2016 Interclub embraces the future

As the sun finishes its day low behind the Nelson Bay marina, many a soul gathers above the rocks at the weigh station. They could be local, from nearby or way farther afield and it is definitely not a sense of the macabre that draws them in.

Rather, it is fascination and wonder, because for the sweeping majority this is as close as they will ever get to Mother Nature’s marvels of the deep.

Welcome to the 2016 NSW Game Fishing Association Interclub Championship weigh-in and gantry at the biggest annual game-fishing event of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, attracting more than 100 boats and many more anglers to Port Stephens HQ in February this year.

You see, at the weigh station, it is quite a treat. Just three per cent of billfish, 11 per cent of sharks and 24 per cent of tuna and other game fish caught during the NSW Game Fishing Association Interclub Championship are brought ashore.

The rest are tagged and released to continue their myriad journeys around the oceans.

These magnificent species have grand names to go with their splendiferous shapes, like mako, blue marlin, and mahi mahi. As it happens, Australia is the leading country in the conservation of these types of fish.

Yet in and of itself, these bystanders are nowhere near as interested as three other parties on the quay.

One was the new sponsor: Pantaenius Sail and Motor Yacht Insurance. Two other very special groups also avidly await the 103 boats’ arrival back in port.

First, there are the scientists; for this is their best, most effective and only way of obtaining samples to check on all manner of things, including human impact, such as is the case with the micro-plastics.

THE NSW GAME FISH TAGGING PROGRAM
Indeed all the research that is done on the oceanic species of shark and marlin is done by the NSWGFA. Their tagging program is the oldest in the world, having commenced in 1973.

Actually, the whole tagging thing as a scientific method started in NSW. Today it is not only the oldest, but also one of the three biggest tagging programs anywhere on the globe, with over 412,000 tags attached over the years.

So the science is incredibly important and has yielded terrific results in the past and is also doing so right now.

Life Member of five game fishing associations, Grahame Williams, OAM explains: "In 1997 a black marlin was caught in Far North Queensland. It was a juvenile and estimated to be just 15kg. After 1412 days at sea it was recaptured in June 2000, some 14,530km away in San Jose, Costa Rica."

"Another black marlin was tagged off Mooloolaba and then recaptured 278nm sou’west of Honolulu, which is a distance of 7158km and it had done it in just 85 days!

"Understanding and managing the species is paramount. The CSIRO recently found three different types of DNA in yellowfin tuna from the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

"If this proves that the Australian types are different it may affect the allowable commercial and recreational catch rates within the Australian Fishing Zone.

"You see a mahi mahi has a three-year lifespan and can grow up to 1.6m and 30kg. They both grow and swim furiously. An orange roughy takes 100 years to get to commercial size and a 2kg snapper is 40 years old, whereas a 550kg marlin is say 20 years old.

"What we know now has allowed us to set appropriate and sustainable quotas for both commercial and recreational fishing."

CATCH DONATED TO CHARITY
The next and somewhat unsung group at the weigh station is the Tahlee Ministries, who then take the entire fish for re-purposing into food products to service the needy, right throughout their network both locally and overseas.

Both of these activities are incredibly noteworthy, but it was the fact that Tahlee have been doing exactly this for 47 years that seemed to sum up the entire community minded and conservation aspects of the event.

Whilst the two weekends gain the most attention by the crowd, the association also fills the intervening week with other events: Ladies’ Day on the Monday and then Veterans’ Day on Friday, with the Mahi Mahi Challenge taking up the intervening Wednesday.

NSW Game Fishing Association President, Garry Chenoweth, said: "We really are over the moon with the level of enthusiasm of the gang and also our sponsors, who are a dedicated bunch. Having Pantaenius on board now just exemplifies that."

"We have boats and crews all the way from Tasmania and Queensland, along with some special guests from Stuart in Florida, USA. Some of the crew at HMY Yacht Sales are here to see how some of the recently imported Viking vessels are performing."

"Above all, were are totally thrilled to see how our conservation work is going. As an example, last May the $50,000 prize at the Port Hacking 100 was entirely donated for research into black marlin genetics study. So good luck to all for the rest of the season."

THE GAME BOATS
However, one craft alone makes the definitive statement as it idles into view.

Paul Hogg has the truly unique and magnificent, Gloriana. Speaking of the craft he said: "The late pioneer game fisherman, Arch Livingstone, built this cruising catamaran exclusively to do game fishing and the family continue to do so in his honour.

"We have been to Lizard Island, Lord Howe Island, as well as Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs. We will return to the Great Barrier Reef this year and fish heavy tackle with her."

What makes her so special is that she will do 22 knots under diesel and burn a miserly 2.5l/hr a side when trolling. A pair of 220Hp Volvos provides her with the urgency when required.

Her Simpson-penned 60 foot hulls were laid up in strip cedar with an epoxy skin, and Arch took five and half years to complete her.

ANYONE CAN GAME FISH
Nowadays, the game-fishing fleet varies from trailable craft to 70-foot behemoth game boats, each loaded with keen anglers, male and female, all vying for honours in their respective categories and tackle classes.

Age is no barrier either, with the small fry category also hotly contested. Given that it can be nearly two hours to bring some of these gems to the boat, the tackers certainly deserve special mention.

None more so than Isaac Moussa, who landed a pending Australian and NSW Record with his mahi mahi, which was literally longer than he was tall.

The championship is all about finding out which is the best club in the State in terms of the two divisions, namely capture and then tag and release. Teams of three boats accumulate points, but one boat from all will collect the prestigious individual champion prize.

There is also the individual angler champion by fish species and then also sex and age (Junior and Small Fry) and they are keenly sought after.

Given that you leave the quay at 0500hrs and return at 1800hrs approximately, and that it is a 36nm run to the Continental Shelf, well, you would certainly have to love it.

2016 INTERCLUB RESULTS
In terms of tag and release, the Champion Boat was somewhat fittingly, The Omen.

Chloe Laurence won the female category, Bob Baldwin the male and then Patrick Dwyer took the Junior’s (11-16 years of age), with Isaac Moussa collecting the Small Fry (<11 years of age) trophy.

For capture, Gloriana was the champion boat, with her angler, Luke Ashman collecting the male trophy. Kelly Sweetman was the champion female and Ethan Hallam took the Junior/Small Fry category.

Pantaenius became a sponsor in October last year and could not wait for the event. Perhaps that’s why the crew that know boats were virtually all on deck to see the grand spectacle that was this championship. The crew from Pantaenius will head to Sail Port Stephens next, then Sanctuary Cove and Sydney International Boat Shows.

Meantime, the game fishing competitions continue to roll out in what has been a year and season to remember. The Simrad 2016 23rd Broken Bay Invitational will be held this weekend (March 19-20) and if you're lucky you might catch some action at the weigh station. Certainly the fleet of purpose-built boats is worth a look alone. Drop into the Royal Motor Yacht Club Broken Bay.