The Ngawi Sports Fishing Club was born on 1 July 1991, with an financial membership of twenty. This was quite an effort for a small fishing village, but what a better place to start up a fishing club than on the Southern most Coast of the North Island, which geographically has the chances of catching Broadbill, and large Sharks. Geographically it is very feasible, because of the 100 fathom mark, which is the blue water mark, being less than 3 kilometres off this part of the Wairarapa Coast.

Over the last 8 years there have been numerous sightings and hook ups of billfish, one was caught and weighed in at Castlepoint in 1996 and last year a fishing trawler netted a Broadbill estimated at well over 300kg off the Ngawi coast, but took the fish for weighing into Wellington.

Large sharks have also been sighted, hooked up and weighed in, Mako's and Blues are the most common ones, with the occasional porbeagle. A 346kg Mako was caught off the Flat Point coast last year, and who can forget our own Des King winning the Ngawi Big Three contest in 1999 with a 317kg Mako Shark.

With the possibility of Billfish and large Sharks, being caught and an over abundance of other species such as Tuna, Trumpeter, Terakihi, Snapper, Groper, Blue Cod etc., the idea of a fishing contest was born.

For the first fishing contest the community Fire Station became the Club's Headquarters and Control Room. The Hose-drying Tower became the weigh station, once the block, tackle and digital scales were installed. A large Marquee was erected for the comfit of the fishing public, porta loos and portable showers put in place, and a contest was born.

The first contest was held in the early months of 1992. The weather stayed good, and fisherpersons from all around New Zealand, came to Ngawi to win the Top Prize of a new car if they caught a Striped Marlin over 150kg or a Mako Shark over 300kg.

This first contest was such a success that, with all anglers asking for another contest, the 'Ngawi Big Three' Fishing Contest was born, and now has become an annual event.

With the support of the local Ngawi community, this event has now become one in which fisherpersons from through out New Zealand look forward to attending.

The total membership for the Ngawi Sports Fishing Club for the financial year ending June 1999 was 586 individual members.

The strength of the Ngawi Sports Fishing Club is based on sound financial management, audited each year by a reputable Chartered Accountant.

CLUB ACTIVITIES

The Ngawi Sports Fishing Club runs a full calendar for all it's members. Club days aimed at Children and small fry, and Woman anglers, with the Interclub contests with Wairarapa, Pukemanu, Plimmerton and Kapiti Fishing Clubs, for the more serious anglers. These Club days are fantastic fun, everyone gets to know someone new, and a lot of laughter, threats, bribes and big white lies, in true fisherperson fashion, become the order of the day.

In conjunction with the Wairarapa Sports Fishing Club, we have a 'Treble - Top Angler' and a 'Treble - Top Boat' award each year. These awards are run between the two club's two major fishing contests, that being Superfish Wairarapa, held at Castlepoint and run by the Wairarapa Sports Fishing Club and The Ngawi Big Three, held at Ngawi, and run by the Ngawi Sports Fishing Club. The winners of these two trophies, are presented with these trophies at the conclusion of the Ngawi Big Three and form part of our prize giving.

And in conjunction with the Plimmerton Boating Club and the Kapiti Fishing Club, we hold a Wellington Regional Top Angler Award. This award is for the angler, who after fishing these three contests, accumulates the highest number of points. This award is presented at the prize giving of the Kapiti Fishing Club, who hold their contest at Easter.

The club has also sent a team to fish in the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament in Kailua, Kona, Hawaii in 1996. This was their first time at this tournament and to the teams credit they finished as the top international team, with angler Leo Rayner the fifth angler overall. Last year angler Chris Robinson, weighted in the top prize winning Yellow Fin Tuna. There will be a team going to fish the tournament again this year.

The club also owns a tractor, which is available to all financial members, and is used for the launching and retrieving of their boats. This has proven to be an asset to the club, as more and more fisherpersons are attracted to our coastal shores each year.

Donations from the Ngawi Sports Fishing Club have assisted the Ngawi community. In previous years the club has donated money and man power to upgrade the fire station so that the new fire engine could be housed under cover. We have also donated money and man power for the rewiring to the community hall, which is now our formal club house. Our project last year was the beautification of the sea frontage, and a new parking area for members cars and boat trailers.

Ngawi is truly a great club to belong to, with a fantastic group of people willing to ensure that all fisherpeople have a great time, this is more than evident in the number of financial members the club currently has.