By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
A KOOWEERUP family of five have fished their way to the Offshore (game fishing) World Championship in Costa Rica next year.
The three primary school aged siblings received a personalised invitation to attend the prestigious event after taking home first prize at the Cairns Blue Water Marlin tournament this month.
Twins Kirsten and Mathew, aged 11 and their brother Damian, 9, managed to beat 115 adult men, 24 women and 16 juniors – tagging eight marlins as a team of three.
Kirsten managed to tag one marlin, Mathew nabbed five and Grade 3 student, Damian, tagged two marlins.
Proud mum Nicole Sandy said the trio started crawling on a fishing boat, with the addictive pastime definitely ‘in their blood.’
“Damian took his first steps on a boat at just 13 months old,” she laughed.
In just their second year competing in the event, the Newhaven College students beat 48 other boats and 155 anglers to take home first place.
Ms Sandy said winning the ‘kid friendly’ tournament and receiving an invite to compete in Costa Rica next year was a ‘huge honour.’
“It’s the first time we’ve been invited and if we accept the invitation we will be the only fishing team representing Australia.
“And there’s no such thing as juniors in the World Championships – they’ll be fishing against grown men,” she explained.
To enter the World Championships the family will have to put forward a team of four anglers and Ms Sandy said the fourth angler will most likely be her husband Darren.
“Fishing is Darren’s passion and we are members of the Victorian Game Fishing Club so we’re heavily involved in the whole fishing community.
“Fishing is such a great a hobby for the kids and a skill they can have for life – it’s not something they will grow out of and as a family we can go out and explore new places together,” she said.
Grade 5 student Mathew also won champion junior angler and each child received their very own trophy.
Ms Sandy said the family was still in shock about the world championship invitation which they received on Saturday 22 August.
“It’s a once in a life time opportunity,” she said.
