can continue fishing without any problems at the beginning of the year. The 2025 state fishing tickets are already available at all our member organizations and we hope that the sale of regional tickets can also begin smoothly in January. Please inform yourself in advance about the customer reception rules of the associations and comply with the individual regulations of the ticket sales points.