The Vasi fishing community closed the year with another record number of members and results

Every year, in the last days of the year, we try to think about and evaluate the year left behind us. This is no different now, and in the following we describe what this year was like, how we were able to meet the fishing community we represent.

The difficulties of this year's insidious epidemic, which may be slowly dying down, have been replaced by the war taking place in our neighborhood and its serious economic effects. The fishing and fish farming industry has been drastically affected by the drought of the past two years, as a result of which fish prices almost doubled in the second half of the year. Our general operating costs skyrocketed, like other economic organizations, and the maintenance of the fishing standards achieved and ensured so far presented our organization with a significant challenge. Since everyone could list the problems and difficulties at length after such a year, we would rather summarize now what we have achieved with the iron waters on this difficult course in the last 365 days.

Last year's record - 11,524 people - we managed to further increase our number of adult and child anglers to an unprecedented height of 12,002 people in 2022. It is a great pleasure for us that out of this number of members, the number of our children who changed state tickets also increased to 1,833 people, which is an increase of 52 people compared to the number of children in 2021 of 1,781 people. In addition to the growth of fishing membership, our main goal is to have more and more people exchange regional fishing licenses for the fishing waters we use. Despite the introduced price increases, a total of 3,534 adult fishermen found the opportunity to relax on the banks of the Vasi waters, which is 42 more than the number of 3,492 adults in 2021. It is also a gratifying fact with regard to child anglers that we have managed to increase the number of annual ticket changes from the previous 784 to 811 by 2022. With the help of our fisheries watch colleagues, despite the epidemic situation that was still present at the beginning of the year, we continuously held exams, at which the number of fishermen who successfully passed the exam in 2022 was 515. It is important to mention that the possibility of a free fishing test does not mean that fishing candidates arriving unprepared will always leave with a fishing test certificate in 2022. Unfortunately, 76 people failed their first fishing test and were therefore forced to take a supplementary test.

These results, in addition to a lot of work, would not have been possible if our fishermen and our colleagues and volunteers did not cooperate and help each other, as well as the work of the Association. Before moving on to the presentation of our other results, we would like to thank our fishermen for choosing our community and regularly conducting their leisure activities on the banks of the Vasi waters. We are extremely proud of our ticket sellers, staff, volunteers, fisheries wardens, fishing shops, partners and everyone who has once again worked with us to ensure that fishing can be practiced properly and in this constantly evolving and changing environment.

Unlike previous years, it was already seen at the beginning of the year that the cost increases of the extremely high fish prices were only partially covered by the increases in the 2022 fishing license prices. Thus, the most important goal is to maintain the level of stocking of fish of catchable size and to ensure their continuous acquisition and release. This year, due to the drought, the fish farming industry reached such a point that even the most popular fish, the carp, was already a result in certain periods of the year if they could provide the necessary quantity to a specific fishing organization. In accordance with the fish management plans approved by the Fish Management Authority and the needs of the fishermen, the largest amount of catchable carp was planted in the fishing waters this year as well. In 2022, in addition to 59,218 kg of carp, 14,516 kg of bream and 1,418 kg of catchable predatory fish (pike, catfish, perch) were released. We are particularly pleased that, despite the difficulties in fish management, 9,955 kg of the carp were extra-sized between 5 kg and 8 kg, which meant a particularly great fishing experience for many of our fellow anglers during the year. Predatory fish of catchable size are particularly difficult to obtain and extremely expensive (4,000-6,000 HUF/kg), but we managed to nearly double the release quantities of the last two years. Pre-raised and juvenile fish (e.g. bream, bream, brown trout, etc.) were not stocked this year, in order to ensure a stable stocking quantity of fish relevant from a fishing point of view. For your information, please note that according to the autumn decision of the Ministry of Agriculture, due to the extreme drought, the organizations entitled to fish management were exempted from fulfilling the previously approved fish management plans for this year, so making up for the previously described minor shortfalls in pre-cultivated fishing is not an official obligation for our organization, but for the fishing it is important due to the higher level of service in the future. Our successful fishing activity this year is due to the ÁPFE-IV/4/2022 announced by MOHOSZ. The tender entitled "Introduction and reintroduction of standard and preferred native fish species" was supported with almost HUF 2 million, and several of our member associations also contributed to the fishing of the nearby fishing waters, which was a particularly great help this year. We would also like to thank the Hungarian National Fishing Association and the associations that participated in the support.

