Day 312 - Marquises - Tuamotu Passage Day 1

Silk Sheets
Ben Shute & Fiona Kennelly
Wed 10 Jun 2009 20:48

1st June – As of midnight I was at position 9:53.46S 141:0.29W

 

I caught the massive Mahi Mahi only 2 hours out of the anchorage and believe me these thing fight. I had no idea what it was on the end of the line, as I wound it in to the back of the boat I managed after 3 attempts to gaff the monster in the head, I collected it right in the bull brow bit at the crown of its head so I had a great hold. My only problem now was that the fish was so big no lies or fisherman tales about this I was just not strong enough in the cramped little space to lift it onboard. Instead I locked the gaff in under the BBQ so I could catch my breath but yet some how even with it locked in place and the fish suspended by its brow from the back of the boat it yet kicked some more a freed itself. I have gone over it 1000 times and still have no idea how it happened but it got off the gaff. As the drag was wound right up it had no give at such close quarters and the line just snapped off and it was gone. Not to mention it was off with my favorite lure and a nice whole in its head.

This was and always will be a very sad moment, I am not sure what upsets me more that fact that I lost such a monster of a fish or the fact that I lost my lure. I can tell you one thing for sure though it takes me a long time to get over knowing a fish that should be on my dinner plate had escaped with a lure in its mouth. The lures I use all have a stainless steel hook and these do not rust so it saddens me even further knowing a shark will proberly end up with the feed I wanted and the lure to top it off.

 

Well you know what they say there are plenty more fish in the sea.

 

Day 312

Destination – Marquises - Tuamotu Passage  Day 1

Traveling Direction – South West

Average Speed – 5.8

Total distance – 75.1 Nautical Miles

Travel Time – 12:32’h