The most popular Sport Fishing event on our Island took place last weekend along the shores of the Grand Harbour and the Marsamxett Harbour.
As last year, the tournament was won over three matches, namely, Friday night match, the Saturday sizzling noon match and the Sunday matinee.
All competitors met along the Vittoriosa (Toqba) front on Friday evening after a lengthy preparation. Multiple rods were prepared for an exhaustive evening. The last hour of daylight proved to be very positive since breams and other bottom fish started to be landed.
The teams were all doing very well but after the first half hour the mullet started to bite. Although various teams were landing mullets, the veterans, David Tabone and Freddie Cassar, took the lead with tens of mullets caught progressively. They managed to weigh over 6.5 Kg of fish in the first five hour session with Kevin Cassar and Saviour Borg quite behind with over 3.5 Kg.
All competitors drove back with high hopes for the Saturday match. The Sliema/Gzira venue is usually a very close struggle. The heat was very strong but after the first casts it was long forgotten.
A series of sea breams and red breams were immediately landed with a progressive increase as the early afternoon was passing. Some mullets were also caught but not in large numbers.
Clayton Camilleri and Franklin Formosa led the match with 3.93 Kg and Pierre Poulton and Darrel Pace followed with 3.77 Kg. After an exhaustive five-hour match the lead obtained in the Friday match by the first team was narrowed drastically. It would all be decided in the final match at the Senglea Wharf on the final day of competition.
This venue proved to be the best venue ever fished in by the KSFA since its launch in 1995. The keepnets used by the anglers were all prepared early for the fish to be kept alive. Sea Breams were being caught in pairs leaving no time for the anglers to have a break.
It was evident that the five hours needed to be exploited to the full to secure a placing. Paul Sammut and his son Brady had their best with a massive catch of 6.48 kg of fish that average 60 grams individually. All teams averaged a 3.5 kg weight but it was time for the end results to be counted and announce the winners.
The best team proved to be that of Clayton Camilleri, Mario Marlow, James Gilson and Franklin Formosa who caught a total weight of 18.62 kg in three sessions. The first runners up were Charles Caruana, Stephan Borg, Fortune Calafato and Clifford Mallia with 17.58 kg followed by David Tabone, Freddie Cassar, Jamie Tabone and Clayton Camilleri with 17.47 Kg. A total of 112 kg of fish was released back after weightings during the tournament.
All the anglers were overjoyed with the variety of fish caught and everyone was eager for a reunion for the next year. A presentation of trophies and vouchers kindly sponsored by Mr Fish was celebrated on Sunday night with a highlight of flashes from the best weekend an angler could ever experience.