Thanks to Jaen van den Berg who with the help of the Maverick Team sponsored by Airmar caught a Marlin on Monday 12 February 2024. He tells his story in Afrikaans below which is the loose English translation.

Maandag gedurende hierdie kompetisie het een van my grootste drome gerealiseer -‘n gestreepte marlyn.

Al die lyne was in die water gereed vir aksie terwyl ons besig was om te braai en ek die marlyn in die spread raaksien. Alles is net so gelos en die groot adrenalienloop my beet pak … die marlyn is aan die longrigger! 

Die dek word vinnig opgeruim en alles is reg en uit die pad uit terwyl ek die marlyn onder beheer probeer kry.

Die geveg is aanen ek het ongeveer 45min gestoei en getrek met baie raad, bystand en groot opgewondenheid van die crew. Eindelik is die marlyn langs die boot getrek die hoeke verwyder, die marlyn getag en release.

Baie dankie aan die crew JP Groenewald, Ron Penninkoff en Juan Needham wat gehelp het om my bucketlist korter te maak.

English translation

On Monday, the first fishing day of this competition, my biggest dream came true. I caught a striped marlin!

All lines were in and ready for action while we were busy making a braai and I saw the marlin in the spread. We left everything as the adrenalin kicked in. The marlin was on the longrigger.

The deck was quickly rearranged and everything was sorted out while I tried to get the marlin under control. 

The fight continued for forty-five minutes with plenty of advice and support coming from the other crew members. The excitement was extreme.

Finally, the marlin was brought next to the boat and the hook was removed. We also tagged him

Thank you to the crew, JP Groenwald, Ron Penninkoff and Juan Needham who helped me to shorten my Bucket List.

Tuesday 13 February 2024

Sea and weather conditions were perfect this morning and the boats started launching well before six o’clock. It was a slow start but two ‘Dorado Marlin’ were called in before ten o’clock. We also had a beautiful rendition of “My Way” over the airwaves from Uncle Ted, Of course, Simon, the skipper of the boat, My Way was most flattered and invited Uncle Ted to join his crew! 

At 11:25 the first excitement hit the airwaves.  Bad Co had a marlin on but unfortunately did not manage to bring him in.

Lots of Dorado and Macco Shark were called but it was only at 15:31 when Sea Cat hooked a black marlin and successfully released it at 16:07. Its estimated weight was 150 kg. Simon Hipkin, the angler will write a short report which will be published on this blog shortly.

At 15:51 a striped marlin was hooked by Multi and released at 18:21. Its estimated weight was 120 pounds. The angler in the chair was Andre Pawson who will do a report for this blog shortly.

The anglers were treated to the most delicious steak kebabs, chips and salad at the evening dinner. Afterwards, the exhausted anglers left for an early night and there were no presentations made for the Calcutta. Photos, etc will be posted in the next blog,

Day Four of the tournament proved to be the most exciting of all. Here are the exciting stories from Chris Hepburn Brown, John Leppan, and Willem Skein all crew members of John Graeme , Werner Kotze of Indigo and Hannes Smuts of Bayswater.

First Fish of the Fourth Day by Chris Hepworth Brown (John Graeme)

Wednesday the 15 February was a day I will never forget. We got onto a bumpy sea early and we were all well aware of what we had to do.   At the 12-mile bank, the colour of the sea was a deep gunmetal and the temperature was close to 23 degrees C.

After catching some Bonita which we put out as live bait the action started. Just after 8 am out the first line went. It was my turn on the rod and I settled in with a big black marlin. Being my first marlin, this was a daunting fight ahead. The fish jumped early in the fight and then went deep. After 30 min we brought the fish to the side and managed to measure and successfully release  

  This was probably one of the best experiences I have had. Catching this magnificent fish and then successfully releasing was a moment of extreme joy. I thank our skipper Chris Goatly and the crew for making this possible. Long live the marlin.

A Day I will never forget/ ‘n Dag ek sal nooit vergeet nie – Werner Kotze (Indigo)

Thank you Werner for your very exciting story and for writing in both English and Afrikaans. Ons waardeer dit baie.

