Claudine Housen, Staff Reporter

Winners of last year's canoe tournament at the Montego Bay Fishing tournament, brothers Donovan (left) and Dwight Hyman, are the favourites to repeat. - Claudine Housen/Staff Photographer

WESTERN BUREAU

The 45th annual Montego Bay Yacht Club Fishing Tournament gets under way tomorrow.

The five-day tournament which comprises an invitational marlin fishing tournament, a canoe tournament and a kiddies tournament should be very exciting as there is already an increase in the number of boats signing up for the main event.

"We kick off on Wednesday with the canoe tournament sponsored by Sanatogen Tonic Wine and I think this is a fully-subscribed tournament. We have canoes from all over western Jamaica," said Fishing Tournament chairman, Patrick Reid.

The canoe tournament is on tomorrow. The tournament goes up a notch over the next three days to the big boats. On Sunday there will be a special fishing tournament for the budding anglers and their families.

The winner of the Montego Bay Yacht Club Invitational Marlin Fishing Tournament receives a cash prize and moves on to the Portland Marlin Tournament in Port Antonio before representing Jamaica in the Rolex International Fishing Tournament which is held in Mexico each year. The canoe tournament winner will also collect a cash prize - a spot in the Portland Marlin Tournament.

Favourites

Brothers, Donovan and Dwight Hyman, winners of both the Montego Bay and Portland tournaments last year, are the favourites in the canoe segment. In the big boat segment look out for the team from "Marlin Madness" ñ William Edmondson, and brothers David and Peter Charley. They were last year's winners and have represented Jamaica in Mexico on several occasions.

Entry fees are $10,000 for the larger boats, $ 1,000 per angler and $1,000 per canoe.