Interview about Wormy Compact Fishing Systems, winner of the A' Camping Gear and Outdoor Equipment Design Award 2025
The Wormy compact modular fishing rod was invented by Szabolcs Nemeth. He created an almost unbreakable fishing system that is usable for many fishing methods. Its tiny size allows you to take it anywhere. Can be used for casting from shore, fishing from boat, kayak or Sup. It is suitable for ice fishing in winter and snorkel fishing in summer. This is truly year round fishing equipment. Thanks to the removable trigger, it can be equipped with all existing reel types. We can swap out spring rods with different sensitivities. It is extremely durable, so it will serve its owner for a long time.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsFrom Childhood Fishing to Designing My Own Rod – A Lifelong Passion: I grew up by Lake Balaton, Central Europe’s largest lake. From a very young age, I was passionate about fishing — I started with my grandfather, casting lines in the reeds with a simple bamboo rod. Those rods were surprisingly strong, yet extremely basic: just a line tied to the end. But in the dense reeds, they were incredibly effective for catching carp. As I grew older, my interest in fishing deepened. I began to learn more techniques and naturally moved on to more advanced gear — mostly traditional fishing rods that were available at the time. These rods had much better casting mechanics, but they also came with their own issues. The tubular, multi-piece construction made them highly sensitive to side pressure. They could crack lengthwise with even a small knock, especially during transport. Throughout my youth, I lost dozens of expensive rods — not because a fish broke them, but because they were damaged while being carried or stored. Another big frustration for me was transportability. I’ve never enjoyed carrying a lot of equipment. Before I had a car, I used to ride my bike to fishing spots, with all my gear stuffed into a backpack. Attaching multi-piece rods to the bike was difficult and awkward, often making the trip uncomfortable and even risky for the equipment. These two recurring problems — fragility and inconvenient transport — were what finally pushed me to imagine something different. I wanted a fishing rod that would be: More durable than the typical rods on the market, Easy to transport, even by bike or on foot, And as versatile as possible, allowing me to fish in different styles with just one tool. But I couldn’t find anything like that on the market. So, I decided to build it myself.
The Birth of Wormy – A Practical, Castable Spring-Based Fishing Tool: My primary goal was to develop a fishing device no longer than 60 centimeters, that would be fully capable of casting, and would feature interchangeable springs. These springs vary in sensitivity depending on the number of arcs they contain: the fewer arcs, the stiffer and snappier the spring behaves. This spring tension plays a key role during casting: Heavier lures require stiffer springs for control and distance, Lighter baits work better with softer, more flexible springs. The spring’s sensitivity is also crucial when playing the fish — helping absorb shocks and reduce line breakage. Creating a tool that was truly castable, not just a static rig, was essential for me. However, the spring mechanism doesn’t work equally well with every reel type. While in theory, most reels could be mounted, not all are efficient or practical for this system. After extensive testing, field fishing, and measuring performance, I concluded that: Baitcasting reels work with the system, but closed-face spincast reels offer the best results, especially those with 5–6 cm diameter spools. Why? Because spincast reels release the line through a central opening in the spool, allowing the line to exit with minimal lateral deviation. This makes the line pass smoothly and cleanly through the spring arcs, which also function as line guides. To pair with this reel type, I designed an ergonomic, pistol-style handle, and integrated a trigger into the reel mount. Spincast reels are operated by resting the index finger on the trigger, while the thumb presses the release button during casting. This setup feels natural, comfortable, and allows for precise control. This process gave birth to the first working prototype of Wormy — a fishing device that is compact, durable, fully castable, and built to meet the practical demands of modern anglers. It became the flagship model now known as the Cast Pack.
The Birth of the Wormy Compact System – A Modular Approach to Universal Fishing: Creating a pistol-grip, spring-powered rod with a top-mounted, closed-face reel was a huge step — but it still wasn’t a true system. It was a tool. Not a platform. That’s when I realized that the entire concept needed a central structural element — the reel seat. This reel seat would serve as the core hub of the entire setup. One end needed an adapter for attaching the spring module, and the other end needed a threaded interface for interchangeable handles. The result was a three-part modular design: Central reel seat, Interchangeable spring unit, Swappable handle section. Everything — the spring, the handle, the reel — connects to the central mount. To support top-mounted reels, I designed a removable trigger module. This trigger slides onto the axis and can be easily removed if you want to mount a bottom-positioned reel instead. By swapping the pistol grip for a straight handle, and flipping the spring assembly to bottom orientation, the exact same spring mechanism becomes a conventional spinning rig when combined with a spinning reel. That’s how the system was born — a modular fishing platform, not just a rod. A system that adapts to different fishing styles using one core unit. The Cast Pack remains optimized for casting techniques — lure fishing, predator targeting, fast-action methods. The bottom-mounted version, which I named Spin Pack, is ideal for: boat fishing, ice fishing, or even snorkel fishing — underwater angling. So the Wormy system emerged as a versatile, modular concept — designed to meet the needs of modern, mobile anglers who want adaptability without compromise.