Ek kry n uitnodinging vroeër die jaar van Eugene om met hom op die boot Indigo wat deur die legendariese Gawie Bruwer besit en geskip word te kan gaan deelneem aan die TOMT. Die 4e dag se besluit was gemaak, nadat Serge Wessel ons eerste gestreepte Marlyn die vorige dag suskesvol gevang het om weer ver te ry op soek na n suksesstorie.

Radio calls came in of several Marlin being fought and even successfully released from the complete opposite direction from where we found ourselves. Although our water looks great and we lost hours to reach our GPS coordinates, it feels like the Marlin gods have turned yet again against us, could it be true…absolutely not!

Ek draai na Eugene en vra vir hom ; “Het jy dit ook nou gesien?”

Terwyl ons na die “spread” kyk sien ons hoe n Stripey die starboard outrigger slaan en vas is ons. Met die knip van n oog slaan daar nog n Stripey die portside outrigger en dit verander in ‘n malhuis op die boot. Ongelukkig verloor ons altwee visse, maar ons weet ons besluit om ver te hardloop was reg. Vinnig is al die stokke sommer weer in die water en ons bespreek wat moontlik verkeerd kon loop, bad luck is die gevoel en fokus skuif na die mooi water en so paar verdwaalde voëls. Elke persoon op sy pos in afwagting op die volgende strike.

And so it happened – sitting on a beanbag next to the portside outrigger (aka the ugly one) a similar sound to a .22 gunshot broke the silence. The tagline’s elastic band broke off, a Penn International starts screaming insanely and a black Marlin starts jumping and dancing off the stern of Indigo. Teamwork is the key! Clear the rods, clear the deck, get in the chair, and start filming! Twelve years of trying and even losing marlin, I could only think of one thing, ‘DON’T F… THIS ONE UP! ‘

With precision skippering and excellent crew members, we managed to release a beautiful black Marlin that lives to fight another day. The fight and release lasted about 40 minutes, and with Lourens Odendal filming everything, I will always remember 15 February 2023 as a day full of excitement, adrenaline, and conquering my nemesis. Thanks, team Indigo!!!

Third Fish of the Fourth Day by John Leppan (John Graeme)

Having boated the first fish on the 4^th day our skipper nominated me to be next in the chair.  After locating the bonnies we set about catching two fresh baits and getting them rigged.  All the while we were listening to the radio as Indigo had just hooked their second fish.  Our job at hand was clear, we needed that third fish!

Fifteen minutes after setting our baits the ratchet on the starboard reel brought us all back into focus.  No sooner had it started than it abruptly stopped.  As the realisation of this lost opportunity sank in, silence befell the crew.  Fortunately, this didn’t last as a portside rig exploded into life and brought us all back to our senses. 

Turning off the ratchet to calm the situation we allowed the fish to peel off line whilst I got into the harness.  Still not knowing what we were dealing with I tightened up the drag and on cue, a beautiful black marlin surfaced 200 metres off the stern and walked in search of freedom.  Having set the hook I then got as comfortable as possible and tried to concentrate on the job at hand. 

The John Graeme crew have always been generous with their advice.  Knowing that we needed to boat this fish to get back pole position we all set about our jobs working hand in hand with our very able and calm skipper Chris.  We tried to subdue a fish that was having none of it.  Spending more time in the air than in the water this majestic beast tried every trick in the book to throw the hook.  At times I had brief thoughts about being the guy who lost the fish.  During this epic battle, and knowing the fleet was listening closely, we finally got hands on the leader and brought the fish alongside.   As we were getting ready to bill and measure, the line parted, allowing the fish to swim away strongly back to freedom. 

The celebration ensued with high fives all around and with man hugs that could be disturbing in different circumstances!

I would just like to thank the crew and especially our skipper, Chris for his kindness and generosity.

My First Malin by Willem Skein (John Graeme)

As was our usual custom we were taking hourly turns to be on rod duty.

All three of my crewmates had caught their first marlins ever in this tournament. The last two were caught a mere four hours before it was my turn. And the pressure was on to try to catch my first marlin and complete an unthinkable hat trick of three blackies in a day for John Graeme.

