Tonga - September 2009

Records Tumble

A few good blue marlin in the 200kg-plus range have been tagged; the heaviest for the month went to junior angler, Cameron Payne, at 260kg.

It has been a great month for Junior and Smallfry records. A pending female Smallfry world record was filed in July by Renee Downs-Honey fishing on Kiwi Magic with skipper Keith McKee. Eight-year-old Renee landed a magnificent 45kg sailfish on 24kg.

Other new Tongan records include a Smallfry record for Ben Percy, who caught a skipjack tuna on 6kg (both a Vava’u Club and National Record), and also managed a Smallfry record for yellowfin on 10kg.

Not to be completely outdone by his younger brother, Joshua Percy managed a Junior record with a yellowfin on 6kg line, while Cameron Payne bettered the junior club and national marks for skipjack on 10kg, as well as for kawakawa and rainbow runner.

Joshua Percy came close to nailing the 8kg yellowfin Junior record, playing an estimated 45kg fish for 82 minutes before losing it at the side of the boat – a huge effort. Not to be deterred, he nailed the 6kg yellowfin line-class record within 15 minutes of the marathon fight.

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