The Sesqui-Centenary or Jess Sams Angling Trophy was awarded to Mrs. Jessica Sams of Ulladulla N.S.W for the capture of a 330pounds (149.68kg) striped marlin on February 27, 1938, winning the heaviest game fishing section of the four-month tournament held to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Australia's settlement, following Captain Arthur Phillip's founding of the colony at Sydney in January 1788.
Mrs. Sams was born Jessica Millard at Milton N.S.W in 1897, a daughter of a local pioneering family. She grew up in the Milton/Ulladulla area and moved to Sydney to work as a seamstress and milliner. She Married Captain Archie Sams, a ship's captain in 1926 and later returned to live in the region.
Always interested in fishing, Mrs. Sams was attracted to the well-publicized game fishing competition which was one of the leading events arranged for the 150th anniversary celebrations. The organizers, who were prominent figures in the burgeoning game fishing movement, had persuaded the N.S.W State Government to donate valuable trophies for various categories of fish and sharks captured during the event.
The principal prize was a stylized trophy that was described as "a magnificent gold and silver crafted replica of the Errol Bullen-owned fishing launch "Atlanta" riding the silver ocean swell. The crew of the vessel are modelled in gold standing on the deck. The tableau is mounted on a shaped pedestal of figured Australian woods.
The words "International Big Game Fishing Contest" is inscribed on each of the gold banners fitted below the tableau. A map of Australia within a laurel wreath is applied to each side of the pedestal." The trophy was designed and crafted by Mr. WJ Sanders of the well-known Sydney jewelers Fairfax and Roberts Ltd. The cabinet work was performed by Silkman and Coates of North Sydney.
Mrs. Jess Sams had intended to fish from her husband's new boat "Lady Jess" but he had previously committed the boat to Mr. Anthony Hordern, a well-known Sydney department store proprietor and sportsman. She arranged to charter the launch "Tory" owned by brothers Michael and Salvatore Puglisi, members of a famous professional fishing family. She obtained membership of both the Illawarra and the Milton and Ulladulla Game Fishing Clubs to satisfy the contest entry requirements and embarked upon her adventure in beautiful weather conditions at 6a in February 27.
Travelling south, by 11am she began to despair as five hours had elapsed since trolled baits were placed in the water astern of the vessel. Shortly after a blind strike ensued and to her amazement 150 yards of line poured off the reel. She struck hard and was delighted to see a sizeable striped marlin leap from the water. She now realized that her burrowed tackle had only 350 yards of line on the six-inch reel rigged under the light cane rod. Deft handling of the boat by Tory Puglisi enabled her to gradually recover line and the trace or leader was to hand four times before the striped marlin was brought to gaff and hauled aboard.
On arrival at Ulladulla it was discovered that no official weighing scales were available. Also, there was some difficulty with the organizers of the Contest who had been contacted by telephone. It seems that there was no provision on the Rules for a woman to claim the Contest's principal trophy! Quick consultations ensued and it was agreed the Mrs. Sam's fish would qualify under the rules provided it was officially weighed. Next morning Captain Archie and Mrs. Sams lashed the Marlin to the roof of their car and drove up the Princes Highway to Jervis Bay where the marlin was duly attested to weigh 330 pounds (149.68kg).
The marlin capture took the major Contest trophy and established the Australian 130 pound tackle (60kg) Woman's striped marlin record, which it remains today, one of the oldest records on the Game Fishing Association of Australia record chart.
Mrs. Jess Sams displayed the trophy for visitors at her home for many years and in 1981 she donated it to the Australian Fishing Museum (now the Fishing Museum Ltd., a Game Fishing Association if Australia Inc (GFAA) adjunct organization.) In 2013, the Jess Sams Trophy was refurbished at the direction of Mr. Grahame Williams the Managing Director of the Fishing Museum Ltd, by WJ Saunders Pty Ltd. of Sydney, the sole surviving prestige trophy maker left in Australia and is displayed here in its pristine condition, probably the most significant and historic game fishing trophy in Australia.
The year 1938 was a difficult one for Australia. The Great Depression had bitten deeply into the nation's economy and psyche, but despite some welcome signs of recovery there seemed to be pessimism abroad. The general feeling was not helped by reports coming out of Europe. It was probable that the world would once again be plunged into war just 20 years after the bloodbath of the Great War (now called World War 1). A number of prominent Sydney anglers were well placed to push proposals for an international angling competition on, embracing both salt and freshwater species as part of the celebrations Clive Firth a prominent businessman and managing director of a national pharmaceutical company had come to the fore as a leader of the sport over the preceding four or five years.
Well connected in business and NSW government circles, he was assisted by others including the well-known fisheries scientist Theo Roughley. Mr Firth and his committee convinced the NSW government that such an event would help to consolidate the advances in the saltwater side of the sport and provide valuable publicity and tourism opportunities for both the state and country. Invitations were extended nationally and internationally for anglers to compete in the International Big Game Australian Contest to take place in Australian waters up to 50 miles offshore.
All anglers had to be a member of a recognized Australia fishing club. The contest ran from January I to April 23. 1938 with trophies to the value of I 000 pounds on offer across a number of categories. On February 27, Mrs Jess Sams of Ulladulla overtook the field of Australian anglers with a 330Lb striped marlin which remained unbeaten and secured her the principal trophy for the heaviest gamefish.
Mrs Sams received an avalanche of attention and publicity with her capture, particularly for her triumph in what was at the time an almost exclusively male sport. The fish was also an Australian record which still stands today, on 60kg line class. Mrs Sams born Jess Millard at Milton NSW in 1897, married Captain Archie Sams, a ship's captain in 1926.
ln an interview in 1938 Jess spoke about how she would have liked to fish onboard her husband's boat known as Lady Jess , but unfortunately, her husband had charted the vessel to Mr Anthony Horden. Jess was faced with the prospect of now finding another boat to fish from. She had joined two game fishing club's known as lllawarra and Milton Ulladulla GFC and now summoned enough courage to name her first day out at Ulladulla, she chartered the 30ft launch Tory (owned by the Puglisi brothers ) and set out with them at 6am on February 27, 1938 in beautiful weather conditions.
Just before lunch that day off Brush Island something had taken her bait. She had 150 yards of line out before she decided to strike and strike she did. To her amazement a beautiful striped marlin leaped from the water. This was Jess’s first marlin and she was concerned about fishing with a 6 inch reel which only had 350 yards of line and a light trace. After an exhausting fight to the finish the fish was brought onboard and they set back to Ulladulla.
On arrival the marlin was weighed and turned the scales at 330 1b. Jess then discovered a number of obstacles to overcome:
- The fish was not weighed on official scales and was facing the possibility of being disqualified.
- There was no provision in the rules for women anglers to win the major trophy.
It seems that such a possibility had not been considered. After many urgent phone calls to the organizing committee in Sydney it was finally established that her claim was acceptable. In the early hours of the morning Jess and her husband took her catch to Jervis Bay. The fish was roped to the roof of their car and ultimately (after being 24 hours out of the water) had it officially recorded and weighed.
75 years later Jess Sam s marl in capture still remains the lady’s Australian I301b (60 kg) record, one of the oldest on the Game Fishing Association Australia chart. To this day the Ulladulla Ga me Fishing Club holds the annual Jess Sams Game Fishing Tournament in her honour. Image: Jess Sams and her 1938 catch courtesy of Cathy Dunn.