Awards, Recognition & Validation – The Birth of the Wormy System: Even back when Wormy existed only as a prototype, I was fortunate to receive encouraging recognition: I won first place in the “Concept” category of the Hungarian Design Award. This gave me a huge boost and played a key role in motivating me to begin full-scale development. That development led to the product receiving one of its most important honors so far: a high-level distinction in the “Camping Equipment” category of the international A'Design Award. To me, this is a meaningful and authentic validation of the journey I’ve taken with Wormy — and the results it has produced. The project began from a deeply personal need: I simply couldn’t find a compact fishing solution that matched my requirements.And I had never seen a modular fishing system before — not on the market, and not even as a concept. That gap inspired me to build not just a tool, but an entire compact, durable, and modular fishing platform. Throughout the design process, I kept one clear goal in mind to create a system that is: Small in size, Easy to transport, Extremely durable, And adaptable to as many fishing methods as possible. But not only that — I also wanted it to work in as many environments and weather conditions as possible. In the end, I believe Wormy achieved that goal. It’s a system that allows you to fish: from shore, on water (from a boat), on ice, and even underwater — in any season, all year round.
The Art of Casting – How the Wormy System Performs in Motion: The casting performance of this tiny system depends on a combination of factors — it’s a balance of mechanics, materials, technique, and design. At the heart of it is the spring body, which serves as the core of the casting mechanism. The spring works like a catapult, launching the bait forward with precision and force. The casting motion is similar to that of a traditional fishing rod, but there are key differences: The rod is held with one hand only. The movement doesn’t come from the shoulder, but relies heavily on the wrist. While the arm provides the main swing, it’s the flick of the wrist that drives the cast. When done properly, the spring and bait work together to create a slingshot effect, propelling the bait forward with surprising power. Line control and friction. The spring is designed with arched wire loops that double as line guides. These loops are shaped to: Minimize contact surface with the line, Reduce friction for smoother line release. However, because this is a very short rod, loose line can sometimes snap back into the open loops, causing serious tangles — the kind that often require cutting and re-rigging. To prevent this, I introduced a removable rubber ring that can be placed over the spring. This flexible band: Closes off the open arcs of the spring, Prevents the line from getting caught, Is fully replaceable and easy to attach. Reel selection matters: To achieve optimal casting, the reel must be carefully chosen. Ideally a top-mounted closed-face spincast reel, with a spool diameter of 5–6 cm, and a line outlet of at least 1 cm in diameter for smooth line release. Materials and finish: The spring and the terminal line guide are made from stainless steel and finished with electropolishing. This high-grade surface treatment ensures minimal friction on the line, faster, cleaner casts. The same polished finish is applied to the spring, creating a tight, slick surface that aids line speed and reduces resistance. Learning the cast: Casting with the Wormy system takes a bit of practice. While it’s still a hand-cast, the dynamics are different: The wrist movement is crucial, and timing matters — you need to learn exactly when to release the reel during the motion. Once mastered, the system can match the casting distance of a traditional 2-meter spinning rod — all while being smaller, lighter, and more portable. The Development Process – Patience, Prototypes & Practice: So how did the development process actually unfold? It was an incredibly long and detailed journey. Before I could even test a prototype spring, I had to decide: What gauge of spring wire to use, What type of steel to select, What heat-treatment temperature would yield the right performance. Then came the design phase — I created hand-drawn sketches and digital models. With these designs in hand, I visited a small industrial workshop, where they used manual, mechanically operated machines (not digital CNC) to produce the springs based on my blueprints. Once I had the spring, I sent it for electropolishing, added the terminal line guide, mounted it on one of my early fishing rods — and took it to the water. That’s where the real testing began. Through repeated field use, I slowly began to understand: how the spring needed to be shaped ergonomically, what materials worked best, and what structural features were necessary to meet all the functional requirements. This process took years of fishing with different prototype springs. I tested them for casting, tested them while fighting fish — and refined the design based on every hands-on experience. It was a time-consuming journey —but one I truly enjoyed, because all along…I was fishing.
