Byline: Vic Vic Villavicencio

SO what if monsoon winds and afternoon rains are here. Heavy tackle angling is still raging. The hunt continues for trophy billfish and trophy tuna.

Only a couple of weeks back, relative rookies in this great outdoor sport of fishing humbled the veterans in the Triple V National Fishing Championship in Cagayan. Henry Ordinanza of Cavite Anglers Club and Butch Tam of Hong Kong won first and second place honors while Mark Rosales of the newly formed Manila Anglers Club completed the rankings at third.

The PGFF series in San Vicente, Santa Ana, Cagayan will officially end with yet another event, the Toots Echauz Billfish Tournament June 13-15. Already 32 anglers are registered for this one; the list is an interesting mix of new and all-too-familiar names in the sport fishing community.

Soon after the close of this sixth leg in the PGFF series for 2002, the winners will be honored at the mid-year affair on June 25.

Then the action moves over to Palawan for the tuna drift-fishing competition sponsored by Standard Insurance. The big game fishing addicts are even now already sharpening their tuna hooks for this one.

This early there are reports indicating exciting tuna action. Stories out of Puerto Princesa have it that local fishermen are already making good money selling good-size yellow fins to buyers for the sashimi and export markets. The expectation is that in a month's time the lime breaking tunas will be even bigger. Just the thought of bent rods, shrieking reels and frantic action on an outrigger banca in a star-studded night is enough to get an angler's adrenalin flowing.

The aspiring big game angler will be well-advised to make a serious effort to be on this one. It's a good opportunity to learn the basics-and maybe even a few tricks-from the gathering of tuna fishing oldtimers.

The number to call for more information on this is 373-0743.