Hall of Fame to mark Cairns black marlin 40th anniversary celebrations

Cairns in north Queensland is already getting set for September, 2006 celebrations to mark the 40th anniversary of the capture of the first 1000lb-plus black marlin. Since the landing of the 1064lb fish by Richard Obach from Capt George Bransford's vessel Sea Baby on September 25, 1966 Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef has become the mecca for anglers from all over the world seeking the ultimate blue water adventure and their own encounter with a 'grander'.

The celebrations will include a tag and release tournament, an International Pelagic Ecosystems and Billfish Scientific Symposium and, most significantly, the formation of the Cairns Black Marlin Hall of Fame, a memorial to those individuals, living or deceased, who have contributed to the development of the sport at Cairns. Nominations are sought for individuals who are worthy of recognition by virtue of their extraordinary personal and professional achievements over many years to Cairns gamefishing in the form of angling achievements, exploration, angling technology, literature, the arts, science, education, the environment, communication, or administration of fishery resources. Nominations close December 31, 2005.

The Hall of Fame Committee comprises Laurie Wright, of the Cairns Professional Game Fishing Association; Neil Patrick, a trustee of the IGFA; John McIntyre, gamefishing writer and historian; and BlueWater's own Editor in Chief Mike Sinclair.

Visit the Cairns Professional Game Fishing Association website at www.cpgfa.asn.au for more details or to make a nomination.