Marlin driven to Auckland
As soon as New Plymouth’s Amber McIntyre got her marlin ashore yesterday it was loaded into a refrigerated van and driven to Auckland.
McIntyre headed out about 6.30am from the boat ramp at Port Taranaki yesterday with Stephen Morrison and Bryce Rea aboard the Morning Star and were fishing about 34 kilometres north of New Plymouth.
‘‘It was very quiet,’’ she said. ‘‘We had been trawling all morning, we had seen a couple of little schools of bait fish but nothing.’’
About 1pm their luck changed. While changing the lure on one rod another on the opposite side of the boat went off, McIntyre said.
‘‘It was doing a runner, so we were a bit excited.
‘‘Then we were wondering what have we got. Is it a tuna? Is it a marlin? And then we saw the bill come out of the water.
‘‘It did a beautiful jump and broke the surface a few times so we knew we definitely had a marlin on.’’
McIntyre played the fish for about half an hour and had to take extra care getting it aboard the boat as they were using light gauge hooks.
‘‘We didn’t want to pull the hook or anything.
‘‘You don’t want to be too rough when using light gauge hooks.’’
Once the marlin was brought ashore they trio loaded it into a refrigerated van and headed for the Clevedon Game Fishing Club in Auckland for an official weigh in.
Although they were also members of the New Plymouth Sportfishing and Underwater Club, there was a prize of a gold rod and reel on offer up north where they were also members.
‘‘The club hasn’t had a marlin this season and there is a prize for the first marlin that weighs over 100kg.’’
McIntyre said the fish may be the biggest she had ever caught and was hoping it would make the weight. ‘‘We are crossing fingers. We have given it a quick measure and we think it’s going to come in just over 100kg.
‘‘We are crossing fingers but either which way smoked marlin tastes really good.’’