IGFA Representatives
North America Region

BERMUDA

Raymond Bean
Raymond Bean, commonly known as Ray, was born on the Island of Bermuda in November 1964 and has been a lifelong resident. Growing up in Sandys' western parish, Dockyard, he immersed himself in fishing from a young age. Joining the Blue Waters Anglers Club (BWAC) later in life, Ray organizes local tournaments, including ones for juniors, and competes against fellow members. As the club's President, he leads BWAC in competitions against other local angling clubs and island-wide tournaments. In 2021, Ray placed 3rd, and in 2022, he secured 2nd in the BWAC High Point Series.
 
 
John A. Barnes
Hamilton, Bermuda
John Barnes was Bermuda's Assistant Director of Fisheries and later the director of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks. He represented Bermuda and the United Kingdom on behalf of its overseas territories at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) as Chair of several species committees. He also serves as secretary to the Bermuda Game Fishing Association--the organization responsible for keeping Bermuda game fish records. A trained fisheries scientist, he is often called upon to verify catches and potential world record applications.
 
 

CANADA

Mark Melnyk
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Mark Melnyk has been in the fishing television industry for over 20 years-- now host and producer partner of "The New Fly Fisher" series dedicated to education and conservation of our waterscapes while promoting ethical angling practices.
 
 

MEXICO

Gary C. Graham
Baja California, Mexico
Gary Graham has an extensive resume of achievements in the recreational angling industry that stretches back decades. The Southern California native is a highly-regarded offshore captain, inshore fly fishing guide, outdoor writer and photographer with vast knowledge and expertise in the Southern California and Baja Peninsula fisheries. Graham is also an ardent conservationist and has held top positions in a variety of angling clubs and conservation groups.
 
 

UNITED STATES

Alaska

Tony Weaver
 
 

America Samoa

William Sword
Pago Pago, American Samoa
William Sword is a former member of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC). He has attended various recreational fisheries summits conducted by the National Marine Fisheries Service to represent the interests of recreational anglers in American Samoa. As an IGFA Representative, Sword is focused on conserving marine resources and promoting the economic value of sustainable fishing practices in the local angling community.
 
 

Arizona

Mal A. Linthwaite
Tucson, Arizona
Mal Linthwaite has been sport fishing all over the world for 78 years. He competed in the Bisbee Black and Blue Marlin Tournament, the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament, and numerous other tournaments in the United States, Africa, Central America and Europe. A lifetime IGFA member, Linthwaite has been an IGFA Representative from Alaska since 2002, residing in Tucson, Arizona since 2013. He is a member of both the Billfish Royal Slam Club and the Salmon Royal Slam Club. He is dedicated to protecting recreational fishing and maintaining the sustainability of all game fish populations. Linthwaite is a staunch supporter of IGFA rules for sport fishing, and continues to work to strengthen IGFA and protect natural resources.
 
 

California

Steve M. Wozniak
After catching more than 1,800 fish species as of August 2018, it's safe to say that Steven Wozniak is a true fishing fanatic. He has travelled to 91 countries to pursue his passion and has earned over 180 IGFA world records. Wozniak is passionate about the IGFA mission of conservation and ethical angling, and has had the opportunity to speak on these topics to numerous angling groups across the globe. He also writes for several fishing publications and produces his own blog. Wozniak is a senior executive in the software industry and lives in Alamo, California with his wife, Marta.
 
 
Dale A. Miles
Elk Grove, California, USA
Dale Miles fishes as many as 200 days a year in the Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, Alaska, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Hawaii, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Gulf of Oman, and several U.S. states. In his 25 years of competing in billfish tournaments he has recruited many new IGFA members. Through his membership in IGFA, The Billfish Foundation, Tournament Anglers Association, Curry Sport Fishing Association, and Kokanee Power Association, Miles has contributed to IGFA's vision and mission by recruiting new IGFA members and promoting catch-and-release, tag-and-release, and ethical angling.
 