As we set out from the harbour earlier that morning for what was to be the last day of fishing, I told  Hepburn-Brown confidently that we were going to catch 3 fish today.

At that time we were neck to neck with Indigo, and the competition could still go either way. Everyone on board could sense the tension of the possibility of getting pipped at the post,  as had happened to John Graeme two years ago.

The two earlier fish took line around 8h00 and 10h00 respectively.

Shortly after noon I quickly brushed thoughts of doubting my own prediction out of my mind.

At 12h25,  my heart rate instantaneously skyrocketed to the urgent sound of my reel’s screaming ratchet.

Excited shouts of, “Come on Doc, your fish is on,” urged me into action.

The fish stripped 200 m of line in no time, entertaining us with several impressive acrobatic aerials.

Thankfully I saw it was not such a heavyweight as my crewmates had to deal with. And by this time our skipper had advanced to the next level of marlin skippering, making me look even better on the rod.

Twenty minutes later a beautiful black was craftily ushered to the side of the boat.

I felt a kind of humble gratitude towards this beautiful fish when I stroked it before it was eloquently released to go and reign the oceans again.

Then the relieving and joyous thought that this fish gave us a likely unsurpassable lead started to descend on all of us.

What a privilege it was to have been part of this incredible crew and to continue the legacy of love for the ocean and fishing.

Last Fish of the Fourth Day by Hannes Smuts (Bayswater)

On Wednesday 15th February 2023 at 14:45 we had the first strike on the boat. Piet called it in and we got extra time. I was the angler on the rod. The fish jumped out of the water at least six times which was the most beautiful site ever! I had it on the line for one hour and forty-five minutes. This was the strongest fish I ever had on a line and probably the biggest! I had the fish right next to the boat and Kokkie was on the leader and according to him, this was at least a 300 kg fish.

Day 3 of the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament.

Two anglers have sent in reports of their exciting experiences catching marlin in this year’s Marlin Tournament. Thank you Serge Wessels from Indigo and Grant’s tells how Jacque got his first stripey

Serge’s Story

I was on the boat, Indigo, skippered by Gawie Bruwer. Being a novice to Marlin fishing, I did not realize what a team activity it was, and what experience was required by the other crew. Without the skipper keeping the fish correctly positioned in relation to the boat, the crew member pulling in the leader and grabbing the bill, the member removing the hook and importantly the camera person confirming the catch, there would be a very slim chance of successfully catching and releasing such a magnificent fish. I was fortunate to catch a striped marlin and be part of the crew to catch a black marlin thus, being able to witness the glorious colours of both excited fish as they lit up close to the boat. The black Marlin gave us a fantastic aerial display, making for memorable moments.

Jacque’s Fifth species of Marlin – Story by Grant van der Westhuizen

From zero to complete pandemonium can best describe the sensation of raising a marlin and enticing it to strike in the 2023 Two Oceans Marlin Tournament. The hours of preparation, maintenance, planning, research, and monies that go into catching one of these beautiful creatures of the deep and extremely vast oceans all become worth it when you finally see the silhouette of one of these majestic beasts in the spread.  

The skipper and crew of Mojo had managed to raise a couple of Striped Marlin on day one and two of the tournament and to the frustration of all aboard the fish just wouldn’t commit to what we had to offer. The fish on these days seemed well-fed, lethargic and hesitant to strike. After careful deliberation, we decided to stick to our guns and fish the same area as we did the previous day, after all, we had seen the fish.

Now let me paint the scene for a more than typical day in the 2023 TOMT. Generally, the day starts out full of optimism and as the day grinds on without any result or worse, disappointing results the mood can change, and combined with a little sun, wind, salt, and doubt it can become a mental marathon.

At the start of day three, we reached our fishing grounds and started setting the spread running two teasers short (starboard and port) with a flasher in between with two short Konners, two long and the Japan running way back. The usual tweaking to get the Konner’s running at their optimum and the continual adjusting to keep them running at their optimum in the ever-changing conditions is a responsibility bestowed on Mojo’s fishing master (Gareth Beaumont) and myself.

