Heres the story.

I gave a days fishing to a friend last year, we put him on a fish that pulled hooks after a few minutes. This year he asked me to go out to Madeira with him so he could repay the day. I said yes, but would have quite liked to wire his fish for him rather than fish myself. He said OK, Jonathan said OK as did Capt. Anibal. (Needed his blessing!)

On our first day out, maybe about lunch time, I see a fish swim between the white headed pro range Andy on the short left, and the purple pro soft that we ran as a teaser one wave behind. Anibal shouts fish on the left, and no sooner than everyone jumps into action, she fades away. 12 minutes later we pass over the same area again and get a crash bite on the short left - the white Andy!

Ian jumps into the chair as the crew (including me!) clear the rest of the rods. A couple of minutes later Capt. Jose on the Our Mary reports he is hooked up. He is less than 200mtrs away from us and we see his fish put on a dispaly at the back of the boat.

Ian on his first fish!

We get on with the job in hand - Ians first marlin - after about 30 mins the fish comes to the surface about 200 yards away and makes a couple of jumps. We put our estimates in the 600 - 700 class.

After about 45 mins the fish is stripping line of the reel that is now at 45lb of drag, and we are starting to think that we have a tail wrapped fish. 57 mins and 50lb of drag I get sight of the wind on, and am able to take a wrap. IAn backs off the drag and I can see the fish is not wrapped and she is heading for the surface…. I shout that she is going to jump and dump the leader as her massive bulk breaks the surface.

There were some very blue words on that boat at that point! We now knew we were dealing with a fish in the 950+ class. The fish is off again and we bump up the drag back to the button (45lb) and then over to about 50lb again. It’s not long before I get another shot on the wire, this time the fish is all lit up, those blue bars glowing down her side.

Second shot on the wire.

Still full of beans, I have to let go and duck.

One hour and 20 later, she is ours! We get the snooter on the fish and Ian can get out the chair to take a look. He takes the snooter rope as we drag the fish up the cockpit to take the short measurement.

Jody shouts up to Anibal that she cracked the 11 foot mark!

Ian and Capt Anibal with the release flag!

We call her 1000++ as she is a very fat fish and held all he size down her length. Ian is stoked at his first blue marlin, and me, well I got to wire a Madeirian grander for my mate, the first marlin I have ever wired!

Oliver King