Friday 20 February 2015 after three days of hunting for the big one with not even a kirr out of a reel the mood was sober on the boat Montego a to say the least. We are here as part of the Letsitele Boere Bonanza a social gathering of farmers. Thursday night Francois Engelbrecht came to me and ask if we can’t load the light rods seeing tomorrow is our last day and he had never caught a fish in the sea so I told him to get on another boat the next day or come marlin fishing with us.
We all now know what his decision were. Friday we launch a bit late and I decide to try at the big one through the surf there was a light rain and breeze coming out of the South so I decide to fish diepgat instead. I give Montego to Johan du Toit while me and Frits Steyn start putting out the spred of conas . As we reach 60m at diepgat I told Johan to turn and head for deep water it was Francois turn on the chair.
At the 78m mark all hell broke loose a monster had take our port long and is peeling off line with orders running to Johan behind the helm and the crew on deck to clear the other four lines it was busy onboard. Then I hear Francois say we better hurry the real are nearly empty that’s when I realize Francois is dressed up and in the chair waiting for us to clear the deck not helping and shouting orders.
Then the fight was on for two hours and fifteen minutes we could not turn him to take him shallow the monster had one thing in mind and that was to take us deep. The pulsator marlin magnet was stuck solid and did its job as long as we did the same this one is not getting away. Francois by now was batted and bruised his first deep sea fish is giving him a run for his money. And then he was at the boat a beast a monster but unfortunately the fight was too much for him and he died right at the boat so release was not a option now begin the mammoth task of loading the beautiful monster fish. Francois by now was not worth much he was dead tired. So with the help of fellow anglers that come to our rescue we boated it.
Thanks to Ms Seevarkie and her charter crew that come to our assistance and give up their fishing time to help fellow anglers we appreciate it. With the fish onboard we headed for the bay and cold ones then I said to the crew let’s put the rods out one never know. They nearly throw me overboard, Thanks Johonny and Fritz job well done and to Francois congrats on your first deep sea fish I don’t know how you are going to top that one. At the gallows he pull the scale at a whopping 396.6kg on 37kg line.
by leon vd vyver
