The crew of the Audaz... as was almost always the best (Photo Pedro Seoane)

To talk about sports fishing high competitions in our country, is to talk about two Circuits: the Rodman that was held between 2003 and 2007 and the Metromar from 2015 to 2017... 8 years unmatched with competitions throughout Spain, with support from the media written as the generic ABC or the MARCA... televisions such as TVE (with its program Jara and Sedal) or Canal + (with the program of the noon of Pedrera)... with clubs such as the Royal Maritime Club of the Abra- Real Sporting Club, the Club of the Sea, the Club of Náutico or the Club of the...

20 ships from all over Spain in competition... this is a partial image of the departure at 06.00 AM (Photo Pedro Seoane)

The scandalous figures, getting past the 60 ships on many occasions, and even reaching the 90 as was the case in Barbate in 2005... and so with the sustainability by flag, with all kinds of controls to this effect and the splendid competition of the Research Center of Tunidos. A penalty for their disappearance, due in particular to the very harsh and unjustified ministerial measures on amateur sports fishing... for whom the problem of tuna fishing is that in a competition a few dozen pieces of 10 to 20 kilograms are caught... when a small launch of a professional boat is several tons.

Breefing of patterns and in the presidency the manager of the Gijón Sports Port and two members of the Catalan... Jordi Gómez and Juan Colom... the anecdote in charge of Colom: "a participant discusses a rule, and Joan tans the conversation: I am the authority in Gijón and you cannot discuss what I decide as the most responsible..." the ovation of support was of those that make time (Photo Pedro Seoane)

In 8 years of competitions at 6 a year on average... 48 competitions... with several Cops of the King, Spanish Championships... I only remember two great pieces, both in Barbate... the rest some of 50-60 Kg and the rest mostly nice from 10 to 25 kilos, the largest. Finally this is Spain... by the way! All the fishing always went to charity... impossible to take a piece home.

Juan Colom was the head of sports fishing for three days outside his beloved Mediterranean: in Gijón (Photo Pedro Seoane)

In 2006 the Rodman Circuit was held in L'Ampolla, Denia, Getxo, Gijón, Vigo, El Balís, Cambrils and Banus. He no longer had the spectacular formatico of the past and he was languishing for the above... and the Cantábrico Cup arrived, achieving an excellent participation with 20 ships from all over Spain and a lot of level in the fleet.

The cultural cycle in Gijón was spectacular (Photo Pedro Seoane)

He worked in the city of Asturias in a parallel cultural cycle, in which Jara and Sedal collaborated, as well as the National Institute of Oceanography, giving a series of conferences, and working days throughout the days before the competition, which were a complete success. The late Rafael del Pozo director of the leading program in the hunting and fishing audience, which offered an extraordinary talk, in the Cousteau.

In the sports were the best: Durá de Cataluña with its then audacious champion of the world... Jesus Torralba of Cantabria one of the best Spanish fishermen of all time... Gorostiza of Castro Urdiales... and took the cat into the water, then number 1 of the Spanish sports fishing: Pascual Durá of the Nàutico Club of Calafat, which had from a strong man Jordi Gómez.

Huvo captures and this the sportsmen thanked him (Photo Jordi Gómez)

But first of all, the Organization had had many dismeetings with the Spanish Federation of Fisheries and Casting... which was still curious, because from their hand the Circuit had been greatly enhanced and why not say so... their support had been essential. What had happened was that a new head of Maritime Fisheries had been appointed, that it was believed that the topic was a manna... doing tremendous damage with its huge increases in the costs of the licenses, as well as canons to the sea fishing competitions... the reaction of its own and strangers was radical and the break was total... hence the Spanish would not want to take on the technical theme in Gijón... and grab you who helped the event: the CATALANA FEDERATION OF ESTIVA, and under its tutelage was held a contest of the most beautiful and competing of those far away years.

O Rei, the Kaiser of High Sports Fishing... the world champion Pascual Durá (Photo Jordi Gómez)

It was really beautiful the halagos that the municipal officials and the Principality had for the great JOAN COLOM, who was the head of marine fisheries of the Catalan... "Juan Colom has given an example of what Spain is and must be, we have loved and we have been proud that the CATALANA FEDERATION was the authority in our most important fishing contest..." It was really exciting and unforgettable... I still keep the contest announcement, edited with typographic wealth and designed by Miguel Lareo editor of our sister MAMSAR page... ORGANIZED BY... FEDERATION OF DEPORTIVE FISHING

Manuel Pedro Seoane
Digital Nautical Editor
Director of the Rodman and Metromar Circuits