It was an American by the name of George Bransford who was one of the first to fish for giant black Marlin off Carins. As paratrooper in world war II stationed in Austrailia, when on leave he would often fish out of Carins for Black Marlin and other palagics that the area was well known for.

Good numbers of small blacks were caught out of Carins, but it was the rumors of the large fish seen by the commercial fleet that pushed Bransfords quest to catch the fabled giants.

After the war he returned to Florida, but soon made his way back to Cairns to settle his quest for that illusive giant. He built himself a gamefishing boat named "Sea Baby" and spent many days trolling the inside of the Great Barrier reef. Pushing his boat further and further out, he reached the edge of the continental shelf and encountered his first battles with the giant Black Marlin.

It was on the 25th September 1966, that George Bransfords deck hand, Richard Obach landed his first thousand pound Marlin. Not only did this fish set a new world record, but it was also the first Black Marlin over one thousand pounds to be caught on 80 lb gear. Australia had its first grander, and that fish put Cairns firmly on the map as the home of big Black Marlin.

Each year these huge fish migrate to the 250km strech of the Great Barrier Reef between Cairns and Lizard Island to reproduce. The area has now produced more big Marlin of over 1000lbs than any other part of the world. Add into the mix Blue Marlin to a grand, huge Dog Tooth and Yellow Fin Tuna, Wahoo and Sail Fish, why on earth are you not there!