Never caught a blue marlin, a sailfish, or a billfish of any kind? Then up your game and join us for the 2025 NZ Fishing News Vava’u International tournament this October.

Last year’s milestone 20th anniversary tournament was the best in terms of fish caught, especially marlin.

Eight crews of four fishing over four days tagged and released 24 blue marlin, plus one disqualified at the boat after the local tax collectors had extracted their tariff! A further three sailfish were accounted for, two tagged and released, with one, a 39.4kg specimen, earning Gavin Smith champion billfish status with the only billfish weighed.

Mike Bartlett tagged and released three blue marlin and landed an 8.8kg mahimahi to bring home the Champion Angler Overall trophy. He was a member of the winning team, the Bay of Islands-based Screaming Reels.

Top skipper Steve Campbell put 10 anglers onto blue marlin at last year’s event, fishing aboard Reel Easy.

The most meritorious catch went to Karl Rowley’s 52.9kg yellowfin while the top boat was the Steve Campbell skippered Reel Easy which tagged and released 10 blue marlin. Steve took out top skipper honours in both the NZ Fishing News event and the Tongan International Gamefishing Tournament (TIGFA) contested just a couple of weeks previously, a first for the destination.

There were 86 strikes recorded over all species, resulting in 75 hookups and 46 fish landed or tagged. Divide that among eight boats and crews and you have a result that most New Zealand tournaments would be proud to call their own.

The NZ Fishing News Vava’u tournament is all about the trophies..

The tournament has evolved from humble beginnings. Initially it was fished out of the island of Atata at the Royal Sunset Resort. As it grew in popularity there were not the boats available in Tongatapu, so it was shifted 200 miles north to Vava’u. There have been several venues, including a small cruise ship, with the event the last few years hosted by Shane and Helen Walker at the Tongan Beach Resort. The Walkers have been assisted by Mark and Judi Airey who have managed the resort in recent times. As former manager of NZ Fishing News, Mark was one of the event’s instigators along with the writer.

So, what makes this event so special?

Firstly, it is held at a time when many people are looking to take a break from New Zealand’s winter/early spring weather.

While it is primarily about the fishing, non-anglers are welcome to join their partners for a week kicking back under the tropical sun. The resort is laid back, a perfect place to relax and recharge the batteries.

The event is offered as a package where participants need to do no more than check their passport. Professional travel consultant Treena Moore from Galaxy Travel sorts out all the arrangements and on the ground Naomi ‘Nod’ Kininmont and former NZ Fishing News editor and co-publisher Grant Dixon (Tight Lines Tours) look after the tournament administration.

Vava’u, Tonga is recognised as one of the Pacific’s blue marlin hotspots.

In the inaugural events the quality of the boats varied greatly. To give anglers an equal chance the crews draw for boats daily. Winners are determined on a point-per-kilo basis with a tagged marlin worth 100 points and a tagged sailfish worth 30. In most of the recent tournaments, the winners have not been decided until the final day and in a couple of cases were won (and lost!) in the last hour or two.

Vava’u is recognised as the ‘blue marlin capital of the Pacific.’ It boasts a fleet of knowledgeable skippers and crew who look forward to the NZFN event each year for its friendly rivalry. While there might not be big dollars at stake, the competition is no less hotly contested!

While anglers are encouraged to make up their own crews of four, the event hosts will accept entries from one, two or three participants to form composite teams.

Eight crews helped celebrate the 20th anniversary of the NZ Fishing News Vava’u International last October.

The original tournament was all about giving Kiwi anglers an opportunity to sample South Pacific fishing and hospitality – nothing has changed 21 years later. If you are coming to this event hoping to take away gold reels as a prize, this is not the contest for you. Local craftspeople carve the trophies, including the perpetual trophies which were produced from whalebone. There is only one cash prize and that is NZ$1,000 for the Champion Angler.

So, whatever drives you – the camaraderie, the fishing, the Pacific island experience – why not join us October 24-November 2? For more information contact Treena Moore [email protected], phone 07 3497444 or check out the website

– Grant Dixon (Tight Lines Tours)