LGFC's first light tackle marlin - Bob Gosbell with his 67.25lb Blue (30.5Kg) on 12lb (6Kg) off Bob's boat Beringa - Saturday February 21, 1981 - a record which stands to this day!

Location is one of the jetties at Salamaua, probably Keith Bradford's.

Aside from the fish we would like to identify the homo sapiens in the pic - so far we have the following suggestions (from left) - the yellow beacon! on shore, Gwen Churchill - the neatly crossed legs belonging to person seated behind Gwen, Sue Elliott - seated at table facing us, Bill Stuart (then LGFC Weighmaster) & Don Elliott - immediately left/behind fishes tail, Carl Serafini (LYC Commodore) - Bob Gosbell of course holding the fish ................. more suggestions welcome!

Bob launched the rebuilt 48ft Beringa - an ex RAAF WWII crash boat in 1979 and proceeded over the following two years to define Billfish Alley! - in his own words -

"We didn't take any special route. Unlike the faster boats we put lines in as soon as we left Voco Point (always fished six lines). We had a couple of Marlin strikes not far from Voco but managed to lose them. We would always head for Benalla Banks - Shepparton Shoals and on to say seaward of Fly Island, no special area.

If we were going Tami Island way we would just go along the coast about 3 miles out.

As far as how many bill fish we caught, I just forget. But we used to put a notch in the door posts at the wheelhouse. Port side notches were for sailfish and starboard side for marlin. I think we caught about six sailfish and 18 or 20 marlin."

There will be more on the Beringa and it's history in an upcoming Stori.
 

Any suggestions to ...  

Posted 13/08/2006