On several occasions, our fish wardens jointly held boat rabies and coordinated group inspections with social fish guards, in addition to their inspections based on monthly orders, in order to protect the fish stock. In addition to fish stocking, ensuring fish conservation is an extremely important task, despite the increasing associated costs. On installation days, our fish wardens regularly took part in checking the on-site measurements of the delivered fish batches, accompanying the fish shipment and/or installing it on-site. In addition to the fish guard duties, the professional fish guards carry out regular waterfront maintenance and grass mowing work in the water areas. We thank the active social fish watchers and partner organizations participating in fish protection and waterfront maintenance for their work throughout the year and we count on their help in the future. In addition to the fish guards, we also tried to continuously maintain the well-being infrastructures created next to the fishing waters with the involvement of external contractors.

In recent years, our Association has been the main or co-director of an average of 15-20 events in the field of competitive fishing. In the year 2022, the Pečas had plenty of opportunities to prove themselves. Almost all of the competitions organized by the Association were held with full houses and based on the feedback from the anglers, they were held at a high standard. At the beginning of the year, our excellent partnership with the TackleBait Fishing Store and pet food store and Garbolino Wholesale was further strengthened.

Starting this year, we were able to welcome Garbolino - TackleBait as a new, eponymous sponsor of our "Best Sport Angler of Vasi Vizek" competition series, which was held for the thirteenth time. In 2022, Decathlon Szombathelyi Sportáruház, which has been a significant supporter of the Association's fishing community events for years, was the major supporter of the Association's programs for youth, youth and disabled anglers. The county-level sponsorship of the support of these world brands also indicates that the members of the Vasi fishing community actively participate in competitions and contests in large numbers.

The most popular branch of the national competitive sport is Method Feeder, in which nearly 400 competitors took part in the national championship this year. Our association was honored that the finals of the National Championship of this discipline took place in Vas County on Lake Abért. There has never been an example in the history of the Association of holding the finals of a national individual championship in Vas County, which is why we were especially honored to have the opportunity to host the competition. During the three-day competition in September, the anglers were tested by changeable weather, but the lake showed its usual face and gave the fish nicely: more than 3 tons were caught by the country's best 40 feeders.

We launched the XVII. Vasi Vizeken Primary School competition with 14 teams with 56 participants. In the county, we operate five fishing courses in elementary schools with the help of volunteers, which resulted in fishing education for more than 100 children throughout the county. At the beginning of the summer, we held the Vasi Vizeken Youth Fishing Competition for young anglers, the winners of which could participate in the finals held at the MOHOSZ National Fishing Camp. At the end of July, 30 children from all parts of the county took part in our fishing camp in Vaskeresztes - at a discounted price - in the boarding and day care system. Our youth programs were implemented with the partial support of the MOHOSZ Horgász Youth Training and Education Program.

The Pinka-Völgyi Halas Nap was held for the eighth time in Vaskeresztes, in the Alpesi Fogadó and Fishing Tourist Center on July 9, 2022, which, like in previous years, was visited by about 1,200-1,500 people. In October, we organized an integrated fishing competition, where the young people of the Nonprofit Kft., which provides services to the disabled and the disabled, spent a nice and friendly fishing afternoon together with the fishermen of the Vas County Association of Sport Fishing Associations at the Szombathely Boating Lake. The development of our existing fishing waters is also a priority for us, and in the realization of this goal, the Vas County Municipality has been our priority partner for years within the framework of the Territorial and Settlement Development Operative Program. We reported on it several times earlier today, but this year we finally managed to finish and hand over TOP-1.2.1-15-VS1-2019-00009. No. "Fishing tourism developments in Vas county" within the framework of our tender "Abért lakes, Hársas lake in Máriaújfalu, Vasvári Csónázátó and Celldömölk lake. With the completion of the developments, we can say that the environment of 12 of our fishing lakes has been modernized in the last 5 years, which is on an unprecedented scale fishing infrastructure development in the county.

