Intersection - Game Fishing


Steve Wall’s Black Swan (Flags flying)


Tim Gillingham and Wayne Wirth, Interclub Champions PGFC

2006 MTU Blue Marlin Classic
By Clayton Dodd

Proudly sponsored by MTU Detroit Diesel and traditionally fished over the Labour Day long weekend in early March, the Blue Marlin Classic attracted a field of 18 boats for a total of 60 anglers.

The committee expresses its gratitude to Bruno Otaviano and his team at MTU as major sponsors, Freedom Marine, new sponsors GotOne tackle Woodvale and all other sponsors to the tournament, whose contributions are greatly appreciated.

In its 26th year and in ideal weather conditions, the fleet left the north mole at 8am Saturday and headed to the Rottnest trench some 20 km due west of Rottnest Island, Perth’s traditional marlin fishing grounds.
It was a pleasure to introduce new boats to the event:

- Black Swan undoubtedly WA’s most famous
power boat (tender to Australia 11)
- Rampage
- Force Two
- 007

With a total of 8 marlin hook-ups, for the first time in a very longtime the event did not register a tagged marlin for the competition. It was a matter of who came the closest, with the honors going to veteran gamefishman Col Parks aboard his classic Blue Bayou. Col had two marlin to the back of the boat, only to loose both to nothing else other than bad luck. One fish was estimated at 300 kg or in the old scale near enough to 700 lbs, a very big fish by anyone’s standards.

Since the big year of 1999 when 73 marlin were tagged and released during the three day Blue Marlin Classic, the fish are just not finding their way south in the numbers we have become use to. We all have theories as to why the marlin numbers have dropped off in recent years. Is it the currents, lack of bait fish, long liner activity, water temperature or more than likely a combination of all of the above?

But be sure of one thing, it’s not from over fishing by the die-hard marlin fisherman.

Tag and release is at the forefront of this competition and for the first time the committee introduced tag and release point scoring for all species, including marlin during 2006.

In total, 28 mahi mahi and 4 striped tuna were reported as legally tagged and released or weighed in.

Results for the competition are as follows:

Champion angler: Walter Franz – C-Wirthy
Bailey’s marine fuels Champion boat over 8m: C-Wirthy skippered by Wayne Wirth
Bailey’s marine fuels Champion boat under 8m: Ichibon skippered by Tim Gillingham

Heaviest game fish weighed in: Tim Gillingham 5.22kg mahi – mahi
Halco Tackle Junior angler award: Caillan Richards – Scuttlebutt
Ross Ezeikel Female angler: Maddison Cramer – Scuttlebutt

The FSC has maintained the continuation of the Interclub Championship as part of the MTU Blue Marlin Classic. This years’ event which is based on the best two point scoring boats representing a game fishing club was won by Ichibon and C-Wirthy from PGFC.

The Phyllis and Colin Tremeer Trophy for 2006 was awarded to Rear Commodore Trevor Sutcliffe for his outstanding contribution over many years to the game fishing section of the FSC. Trevor has been a member of FSC since 1978 and served as Rear Commodore Game Fishing and Angling for an unprecedented 9 term period, a position he still holds today. Trevor was awarded life membership of the Club in 2002.

Without doubt the MTU Blue Marlin Classic event is enjoyed by all and congratulations to all participating anglers for their friendship and goodwill during the tournament.

The 2007 MTU Blue Marlin Classic will be held on the 3rd, 4th and 5th March.