The Cairns Black Marlin Fishery from 1966 to Today:
Honoring Legacy and Research at the 60th Anniversary Tournament
By: IGFA Ambassador Kelly Fallon
When an event comes around only once a decade and celebrates a fishery now six decades in the making, it has a lot to live up to.
I’m very happy to report that the Viking Yachts by Short Marine 60th Anniversary Cairns Black Marlin Tournament certainly did. Held from September 21–26, 2026, it combined four days of competitive fishing with a reunion of anglers, captains, crews and friends whose connections to the Cairns giant black marlin fishery span generations.
The bite may not have been red hot, but the competition certainly was. By the end of the fourth day, 72 black marlin were successfully released, and the leaderboard changed hands several times throughout the competition. To top it off, participants said the events surrounding the fishing were every bit as meaningful and enjoyable as the tournament itself.
The Fish That Started It All
On September 25, 1966, Richard Obach caught a 1,064-pound black marlin aboard Sea Baby with Captain George Bransford. This historic fish was Australia’s first recorded grander black marlin and instantly put Cairns on the international game fishing map. Sixty years later, anglers still travel from around the world for the opportunity to encounter a giant black marlin along the outer Great Barrier Reef. Driven by seasonal migration patterns, these massive pelagic predators reliably return to the reef each year from September through December to spawn.
The Cairns Professional Game Fishing Association (CPGFA), formed in 1972, has played a substantial role in safeguarding this world-class fishery. Its ongoing conservation work has included helping establish a predominantly release fishery, contributing vital catch data to marine scientists, supporting the IGFA Great Marlin Race satellite tagging and other electronic tracking programs, and actively advocating for strict restrictions on commercial longlining—ultimately leading to the successful ban on the commercial take of black and blue marlin in Australian waters. The Association previously marked the fishery’s 40th and 50th anniversaries with special commemorative tournaments held on the exact date of Obach’s historic catch, a proud tradition that continued for the 60th milestone.
The 50-boat tournament fleet brought together the entirety of Cairns charter operators, North Queensland private boats and visiting boats from the Gold Coast, Sydney, and as far south as Bermagui on the New South Wales coast. For Relentless Pursuits travelling all the way from Bermagui, a journey north of roughly 1,500 nautical miles, this marked a considerable commitment before the first tournament bait even went into the water.
Relentless Pursuit’s owner, Aaron Meneghel, said that bringing his own boat north to fish for Cairns’ giant blacks had long been a dream, and the anniversary tournament provided the perfect reason to make the trip. Afterwards, Meneghel described it as one of the best-run tournaments he had ever fished!
Four Days, a Changing Lead
The 2016 anniversary champions, Askari, were quick out of the blocks, releasing three black marlin on the first day. For a moment, it looked as though history might repeat itself as Askari were the deserving champions of the 50th Anniversary competition. Unfortunately, those would prove to be Askari’s only releases of the tournament, but their strong opening day was enough to secure them third place overall.
Gavin McGahan’s Reel Work, one of the smallest boats in the fleet, then took the lead and held it through days two and three—an impressive performance in challenging weather. Ultimately, consistency carried Captain Tony Van Straten and the team aboard Viking II to victory. Two more releases on the final day took the team to six, ahead of Reel Work on four and Askari on three.
Behind them, the standings were remarkably close. Relentless Pursuit, Mood Swings, Bounty Hunter, Tataki, Zulu, Rum Chaser and Mauna Kea also finished with three releases. With so many teams within reach, the final day offered plenty of opportunities for the leaderboard to change. Four different boats claimed the daily honours: Askari with three releases on day one; Reel Work with three on day two; Relentless Pursuit with two on day three; and Zulu with two on day four. Jeremy Goon aboard Viking II won Champion Male Angler. Karen Wright aboard Bounty Hunter claimed Champion Female Angler with three releases.
The junior competition was just as tight as the leaderboard. Zach Trefz aboard Infinity won Champion Junior Angler on countback, with Byron Pallister, James Froggatt, Joshua Pallister and August Hermann all recording one release each.
Although the very large fish were scarce, Calypso released an estimated 900-pound black marlin. Other notable releases included an estimated 800-pound fish aboard Moana III, a 700-pound fish aboard Centrefold and a 650-pound fish aboard Tataki. Big Business, Hellraiser, Kiama and Abyss each released fish estimated at around 500 pounds.
