Over the years several skippers have taken ‘Grander Slams’ - 1000lb plus Atlantic and Pacific Blues plus Black Marlin - in their angling careers. But I’m unaware of any anglers who have achieved that feat; that is until now.
Stephan Kreupl, one of our Club’s German members, has literally just released an estimated 1100lb Black Marlin fishing aboard Capt. Tim Richardson’s Tradition on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. (There’s a brief report here - http://www.blackmarlinblog.com .)
Previously Stephan had caught an 1238lb Pacific Blue Marlin from Rodrigues Island - near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean in January 2007. (That’s still the IGFA’s 80lb line class record, and was taken on stand-up gear.) And in May 2011 he caught an 1150lb Atlantic Blue fishing aboard Amelia, skippered by Zak Conde, in the Cape Verde Islands - the fabled NorWest Bank off Santo Antao.
(There are reports of these last two captures here - http://en.bluewaterfishing.eu/…drigues/rodrigues-2007-1/ and here - http://en.bluewaterfishing.eu/…bo-verde/cabo-verde-2011/ .)
Tremendous achievement! Well done Stephan!