Dale Leavitt, tournament director, said they have been coming to Palau for eight years now, enjoying the beauty and bounty of the place, at the same time celebrating a sport that they all love.
According to Leavitt, the group chose Palau to be the venue of their annual fishing tournament because “it is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It’s also one of the most pristine areas where you can find lots of fishes.”
“We’re an organization that started approximately eight years ago, and we’re all fishermen around the Pacific realm,” said Leavitt. Some of their members come from the Philippines, Japan, Saipan, Guam and the US.
The catch and release fishing method, which the group is named after, is a recreational fishing practice intended as technique of conservation.
“We go out, catch large trevallies and then release them, and then celebrate the fact that we’re all together,” Leavitt shared.
The tournament is named after Ernest Hemingway because the group believes in some of the things that the author stood for. “We all enjoy the way he celebrated his life,” added Leavitt.
This year, the invitational tournament was attended by 16 members. But the group has a steady membership of about 20.
As a way of giving back, the group regularly donates to the Palau Conservation Society. And this year is no exemption. “After all the expenses are deducted, we’ll be giving to the Palau Conservation Society another check,” said Leavitt.
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