Two Mates On The Podium At National Fishing Competition

29 March 2025, AU: In a remarkable result, a stock agent from rural South Australia and his mate have taken first and third place a national fishing competition – beating anglers from across the country to the podium.

Winning the final round of the Bayer Big Fish Challenge, Tyson Fechner from Barossa Valley was crowned the Bayer Rural Angler of the Year on Sunday after the competition in the NSW Snowy Mountains.

The competition leverages fishing to give participants and rural Australians the space and time to reflect, while enjoying nature and improving their mental and physical health.

Tyson has taken part in the competition for four years, leading his South Australian team, however this was the first time he’d been to the grand final.

“Two years ago my mate Jed Haberman won the crown – we flipped a coin and he got to attend that time around,” Tyson said.

As the best performing team in the 2024 competition, Team Barossa raised $2,000 for the charity and earned two places in the Bayer Rural Angler of the Year competition.

“We’re in the middle of one of the dryest seasons in living memory here in South Australia, and as a livestock agent I often speak with farmers who are feeling the weight of that.

“While winning the competition last weekend was undoubtedly great fun, it was also refreshing to get some skills to help my clients build their mental strength.”

Tyson said fishing “brings you down to earth” and allows anglers to take note of what’s going on around them.

“It’s great that the competition not only benefits the mental health of those who participate, but also that of those rural Australians who are nominated to attend Bayer Retreats and who pick up some of the same skills we learnt on the weekend.”

Tyson caught two Brown Trout on the first day of competition and two Brook Trout, a Rainbow Trout and a 45 centimetre Brown Trout on the second day.

He said competing against Jed for the Bayer Rural Angler of the Year crown made for an entertaining weekend.

“Jed and I fish together all the time, and it’s always very competitive between us. Normally he comes out on top, but not this time!”

Bayer Crop Science’s Head of Sales, Tony May, said Tyson and Jed quickly became known amongst the anglers as the “Barossa twins”.

“It was great to see these two younger blokes take on some of the competition’s older participants,” Tony said.

“Personally, I appreciated taking a moment for my own mental health and enjoyed the company of everyone who fished and attended the event dinner on Saturday night.

“It goes to show the role that fishing can play in bringing people together and just how thoroughly this competition supports the mental wellbeing of rural Australians. The anglers have an incentive to get out and fish, while also allowing their fellow community members to a Bayer Retreat.”

Together, participants and Bayer contributed $45,000 to The Fly Program last year.

To date, the funding has allowed The Fly Program to deliver Bayer Retreats for more than 70 rural Australians who needed to take some time to focus on their mental wellbeing.

To find out more about the competition, contact your local Bayer representative or email info@bayerbigfish.com.

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