Interview with EFFA responsible for Sponsoring, Marketing and Press: Stefan Schramm

Your Commitment for a Good Cause!

“The protection and sustainable use of nature are of great importance for an intact fly fishing. What can we really do to foster it?

The EFFA has become aware of a children and youth project in Romania, which was launched by a handful of actors, completely selfless, with a lot of commitment and passion. We would like to briefly present this extraordinary project and the brains behind it and would be glad if we can inspire you for offering also a support.

Smaranda Neagoe, is not only the brains behind this project, she is also a skilled geographer who is committed to sustainability. Smara, from Oradea, Romania, has got a master’s degree in her homeland. In 2010 she moved to Germany with her husband Liviu, where she specialized in sustainable development.
She got to know the world of fly fishing with the help of her husband and in 2014 she founded «Fly Fishing Romania» with the aim of promoting the uniqueness and beauty of Romania, especially its rivers.
Since 2016, the couple lives in Switzerland, where they have started their first own regional development project in their home country, Romania.

This youth project in Romania is part of a pilot project that aims the promotion of sustainable regional development of a fly fishing destination in the Western Carpathians (Apuseni Natural Park). It is based on the cooperation with the sports fishing association Aqua Crisius, the nature park administration Apuseni and the forestry office Cluj. A fly fishing camp for local children aims to sensitize local people and local stakeholders for the protection and sustainable use of the waters in that region and to offer them access to fly fishing.

Due to the mostly precarious living conditions of the local families, the youth camp is a pure charity event, which is based solely on the volunteer work of experienced fly fishermen from Romania and abroad and on donations in equipment and money.

In 2017, a 2-day camp with 13 children and adolescents was successfully carried out. In 2018 the camp will be organized for the second time, now for 20 local children, between June 21st-24th, in Ic Ponor, Padisstr. No. 332, Romania.

We asked Smara some questions about the project:

Who came up with the idea to carry out such a project?
Smaranda Neagoe: The idea has suddenly crystallized after many conversations with my husband Liviu. We both wanted to make something really meaningful within “Fly Fishing Romania” and I, in turn, wanted since my studies to apply my theoretical knowledge, but at that time I still hadn’t have the courage for that. The energy, support and finally the courage, I found in Liviu and in our fly fishing friends and EFFA members from Germany. Many thanks herewith to Dominik Borrmann, Yvonne Schreiter and Jörg Haussner for their personal commitment and the passion with which they believe in our project!!!

What concrete goals are you pursuing with this action?
Smaranda Neagoe: As I mentioned earlier, it is mainly about raising the awareness of children and young people in their relationship with nature. We want to promote the sustainable use of natural resources, especially for the protection of rivers and their fish stocks. Of course we also want the participants to enjoy the camp and especially fly fishing. In a playful way, we want to bring children and young people closer to a responsabile relationship with nature.

Which activities have you already realized and what other actions are planned?
Smaranda Neagoe: The most important action and achievement of our project was the first volunteer camp, which took place in 2016. Over 50 volunteer fishermen and nature lovers took action. Two river cascades were rehabilitated, two information boards for fishermen were designed and placed on the river bank, and the first educational path for children and adults about trout and its habitat was also created and opened.
Further, with the help of students from the Department of Zootechnics and Biotechnology from Cluj-Napoca, we stocked the river with 10’000 indigenous brown trout and carried out a waste collection with the help of rangers from the Apuseni Natural Park. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Forestry Office (which is the river’s manager), we have proposed that part of the river to become a C&R zone, aiming to support the fish stock for a few years in its natural reproduction process. For a sustainable water management, we designed and printed information flyers for fishermen and also a catch record card.
Further, we will deepen the cooperation with the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca and conduct a study of the fish population. We want then to offer the results to the river’s administrator, to use them as a basis for their future strategy for sustainable management of the river. In addition, we are planning a fundraising for procurement of surveillance cameras so we can also foster the control on the river.

In 2018 we would now like to organize another successful fly fishing youth camp, which will be again carried out purely by voluntary commitment of all who want to get involved. What we urgently need is financial means. We are depending on donations!

How can this project be supported?
As I said, we need the financial resources to accommodate the 20 children, as well as the instructors and supervisors, the photographer and the paramedic. Next we need the fly fishing equipment (rods, reels, boots, vests, accessories, etc.) for each and every 20 children.

Great, if we can inspire you for a donation. Gear is also welcome. Rods, reels, cords, vests, clothes, etc. also already used ones but in good shape!

We are already very grateful for the support and say thank you for getting involved!

Below the information and contact details:

Banking details:
Asociația Aqua Crisius
Legal Representative: Andrei Togor
IBAN: RO81OTPV220000284469RO01
SWIFT: BNRBROBU
OTP Bank, Oradea. With the indication “fly fishing youth camp Apuseni 2018”

For equipment donations and all other details and information needed, simply contact Smaranda Neagoe.
E-Mail: info@www.flyfishingromania.com, or write her on Facebook,
Phone: (RO) +40 724 938 557, (CH) +41 786 610 780, or (DE) +49 1578 368 82 84.

All the information upon donations will be made transparently published by Smaranda Neagoe, within the event’s facebook page. On request also anonymised.”