Alliance Tag & Release – 10th Anniversary – The following is written by Brian Fennessy prior to the 10th Alliance Tag and Release Tournament. It gives a good insight into the formation and ethos of the Alliance that still hold true today.
Bermagui is
without doubt the trailerboat capitol of Australian Gamefishing, and some may
well argue the deletion of the word “Trailer boat “.
Whatever the argument for decades
now, and prior to the time of Zane Grey, Bermagui has jealously guarded it’s
close access to the Continental shelf and the reef areas extending to Montague
Island in the North and Tathra Canyons in the South.
Bermagui Big Game Angling Club is
one of the oldest gamefishing clubs in Australia, if not the oldest. There is
always some debate as to whether or not the Sword Fish & Tunny Club is
entitled to that title. Certainly the Bermagui Club is one of the biggest
in Australia and boasts membership of over six hundred members. Through
their affiliation with the Game Fishing Association of N.S.W. Bermagui Club
have the right and exclusive right to conduct gamefishing tournaments
sanctioned by that body, out of the Port of Bermagui. That,s good if you
are a N.S.W. game fishing club and there is control over the sanction of
tournaments. But with the popularity and the increasing interest in
gamefishing from trailerboats, there came the interlopers. Yes,
they came from Victoria and the A.C.T.
To state that there is no
gamefishing in Victorian waters, will bring shouts of derision, but to safely
say there is no Marlin fishing in Victorian waters is a fairly true statement.
There is certainly no gamefishing in Canberra . This situation
existing, Clubs from those states wishing to conduct gamefishing
tournaments in the pursuit of Marlin and consistent Yellowfin had to
travel to Bermagui. The principal clubs who did conduct these tournaments
were The Victorian Game Fishing Club,and the Latrobe Valley Game Fishing Club
from Victoria and the Canberra Gamefishing Club from A.C.T. After years
of solace and virtual sole rights, Bermagui was invaded by the outsiders.
Outsiders that did not come under the auspices of the N.S.W. G.F.A.
although, of course those clubs were affiliated with the Game Fishing
Association of Australia.
Prior to 1990, the clubs battled
along with their tournaments, each doing their own thing , owning their
own equipment and really little co operation existed between the clubs.
Especially as the Victorian Game Fishing Club had come to the scene and
claimed the Easter period for their principal tournament. Needless to say there
were running battles and skirmishes between clubs and individuals. Personality
clashes and ego tripping was responsible for much dispute between the clubs.
Things could have been alot better and economically more successful .
It was in 1989, that the embryo
existed that was going to be a long term resolution to the problems that
existed. For some time, John JONES, Ampol Distributor for the Cooma area, and
owner of the Ampol base in Bermagui , had a desire to sponsor a gamefishing
tournament in Bermagui. To this date his opportunity had not arisen. On
the other hand, Laurie COLEMAN, then President of the Victoria Game
Fishing Club had a vision of a tournament conducted out of the Port
of Bermagui, that would be Tag and Release only. Two situations
that existed with no relationship at the time, that could in the future be impacting
on gamefishing out of the Port of Bermagui.
. At that particular time there were
people in each club that did conduct tournaments out of the Port of Bermagui,
who were sensible enough and somewhat visionaries to the future to encourage
gamefishing and to want to put an end to minor squabbles and get on with a
united front to the common interest. Adrian CROTHERS was at the time
President of Bermagui Club and was ably supported by Jim UTTLEYMORE, Rob Martin
and Roger ZWYERLIEN represented Latrobe Valley, whilst Canberra were
represented by Dave BUTTERS The Victorian Gamefishing Club was
represented by Laurie COLEMAN and Brian FENNESSY.
There were of course preliminary
informal talks between the individual parties and then a decision was taken
that we should meet at the Horseshoe Bay Hotel , the home and virtual museum of
Bermagui Clubs history Papers were presented by each Club on their particular
points of view and their vision for club co operation in the future. As
the particular clubs represented gamefishing from different states there could
be no formal arrangement that would bring the clubs together under any united
banner that could be sanctioned by the Game Fishing Associations.
The union was to be informal.
“ALLIANCE “ among other meanings, is
“ The union or connection of interests, A contract or treaty between
persons or parties connected or allied” Really the perfect description of what
was to be achieved. The meeting was long and analytical and there was plenty of
food for thought. However the initial step forward was that the four
clubs concerned would unite and conduct a Tournament of “Goodwill “, that would
promote the ethics and traditions of gamefishing as they are meant to be and
encourage fellowship among anglers. The ALLIANCE TAG AND RELEASE GAMEFISH
TOURNAMENT was born.
To incite interest, this tournament
was to be different. Different in that firstly, there was to be no
capture of fish and secondly we were to introduce Team Fishing. Team Fishing is
the selection of three boats and the aggregate points at the conclusion of the
tournament is counted against all other teams. The highest point
scoring team wins and takes the most prestigious trophy. A real encouragement
in co operation.
