Victoria Truyols: Every catch to improve

Victoria Truyols is a young and talented spearfisher from Mallorca, of Team Cressi, who has quickly demonstrated her passion and skill in this sport. From her first days exploring the seabed to competing at national and international level, Victoria combines technique, concentration and love for nature, becoming a reference for those who are new to spearfishing.

Valentina Prokic: When and how did your passion for spearfishing begin?

Victoria Truyols: Since I was a child I have been attracted to the sea; I loved swimming with my goggles and watching the fish. In September 2020 I became curious about spearfishing. I went to a fishing store in Portixol to ask how I could get a license and receive good advice.
I joined the C.I.A.S. Club, which had a WhatsApp group to ask questions about fishing. Shortly after, Bernat Castell, the club’s director and instructor, wrote to me, offering me to go fishing with him and another guy who was also starting out. From that very day, Bernat started sending me pictures of the women’s championships. Jokingly, with hardly any confidence, he told me, “You’ll be there soon!” To which I laughingly replied, “What are you talking about!”. My first day of fishing was in the Illetas area. That day I learned how to put on and use all the necessary elements, and I also managed to catch three octopus and three rockfish. It was a fantastic day.

VP: What are your favorite spearfishing techniques and what kind of fish do you like to catch?

Victoria Truyols: I like to fish in shallow water, on the bottom of Mallorca Above all, I like to fish “in the holes“. As for the fish, I value each catch very much. For me, catching a fish is a challenge; it is difficult to find pieces of considerable size near the coast in Mallorca. I enjoy the difficulty that each fish I try to catch gives me, regardless of the species. Besides, there is nothing more satisfying than being able to cook and eat with the family what you have caught yourself.

Competitions

VP: When did you start competing and why do you like to compete?

Victoria Truyols: My first championship was on May 14, 2023, in the Balearic Championship organized by the Club Perlas Manacor in Porto Cristo. In that championship I hardly knew the very demanding rules of the competition. I presented three fish without many expectations; even so, I managed to score and I was qualified to participate in my first National Championship. I like competing because it is more demanding; for me it is like a personal challenge and a continuous learning process. You have to have an important physical endurance and concentration. Besides, people who practice this sport, although we are different, have a lot in common. It is very nice to be able to share a hobby with people who enjoy contact with nature and the essence of life, such as capturing food, as has been done throughout history.

VP: What are your next plans in terms of competitions? Do you have any goals you want to achieve in fishing competitions?

Victoria Truyols: At this moment, the Spanish National Team has counted on me for the next world championship, which will be held in Brazil next November, and the idea is to help as much as possible to get the best result for Spain. My goal is to learn to fish better and better, to get to know the species better and to fish in different parts of the world.

Cressi is constantly evolving

VP: You are a Cressi athlete, what Cressi products do you particularly like?

Victoria Truyols: I like each and every one of Cressi’s products. Before being sponsored, practically all my material was already from Cressi. They have the largest variety of products and I love the line of each item. Everything is thought out in detail and the brand is constantly evolving.
It’s a difficult question: for me, every product is important and necessary, but if I had to choose, I would choose the Ricciola wetsuit; it’s very comfortable, protects very well and perfectly covers the contours of the face; the Focus mask, a classic; and the Gara LD carbon fins. As for the speargun, I like the Cressi Comanche: it’s light, effective and very easy to use. The Cressi Comanche 75 is the speargun I would recommend to anyone who wants to start spearfishing.

VP: What has been your most special and emotional capture, and could you tell us a little bit about it?

Victoria Truyols: The triggerfish I caught on the second day of this year’s Tenerife National Championship. For this championship, I was able to dedicate two days to scout the area. The first day of competition I couldn’t catch the fish I had seen because there was a lot of current, something totally unknown to me until then; I had never experienced something like that.
By the second day I had spotted a triggerfish, and the surprise was that, when I went for it, I saw a bigger one. The rock was at about 14 meters, but when I pulled it out, it wouldn’t go through the hole. I managed to pull it out on the third descent, with great satisfaction. I then started looking for more in the area and managed to find the one I was initially looking for. That triggerfish was undoubtedly very special and won me the trophy for the biggest fish in the female classification.