ST MARY, Jamaica — Frenchly Bryan, also known as Kush, and a team of fishermen from Mason Hall in Oracabessa, St Mary were the emerging champions of the Oracabessa Bay Marlin Tournament.

The event was held at Oracabessa Bay Fishing Village on Sunday, with over 60 boats competing.

Bryan and his team set sail at 6:00 am aboard his boat called “Lady Camille” and returned to shore some minutes after 4:00 pm with the heaviest marlin, weighing 127 pounds.

“It is a happy moment for me because I’ve competed in the marlin tournament in Portland and came close to the winnings and was kicked out,” Bryan told Observer Online, beaming with excitement.

“First, we caught some dolphins and sun fish. Then after that, we continued and got the marlin strike and that was challenging. If you look closely at my hand you can see where the fishing line bruised me. Mi throw away the line because it was hot when I started to pull,” Bryan explained.

The event, now in its 21st staging, was conceptualised back in 1995 by Chris Blackwell of the Golden Eye Foundation and the Oracabessa Fisheries Association. Fishermen from across the island usually compete for a chance to not only be crowned and hailed as the best in the old fishing town but also to be the recipient of cash and prizes.

“It was a nice experience, especially when we got the big catch. I’m so happy that we won and we are looking forward to next year,” said Tajhema Williams, a member of the winning team.

Bryan and his team won $100,000, a Yahama boat engine valued at $500,000 and other sponsored prizes.

The two other major marlin catches for the day weighed 115.5 pounds.

The well-anticipated event was a success, attended by scores of residents in Oracabessa and surrounding communities.

Special credit was also given to the main sponsors, including the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Yamaha, Grace Foods, the Sandals Foundation, Island Grill, GoldenEye, Pure Country, Wysinco and Lifespan, for making the day a memorable one.

The event was coordinated by the Golden Eye Foundation and Oracabessa Fisheries Association. Executive Director of Golden Eye Foundation, Travis Graham, was particularly pleased with the outcome.

“This event has been incident-free over the years and I want to thank the people of Oracabessa for another great event,” said Graham.

Bryan’s Boat ‘Lady Camille’ was the vessel he used to catch the 127 lbs Marlin.
(Photo: Akera Davis)

Supporters gathered at the shore anticipating the fishermen return with their Marlin catch of the day.
(Photo: Akera Davis)

These fishermen returned with the second catch of the day. Their Marlin weighed 115.5 pounds.

127 lbs pound Marlin.