Whenever the fish paused or Marlin backed the boat
faster than the fish was swimming, I let go of the
armrest and leant forward to dip the rod tip while
cranking as hard and as fast as I could. But as soon
as the strain resumed I felt terrified all over again,
sure that with just a slight shift of balance I would be
ripped right out of the chair and over the transom.IT’S A MARATHON
Although I gained ground regularly whenever the fish
caught its breath, after each brief pause it then ran
again – seeming to take even more line back off again.
Each loss was demoralising, but Tim reminded me
that this was a game of perseverance, strategy and
determination. I run marathons for sport, so I drew
on my training, withdrawing into myself and plugging
on, and on.
Tim would normally man his camera, but knowing
I needed support he stood by my side, calming and
encouraging me as I fought to stay in the boat and
crank line at the same time.
With Tim in the cockpit assisting as second-deckie,
Carol took her camera and climbed to the tower,
getting herself positioned just in time to record what
happened next...IT’S A MARLIN – A BIG ONE!
The fish finally jumped – and Holy cow, it was a big
one! She was perhaps 300m back, but even at that
distance we could see she was far bigger than any
of us had dared to dream. I only caught a glimpse of
her jump, but I remember the guys cheering and the
excitement it generated.
However, Capt Parker was becoming a little anxious,
fearing that after such long runs and with such a long
length of line out she might dive to the depths. This
can often prove fatal and would almost certainly add
hours to the battle – which they feared I might not
endure. I rallied to go hard, squeezing every metre
possible back onto the reel while we still had the
advantage of a shallow angle.By the one-hour mark my legs were shaking and the
pressure had squeezed the blood from my feet, which
were now numb. “That’s a good thing,” Marlin said
with a smile, “Now you won’t feel the pain in them.”RECOVER ON THE RUN
As a runner I’m used to recovering on the run, so that
is exactly how I approached the task at hand. Each
time she ran I would lower my head, breathe deeply
and relax, gathering my strength for the inevitable
pause when I would have to launch into the pump-
and-wind routine once more.
Carol kept asking if I was okay, because from up
in the tower she could see my head dropping and
feared that I was really struggling. The fact is, I
was struggling, but there was no way I was quitting
either. I was simply focused internally, drawing up the
endurance and determination that marathon training
had taught me. I had a huge beast on the end of my
line and while I admired her power and stamina, I
wasn’t going to let her beat me.
The see-saw of control continued for another 50
minutes; I’d gain a little and then lose a bit. My legs
where shaking and weak, and I felt I was getting
nowhere – although by then the fish was obviously
close. Tim continued to offer encouragement, saying
that in just seven more turns of the handle Ryan
would have the leader. “You told me that 20 winds
ago!” I yelled back in response.
By now my frustration was making me angry. I knew
the team was relying on me, and I didn’t want to let
them down. I wanted that fish too, but as hard as I tried
she just refused to give up. I didn’t blame her, but I was
going to win this one – and I wanted it done soon.
Marlin knew we had to get her alongside before she
decided to dive. He kept spurring me on, “Wind, wind,
wind!” But I was already winding – as best I could –
although it felt like the reel was stuck.POTENTIAL WORLD RECORD
As the fish drew closer, I heard the boys discussing
whether to tag or take her. Marlin
suspected it might be big enough
to challenge the 434.54kg (958lb)
Women’s IGFA world record on
60kg tackle, so he asked Tim to
prepare the flying gaffs, as well as
the tagpole.
The top of the leader broke
through the surface on several
occasions, and each time I held my
breath as Ryan reached out as far
as he could. However, my fish was
not done yet. Somehow she found
the strength for another spurt each
time, forcing me to regroup and
continue winding all over again.
The leader appeared once more
and I could hear Tim in my ear,
gently coaxing me to continue.
“Just a few more turns Honey –
that’s all, just a few more.” I dug
deep and with legs shaking, arms
aching and sweat dripping into
my eyes I cranked that handle,
revolution after revolution, until
finally I heard Ryan yell “I have it!”“By the
one-hour
mark my
legs were
shaking and
the pressure
had squeezed
the blood
from my feet,
which were
now numb.”
Ryan revived
the huge blue
alongside while
Capt Parker
idled Marlin
Magic II until
the fish regained
sufficient
strength to be
released.52 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
A DAY TO
REMEMBER