 
Wendy Tochihara
Southern California, USA
Wendy Tochihara hosts the popular "Rod and Reel Radio" fishing show and works as national sales manager for Izorline International. An avid angler, Tochihara is an IGFA world record holder and California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Fishing Ambassador where she is working on a project to engage young anglers. Tochihara can often be found fishing freshwater and saltwater as well as conducting seminars and representing the interests of the local fishing community at industry-related meetings.
 
 
Sally L. Kurz
Laguna Niguel, CA
Sally Kurz has been fishing for more than 45 years in Australia, Bahamas, Mexico, Ecuador, Panama and both coasts of the United States. A former world record holder and current trophy club member, she regularly fishes in billfish tournaments in Hawaii and California. Kurz has consistently been a top recruiter of new IGFA members. She works Southern California tackle shows and performs outreach at local angling clubs-- including knot tying seminars. She co-chaired the Celebration of California Angling, a fundraiser for IGFA California youth education and conservation projects. She developed the IGFA California youth education fishing program that includes both classroom and on-the-water fishing experience.
 
 
Myles Blatt
Myles Blatt, an avid angler since age two, has reeled in over 400 fish species worldwide. With 25 years of experience spanning Canada to Southeast Asia, he's a seasoned pro. Blatt fishes up to 200 days annually, alternating between Florida and Southern California. As President of Marina Del Rey Anglers, he champions conservation and supports CCA California's White Seabass program. As an IGFA Representative his goal is to assist others in developing their passion for angling, promoting ethics and conservation, being an advocate for rules and records, all while creating incredible moments and developing lifelong memories.
 
 
James Gowans
Southern California, USA
James Gowans enjoys fishing for many pelagic species, but his passion is billfishing. He is an accomplished angler, a student of angling history, and continues to learn and teach angling techniques worldwide. As a conservation advocate and IGFA Representative, he supports the International Game Fish Association's Great Marlin Race and has worked with NOAA's Billfish Tagging Program and Hubbs SeaWorld Institute's White Sea Bass Program. Gowans continues to promote the IGFA mission through his participation at tournaments, trade shows, conferences, symposiums and other angling-related venues.
 
 
Andrew Mack
Andrew Mack started fishing at age 4 and has been hooked ever since. An avid freshwater and saltwater angler, Andrew has built a career around the sport. He is a licensed 100-Ton Master Captain and currently works as a staff writer for Western Outdoor News in California. Andrew is also part of the Angler Chronicles radio team, broadcasting fishing updates every Saturday morning. He joined the IGFA as a member in 2020 and has been successfully promoting multiple IGFA angler recognition programs ever since. As an IGFA Representative his goal is to help further the IGFA reach in California, and to continue to promote ethical angling practices among the local angling community.
 
 
Catherine Miller
San Diego, California, USA
Catherine Miller, through her close affiliation with the San Diego Sportfishing Association, has launched a series of successful Young Angler Tournaments on fishing piers throughout San Diego Bay. In these tournaments young anglers ages 6 through 15 are invited to compete in one or all of three free catch and release fishing contests. The outings have become a huge success. Miller herself runs a communications firm, and in her "free" time manages and staffs IGFA booths at boat and fishing tackle shows, promoting IGFA all the while. Miller's grandfather, Ralph "Barney" Miller, was a founder of H&M Sportfishing in 1935 and would take Miller fishing as a young girl. IGFA is very excited to have Miller and such a long line of family fishing history on board representing IGFA!
 
 
William Boyce
Saugus, California, USA
Bill Boyce's career began working 16 years as a fisheries biologist. Four of those years were with the United States Forest Service in California, Colorado, Alaska, and Oregon, and 12 years were with the Inter- American Tropical Tuna Commission at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, where he was involved in the management of the tuna, billfish, sharks, and dolphin populations in the Eastern Tropical Pacific. A passion for marine underwater photography led Boyce into photo-journalism, doing assignments for the most prominent sport fishing publications in the world. This lifestyle progressed into TV production and, to date, he has produced and hosted six different fishing and travel series which have won nine Telly Awards, his favorite being IGFA Anglers Digest. These productions took Boyce to some of the world's most famous fishing locations, to fish with the world's finest captains and crews. Boyce is still active in fisheries conservation efforts as an IGFA Representative in California and an active board member for Wild Oceans and the Coastal Conservation Association of California.