It had been pre-arranged that be it a Striped marlin skipper Jacques “Mojo” van Niekerk would be on the rod after all the man has a Pacific Blue, Atlantic Blue a Black and a White marlin under his belt and it would only be befitting to give him the opportunity to catch his fifth specie of marlin here in his local waters.  

We had been trolling for a half an hour when one of the competing boats literally five hundred meters away from us went tight on a Marlin. As in the nature and the spirit of the 2023 TOMT we were happy for them, but it was disheartening to say the least. Not long after the vessel Indigo and skipper Gawie Bruwer and crew had successfully caught and released a healthy-sized Striped Marlin. The pressure was on.

We kept grinding away and at 12h00 under the watchful eyes of Beaumont and me we spotted the dorsal fin and shoulders of a Marlin protruding from the beautiful purple blue colour of the ocean behind the Long. As per usual the adrenalin shot threw my veins just in time to see the fish disappear and just before the disappointment could set in the fish was back. The anticipation of a screaming rachet was short-lived as the fish disappeared again and before all hopes were crushed the fish was back behind the same Konner for a third time. Surely this was the moment but to everyone’s despair the fish vanished again just to reappear, and this is when the fish decided to commit. Within milliseconds the unmistakable screaming of a Marlin reels ratchet blasted the silence.

Enter the well-oiled crew of Mojo kicking into action to man their designated stations for the day.  Skipper Jacques van Niekerk stayed behind the wheel as fishing master Beaumont very carefully and patiently set the hook. As the fish took of Beaumont moved to the wheel and Hannes Schreuder leader man and vocals, Anthony Tait cameraman and I scurried to bring in the lines, clear the deck and to get the skipper in the fighting chair. This was it the moment we had all been waiting for. The skipper was a couple of minutes into the fight when this beautiful Striped Marlin breached and showed herself in all her majestic glory. From here it is hard to say how long the fight lasted but after what always feels like an eternity the fish was leadered by Hannes Schreuder and after a quick measurement and tag with the hook removed the fish was released to fight another day. High fives and congratulations all around and the Konners were back in the mix.

What an absolute privilege to see the speed, strength and agility of these animals. See you in the 2024 TOMT.

Watch this space for the final results and Prize Giving as well as more stories from the anglers.

Thank you to Wayne Cooke of John Graeme for his story of how he bagged his first marlin and the first one of TOMT 2023

It is Day One and we are lines in for my 5^th Two Oceans Marlin Tournament  Struisbaai. I must admit I do not have high expectations as I have yet to catch a Marlin or even be part of our team catching one.  As normal the Bonnies are set and ready for action. As has happened over the years the boat gets quiet as the day starts to drift on.

After a while, I’m told that it’s my turn for the next hour to watch the rods. Around mid-day, one reel starts to slowly give line and there is something eating my Bonnie. The next minute our other rod also goes stiff and starts giving line.

“SHARK,” one of the crew calls as surely it’s not possible to hook two Marlins especially as I have never even seen one live.

Hylton Goatley takes charge of one rod and I take the other. I promise myself that I am going to give whatever is on the other end time to swallow the bait, and I give free line for about 2 minutes.  

At the same time, Hylton goes tight on the drag and a big black marlin jumps clean out of the water. There is now total chaos on the John Graeme.   Some run for the black magic and others just run from sheer excitement.

 I then decide to tighten up the drag on my reel, still not believing what is happening. I am happily looking out the back of John Graeme expecting whatever was on my line to show itself as not too much line is being taken. Well, if I bother to look ninety degrees to my left, I will see a massive Marlin jumping and going crazy.

All attention is now on me as I hear skipper, Chris Goatley, radioing that we have not hooked the first Marlin but are still hooked up on the second. I have never had so much attention from the crew before.   I am offered water and asked if I am feeling okay. The doctor on board is even happy to inject me if I require a boost at any stage. 

I am pumped with excitement as I realise that it is up to me to catch this one for the team. This fact is mentioned to me more than once by my team mates!

“Don’t F **k it up, Cookie,” I hear one of them warn.

Well, with great skill from our skipper Chris Goatley and 55 minutes of hard fighting, my first Marlin shows itself next to the John Graeme and with all the skill of the crew and lots of shouting the fish is measured and released to fight another day.

It is a day I will always remember but most importantly the pleasure it gives us all to see it swim away is just magical.

The John Graeme is on the scoreboard, but little do we know there is much more to come……..

Watch this space!

Apologies for not posting yesterday. It was a very busy day and some of the material I needed was not available in time.

Today the boats did not go out to sea due to inclement weather.

Tuesday 15 February 2023

Thanks once again to Koos for sending me some really amazing photographs. Some show exactly why he and his crew stay out at sea as late as possible. Is there any better place to be than out in the wide ocean with a rod in your hand? Well, these anglers certainly think so.

Today the weather continued to play along although the wind is picking up and it was slightly cooler and overcast.

As those of you who have been following these reports know, John Graeme caught the first marlin of this tournament on Sunday. Well today we were surprised to hear that the first call of a hook-up came in at 08:20 was again from John Graeme and Chris Hepburn Brown was the one in the chair. And he fought it for almost an hour before releasing a back marlin.

But that was not enough for this intrepid team. At 10:06 another hook-up on John Graeme was called in. This time John Leppan was in the chair until he released a blackie at 10:38.

Surely the sea gods have their favourites for at 12:17 Indigo who landed a stripey yesterday called in their second hook-up of the tournament. At 13:00 Werner Kotze released a blackie.

Throughout the day other boats called in hook-ups but it was a while before the next successful one was reported – and would you believe it – John Graeme again with Willem Skein landing a blackie!

Indigo almost got another but lost the battle and just when we thought the day was over Bayswater called in and after a short battle brought in a blackie. I was unable to get a good fish clip from their video so will just show you the angler.

The weather started to turn this afternoon. The wind turned to the northwest, clouds gathered and we had a shower or two of rain.

This evening we were treated to another delicious meal of burgers, ribs and chips (French Fries).

For the past three years, special awards have been made to exceptional anglers who have contributed to the tournament and to the sport. This year Gawie Bruwer presented the award to Ted Horn who is now 83 years old and still participating in competition angling. Ted is also well-known for his amazing singing voice and sang Danny Boy with as much gusto as any man half his age!

Then Andrew (Marlin Control) changed hats and became an auctioneer, calling for bids on some excellent wines and other items to raise funds for the Suidpunt Deep Sea Angling Club.

I also managed to get a few team photos. More to follow on prize giving night.

Once again, apologies for the late posting. I received the last video just a little while ago. I am still waiting for the anglers to send in their stories which I will post as they come in.

I am not sure whether tomorrow will be a fishing day. If it is it will be the last day of the competition and Prize Giving takes place tomorrow night. Watch this space for all the results.

Thank you to Koos Pretorius on Gee Spot I have some lovely photos of the morning’s early launch to share.

Today turned out to be very exciting. At 09:45 Indigo called in a hook-up halfway between the Alphards and 45s. They fought until 10:10 when a stripey was measured and released.

At 11:17 Hannes Schreuder on Mojo, closer towards The Alphards, hooked a stripey and released it at 11:57

While I was waiting for the last boats to return to shore I received a call to please go to the end of the harbour wall to capture a very special photograph. Gareth Beaumont had promised to allow himself to be towed back to the harbour on a surfboard if their boat caught a marlin. And of course, they did.

Today is Valentine’s Day and although most of the anglers are without their wives and girlfriends we all celebrated the day. The bar ladies made a special effort.

Dinner tonight was a delicious mussel soup followed by battered swordfish and salmon fishcakes and for dessert, we were treated to decadent chocolate eclairs.

I am trying to get as many group photos as possible and will post these in a future post. I am also collecting the anglers’ stories so watch this space to read about their exciting experiences catching and releasing the hard-to-catch marlin!

I cannot resist posting a few photos not quite related to the fishing. Struisbaai harbour is famous for some very special residents, namely the Short-tailed Stingrays and the Cape Clawless Otters. You can read about Parrie, our most famous stingray here

I have lived in Struisbaai for almost eight years and have never seen the otters but today although it was quite busy at the harbour one of them was there swimming with the stingrays.