Hello Oscar, can you introduce yourself to the readers of Fishing.news?
Oscar Lehman - Hi, I'm Oscar alias "Fario des Alpes". I'm 35 years old, I live in Switzerland and I'm passionate about adventure fishing and exploration in the mountains! Fishing for trout while climbing waterfalls is my world! This does not prevent me from discovering all the different types of fishing that exist.
I am the Media Manager of FishXplorer, a fishing brand created by fishermen, for fishermen. We make products that change the daily life like the rod holder or the anti-bite glove, but we also sell lures, clothes, etc... I manage the audiovisual part.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
Oscar Lehman - It was perch fishing on the shores of Lake Geneva with a landing net! Hours of holding my breath to catch just one per day, with a nice sunburn at the end, but the passion was born!
When, how and why did you agree to be a Pro-Staff?
Oscar Lehman - That was about a year ago. A comment posted under an Instagram photo, a reply in PM and a beautiful friendship story began! I immediately agreed since my own concept is based on exploration fishing, just like Fishxplorer. And then there are connections and feelings that can't be explained.
What does being an ambassador mean to you?
Oscar Lehman - This means first of all collaborating! Understanding the brand's image and figuring out how to integrate it with your own personality so that both the brand and the angler are happy. Good synergy is the key to any project!
What is your best memory, or anecdote, as a Pro-Staff to share with our readers?
Oscar Lehman - I know that my best memories are ahead of me with FishXplorer and that's why I love this brand! But I would say without hesitation the fishing show in Clermont-Ferrand. A wonderful human adventure with the FishXplorer team and all the people who came to visit us on our booth !
How do you see the fishing industry in France?
Oscar Lehman - Well, this is an interesting question since I am Swiss! So I have a completely external view, especially since our legislations are very different. Let's say:
+1 for France and its progress in terms of No Kill.
Your mentality is changing much faster than ours and frankly bravo, the young generations are not asking themselves the question of No Kill, it's obvious! Here, it's a bit more difficult.
+1 For Switzerland where you have to pass an exam to get your fishing license.
And yes, here we have to pass a theoretical exam, like the driver's license, with about 50 questions (on how to handle a fish, its anatomy, reproduction, environment, ecology). And education is the best way to preserve our nature.
We must continue to change our mentality, me first! We must think about alternatives to our way of fishing to try to make our passion as clean as possible.
Any advice for anglers who want to join a Pro-Staff team one day?
Oscar Lehman - Have a genuine interest in the brand you want to work with, as brands are overwhelmed with requests and they will only consider motivated and consistent requests. For example, don't approach a lure fishing brand if all you have are fly fishing photos on social media.
See you soon at the water's edge.
