The 2008 Invitational International Game Fishing Tournament has concluded with team Fosters Fiji on the Bertram Golden Eagle the outright winner after a runaway Day 1 performance Tagging & Releasing two Pacific Sailfish and fifteen Yellowfin Tuna boated.
Team Fosters Fiji finished on 980.1 points ahead of Pearl 1 on 712.1 and Mango Bay Princess on 593.1.
The tournament, organized by the International Game Fishing Club, in association with Riviera Fiji, Shimano, the Fijian Ministry of Youth and Sports and thirty one local sponsors was based at The Pearl South Pacific Resort at Pacific Harbour from June 25-29.
A total of 99 fish were weighed in as 57 anglers from Fiji, Australia and New Zealand battled it out for the major prizes in Fiji's premier game fishing tournament.
Team winners were Fosters Fiji, Pearl 1 and Mango Bay Princess.
Champion male anglers were Zoheb Razak (491.6) and George Trinkler (320.6) from Golden Eagle Fosters Fiji team , and Les Crossingham (302.4) of the Pearl Resort Team on Pearl 1.
Champion Lady Angler was New Zealand's Lyn Salvidge (108) aboard the Riviera flagship Opulence.
Champion Junior Angler (53.4) was Jordan Whittacker from Saltwater 1 and Champion Smallfry Angler was 10 year old Max Collingwood(46.5) from the newly launched Riviera La Moana – based at the Uprising Resort.
In the individual species section the heaviest Billfish weighed went to Risto Harmat for his 45.9kg Pacific Sailfish on 15 kg line from La Moana and the Uprising Team 1. Risto also took out the heaviest Mahi Mahi with a 10.5kg capture on 15kg line.
The heaviest Tuna went to junior angler Darcy Gibson who weighed a 20.8 kg Yellowfin Tuna on 15 kg line from Turaga Levu and the Sustainable Forest Team.
Heaviest Wahoo went to Lyn Salvidge on Opulence for a 32.1 kg capture on 24kg line, and the heaviest Walu and a new Tournament Record went to Rob Stephenson on Wai Tadra for a 12.5kg fish on 8kg line.
"Our 2008 tournament will go down in the club's history as a David and Goliath story" said IGFC President Chris Donlon. "We had a fleet of nine smaller craft competing against three Rivieras and a Bertram. While all boats scored well, two of the smallest boats finished second and third, three major prizes went to junior anglers, and the heaviest Wahoo went to our Champion Lady Angler fishing on the Riviera flagship Opulence".
A new national and Tournament Record was set by David Murray from Australia fishing aboard Mango Bay Princess for his 8.1 kg Skipjack Tuna on 8 kg line. Also aboard Mango Bay Princess, Australian angler Darren Cook set a tournament record for Grand Trevally with a 12.3k fish on 10 kg line. Rob Stephenson, a veteran angler from New Zealand now resident in Pacific Harbour, also set a tournament record for his capture of a 12.5kg Walu on 8 kg line from local charter king Wai Tadra.
"The 2008 tournament also marks the start of a new era for game fishing in Fiji" said President Chris Donlon. "During the tournament all anglers participated in a research survey by Pacifc Harbour Fisheries Consultant Robert Stone, which is aiming to determine the economic value of recreational fishing throughout the Pacific. This information will be used in the further development of fisheries policies in a bid to conserve and better manage the stocks of fish in our waters".
"From this year, the International Game Fishing Club, in association with Suva and Denarau Game Fishing Clubs, will be hosting a national calendar of events promoting sustainable recreational fishing throughout Fiji. In addition to the major tournaments, this will include an all line class Yellowfin Tuna Tournament at Pacific Harbour during the peak of the Yellowfin season in April. Capping the line class at 15 kg will attract leading international anglers wishing to compete with our local champions".
"To promote junior angling we will be running Smallfry (up to10) and Junior (up to16) tournaments in conjunction with tackle workshops and tag and release training from our new club headquarters, planned for construction at the Pacific Safari in Pacific Harbour".
