As honorary chairman of National Fishing Week 1999, Malone appears on the official NFW poster featured on page 11. With 2,000 fishing clinics, tournaments and other special events as bait, National Fishing Week organizers are hoping to draw at least a half million children and adults to the water June 5-13. This gives us thousands of opportunities to cultivate a love of fishing in young and old alike and to inspire in them a renewed respect and appreciation for our aquatic resources. The broad spectrum of events drives home the inclusive message delivered by this year's poster, NFW director Craig Koch said. We wanted to remind people that angling is an activity in which anyone can participate, no matter what his or her skill level, age, gender, or finances.
Fishing is accessible to everyone.
Everyone Can Play' This year's poster pictures Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone, honorary chairman of National Fishing Week, and young friend Alexis Smith displaying their day's catch. A lifelong angler, Malone has used his NFW chairmanship as a platform to promote fishing as an ideal family activity. It was a lot of fun, and we'd go practically every day to ponds near home. Mom would go with us, too, when she didn't have to work. Today, Malone still fishes with his family for fun and has worked with youth fishing education programs near his home in Salt Lake City.