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GAME-FISHING TRIO FOR WORLD GAMES

06/02/2019 03:38:00 BY ASHMOND NZIMA

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MBABANE – Three Eswatini anglers will compete in big-game fishing with the world’s best.

The trio of captain David Lourens, Jacques Potgieter and Ettienne Fourie will join hundreds of fishermen around the world in targeting large fish such as tuna and marlin in the fourth edition of the Sport Fishing World Games in South Africa from this coming Saturday until next Friday.

The games will be attended by 50 nations and more that 200 teams from around the world. They will be staged at Sodwana Bay on the Kwazulu north coast in South Africa.

The opening ceremony is set to take place in Johannesburg this Saturday at 11am at the Sandton Convention Centre and the neighbouring country’s President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to be in attendance.

There will be one training day and three big game championship fishing days, followed by an awards ceremony.
Targeted species will include the black and blue Marlin. Others are the sailfish, wahoo, yellowfin tuna as well as striped marlin.

Length

According to Wikipedia, sailfish grow quickly, reaching 1.2–1.5 metres in length in a single year, and feed on the surface or at middle depths on smaller fish.
In separate interviews, the country’s anglers who have practised at the host venue, said they were ready to take to the bay in chase for honours
“I would like to do well and place well as I believe we have the ability to do so,” said Fourie whose biggest catch is the Black Marlin of between 150 to 200kg released.

A marlin fish is known from an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. Reports suggest they have a maximum length of 4.65 metres and weight of 750kg.

The minimum length for a game fish to count during the championships will be 750mm from the nose to the fork of the tail.
Black and Blue Marlin fish will earn the highest points (50) during the championships. Striped marlin and sail fish will earn the anglers 30 and 20 points, respectively.