From Handmade Prototype to Scalable Production – The Classic Range and the Challenge of Growth: The story began with a single fishing rod I made for myself — and with it, I won the Hungarian Design Award in the concept category. This recognition gave me a strong sense of validation and the motivation to keep going. It inspired me to explore the possibility of serial production. The first version — the Classic Range — was crafted using premium materials: Stainless steel spring, CNC-machined, anodized marine-grade aluminum reel seat, Hardwood handles - primarily ash, sealed with a protective lacquer. This combination made for a product that was not only extremely durable, but also functionally unbreakable under normal use. The spring won’t snap — it simply reaches the limit of its elasticity. The aluminum is solid and corrosion-resistant, while the hardwood gives each piece an elegant, natural character. The first handles were sculpted by hand from modeling wax. I then created detailed 3D models, which were later milled using CNC machines. The first reel seat was also produced based on my hand-drawn sketches, manufactured in a small metalworking shop by a skilled, elderly craftsman. The result was a fishing tool that was both ergonomic and visually striking — where functionality and form were given equal attention. The challenge: production cost. Despite its success, it became clear that this model wasn’t scalable. CNC machining and custom hardwood components are simply too costly for large-scale production — even in higher volumes, the unit cost remains too high for the product to be priced competitively in the mid-range market. That led me to a crucial question: How can I keep the core concept and technical performance of the Classic Range, but make it suitable for mass production at a significantly lower cost? The solution: injection molding and composite polymers. The obvious direction was injection molding — using advanced technical polymers. In recent decades, polymer engineering has seen massive advancements. Today, we can work with carbon fiber–reinforced composite plastics, which are extremely lightweight. Offer strength comparable to metals, resistant to acids, bases, and saltwater. Are UV-stable, and in many cases are even lighter than aluminum. With this material and process, I am able to launch a mass-producible version of the system — one that retains the core functionality and spirit of the original, while being accessible at scale. Further Development, New Materials – The Polymer Version & Snorkel Fishing Influence: It’s important to note that the same patent protects the system — regardless of the materials used. The protection applies to the core design and concept, not the specific materials. So both the Classic Range and the polymer-based version share the same intellectual property protection, which is an essential detail for manufacturing and distribution. Around the time I was developing the polymer reel mount, I also discovered a new passion: I fell in love with snorkel fishing. This new way of fishing brought some important practical insights. While hardwood handles hold up well in general, I realized they’re not ideal for saltwater use. Even the best finishes can degrade over time in harsh marine environments. So I started looking for a material that was: lightweight, resistant to moisture and salt, and aesthetically compatible with the new carbon-composite reel mount. That’s when I turned to molded agglomerated cork. It’s a composite material made from ground cork and binders, which allows for: the creation of beautiful, ergonomic shapes, and efficient, large-scale production via casting molds. I began manufacturing the cork grips in quantity. The result is a lightweight, waterproof, stylish handle, perfectly matched with the carbon-composite reel seat. Importantly, the dual-position stainless steel spring remained unchanged. The exact same spring used in the original Classic Range continues to serve here. This gave birth to the modern, mass-producible version of the system —one that: preserves the original mechanical principles, uses cutting-edge materials, and performs equally well from shore, boat, or underwater.
Wormy Fishing Rods: Sustainability and Recyclability at the Forefront of Fishing Equipment: The fishing industry has undergone dynamic development over recent decades, resulting in highly specialized equipment tailored for virtually every fish species and fishing method. Alongside this growth, there has been an increasing demand for environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions, as the mass proliferation of fishing gear poses significant environmental challenges if their lifecycle is not managed responsibly. During the development of Wormy fishing rods, I placed great emphasis on material selection and design aimed at minimizing environmental impact and maximizing product longevity. This approach ensures not only optimal usability but also that all components are fully recyclable, contributing to the principles of a circular economy. Material Composition and Recyclability: Stainless Steel Spring: Both the Classic Range and Black Range ONE product lines utilize the same high-quality stainless steel spring. This type of steel is 100% recyclable, allowing components to be reintroduced into industrial cycles at the end of the product’s life, thereby minimizing material waste. Aluminum Components: The aluminum parts used throughout the rods are also highly recyclable. Aluminum offers environmental advantages because recycling it consumes significantly less energy compared to primary aluminum production, making it a greener material choice. Polyamide-6 (PA-6) Based Carbon Composite Reel Seat (Black Range): The reel seat’s base material is a carbon fiber-reinforced polyamide-6 composite, a well-known, industrially recyclable plastic. This composition provides optimal mechanical properties (lightweight, strength) while ensuring sustainability during waste management. Cork Handle: Cork is a natural, renewable resource harvested sustainably by stripping the bark from cork oak trees, primarily grown in plantations, without harming the tree. Cork is 100% recyclable into granulate for manufacturing new products, enabling a closed-loop material cycle. Additionally, cork has a low ecological footprint, being biodegradable and sourced from carbon-negative forestry. Sustainability Philosophy: Wormy’s development philosophy recognizes that environmental protection depends not only on minimizing waste but also on product durability and longevity. A well-designed, robust, and durable fishing rod can serve for decades, reducing the frequency of replacement, which in turn decreases waste and the carbon footprint of material use. Moreover, throughout the product lifecycle, efficient recyclability of materials is ensured—an essential step toward making fishing gear more sustainable and reinforcing the circular economy.
