Hi people
my brother is working on a game fishing boat i just recived this from him sounds like they are having fun, take a read if you like.
What a trip
Hi bro
Though you might like this i will be out for 3 days so speak soon.
We slipped lines at 6am and headed out past the black rocks and onto the nine pin, as we passed the trawler boats moored on the pier there was a slight mist in the air giving a some what freaky feeling to this trip. The weather forecast from Russell radio was for a 10-15kt wind giving us a 1 ½ -2m swell so we left with a confident stride heading into the Royal blue water, with the depth gage reading 000 and the boat doing 25kts we smiled at Neptune and got comfortable thinking “hard life”.
The sun glistened off the water like someone had sprinkled diamonds over the surface the only disturbance to the water was our wash, by 6:30 the sun was just at the right height to warm the seats. With that we set are first lures out the back and cruised at 8-9kts out to our trawling ground 150nm away.
After two hours we hear the ping that we have been waiting for, the lightning blue from the marlin appears from the dark like a torpedo going through the water. BANG the marlin is out of the water and the real is spinning like someone just bolted a V8 on the end of it. The crew get the rest of the rods in as fast as they can and we sit the fat man (American chatterer) down in the chair. With his hamburger legs beating the shit out of my newly vanished foot plate he is handed the live rod and finds it jammed between his legs as he grasps the rod I said are you ready? Before he starts to tell me his fishing stories again he gets the full weight of a 190lbs black marlin, “OH Shite God Dam”
The next thing he hears is the engines going from a steady speed down to nothing. As the big Cummins click into reverse and start throbbing Marcus (the yank) looks at me only to receive a loud voice shouting “ start pulling” and he did. With that the engines changing from that quiet throbbing that half suck exhausts give to a pack of lions . The stern started to get deeper in the water and Marcus looks as if to say is that water supposed to come in the boat, with a strange sort of psycho man possessed look that only yanks manage to pull off. With that the starboard engine was dropped into natural and the bam in ahead Neptune span like one of those wild rodeo cows and off we were. There had been over 250m of line out the back now and we had some catching up to do. The marlin is now between are beam and bow and is running hard, all of the 800hps are opened up and with a puff of black smoke like a start gun on your kids school sports day Neptune powers off to do her job. After 1hr of very careful driving by the skipper as not to let the marlin cut him self free and a tremendous effort by Marcus they get the marlin within 100ft off the stern. Now backing up onto are beast the adrenaline is pumping again the call from the skipper is given to me to get the crew ready to land the fish, so the anchor line is taken down the starboard side and the rub mat is in place, then the gaff hook comes out of its cover.
After a few attempts at going under Neptune to cut him self off, we finally see the marlin again jumping clear of the water then going deep then up again breaking the surface of his world to see the beast that he is been fighting with all this time. With the thundering noise under the water he knows his time is up and starts to slow down a little, we use the engine to get closer so that Marcus doesn’t start to cry from his forearm cramps. Then as he is reeled in the last 30ft he sees us, he starts lashing around all over the place I tell Marcus to reel like crazy and the skipper gives it full boar on the engines. The line is going from port to starboard like a huge cheese cutter so grabbing it was not the first think that comes to mind, we get the gaff in and get him alongside on the portside then the anchor rope is attached to his tail and the skipper starts to winch him in so that we can get the lure out of his mouth, tag and release him so we can catch him another day.
After 2hrs Marcus the American was about to pass out so he chilled down below while we trawled for are next catch.
Its late now mate and I am off to my bunk bed to sleep I will be on watch in 6 hrs for another day trawling cant wait to get you out on the Neptune, kisses to my nephew
Sean
