Saturday was ice fisher Meelis Parnamae's lucky day when his catch won him a car worth 15,000 euros ($20,000) at Estonia's annual Gold Fish Festival.
Parnamae was among more than 4,000 people who headed to frozen Lake Viljandi in southern Estonia angling for the 50,000 euro jackpot, or failing that, the car, a Renault Duster SUV.
The jackpot proved elusive as no one managed to catch the necessary 10 tagged fish of at least three different species. Parnamae landed the car by snagging a single marked fish.
Festival spokesman Paul Liivoja said conditions were perfect for this year's competition with the temperature just below freezing and a 30-centimetre (12-inch) layer of ice on the lake.
Organisers had released 200 tagged fish into the lake a week earlier.
Fishing is one of the most popular hobbies in Estonia, a small Baltic nation of 1.3 million.
Saturday was ice fisher Meelis Parnamae’s lucky day when his catch won him a car worth 15,000 euros ($20,000) at Estonia’s annual Gold Fish Festival.
Parnamae was among more than 4,000 people who headed to frozen Lake Viljandi in southern Estonia angling for the 50,000 euro jackpot, or failing that, the car, a Renault Duster SUV.
The jackpot proved elusive as no one managed to catch the necessary 10 tagged fish of at least three different species. Parnamae landed the car by snagging a single marked fish.
Festival spokesman Paul Liivoja said conditions were perfect for this year’s competition with the temperature just below freezing and a 30-centimetre (12-inch) layer of ice on the lake.
Organisers had released 200 tagged fish into the lake a week earlier.
Fishing is one of the most popular hobbies in Estonia, a small Baltic nation of 1.3 million.
