Fisherman reels hard-to-catch sailfish
MIRI: A fisherman has reeled a 30kg sailfish near Baram B waters off Kuala Baram that he described as his first catch in the challenge to tame the acrobatic fish.
Sudin Saman, 40, from Kampung Batu Satu Lutong, said sailfish is a real fighter and could burst into a surge over and over again, and dive deeper into the water in a bid to escape, sometimes with a battle that can last for hours.
“Today (yesterday) is my first time catching a sailfish, together with several ‘ikan merah' and ‘tenggeri' which I brought back for sale at Kampung Batu Satu Lutong fishermen market,” Sudin saidwhile proudly showing the fish locally known as ‘ikan layar'.
Several market-goers and villagers came over to the fish stall to have a look at the fish and took photograph of it.
Many were also seen posing for photographs with the fish.
According to Sudin, who is a daily income fisherman, this was his first sailfish caught off Kuala Baram waters and the biggest fish so far caught with a fishing rod.
He said he set out to sea on Wednesday evening and anchored his boat near Baram B waters to fish with his fishing rod and hook.
He caught several ‘ikan merah' and ‘tengerri batang' and other smaller fish that night, and only caught the sailfish at 8 o'clock the next morning after battling with it for nearly an hour.
After catching the sailfish he brought back his catch to the wet market at Batu Satu Lutong about an hour's boat drive.
The fish was later cut into slices for sale at the fish market where villagers and customers were waiting.
Kuala Baram waters is a popular fishing zone for local fishermen as it still offers bountiful marine life.
Another local angler Zulafdli Mohamad said sailfish has a potential of taking off with a speed of 110km per hour.
Once hooked, the fish would perform acrobatic displays to throw out the hook lodged in its mouth.
“The hardest part is to be able to keep the tension on the line and tire the fish in each of the runs it mounts.
“Sailfish would take several dives and mount multiple runs. It would also surface to perform tail-dance and dive back into the water in its attempt to dislodge the hook,” he added.