Hello Etienne, can you introduce yourself to the readers of Fishing.news?
Etienne Goletto - Etienne, I am 32 years old and the youngest of three brothers, all of whom are passionate about fishing. In addition to fishing, I practice a lot of sea sports, including surfing, spearfishing and kite-surfing. I live in the South East of France and have travelled around the country, especially in Haute-Savoie and Corsica. I have tracked fish in most of the departments of the country.
I am a jack-of-all-trades fisherman, even if I mostly fish with lures or fly, I have no specialties and I love to discover new species and new techniques. I am a big fan of kayak fishing and I also love to travel to learn more and to marvel at the riches that can be found under the surface of all the waters of the world.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
Etienne Goletto - I started fishing with bait very young accompanied by my father and my brothers around Barcelonnette in the river Ubaye. When you are young, fishing with baits is often simpler and more effective than lures or fly fishing and it is a great way to learn how the natural environment works.
Then, I fished around my home or on vacations: white fish, sea fishing, feeder fishing in ponds, carp... Little by little the lure and the fly took more and more place and my range of action widened by passing from the bicycle to the moped and then to the car.
When, how and why did you agree to be a Pro-Staff?
Etienne Goletto - With my brothers Colin and Vincent, we were put in touch with the Flashmer brand through the journalist Stéphane Charles, at the time editor of the magazine "Le pescadou". After writing articles on squid fishing around 2005, Flashmer contacted us for product testing.
There were no social networks yet and the role of the Pro-Staff was more to test products than to promote them. There were not as many fishermen working with a brand as there are today and we were extremely proud and grateful that a brand of this magnitude trusted us and asked for our expertise. It is very interesting to participate in the development of a product or the selection of equipment adapted to the needs of the fishermen we are or were in contact with.
Thanks to various articles and videos that have given us a certain notoriety in the world of kayak fishing, we have been approached by dealers of the Hobie brand, the brand of kayaks we use. We are currently part of the fishing team of the "Hobie Shop Hyères" which is a Hobie dealer for the South of France.
What does being an ambassador mean to you?
Etienne Goletto - As I said for me the function of a brand ambassador has evolved since the emergence of social networks, from a function of testing and expertise to a function rather of communication. Even if some brands still have Pro-Staff who are consulted to create material or to test future products that will be sold, most of the brands ask their teams to make photos, videos and write articles to promote their products.
On Facebook, in particular, there has been an explosion in the number of anglers, often young, who have been declared or have declared themselves "Pro-Staff" when they were just receiving some material in exchange for advertising the brand.
I think that an ambassador is first and foremost there to give his expertise on material or to help create products for a fish or a technique that he masters perfectly. You have to be able to tell when something is wrong, but also how it could be improved. Showcasing a product or a technique through beautiful pictures, movies or articles is nowadays part of the mission of a brand's collaborator, but it should not be his only mission.
What is your best memory, or anecdote, as a Pro-Staff to share with our readers?
Etienne Goletto - Being a member of a Pro-Staff team allows you to meet anglers from all walks of life and to make great contacts. You always learn from other anglers and it's interesting to see how another member of the team will use a lure successfully, while we don't. There are also the exhibitions on the shows which I always liked, either for the exchanges with the public or with the other members of the Team.
How do you see the fishing industry in France?
Etienne Goletto - Fishing is very well rooted in the French population and has a rather good press, even if the clichés have a hard life. The old man watching his cork with a beer in his hand, sitting on his basket containing his catch, remains for many people the representation of fishing.
One of the big problems is that we are many practitioners, but without real unity. This means that we have little weight in the face of the various attacks on our sport. This concerns both the environments in which we fish, but also the very action of fishing which is increasingly questioned.
And whether in the sea or in fresh water, the observation is simple, there are fewer and fewer fish. The fishing brands do not seem to be particularly concerned, but it is easy to understand that the less fish there are, the less fishermen there will be and therefore necessarily a reduction in customers.
The fishing world and its representatives are a little too navel-gazing and should communicate on the benefits of fishing and unite to save it rather than fighting through networks as we see too often.
Any advice for anglers who want to join a Pro-Staff team one day?
Etienne Goletto - Before sending "resumes" to all the brands with photos and videos, the best thing is to fish. A fisherman who is noticed for his catches, even if it is only locally, will have more chance to be approached by a brand. The world of fishing is not very big after all, and it is easy to notice those who stand out from the crowd.
