Can you introduce yourself to Fishing.news readers?
Azara Mariani Ghjuvà -Hello, my name is Ghjuvà Azara Mariani, I'm 20 years old and I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Corsica. I'm a member of Teams Delalande, Rodhouse and Pescanautic. My geographical location enables me to track all species, whether in the sea or in freshwater, but I concentrate mainly on trout fishing. I'm passionate about this type of stalking, which combines fishing and hunting in exceptional natural settings.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
Azara Mariani Ghjuvà -Before I was born, my father, Louis Azara, ran a fishing store in the back streets of Bastia, called l'Antre du pêcheur. Even back then, you could find everything there, whether for the sea or the river, and people came from all over Corsica to buy Panther Martin spoons.
After changing fields of activity, he went into tourism again and put fishing slightly on the back burner. We still went bait fishing from time to time from the shore. But with the arrival of barracudas on our shores, he slowly got back into lure fishing and decided to take me with him. It was during my first lure fishing session at the age of six that I caught my first really big fish. I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life... A 90 cm barracuda! Inevitably, after that kind of thrill, you feel like you've been bitten by the fishing bug.
Then he started taking me trout fishing, and it got worse! We'd go into the mountains to rivers where the water was translucent. We'd see the trout follow our lures before attacking them. Fishing was already at the center of my discussions and preoccupations.
When, how and why did you agree to become a Pro-Staff?
Azara Mariani Ghjuvà -My first Pro-Staff contract was six years ago. I did a lot of trout fishing on reservoirs and found myself fishing on the same spots as Team Delalande anglers. After that, we went fishing together on several occasions. We made a few videos and caught a few fish, so my first contract came about quite naturally. I was already accustomed to using Delalande products, as they were perfectly suited to some of the spots I visited.
Then my brother-in-law, Kevin Guéniot, who built his own rods and was already a member of Team Rodhouse, introduced me to rod building. I went crazy over the fact that I could catch fish with equipment I'd assembled myself. You choose your rod, calculate it perfectly to suit you, it was incredible all over again, and I was bitten by the bug again! A year later, Goulven from Rodhouse contacted me and I was delighted to join the Rodhouse Team.
As time went by, I tried to perfect my equipment as much as possible. There were tests, successes and failures. In the end, I equipped all my trout lures with Bkk single hooks. For me, it's by far the best hook brand available! Pescanautic offers ADV braids, which I've fitted to 100% of my reels and find exceptional. Guillaume Auger then contacted me and we set up a Pro-Staff contract.
What does being an ambassador mean to you?
Azara Mariani Ghjuvà -For me, being an ambassador means wearing a brand's colors, promoting it, talking about it at fishing parties, on social networks... In fact, promoting a product that we really like, that we really fish with, and that we use.
What's your fondest memory or anecdote from your time as a Pro-Staff?
Azara Mariani Ghjuvà -There are so many, but if there's one in particular, it happened three years ago. In Italy, thanks to our Pro-Staff Rodhouse group, I got to know someone who is now a friend, Fabio Morini. Fabio came to our place in Corsica to fish for trout, and we talked about a fish that had been a dream of mine since I was a child, marmorata trout !
We set off with my brother-in-law and sister, Kevin and Stella. Our aim was to catch a marmorata trout. We joined Fabio who took us to his spots. It was a very difficult fishing trip, with only two bites for the four of us! It was during the first day and in the first hour of fishing, in a thunderstorm the likes of which we've rarely seen, that Kevin caught a beautiful marmorata trout. An explosion of joy, tears and screams, a memory that will remain engraved in our heads forever. A moment that would not have been possible without Team Rodhouse, without whom we might never have met Fabio.
What do you think of fishing in France?
Azara Mariani Ghjuvà -Fishing is becoming increasingly popular. Many people are catching the bug all over France, in canals, lakes and rivers. Everywhere you go, you come across fishermen.
I'm pleased to see the progress made in terms of respect for fish. As for the ambassadors, there's something for everyone. Real enthusiasts who are interested and work hard to make more and more fish. People who are really attached to their sponsors. And then, of course, there are those who are there, but we don't really know why. It's the same in every field anyway.
Any advice for anglers who want to join a Pro-Staff team one day?
Azara Mariani Ghjuvà -I'm finding that more and more young anglers are thinking about sponsorship. Of course, many of them imagine themselves in the shoes of their idols, who they see on YouTube videos or on television for some. This is understandable, but we mustn't lose sight of the fact that the most important thing in fishing is passion, and passion alone. It's something that develops at the water's edge, and not necessarily with a T-shirt emblazoned with a logo.
Of course, if they get the chance, they should take it. It's a great way to meet people from all over the country, and sometimes, as we've seen, to make friends, and above all it's a great way to make progress. Don't send messages to all the brands hoping that one of them will contact you. Be yourself, fish with products you like and that make you catch fish. Products that are adapted to your fishing techniques, and don't force yourself to use products with the aim of being sponsored.
And if one day a brand contacts you because you use its products in your daily life in a natural, instinctive way, then you can say yes with peace of mind. Knowing that you won't be forced to use the products, since they're what you already have in your tackle box.
