50th Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament at Kona

There is a brief report of the first of five days tournament fishing - started Monday, 20th July - together with some pictures on this link - http://www.hawaii247.org/2009/…-tagged-during-first-day/.

I know it's 25 years since I competed - at the Silver Anniversary tournament - when over 70 clubs were represented but this year, for their 'Golden' there're only 41 teams. Either a sign of the global recession or perhaps a diminishing interest in prestigious, trophy only (non-money) tournaments? The latter would be a shame.

Anyway there were on that first day 16 Blue Marlin tagged & released and three Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi) weighed in.

At the moment I've been unable to find a site detailing the results, team by team. Perhaps one of our 'Stateside members could help in that regard? The tournament web site itself - http://www.hibtfishing.com - doesn't appear to have provision for the result and, currently, it seems to be having issues with bandwidth.

Hi Uwe
Yes it is our Club - the Sportfishing Club of the British Isles. We're being represented by Terry Smith and Richard Wooding - Richard was the guy who, a couple of weeks ago, caught that 900lb plus Blue Marlin from Mauritius where he lives. (Richard is the CEO of the island's brewery.)

I haven't been able to find out how our team are doing yet. But they're not currently in the first three - there's a further update, for day 2, on this link - http://www.hawaii247.org/2009/…ithian-gets-his-own-week/. It's interesting to see that Peter Fithian has been recognised for his achievement in organising the tournament for the past 50 years.

And yes, it is Peter in that video clip. He's a perfect gentlemen and one of the sportfishing world's characters that you see at the tournament. Unfortunately, since I was there 25 years ago, many of those characters have died. But I really do feel honoured to have met the likes of Peter Goadby, Elwood K Harry (IGFA) and Ernie Palmer (IGFA trustee - and someone who'd met Zane Grey many years before) and fished with George Parker - Marlin and Randy's dad. A great tournament!

Before the raising of the national flags and playing of anthems there is a parade through the centre of Kona. There's some YouTube footage on this link - http://www.hibtfishing.com/hibtparade. Can't see the UK team but as you can see everyone appears to be having a good time.

It seems to be turning into a particularly competitive tournament with the lead 'changing hands' from day to day, and currently albut 5 teams are 'on the board'. (That dreaded NADA.) In fact yesterday the team from our Club registered their first 200 points. Um ... 200 points? I suspect, assuming there's not a typographical error, that that's two Shortbill Spearfish. If so that's would be one of Terry Smith's ambitions achieved - he's already got an IGFA Royal Slam, all nine species, but that was based on a 'Longbill' Spearfish from the Atlantic - he desperately wanted its Pacific 'cousin'.

Anyway Wednesday's Press Release is here - http://www.hawaii247.org/2009/…bs-lead-with-567-pounder/ and the angler and team standings, on pdf documents, are linked to the bottom of the HIBT's home page - http://www.hibtfishing.com/.