Hooked on fishing :
Figuring out Ashley Rae's favourite pastime isn't much of a challenge.
The Napanee native is proud to show off her fish earrings, her fish pillow, her fishing videos, her fishing website ... well you get the picture.
"I've got way too much fish stuff," Rae, 25, said. "Everybody buys me fish stuff."
What started out as a fun activity is turning into something a bit more serious -- yet still a heck of a lot of fun -- for Rae.
Since winning a World Fishing Network contest -- Adopt an Angler -- last year that sent Rae and her boyfriend on a fishing trip to Tobago, Rae has made several important connections in the fishing industry.
The Quinte Bassmasters club member is sponsored by Shimano, a leading fishing company, and Strike Zone Tournament Baits. She has appeared on the cover of BassMan magazine and continues to expand her YouTube channel and appropriat e l y-named website
Not bad for a young woman trying to make a name for herself in a sport that tends to attract more men than women. "I just want to promote fishing," said Rae, a graduate of Napanee District Secondary School and St. Lawrence College. I want to inspire other people. There are not that many women (in the sport) and I want to show people that anyone can fish."
At the age of five, Rae was introduced to the sport by family friend Arnold McNeil, who owned a lodge near Cloyne.
"Every summer we went back there and we always went fishing," Rae said. "The last few years, I really got more into it."
When Rae heard the World Fishing Network was holding a contest with a grand prize of a week-long, $10,000 deep-sea fishing excursion to Tobago, she made it her business to develop a strong entry.
The contest required entrants to tell viewers why they deserved the trip. Rae opted to make a video stating her case.
She called her video Ashley's Pathetic Plea. It showed her hooking in a toy fish inside her house and drawing pictures of her favourite sport. It earned her 13,942 votes, edging out a Calgary entry to give Rae the trip
It was incredible," Rae said of the trip. "It was paradise down there."
Rae made the most of her trip, shooting several videos to add to her multi-media resume.
It helped land her the sponsorships and gave her more con-f idence as she tries to break deeper into the industry.In the spring, Shimano had her in Toronto as an ambassador at a sportsman show.
"I just want to keep getting better," Rae said. "I have to get better speaking in front of a camera."
Television work is a long-term goal for Rae, but she knows it takes plenty of money to try to go that route.
"I'm just making my own videos right now and sort of establishing myself," Rae said. "It seems to be working."
Rae also is working on getting better at reeling in the big ones.
She spends many of her weekends ice fishing in the Belleville area and is gearing up for the Canadian Open of Fishing in Kingston this summer.
Rae, however, isn't overly concerned about winning big competitions. She enjoys introducing youngsters to the sport and would love to see more women get involved.
Rae is hoping she can be a bit of a role model for the female crowd. She acknowledges she was a bit intimidated at first when she joined her club.
"I used to be sort of shy when I stepped in," Rae said. "But everyone is really enthusiastic about having me because it's not that typical. They're happy to see what I'm doing and they're very supportive
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