Release Fishing and Research
Conservation was central to the tournament’s format. All black marlin were released, with teams fishing under IGFA international angling rules and tournament scoring recognizing a leader-in-hand release without requiring a conventional tag, the first major tournament of its kind in Australia not requiring tagging of fish.
CPGFA President, Daniel Klein, said the approach was warmly received.
“The IGFA leader-in-hand release rule, combined with satellite tagging, was extremely well received by the fleet during the Cairns 60th. It provides valuable data while keeping the focus on fish welfare, and this will be the new norm moving forward.”
The week also supported scientific research through the auction of satellite tags from the Black Marlin Foundation: a new initiative aiming to deploy 100 satellite tags that track fish for up to a year in collaboration with the IGFA Great Marlin Race. The crew aboard Tataki successfully deployed one of those tags on their estimated 650-pound black marlin, adding another opportunity to learn about the movements of these remarkable fish.
Past, Present, Future
Approximately 500 guests gathered at the Cairns Convention Centre for the Presentation Gala and Cairns Game Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The evening’s theme, “Past, Present, Future”, ran through the program. Nick Jones’ documentary “Still Out There, 60 Years of Cairns Giant Black Marlin Fishing” held the room’s captivated attention as it explored the fishery’s history and the people who shaped it. It is his second documentary for the CPGFA, following “On the Edge” in 2019. Rob Erskine delivered a heartfelt tribute to his father, tackle innovator Jack Erskine, before an honour roll remembered friends and industry figures who are no longer with us.
A striking connection to the past stood on the Mezzanine: the mount of Lee Marvin’s 1,320-pound black marlin, caught in 1973 aboard Sea Venture with IGFA Tommy Gifford Awardee, Captain Dennis “Brazakka” Wallace. For younger participants used to seeing marlin released beside the boat, the display offered a rare chance to see a giant black marlin’s scale up close.
Seven people joined the Cairns Game Fishing Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The Hall recognized recent IGFA Tommy Gifford Awardee, Captain Barry Cross, for his pioneering charter career; Captain Bradley Craft for more than four decades on the Reef and his advocacy for marlin conservation; and Errol “Snudge” Schembri for his skill and dedication as a crewman.
Craig “Pirate” Smith was honored for capturing the fishery through art, film and writing. John McIntyre was recognized for preserving its history alongside a remarkable angling career, and Kelly Dalling Fallon for more than two decades of photography, storytelling and promotion of the Cairns fleet. The late John Peter Mondora was honored for five decades of fishing journalism and photography that brought Cairns’ game fishing to readers around the world. Jeremy Goon delivered one of the night’s most warmly received acceptance speeches. His tribute to Viking II’s former owner and legendary skipper, the late Captain Billy Bilson, made the team’s victory especially poignant.
The Queensland Game Fishing Association President addressed the fishery's zoning challenges, and the evening also acknowledged the crew in the room—the people whose skills and commitment will help shape the industry's future.
More Than a Tournament
From the welcome event and sail past to the dock party and gala, the week created space for old friends to reconnect and a new generation to become part of the story.
“The CPGFA committee is delighted with the success of the Cairns 60th Anniversary Tournament,” Klein said. “To have anglers, crews and families from across Australia and around the globe come together in Cairns was a fantastic achievement and a wonderful celebration of the fishery’s 60-year history.”
For those who could not attend, tournament highlights, ceremony footage and “Still Out There” will soon be shared through the CPGFA’s YouTube channel.
Visit youtube.com/@cpgfa to watch.
Cairns History Preserved
Every angler has a story. Every captain has memories. Every tournament, marina, fishing club, and family has photographs, logbooks, letters, and keepsakes tucked away in drawers, closets, attics, and garages.
The IGFA’s digitization project is an ambitious effort to preserve those stories before they are lost. The goal is nothing less than creating the world's most comprehensive digital repository of sportfishing history. This resource will be available to anglers, researchers, writers, conservationists, and future generations around the globe.
The historical images below are just a few of the more than 725,000 images, documents, artifacts and media that IGFA is digitizing through the E.K. Harry Digital Archive. Your gift helps preserve fishing history and makes it available to anglers and researchers around the world. Donate today at igfa.org/library.
The pioneers of sportfishing built a remarkable legacy. Today, we have an opportunity—and the responsibility—to preserve it.