Each Club was required to
financially commit and thus fund the first tournament. The plan was that
as time went by, the small profits that were anticipated would repay each club.
On the other hand one of the concepts of the plan was that cost of
the tournament would be kept to a minimum with all monies being returned to the
competing anglers in one form or another. Principally through benefits.
All facets of the tournament were offered in option form, that is shirts,
B.B.Q. and final dinner were all options and not compulsory upon the angler.
Cost cutting to the competitor, and the subject of later positive
comment.
This tournament was intended to
stand apart from other tournaments in it’s format and in it’s presentation.
It was not intended to be an elitist tournament, but a tournament that
was to extol the virtues of the traditions and ethics of the sport and to
encourage anglers to understand the camaraderie that should exist in the
gamefishing circles. To take this issue a little further, there were to
be no trophies in kind to the winning teams or anglers. All trophies are
perpetual and are represented to the winner by a Photo plaque or a wooden fish
replica, with little monetary value.
In selling a tournament to anglers
that did not allow the capture of fish and secondly did not have trophies
of great monetary value was seen to be a huge task, especially as the anglers
were expected to pay to enter. I am sure that the commitment of the
member clubs to this task and the individual efforts have made the Alliance
Tournament what it is today.
The trophies that have been
perpetuated have to be seen to be believed and they stand out as a display in
the Ampol Garage at Bermagui, in a custom made glass cabinet, that emphasises
their beauty and their importance to a fraternity that increases each year.
The Team and Male angler trophies are beautifully carved wooden trophies
imported from U.S.A. that I am sure will be the envy of anglers for years to
come. The Champion Lady Angler trophy is somewhat reminiscent of a Wimbledon
Trophy and is eagerly sought from year to year among the ladies who fish the
tournament.
Our inaugural tournament, as you may
well imagine , had its share of knockers. It would never work, and if it
does it will be a one year only. An attitude that only fired the
enthusiasm of the tournament organisers. Well, if it was going to fail it
was going to fail with a resounding thud, as the invited persons were an
impressive list. Julian Pepperal , Research Scientist, and perceived
Godfather of the Tag & Release programme was to address all competitors and
supporting members of the public , at the briefing. Also invited
were the Presidents of each respective State G.F.A. body as well as
representatives of community bodies and the Coast Guard. Ampol were
to be represented by John H JONES as well as the State Manager and
members of the company state executive. That would be a bigger crash
than the 87 Stock Market crash and we were not anticipating that. It’s
easy to be a knocker, support comes usually at some effort and expense.
Well the arrival of the event
on the Labour Day weekend in March 1990 arrived and we had a total of
Thirty Eight boats. Not bad for something that wasn’t going to work. Not
only did we have those boats, but the sponsors chartered well known Col O’Brien
boat”Tru Dee V “ and went to sea just to see what all the action was.
While all of this was going on, the organisers had their hearts in their
mouth to overcome the second hurdle. Tag a marlin. Well we didn’t have to
wait long, the first marlin was tagged in the first morning. We were off
and running. It is somewhat akin to the first run of a test batsman. The
second and the rest come pretty easy.
The success of the first tournament
certainly was an aid to the focus of the Alliance objective and enthusiasm was
directed to the activity of the next year and the second tournament.
The years now tick by with the
Alliance Tag & Release Tournament firmly ensconced in the South East Coast
Gamefish Calender, and gaining in stature as well as Angler attendance. One of
the significant features of this tournament is that to this year we have
maintained the active and generous sponsorship of our two original sponsors,
John H. JONES of Ampol and John DUNPHY of Shimano. Both of these sponsors
are avid in their support of tagging and releasing gamefish, and we have alot
to thank them for in the maintenance of their loyalty.
As in all corporate investment and
partnerships, some time is taken to see that the road ahead is heading in the
right direction, and after the conduct of six Alliance Tournaments, it was time
to take stock of the situation and ascertain proper direction. To achieve this
goal, the management team representing the four clubs, convened a seminar on the
future of the Alliance Group of Clubs and where better to hold such a function
than Fraser Island in the Gippsland Lakes. Neutral territory and half way for
everyone.
Each Club was represented by some
four representatives and the agenda items circulated with their respective
prepared papers. After two days of thinking, discussing, eating and
drinking, the Alliance Group came out of the Seminar with a resolution to
purchase common equipment to the combined value of approximately $30,000. This
equipment included a huge tournament marquee, with seating and tables to cater
for all future tournaments. B.B.Q.s to assist in the catering and
ancillary items to assist in communications and the smooth and efficient
running of any tournament. We were really now a co operative. To assist
further in the interaction and management of all of this newfound equipment, we
drew up an agreement to use the facilities already existing in communications
and a further plan for replacement needs in due course.
Now we are celebrating success
together with each of the clubs involved, the individuals within those clubs
who have strived hard to make things work, and certainly with our
sponsors whose loyalty has been unquestioned.
On the 6th March 1999. the Alliance
group of clubs, will conduct their tenth annual Alliance Tag & Release
Gamefish Tournament at Bermagui. Be part of it.