Hello Florian, can you introduce yourself to Fishing.news readers?
Hello everyone, my name is Florian le Hetet and I live in south Finistère. I am 35 springs old and father of two young super little guys.
I've always been a competitive angler, and for many years I've been part of the Railblaza team. I practice my passion through all possible fishing techniques, and I look for all freshwater and saltwater species.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
I started fishing as a matter of course in a family environment coached by my father and brother. And I've been doing it ever since I was a youngster, when spearfishing was the leading technique.
When, how and why did you agree to become a Pro-Staff?
I joined the Railblaza team in 2016. At the time, it was a meeting that turned into a friendship. What followed was a shared desire to promote a brand with very simple objectives: use products, communicate, and develop the range to satisfy technical needs. As an experienced kayaker, Railblaza was an obvious choice. And so began a great story.
What does being an ambassador mean to you?
For me, being an ambassador means first and foremost joining a team with whom we can make progress together, in terms of both thinking and communication, in a spirit of trust and transparency.
What's your fondest memory or anecdote from your time as a Pro-Staff?
I already have many memories and anecdotes as a Pro-Staff and future ones for sure, but by far the best will be those of the Barracuda Tour editions and Lionnel Goulet's tears of joy for our second place. It was a moment that will remain engraved in my memory forever, so intense was the emotion.
What do you think of fishing in France?
Having fished in several countries, my view of fishing in France is generally not very positive, especially for freshwater environments, which are suffering more and more from pollution, poaching, heatwaves, severe low-water levels and so on...
Fortunately, there are a number of associations - not enough of them at present - that are taking action to turn things around. Congratulations to them.
Also noteworthy is the younger generation, which has a completely different mentality than its predecessors, particularly with regard to resources and harvesting. For many, no-kill is a matter of course.
Any advice for anglers who want to join a Pro-Staff team one day?
If I have one piece of good advice for an angler wanting to join a Pro-Staff team, it's this: Be yourself and have fun on the water!