In addition to the improvements listed above, we also renewed the equipment of the association office in our 16-year-old Fishing Tourism Center in Vaskereszet within the framework of the Leader project entitled "Development of the customer service office of the Vas County Association of Sports Fishing Associations". Furthermore, within the framework of a successful Magyar Falu Civil tender, we purchased the 3,000 m ² area next to the Association headquarters, the professional fencing of which was also supported by the tender. Through the complex performance of our association and its fifteen years of rural development experience, it was given the opportunity to implement the project "Promotion of local values and experiences in the area of the Pannon Spatial Development Association", which will end on June 30, 2023. One of the main goals of the project is to focus on the importance of local values and experiences in addition to fishing among tourists visiting the area and residents of Vas County. As part of the project, a regional Facebook and Instagram page titled "Pannon Experience" was created and continuously operated, as well as a 2022 regional PANTER calendar and tourism publication. We were also present at regional community and local government events, which we regularly report on.

Local and regional tourism development was submitted at the beginning of the summer of 2022. at the request of our support application registered under the identification number TOP_PLUSZ 1.1.3-21-VS1-2022-00005 in the form of a consortium with the cooperation of our three water-utilizing fishing associations. Within the framework of the project, in accordance with the Vas County Territorial Development Strategy, we have planned the development of the tourist infrastructure of the Bük fishing lake, the Kőszeg boating lake, the Kőszeg brick factory lake, the Vassurányi lake, the Rábasömjén fishing lake, the Ikervár section of the Rába river and the Vasvár II fishing lake. With the support of the Hungarian Government and the European Union, a notification about the approval of HUF 199,915,797 support was placed under the association's imaginary Christmas tree at the end of December, so next year the opportunity for the continued development of iron waters will be opened. Small-scale infrastructural interventions on the previously listed lakes and river sections and in their immediate surroundings help to improve the image of the affected settlement, as well as expand the recreational opportunities of the population living in the area and the tourists who come there. As a result of the planned developments, in addition to the listed fishing waters, there will be roads, parking lots, fish ponds, fishing spots, as well as benches, rest areas, fishing spots with limited mobility, camp toilets, event spaces, bacon grills, information boards and other welfare improvements.

We would also like to thank the Hungarian National Fishing Association, the Vas County Municipality and the region's parliamentarians and mayors for their active support and cooperation in achieving our development goals.

Vas Népe, a prominent media supporter of our Association, reported regularly and in detail about our programs and current events, which is a bi-weekly fishing page about the happenings in the waters of Vas. Szombathely Television has also reported on all our important events and news, and the recordings are available in the video gallery of our website. All in all, it can be said that from the point of view of our organizational life, we have behind us a colorful, meaningful and extremely successful year in most areas, which, of course, still holds many tasks and challenges to be solved for the future.

As a final word, we would like to remind fellow anglers that the state tickets for 2022 and the Vasi annual regional tickets are valid until January 31, 2023, so you can fish with them without any problems at the beginning of the next year. State fishing tickets for 2023 are already available at all our member organizations, and we hope that the sale of regional tickets can also start smoothly in January. Inform yourself in advance about the customer reception regulations of the associations and strictly follow the individual regulations of the ticket sales places.

The Vas County Association of Sport Fishing Associations wishes all fellow anglers a Happy New Year in Health and Fishing Experiences!

Additional useful information regarding the 2023 ticket exchange:

🐟 Availability of annual state and regional fishing ticket distribution points>>>

🐠 Ticket prices from January 1, 2023>>>

🐟 Federal territory ticket purchase with SZÉP card >>>

🐠 You can even order your permit at home>>>

🐟 Changes to the fishing regulations from January 1, 2023>>>

🐠 Fishing rules in a uniform structure from January 1, 2023 >>>

In the customer service office of the Association in Vaskerzestes, the possibility of personal administration (e.g.: changing tickets, applying for a fishing card, etc.) is provided by prior appointment from January 3, 2023.

Appointments can be made by calling +36 94-506-835; +36 70 3399 703 or by e-mail at info@vasivizeken.hu. After making an appointment, the colleagues will continue to be available to fellow anglers in the following customer service order in 2023:

• Monday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.;
• Tuesday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.;
• Wednesday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.;
• Thursday: 8:15 a.m. – 3:45 p.m.;
• Friday: 8:15 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.;
• Saturday-Sunday: no customer service.

We hope they will continue to choose our waters and our community in 2023!