Hello Cédric, could you introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello everyone and thank you for asking me to write this column! I'm 41 years old and I come from Champagne Ardennes, precisely in the Marne (51). I'm a Pro-Staff for the Scandinavian brand Westin. I'm passionate about pike fishing in all kinds of environments, and I also have a soft spot for trout fishing for its search and beauty.
Can you tell us about your early days in fishing?
It all started when I was very young, accompanying my father, grandfather, uncle, etc... I spent a good part of my weekends on the water's edge or in the boat, fishing! Fishing became an all-consuming passion for me, with everything from magazines and VHS to booklets and waking up at night to watch Histoires Naturelles.
Carnivorous fishing became my favorite, then around the age of 18, with other friends, I turned to carp, which I stalked for a good ten years, before finally giving up and returning to my favorite fishery...
In short, fishing for me has been in the back of my mind from the very beginning and every day...
When, how and why did you agree to become a Pro-Staff?
I first joined the Westin team in 2022 as an ambassador, then joined this year as a Pro-Staff. I accepted this contract quite naturally, as it's a brand I've loved for several years already, and of course to be an integral part of the brand and represent it was a matter of pride!
Before I joined, I was the administrator of a Facebook page that a friend had just created, the "Westin Fan Club", a page designed to share news about the brand (new products, member takeaways, advice...).
The social networks where I posted a few fish caught with Westin products, the forums and open houses I often attended must also have helped me...
What does being an ambassador mean to you?
Being a "representative" of a brand already means respecting a line of conduct, a minimum of seriousness, we are in a way the physical form of the brand.
It also means knowledge of the equipment and techniques to be used, good communication in the field, especially at trade shows and on the water, not forgetting social networks, which play a huge part in brand communication today. Finally, and I'm sure I'm forgetting other aspects, we have to provide the marketing department with quality photo and video content.
What's your fondest memory or anecdote from your time as a Pro-Staff?
I'd say a day on Lake Geneva in the company of Damien Enggist, also a Westin Pro-Staff and fishing guide, with whom I broke my pike record: a fish measured 124 cm. There was an explosion of joy aboard the boat as he slipped it into the net. I couldn't believe my eyes; I lay back in the boat, shaking, and we even improvised a waltz to celebrate!
What do you think of fishing in France?
I have mixed feelings on the subject, as there are some fine things being organized here and there, such as the development of natural spawning grounds, fish caches in certain lakes to "alleviate" the problems of cormorants, which in some regions are becoming a real scourge for wildlife and the aquatic balance... Inverted mesh is also making an appearance in many places! We can see that efforts are being made to preserve (or at least try to preserve) fish and the best spawners of all species.
On the other hand, we can still see insane harvest quotas, for example in certain trout rivers where it is not uncommon to read "6 trout/day" in environments that are not even capable of producing them naturally...
Added to this is industrial pollution, which is covered up with cheques.
I'm delighted to see that fishing is attracting more and more young people who are passionate about the sport and have a mindset that's in tune with the hobby!
Any advice for anglers who want to join a Pro-Staff team one day?
There are no secrets, you have to go fishing again and again, but no headaches, just passion and pleasure, that's what has to win in the end.
Of course, by using the equipment of the company you "covet", add to this a content of quality photos, videos... and you have the right recipe...
