Organisers of the annual Houhora One Base big game fishing tournament could probably feel entitled to give themselves a quiet pat on the back following the success of this year's event.
Houhora Big Game and Sports Fishing Club linchpins Debbie Bunn and Lisa Lilly were happy to report the tournament's 21st incarnation was a booming success on all fronts, including boat and angler turnout, weather conditions and the number of fish caught. And they had the stats to back her argument up, with 65 boats and 224 anglers recording over 90 fish compared with the 2013 tally of 61, and 32 last year (when the event was disrupted by foul weather courtesy of Cyclone Lusi).
Larger-than-life weighmaster Paul Batten from Whangarei was back in charge of proceedings, and for the 15th consecutive year he proudly declared, "It's just been one of those magical weeks, phenomenal! Numbers have been up, perfect weather at the start," adding that slightly deteriorating conditions on the final day also helped encourage all the anglers to come back home.
Highlights were as usual too many to mention, but the pick included a number of broadbill being weighed in, considered by many to be the most elusive species of the gamefishing universe - "striped marlin are too common" Batten remarked - with the heaviest at 180.6kg (on 37kg line by Bruce Farley aboard 6.5m Muriwai trailer boat Alawai).
Elsewhere, the heaviest fish overall was a 189kg blue marlin (37kg, Dave Kahlenburg, Ahab), the heaviest striped marlin 152.20 (37kg, Dave Morrogh, Wildcat), and an 11kg mahi mahi (by Robbie Huddart aboard Quest). Also notable, was the event's youngest angler, 9-year-old Shayde Flood weighing in a 102.8kg stripey, his first ever, on the fourth and final day, Saturday.
