Saint Lucia hosted several local and regional anglers who participated in last weekend’s Saint Lucia International Bill Fish Tournament.
The Saint Lucia Game Fishing Association and the Ministry of Youth Development & Sports, through its Alternative Sports Programme organised the event.
Republic Bank was the Platinum Sponsor.
According to the organisers, the participants were all eager to compete in the three-day event, which made a ‘welcome return’ to local waters.
In the winners’ mode was Blue Fever, from Trinidad & Tobago, which led the top ten participating boats in the Normal Class with 2,633 points.
Saint Lucian boats Exodus and Reel Extreme followed with 2,400 and 2,100 points, respectively.
Individual prize awards were as follows:
- Best Male Angler – Mark Telfer on Blue Fever with 2,100 points.
2. Best Female Angler – Robyn Merry and Rafael De Silva on the Saint Lucian boat Mac Daddy with 600 points each.
3. Best Junior Angler – Brody Mc. Queen with 600pts. aboard Exodus
“We’ve had a great three days …and we are in third place with two sailfish and a dolphin,” declared the Saint Lucia Game Fishing Association President Ryan Devaux, a team member on Reel Extreme.
“We’ve got seven for the tournament, but lost quite a few which tells us that the fish are there and everyone has had a great time fishing,” he said.
Devaux noted that despite the temporary break in hosting the event, several participants are keenly interested in returning to compete, “and we will keep building on our tournament.”
Veteran Saint Lucian angler Bernard Johnson was pleased to be back in the water and involved in competitive fishing.
“I’m probably the oldest man here and been fishing all my life,” he declared.
“It’s something that I love …and it was good, the sea was calm, we got fish every day, and as always, we lost a lot to get a few,” Devaux explained.
“But that’s fishing …with fishing, you never know what will happen, it’s either everything or nothing. But I love it and it’s my main sport,” said the seasoned angler.
Two visiting anglers aboard the boat AFUNDAY, Adrian Saba and Sean Abed, expressed their pleasure and satisfaction at being able to compete again.
They described the local marina as one of the best in the region and spoke highly of the “warm hospitality” they received.
“The tourism industry in Saint Lucia is second to none …and with the hospitality industry here, you guys know how to accommodate everybody and put on a show and make us feel like we’re at home,” declared Abed.
