Author: Karel Křivanec

Between 12 - 15 May 2005 the 27^th International Confederation of Anglers CIPS met in Palermo, Sicily. About a hundred of representatives from all the world participated in it. At the date of the Congress CIPS 108 national federations from 54 countries of all the continents were associated. The core of its activity, however, lies on the backs of its four international sport federations: Sea Fishing Federation (FIPS-M), Fresh Water Fishing Federation (FIPS-Ed), Fly Fishing Federation (FIPS-Mou) and International Casting Federation (ICF), which was shown mercy by the CIPS management. The reason of this change was the reality that the first three mentioned federations have been accepted into the AGFIS, which is the international organization of the non-Olympic sports, where the Casting Federation works there through the second world casting federation ICSF.

Originally, the Congress should have taken place in Belgium, but the Belgians finally resigned from its organization and Italy took turns as a fast substitute. At first it looked, in Palermo, that the Italians will not be able to organize it, but finally all finished well. There were problems with the accommodation at the hotel full of teenagers on the school trip, food was full of various kinds of pasta and Friday night's tour in Palermo finished with a complete failure, but the closing party exceeded all expectations of the delegates.

After 52 years a retired Italian politician, as a head of CIPS, was not elected, who would not have an idea what fishing is. And the French Marcel Ordan was elected as a President. He used to be the president of the Sea Water Fishing Federation. Secretariat of CIPS, however, remains in Rome, even if the Secretary General seats in Milan. Marco Crippa is the secretary general again. The member of the Presidential Board is the French Fortune Jacklin, who has given up the presidency in the Fresh Water Fishing Federation, however, they found a new position for him - Supervisor of the CIPS Statutes. Vice-presidents became Hungarian Ferenc Szalay, speaking all three official languages (French, English, German) and Southafrican Hymne Steyn. Hubert Waldheim from Germany substituted the dead treasurer Carlo Gergen from Luxembourg and CIPS Presidential Board was filled with four presidents of the single sport federations (Mattioli, Biever, Ferguson and Klamet). The next Congress will take place in Prague in two years.

Concerning the meeting of our FIPS-Mouche Federation and hopefully also motions for the change of the competition rules were discussed. They dealt with the ensuring the compulsory international supervision over the host country competitors. These motions were passed by Japan, Poland and Luxembourg after previous agreement with France, Belgium and Germany. This was after the famous case from Slovakia last year, where there was a suspicion from protection of the local competitors at the World Championship. The organizers did not ensure supervisors and FIPS-Mou did not manage to make correction. Of course, all has swept out and nobody from the Presidential Board of FIPS-Mouche did not present any standpoint and this was a mistake, because FIPS-Mou would guarantee the system of keeping the Rules.

Surely the most interesting part of this meeting was voting the countries organizing the next championships. Concerning the World Championship of seniors, it will be in Portugal next year (three rivers and two lakes - bank fishing). Hopefully, there will be more fish than two years ago in Spain. Presidential Board of the FIPS-Mou represented by Jurek Kowalski claimed, that all was decided two years ago at the General Assembly in Locarno, which was not fully true. In reality it was decided by the presidential Board which approved the participation of the fly fishermen at the World Fishing Games in 2006 in Portugal, where 3,000 fishermen shall participate. The championship will take place in Finland in 2007 and there was a tough fight among Scotland, Slovenia and New Zealand about the championship in 2008. The Scots presented fantastic presentation of three boat competitions on the lakes Loch Leven, Loch Awe and Lake Menteith and two rivers - Tay and Tumel, but finally New Zealand won the fight.

Concerning the European championship 2006 there was the only candidate country Slovenia and so this vote finished without any problems and this shall be river Sava-Bohinjka. However, Norway and Slovakia wanted to organize the championship in 2007, but finally the Scandinavians won 9:7 votes and the championship will take place in Sunnfjord, where also last year's Youth championship took place. The Irish wanted to organize the championship in 2008 and they won it as the only candidate (there will be 2 lakes and 3 rivers in the South-West of Ireland). Juniors should have their world championship in Finland in 2006 and in 2007 in Portugal probably.

The last point of the meeting was the election of the new Presidential Board of the Fly Fishing Federation, where Jurek Kowalski was finishing his second Presidency. The American Walter Ungermann was delegated the organization of this vote. Just after my arrival Walter was unsuccessfully trying to persuade me to support the proposal of the Presidential Board "Small change" - president Jurek Kowalski (Poland) for the position of vice-president and vice-president James Ferguson (Scotland?) on his position. The third vice-president Moc Morgan (Wales) was lost without any substitution, because he did not arrive due to illness. In their positions will remain vice-president Paul Vekemans (Belgium) and secretary general Mario Podmaník (Slovakia). And finally happened that even if the vote did not run according to the Statutes in secret, but in public and "unblock".

Altogether 11 delegates raised hands (some of them surely did not know what was voted for), three were against, one abstained from voting and four did not vote at all. I do not remember so low score nor at any preceding secret elections. If our federation had the youngest president in the last years, so now we have the oldest one. With all respect to Mr. Ferguson it seems to me that in his case, it is a bit late for such a position. In four years Jurek Kowalski will be able to return to "his" office and probably this was the sense of all this comedy. In the same way the Technical Committee was "elected": Karel Křivanec (Czech Republic), Walter Ungemann (USA) and Edoardo Ferrero (Italy).

From the meetings of the other sport federations in short. The Czechs managed to defend the position of the first vice-president in casting federation for Dr. Josef Dolezal, but surprisingly Dr. Juraj Meszaros (Slovakia) lost it. His candidature was withdrawn just before voting and he was substituted by Dipl. Ing. Chrenek. Surely it is Slovak decision, but for those who do not know Jura it is possible to add that last year in Berlin he was, in his 52 years of age, the second at the European Championship in pentathlon (European Championship is practically the same like the World Championship) and his son was the winner. Also by regular reading of the valid world records in casting, majority of these were achieved in Nové Zamky, where Dr. Meszaroš organizes excellent international competitions. From the field of Fresh Water Fishing Federation we are able to announce a pleasant news that the Czech Republic will organize the European Championship 2008 and Imrich Michalovský from Slovakia has defended his position in Technical Commission FIPS-Ed.