A LOVE of fishing has caught blokes like Geoff Chapman hook, line and sinker.

And his club, the Cairns Sportfishing Club, is hoping to lure more.

Local fishermen have been urged to act swiftly to help keep one of the region's longest-running sporting groups afloat, after falling interest has left the club with only about a dozen members.

A membership drive at yesterday's meet brought in eight keen new anglers, and president Glenn Budge insisted there was good reason for the tide to continue turning for the group.

"It's like-minded people coming together and enjoying sports fishing," he said.

"It's not a fish killing club; we don't have big numbers of fish at our weigh-ins. It's more of a family-friendly learning environment where you share information and learn skills.

"The main thing is that we have a competition once a month that gets you and the family off the couch, gets the boat into the water and people can really make a weekend of it instead of staying indoors."

The club began at Yorkeys Knob in 1967 to promote sustainable fishing practices in the Far North, and at its peak had more than 100 members.

Most of the fish they catch are tagged and returned to the sea for research and tracking uses.

Anyone interested in joining the Cairns Sportfishing Club can contact membership officer Steve Hardy on 0418 797 370 or email aquaoz@bigpond.com

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