Fishing Reports

 

The trophy cabinet at Chalmers Recreational Sports Fishing Club remains filled with glittering silverware after the recent New Zealand Big Game Fishing Council Nationals. The club had three boats in the competition and retained the NZI trophy for the top three scoring sharks in New Zealand, and the Stuart Morrison Trophy for the top five scoring sharks in New Zealand. Both trophies were won last year. The club added the prestigious Varta Cup to its collection this year when it became, for the first time, the top scoring team in New Zealand, with the most points for the top three scoring game fish of any type. Club spokesman Warren Lewis said the club was proud of its achievements. The club team on his boat Pegasus won first place in the team championship for the second successive year. "Between Tautuku [Fishing Club] and ourselves, we've done absolutely marvellously," he said. Mr Lewis collected several individual prizes, including two world and New Zealand records, which are now waiting to be ratified. He caught a 135.2kg thresher shark in the 6kg line class. Mr Lewis is already the world record holder in this class with a previous catch of 118kg. His second pending world record was in the fly fishing 4kg line class, with a 43.5kg blue shark. Mr Lewis also won the fly fishing 10kg blue shark section with a 45.4kg catch, the tag and release section with 56 blue sharks, and the 37kg line thresher shark section with a 182.4kg fish. He was placed third and seventh in the Lawrence contest, held alongside the nationals, for the heaviest sharks. Dave Carr won the fly fishing 8kg line blue shark section with a catch of 41.2kg and the fly fishing 6kg line blue shark section with a 41.1kg fish. He was second in the tag and release sections with 49 sharks. Messrs Lewis and Carr were placed second and third, respectively, in the New Zealand champion angler competition. All the fish caught by the club were from Otago waters.

 

From Chalmers Recreational Sports Fishing Club

Report type: Saltwater

Report date: 18 March 02