Dream Fish Come True

Got out of bed this morning and it was still dark and definitely cold. None of that matters though as we are going fishing. Loaded the boat with the gear and off we go. Today we are fishing the rising tide in the morning, reason being is by the time the tide falls the wind has kicked up to at least 30 knots and then it is impossible to fish.
We are hardly away from shore and Rosie hooks up to a nice Long Tom using an neon green 2m diver about 10cm long. These fish can fight like Jet Li. A full set of aerobatics followed by a screaming surface run that has your line throwing a rooster tail as it slices the water. All of those moves are then repeated several times before ol’ Tom is boat side. Now it is time to net Tom and wouldn’t you know, he won’t hold still. He is a writhing, slithering, snake like fish with a mouth full of needle sharp spikes called teeth. Oh, did I say he was angry, well pissed off is more like it. After several attempts with the net ol’ Tom is in the boat getting his picture taken. Not a bad start.
With all of the Long Tom excitement done it’s time to settle in and do some fishing. Another 30 minutes goes by and I finally hook up to a good size Trevally. I was using a little brow and green shallow diver about 7 cm long and it runs to about 1m. That’s all I needed to get me going. Soon I have a little potato cod in the boat and this is followed by another Long Tom of equal size to the first one. I am now into my fishing groove and getting ready to turn up the heat. Out of no where comes this massive explosion. We get a quick glimpse of dark grey almost brown goliath attacking Rosie’s 12cm ChugBug surface popper. We both call it for a shark due to the strike and coloring. Now first a little background on this lure and this particular location. First this lure has a tendency to attract sharks. And of course it’s one of Rosie’s favorite. Almost every time it comes out the ChugBug seem to call a shark or two not to mention how many shiny new ones have been taken by the shark and worn like bling. Now the location is almost as notorious for sharks as the lure is. So we both call it a shark.
Luck would have it that Rosie just happens to be using the larger spinning reel with 30lb braid and a 7 ½ foot graphite rod. The first run is a scorcher and she loses maybe 150m of line. Now the fight takes a twist, if it was a shark then the line would have broken by now. The second run is just as hard and long as the first run. The fish is now on the bottom and moving with the current and wind. Believe it or not the third run is quite impressive also. The runs are not as long now but the fish is pulling the boat. We finally get in front of it and turn the tables. The fish is planing and Rosie is gaining line.
Not to long more and we have color and the beast shows it’s face. A massive GT, one of those you read about in far way exotic places. A fish that when you see it for the first time your mouth hangs open and your eyes bulge out a little so you can see more of it. A real beauty of a fish. Net won’t work I use two hands and a big lift into the boat. A few quick photos and then it’s back in the water. It took some swimming to revive it. It was a long hard fight and as it swam away to fight another day, Rosie and I did a high five.


Tight lines and screaming drags