A
ny trip to Papua New Guinea is an adventure,
but fishing the country’s annual National
Game Fishing Titles feels like being welcomed
into a warm and friendly family of like-minded
anglers, all of whom have been looking forward to the
event for at least a year.
Living and running a business in PNG can be very
rewarding, although it comes with the price of
extraordinary challenges. The country is spectacularly
beautiful and offers rich bounty at sea and on
land, but infrastructure is limited and widespread
corruption continues to stifle progress. And while the
nationals are largely friendly and welcoming, some
of the unemployed in the larger cities have become
disgruntled and desperate – which in this land can
quickly lead to unrestrained violence. However, for
many Australian expats, the benefits of this untamed
land far outweigh the challenges and dangers. They
are a tight-knit community, who all support and look
out for each other.
Crime and violence can be particularly bad in
the capitals of Port Moresby and Lae, and for this
reason most expats live behind fortified razor-wire
compounds with guards at every entrance. With such
restrictions on suburban life, it comes as no surprise
that their recreation typically involves the sanctuary of
boating and fishing.NATIONAL GAME FISHING TITLES
The National Game Fishing Titles are considered one
the highlights of the year, offering a chance to gather
with friends and business associates. It’s also an
opportunity to let their hair down and enjoy the beauty
and ocean bounty that surrounds this frontier land.
The Titles are hosted by one of four member clubs
within the Game Fishing Association of PNG, rotating
each year between Port Moresby, Rabaul, Madang and
Lae. The event is always run over the 10 days leading
up to Easter Monday, with the host club responsible
for arranging sponsors and running the event – a task
they take very seriously.
Most of the host club’s members take time off work
for the entire 10-day period, and as each team is
only permitted to fish for two days it enables each
boat to fish up to five separate teams. This provides
opportunities for members of other clubs to fly in
and fish as guests aboard a local’s boat – a far easier
option than taking their own boat long distances
around the country. Even so, some boats make the
trek from as far as Australia to fish the PNG Titles. TheLae
Tami
IslandSolomon Sea40kmHuon GulfA large school of baby skipjack tuna took
up residence around Muddy’s FAD, situated
around 60km south of Lae. This was the
hotspot over the first days of the tournament.
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