Page 44 - 52nd Annual White Marlin Open

Ashaway, Rhode Island. In short order, they were packed aboard life-
boats and ship’s rafts and began saving lives almost immediately. Lit-
erally hundreds of grateful letters were received from servicemen in
all theatres, prompting several other Allied nations to adopt the kits.

The near overnight success of the military survival kits brought enor-
mous acclaim to the IGFA, and this quickly spawned another project.
In many remote outposts, wounded servicemen at field hospitals had
little to do during their recovery, and patient morale was correspond-
ingly poor. After some consideration, it was decided that taking ad-
vantage of local angling opportunities might represent both a wel-
come distraction and a means of supplementing military rations.

In early 1943, Lerner personally financed the development and initial
production of what would quickly become a hugely successful mo-
rale-builder. The first recreational kits consisted of 100 feet of 30-lb
test fishing line, assorted lures, hooks, and sinkers, plus a spearhead,
dip net, and instructions printed on waterproof paper. Weighing in at
a tidy 41 ounces, their worth to wounded servicemen quickly proved
more than gold. The IGFA teamed up with the Red Cross to facili-
tate distribution, and the first 3,000 kits prompted a flood of letters
pleading for more.

By WWII’s end in 1945, the IGFA had completed its organizational
thinking and released a small publication detailing its goals and ac-
complishments to date.

The organization’s four-fold stated mission was now in print: 1. To en-
courage the study of game fishes for whatever purpose; 2. To set and
maintain the highest standards of ethics and create rules according-
ly; 3. To encourage recreational angling and data accumulation sur-
rounding same; and 4. To maintain a listing of world record catches.

By that time, the IGFA organization had grown to 28 people, associ-
ated with 8 scientific affiliates and partnered with 37 angling clubs
throughout the world. In just a few short, war-torn years, the IGFA
had established itself at the center of the fishing world.

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