Designers of “Catch Enlarger” Device Launch Kickstarter Campaign
OutdoorHub Reporters 09.22.15
It started off as an April Fool’s joke, but the designers behind this “catch enlarging” device say it is now actually a real product—or at least it will be if a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter is successful.
Back in April, employees with the Danish company MOEF “unveiled” a product called FishyHands as a prank. The device imitates a pair of hands that the angler can use to grip the fish further from their body, making it seem several times larger than it is through the use of perspective. The creators of FishyHands initially meant for it to be a lighthearted joke, but an unexpected demand for the product soon led them to consider actually selling the device.
Product developer Michael Trøst explained that the prank was first hatched at the company’s annual Christmas party. Shortly afterwards, the team worked to make a prototype of the device and even mocked up fake ads, which were posted on Facebook.
“The news about FishyHands spread out rapidly amongst angling enthusiasts, where a single picture reached more than 500.000 users,” the company stated in a press release. “But also on the well-known American social news and entertainment site Reddit, the story quickly turned popular, ranking second place for some time. People responded and wanted to know where to buy the product.”
Trøst and his team said they felt obligated to meet the demand for their prank. The MOEF team took another look at FishyHands and redesigned it from the ground up as a real product, but that is not all. As an avid angler, Trøst said that he will be shipping a proper catch-and-release guide with all copies of the product and specifies that FishyHands should never be used with a live fish.
“It is our hope that FishyHands will be a contribution to the awareness of better fishing ethics,” MOEF stated on Kickstarter.
The company is currently hoping to reach a crowdfunding goal of $30,299 before FishyHands can enter production. MOEF acknowledged that the product at its heart is a joke, but hopes that it will help encourage responsible angling. Who knows, it may even start a fad.
You can see a video on the product below:
