Note: To view the group of photographs, click on the first one to enlarge it. Use the arrows to navigate the slideshow. Press ‘escape’ to return to the blog post. On your phone, swipe to view each photo and tap the ‘x’ to return to the blog post. You may also need to tap the information icon to view the captions.
Monday 23 February 2026 The battle between the Weather Gods and the Weather Committee continues. This morning, the weather gods were kind and allowed the Weather Committee to win – 1 each so far. Lines in was called at 08h00, and the search for the mighty marlin began. There was brief excitement when one or two hook-ups were called over the airwaves, but they were either on-offs or Maco Marlin, which do not count!
But by the afternoon, it was action all the way. We did not hear from Mike from Bad Co call in a hook-up as he was having radio problems. But hooray for Matthew Paulsen – he released a striped marlin just south of the 12-mile bank. The battle lasted 22 minutes. Other hook-ups were called in, but sadly, they were off again.
Lines up was called, and 16h0,0 and the boats were all back at the harbour by just before 18H00
Adventurous A-lureBayswater bobbing in the harbourThe brave and the bold on Butt CheeksCatitude in Cruising moodDory dawdling homeGlorious Gwaza in the golden lightIndigo inching into portJohn Graeme cruising in gently Le Boss lazing on her mooringNothing loose about LoslappieMarco Polo master of the seaMojo moving inMulti making memoriesNippy Nerina nudges into port Onlyfins owns the oceanSassy girls on Piromero -sponsored by SimradSun Seeker sliding into portWatch out for Gangster GwazaFantastic Vistrok on its mooring Bad Co’s boys buzzing after victoryA bright day for Bad CoBring it on Bad Co!
There was fabulous food, fun, and laughter at the evening function, but after a hard day at sea, most of the anglers headed home quite early!
The usual snuff sniffs and strafdoppe were meted out for all those trumped-up charges, all taken in good humour.
Grant got the idiot of the day awardMatthew told about Bad Co’s MarlinI can’t believe his dad turned up to TOMT looking like that!John took the straf!No they’re not twins – just good buddiesMike downs a strafdop
Wednesday 25 February 2026 Yesterday, the competition was called off due to bad weather and today the same verdict from the weather committee. So the score is now Weather Gods 3 Weather Committee 1.
Apologies for only posting now, but I am waiting for the Angler’s Tale. Watch this space. It may appear in a separate post later today.
Only three boats caught marlin this year, but the radio crackled with enough “maco shark!” calls to keep everyone wide‑eyed and guessing. Hats off to the boys who kept their spirits high and pushed through to the finish.
Jaen van den Berg tells the tale Maverick Tale. With the help of the Maverick Team sponsored by Airmar he caught a Marlin on Monday 12 February 2024. He tells his story in Afrikaans. It is loosely translated into English below. 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.
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 adrenaline 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 alongside 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.
Maverick wapper met trots die marlynvlag
On Tuesday, 13 February, Simon Hipkin, with the help of his teammates on Sea Cat 2024 winner, caught his first-ever Marlin. This is his story Our day out on Seacatby Simon Hipkin It’s my third year here, and up until late yesterday afternoon, I’d yet to see a marlin. Yes, we have had strikes and near misses, but that’s not quite the same! As one of the smallest boats that enter the Two Oceans Annual Marlin comp, we don’t have the ability to run to Alfards and the 45 contour. We’ve had a game plan each year – get live bait and try to keep them alive long enough to get plucked by a marlin. We’ve stuck to this year-on-year and only trolled Conas when we were between spots. Yesterday, we tried everything but couldn’t find a single live bait. So, all in on black as they say. We rigged a spread of 5 Conas and that floppy floppy thing. With 30 minutes to go, my two teammates were both suggesting lines up. Fortunately, I declined, and with 5 minutes to go, we hooked into a black marlin. The exhilaration of that beautiful dark body leaping out of the water is all it’s cracked up to be! It’s a memory I hope I’ll carry with me to the day I die!
Chris Steyn, skipper and cameraman, and Ben Johnson, the leader man, you guys were incredible. Neither of them had skippered or leadered a marlin before yesterday. I’ll go to war with you guys at my side any day. The elation of getting the fish to the boat, Ben grabbing the leader, to the agony of it, to have it swim off again, just adds to the overall satisfaction. We managed to get it to the boat once again, leader it, remove the hook, and watch it swim off. I’m hard-pressed to remember a better day on the water, and if not the best day of my lifetime, it’s certainly right up there.
Sea Cat proudly flying the Marlin Flag
Baie dankie aan die crew JP Groenewald, Ron Penninkoff en Juan Needham wat gehelp het om my bucketlist korter te maak.
Andrew Pawson relates how he caught his marlin with the help of Team Multi We prepared well for this competition and decided to target a striped marlin. Although we did the “Livey” thing, having seen how successful that was for John Graeme last year, we still had no success. It was almost lined up, we were in the zone where our skipper had caught marlin before, so we changed the size of the lures and looked for a stripey. Luckily, the timing was right, and the first fish of the day was in my slot on the boat. I was on and quickly realised that if this was a stripey, it would complete the “Slam” for me. Black, blue and a stripey. What a relief when the call came that it was indeed my target fish. Needless to say, I had all the advice from an experienced crew with the normal amount of adjectives!
The fight was tough but worthwhile. We landed the marlin within the extra time. I have to thank my skipper and crew for the privilege. There is really no better feeling for me than landing a trophy fish like this. Maybe winning the World Cup, again!
Multi returning in triumph
It is always a privilege to be part of this tournament!!
Call back the past ends tomorrow when the Nineteenth TOMT tales will be told, but fear not. As the curtain falls on these historic stories, the Twentieth TOMT is already stirring on the horizon, and you can be sure the next wave of stories is waiting to break.
Note: To view the group of photographs, click on the first one to enlarge it. Use the arrows to navigate the slideshow. Press ‘escape’ to return to the blog post. On your phone, swipe to view each photo and tap the ‘x’ to return to the blog post. You may also need to tap the information icon to view the captions.
This February, Struisbaai will once again host one of its most cherished traditions—the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament, now celebrating its 20th year! From 21 to 27 February, anglers from across South Africa will gather for a week of excitement, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments on the water.
What makes this tournament truly special is its independent spirit. Unlike most competitions, the Two Oceans Marlin Tournament is not affiliated with Western Province or SADSSA. Instead, it’s run by the anglers themselves, with rules and decisions shaped by those who participate year after year. This unique approach has fostered a close-knit community, with many of the same boats and teams returning annually, building friendships and traditions that last well beyond the final function.
The tournament’s roots trace back to the late Meirion Williams of Huckfin fame, who, inspired by a conversation with local fisherman Trail Whitthuhn, envisioned an event to study and celebrate the marlin population in the Agulhas area. Thanks to the dedication of contributors like Gawie Bruwer, Hannes Schreuder, Gerard De Kock, Johan Jooste, Andrew Perrins and Johan van der Walt, the idea became a reality. Safety has always been central to the event, with Andrew returning from the UK each year and working alongside local experts such as Trevor Brinch and Earl Fenwick to keep operations running smoothly and radio communications firmly under control.
Before a permanent aerial was installed on the high site, Realty 1 Agulhas (now Chas Everitt) sponsored a caravan on the Agulhas mountain, where Andrew managed the Marlin Control operations. Temporary aerials were used in the years that followed, but a permanent installation has now been in place for some time.
The original Marlin ControlAbdrew’s first sponsored vehicle 2007Andrew’s Second Sponsored Vehicle 20152017 Paul van Niekerk from Salti assisting with temporary aerial instalationJebo owner Willem Steenkamp (I think) helping with aerial installation of a permanent aerial – 2021The aerial High Site 2022Andrew @ WorkWith his dog Shanga lending a paw
The Two Oceans Marlin Tournament is an invitational, no-kill, measure-and-release event. Anglers present video evidence of their catches, and points are awarded. In 2021, there was a tie. The rule now states that if the points are even, the boat that catches the last marlin of the week will be declared the winner.
The first tournament was held in 2007 and began modestly with just seven boats taking part: Gawie Bruwer’s Indiogo, Andrew van Zyl’s Gwaza, Meirion Williams’s Huckfin, Hannes Schreider’s Jumbo-Jumbo, The Rawbone‑Viljoen brothers’ Midnight Blue, Johan Jooste’s Three Js, and Nico Schmidt’s Monique.
Fittingly, the inaugural winner was Huckfin, owned by the tournament’s founder, the late Meirion Williams. In 2009, Indigo claimed victory, and Gawie has entered the tournament every year since 2007. After the initial fleet of seven boats, entries jumped to 23 in 2008. Participation peaked at 39 boats in both 2011 and 2014, though most years see between 18 and 25 entrants. As we count down to this year’s milestone event, we’ll be sharing stories, photos, and memorable moments from the past two decades.
Meirion Williams (RIP)TOMT Shirts 2007 to 2017Four of the original founders of TOMT Hannes Schreider, Gawie Bruwer, Andrew Perrins, Johan van der Walt
Each year, Amanda Bruwer designs a playful TOMT flag, and the previous year’s flag is auctioned off to the highest bidder. Here are three examples from past tournaments.
This is the first in a series of posts counting down to this year’s tournament. The next instalment will appear on Monday, followed by daily posts until 21 February. After that, you can look forward to regular updates as the Twentieth Two Oceans Marlin Tournament unfolds.
Adventuring into Retirement 