Launceston's India Thompson has put Tasmania on the map after forming a fearsome fishing team with dad Gary in Hawaii.
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The 20-year-old reeled in three marlin during this month's five-day Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament to take out the Dudley C. Lewis award for the highest-scoring female angler.
One of a dozen teams representing Australia, Thompson and her father entered on behalf of the St Helens Game Fishing Club to become the tournament's maiden Tasmanian entrant, and faced a host of international competition including the USA, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
The former Scotch Oakburn student ranked the win as better than the junior female swordfish world record she holds for landing a 267-kilo monster.
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"It was a surprise but I was absolutely honoured because getting on the awards over there ... it's often the best of the best so it was a real achievement for me, probably my greatest achievement in the fishing career side of things," she said.
"I've got a world record and a couple of state records but this was definitely up there."
But even that played second fiddle to the joy of having dad Gary in the boat.
Thompson said she and her father were already planning to return to the HIBT in 2020 - work permitting.
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"It was really, really special," Thompson said.
"I've been fishing ever since I could walk, it's kind of all I know. Ever since I was born I've been on the water and fishing.
"I wouldn't have been able to do it without my father - he's taught me how to fish and taken me fishing every weekend and every day he's got free and it was just a reward for the both of us.
"The conditions over there were amazing too, we had calm weather for the entire week and the people are lovely - it's an awesome experience, I'd encourage everyone to do it if they can."
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