Members of the Ahipara Gamefishing Club gathered to celebrate the club's 20th Anniversary.
Members of the Ahipara Gamefishing Club gathered to celebrate the club's 20th Anniversary.
What started as a backyard weigh station and a simple idea between friends has grown into a 300-member-strong club, drawing anglers from across Northland and beyond.
The Ahipara Gamefishing Club marked 20 years since a handful of locals decided, over a few beers, to start their own club on thewest coast.
Members gathered at the original weigh station for a barbecue and moment to share memories of the past two decades.
Founding member Kevin Griffiths still remembers the conversation that sparked it all.
The club was founded in 2006 after Griffiths and several other fishers, who had previously been members of a club in Houhora decided to have a home base.
“We were sitting around and talking about starting our own game fishing club and just decided to go for it. Twenty years have gone by just like that; it’s unbelievable.”
He said the celebrations were fantastic and he was excited to see what the next 20 years would bring for the club.
He said there were many memorable moments at the club and one that stood out for him was when a 1000-pound (453.5kg) marlin was weighed several years ago.
“You don’t see that too often. Moments like that really stick with people.”
He said part of the appeal of game fishing was the unpredictability and excitement when a fish finally strikes.
“It can be a lot of cruising around, then suddenly all hell breaks loose when a fish hits a lure. Even if you are not the one winding it in, just being there when a marlin hits is something else.
One of the club's founding members, Kevin Griffiths (right) said he is looking forward to another successful 20 years.
Griffiths said while they were celebrating and looking forward to the next 20 years there were concerns about the future of recreational fishing, particularly the potential for increased commercial targeting of marlin.
“If commercial operators start setting lines and targeting marlin, it could really affect recreational fishing. We have seen it happen overseas and how quickly it can change a fishery.”
Despite that, he said they remain optimistic about what the future holds and they focus on keeping the club welcoming, affordable and community-driven.
Club recorder and publicity officer Helen Horrocks said the club has grown steadily over the years, with anglers from across the Far North and Auckland.
“About 30% of our members are women and we have got loads of juniors as well, which is pretty special for a sport that is often seen as male-dominated.”
Ahipara is known as one of New Zealand’s strongest striped marlin fishing spots, and Horrocks added that the fishing is “some of the best in the country” when conditions line up.
She said there have been some memorable catches over the years and one standout moment was a 176kg striped marlin caught by Rachel Stewart in 2017 and a 361kg broadbill swordfish landed by Nikki Sinden, which set a world record.
“New Zealand has some of the biggest striped marlin in the world and Ahipara is quite famed for it. When the striped marlin fishing is good, it’s really, really good off Ahipara, like some of the best fishing in the country.”
