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I still remember how amazing Bermuda looked the first time I ever visited the country. The white limestone roofs peppered throughout the terrain appeared to glow as we caught sight of the island that morning. Going through the rock walls as we came into St. George’s Harbor felt like stepping back in time to pirate days. I couldn’t help but imagine what it must have been like sailing upon this island hundreds of years ago, with tropicbirds whirling around the sky as the smell of canon fire wafted across the air. If you made it past the canons, you still had to sail your way through reefs with no charts to navigate by. I can only imagine those captains way back then were just as happy as I was to arrive at such a breathtaking place.
Today, as you make your way down the shipping channel toward the naval dockyard and into Hamilton, you find yourself in a thriving metropolis in the middle of the ocean. It’s a mind-boggling experience. On my first visit, I spent a week tied up in St. George’s while waiting for our slip to open. I had thought Bermuda would be a small, quaint European village. Instead, it turned out to be much like a busy city, with thriving businesses that stayed open all hours of the night.
As soon as you step ashore in Bermuda, you’re greeted by welcoming and friendly people. It doesn’t matter whether you’re talking to a customs agent, others on the dock, or a person you just happened to bump into on the street. Everyone is kind. Most are just as inquisitive about visitors and their boats as you are about them and the island. The things they all have in common is a love for Bermuda’s surrounding waters and sharing what they have with everyone.
When the end of June rolls around, boats start showing up in groups from all over the Eastern Seaboard, the Caribbean and many far-off places to enjoy the excellent blue marlin fishing available at the area’s deepwater banks. You can tell everyone on the island is buzzing. Airport staff, taxi drivers and waiters constantly ask about the fishing and excitedly share that they follow the tournament activity. If they see a boat shirt or hat, locals always ask how the fishing has been. You really feel like you’re in a fishing community where people still genuinely care. That especially shows through the tournaments that have occurred on the beautiful island for the last 20 years, all of which involve local captains, charities and government municipalities.
I’ve been fortunate to fish the Bermuda Triple Crown, which includes the Bermuda Billfish Blast, the Bermuda Big Game Classic and the Sea Horse Anglers Club Billfish Tournament, since 2008. All three events showcase Bermuda’s exceptional hospitality, including great food, plenty of drinks and sensational company. Over the years, I’ve probably been blessed more than I deserve, not in terms of winnings, but in experiences. I’ve been lucky to build so many incredible memories and lifelong friendships during these events.
In addition to a great time for all its participants, the Bermuda Triple Crown offers some of the best big blue marlin fishing in the world. Although numbers vary and no governing body exists to record the information, my research found that at least 19 granders have been weighed in Bermuda, while many more have been caught and released. And the World Cup, which typically overlaps dates with a Triple Crown event, has been won by Bermuda-based boats eight times. To top it all off, Triple Crown tournaments have boasted extraordinary payouts exceeding $5 million in recent years.
The crazy part about fishing this series is all the boats from around the world that make their pilgrimage to a little 22-square-mile island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. And they’re not just any boats. They’re some of the top crews in the world. They come here of all places to compete against some of the most legendary local captains and crews on what I like to think is center stage for big Atlantic blue marlin fishing at its best. It’s a series with a bunch of like-minded individuals doing what we all like to do the most.
Marinas
- Hamilton Princess
- PW Marine
- Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
- Pier 41
- Bermuda Yacht Services
Places to Stay
- Hamilton
- Hamilton Princess & Beach Club
- Rosemont Guest Suites
- Rosedon Hotel
- Newstead Bellmont Hills Golf Resort & Spa
- St. George’s
- St. Regis Bermuda Resort
- St. George’s Club Hotel
Dining
- 1609
- Achilles (St. George’s)
- Deja View
- Harry’s at the Waterfront
- Portofino
- Mad Hatters
- Little Venice
- L’Oriental
- Breezes
- Devil’s Isle Cafe
- Rustico
- Wahoo’s Bistro & Patio
- Harbourfront
Charters
- Sea Wolfe
- Shakedown
- Mega Bucks
- Overproof
- Paradise One
- Reel Addiction
- Atlantic Spray
- Challenger
- Gladys Fox
- Hakuna Matata
