The club was formed in 1937 and was named Ulladulla Sport Fishing Club.
The foundation members were Anthony Horden (retailing fame of Sydney), David McCathie (business tycoon of Sydney), Harold Gray, Archie Sams (Ship’s Captain) and Jess Sams (wife of Archie Sams).
Formation of the club was in preparation for the game fishing tournament organised for the Sesquicentenary celebrations (150th anniversary of Australia’s settlement). Under the rules of the tournament all entrants had to be members of a game/sport fishing club.
The club remained functioning until the outbreak of World War 2 in September 1939 as did many other of the game/sport fishing clubs and associations. Due to the commencement of the war the Ulladulla Sport Fishing Club went into recess and remained that way until 1977 when the club was reformed.
The reformed club was given a new name and also took on the responsibility of Ulladulla Sea Rescue. Due to this the club was named the Ulladulla Sport Fishing Club & Sea Rescue. The foundation members of the new club were Brian O’Leary, Ron Neylon and Don Goswell.
In 1982 the club affiliated with the NSW Game Fishing Association. At this time the club had another change of name and became the Ulladulla Sport & Game Fish Club which was formed as a Limited Company. The club became an active member of NSWGFA with Don Goswell and Wayne Fry representing the club at Association meetings, also some of the clubs registered boats fished many other clubs tournaments.
1999 saw the club again change its name to the name it operates under to this day. On the 27th August 1999 the newly named Ulladulla Game Fishing Club Inc. was officially registered With NSW Fair Trading as an Incorporated Club with Registration number Y3029239.
In 2009-2011 Don Goswell became the clubs first ever member to become the President of NSWGFA which was a honour for the club.
As stated previously the original club was formed so the foundation members could enter and fish the special tournament called the “International Big Game Contest” commencing 1st January 1938 and running for 4 months till end of April 1938.
During that tournament Mrs Jess Sams chartered the launch “Tory” owed by the brothers Michael & Salvatore Puglisi as Jess’s husband Arch had chartered his vessel name “Lady Jess” to Mr Anthony Horden the Sydney department store owner.
On the 27th February 1938 Jess Sams caught her Striped Marlin on 130lb (60kg) line whilst trolling off Brush Island (south of Ulladulla). The fish weighed 330lbs (149.68kg). This capture won Jess the tournaments principal prize “heaviest game fish”. It also won Jess the Australian & NSW records for a Striped Marlin in the female 130lb (60kg) line class category. Refer to the History of the Jess Sams Trophy on this web site
In 1989 and in conjunction with the Australia wide Bi-Centenary of Australia celebrations the club decided to conduct its annual game fishing tournament to honour one of its founding members Mrs Jess Sams who had caught her amazing capture 50 years earlier.
From that year on the clubs annual tournament has been called the “Jess Sams Game Fishing Tournament”.