The Personal Story and Lessons of Patenting the Wormy: In the 1990s, when I was a student at the Hungarian University of Applied Arts, I had the good fortune to meet György Kovári, a patent attorney who gave lectures on industrial property protection. Even back then, during my university years, I applied the patent system to digital image processing solutions related to my diploma project, an anamorphosis calendar, and Mr. Kovári provided significant assistance with the patent application. About one and a half decades later, when the Wormy project reached a level of maturity making it seriously patentable, I contacted Mr. Kovári again to share my ideas with him. After a few weeks of thorough examination, he confirmed that the concept was patentable, and this marked the beginning of a long, complex, and challenging process. In 2015, I submitted my national patent application in Hungary, followed by the initiation of international patent proceedings. This phase lasted over nine years, during which I experienced the complexity and risks of patenting. The process required continuous collaboration with my patent attorney as well as constant responses to questions raised by patent examiners in various countries. The examiners continuously searched worldwide patent databases for prior art or solutions that could be cited as novelty-destroying, potentially blocking the grant of the patent. This “patent roulette” was emotionally and financially very demanding, especially since at any year during the process a reference might emerge that could prevent obtaining legal protection. During the procedure, I also realized that international patent offices and attorneys share their research on a common platform, so if a patent application fails in one country due to prior art, it could affect parallel examinations in other countries as well. Therefore, it is an especially valuable and significant achievement to obtain a patent and become an inventor after such a prolonged examination. However, I am aware that a patent alone is worth nothing if not backed by a competitive, marketable product capable of leveraging the legal protection the patent provides. This story for me is about persistence, expertise, and continuous cooperation, and about how complex and carefully considered the process of obtaining patent protection is, the outcome of which represents substantial value for both the inventor and the market. Mr. Kovári is still my good friend and is 90 years old.
The Significance of Wormy's Modularity – Present and Future: One of Wormy’s greatest strengths is its modularity — a feature that is already proving highly useful, even though it has only begun to manifest in a few basic ways. The existing reel mount unit can already be extended in multiple directions: users can choose from different spring sensitivities, various grip designs, and — thanks to the detachable trigger — mount both top- and bottom-mounted reels. These options alone offer a broad range of configurations, sparking users' imagination and encouraging creative use. However, the true potential of this modularity lies in its future. It is very likely that springs will be developed in many more variations — in form, weight, and mechanical behavior. There is ample room for innovation, from altering spring length and stainless steel coil diameter to experimenting with the number and shape of spring loops that determine its dynamics. All of these refinements could significantly enhance performance and versatility. When we look at the fishing community, two clearly distinct user groups emerge: professional anglers and recreational hobbyists. A professional angler typically selects a rod-and-reel combination that is specifically optimized for a particular species, weight, and technique. This specialization drives much of the fishing industry, where manufacturers create increasingly targeted tools for increasingly specific purposes. In contrast, the average recreational angler approaches fishing with a different mindset. Their goal is not hyper-specialization but practicality, simplicity, and durability. They are less likely to chase a specific species with the perfect setup, and more likely to enjoy the flexibility of an all-purpose rod that’s always ready to go. Wormy was developed for this user group — it functions much like a Swiss army knife: compact, versatile, and always within reach. It was never Wormy’s goal to replace high-end, professional rods. Instead, its compact size and modular structure allow it to excel in places where traditional rods struggle. On a sailboat deck, cluttered with ropes and tensioning equipment, or along an overgrown riverbank with no room for long casts, Wormy offers unique advantages. Its small form and flexible casting angles — from below, the side, or even in tight spaces — allow for precise and effective fishing where larger rods are impractical. Furthermore, the Wormy fits perfectly into modern fishing trends like SUP fishing, where mobility and instant deployment are crucial. Its short, compact design allows quick casting from unstable or space-limited positions, giving it a distinct edge. Ultimately, Wormy is a smart, flexible system that already performs well today — but its true value lies in the modular developments and emerging use-cases it enables for the future, appealing not only to hobby anglers but also to professionals seeking adaptable solutions in unconventional environments.
I believe that in the case of fishing rods — just like with any handheld tool — the design process that leads to a compact or modular-compact version is essential to meet the expectations of today’s fast-paced world. Much like a compact camera or a smartphone, which condense multiple capabilities into a small, portable format, the Wormy was created with this very mindset in mind. This approach is already well established in many other product categories — from multitools and Swiss army knives to ultra-packable sleeping bags. There are countless outdoor products where lightness, portability, and multifunctionality are not just advantages but fundamental requirements. In my view, this compact-oriented thinking has not yet been widely explored in the design of fishing rods. That’s why I am hopeful that Wormy will soon gain the attention it deserves — especially within the world of sports gear and outdoor equipment, where it can truly find its place and reach a broader audience.
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