Letting the Big One Get Away
By Justin North
 Our day started just like the many other trips we had taken in Bermuda with Captain Allen DeSilva and mate James Robinson on board “De Mako.” The air was humid, the sea was calm, and there was that hovering question around us as we left the dock. Recent information convinced us of a hot marlin bite so our hopes were high, but not even our dreams from the night before prepared us for what was about to happen on the glorious day of July 27, 2001.
The morning starts off slow despite impeccable conditions. The hours slowly pass as we continuously hunt for the elusive Blue Marlin. It was a little after ten o’clock that an object appears behind the long flat line. The fish comes up and misses and our hearts drop. We stare for what seems like an eternity at the lure but she comes back again. How big is she? I cannot tell but a powerful creature and a formidable adversary. She comes up and explodes from underneath the lure and takes off. The rigger pops and the line starts screaming off the reel. Fish on!!!!
The captain immediately punches the throttle, James clears the lines, and I jump in the chair. The rod comes over and I get hooked up in the harness. It is now a battle of man versus fish, but suddenly the line goes slack. I look at James real quick then feel for pressure, still nothing. I grab the handle and crank as fast as I can. Could she have spit the hook without a single jump? Then after cranking 110 yards of mono back onto the reel the line goes tight again, and without hesitation the lines starts blistering off the reel and all I can do is sit back and hold on. Within seconds the fish is a quarter of a mile away performing an incredible aerial show. A wall of water hides her beauty as she desperately tries to rid herself of the foreign object in her mouth, and after eight desperate attempts she goes back under. We are now over half way through the 130ST Penn reel. The Dacron is still being peeled off the reel as if the forty pounds of drag meant nothing. Now even the reel is overheating from the supremacy of the fish. We now know this is no little Blue Marlin. Captain DeSilva puts the 58’ Sonny Briggs into reverse and we set out to get some line back.
 Over the next thirty minutes we get most of the line back. Actual we get the fish within fifty feet of the boat before it sounds. I am in awe of this superior fighting machine which I am up against. It almost brings me to tears to see 150 yards of mono disappear after I worked so hard to get it back. Continuing on, the fish is now just hanging down in the depths below using her weight to aid in her fight for freedom. At this point, I struggle for every inch of line only to watch it slowly unwind off the reel. Now it is a battle of endurance, and ever so slowly over the next hour the fish is brought up.
Finally, the leader is visible and James reaches over and makes the grab. He yells, “Got the release.” Slowly he works the fish to the surface as he strains every muscle in his body. At long last she has revealed herself to us. All fourteen feet of shimmering color and 1100-1200lbs of mass is exposed as she rolls on the surface under the scorching summer sun. My father is on the bridge with three different cameras going nuts, and James running back and forth along the transom trying to get the fish close enough to tag. Suddenly she dives, James quickly releases the leader and off she goes. Now it is up to me to bring her up yet again and ten minutes later the striking fish returns and James quickly brings her up so Allen can tag her. With that done I get my last good look as the hook is removed. She slowly drifts back in the wake with her freedom then slowly disappears into the deep blue sea. Suddenly, out of now where she comes flying out of the water 40 feet off the stern. It was the first time the crew had ever seen this happen and it was as if she was saying thank you for letting her go. With the fish released there was a brief moment of silence after seeing the jump but that silence was quickly filled with cheers, hugs, and handshakes while the captain holds the hook that is bent open.
 As a nineteen-year old college student it is still hard for me to put into words what I felt that day and will feel for the rest of my life. Through the years I have been fortunate enough to catch smaller marlin, Yellowfin, Longfin, and many other fish but none can be compared to this historic battle. I fought one of the strongest fish in the sea and won, but at the same time the fish swam away to live another day which makes her a champion also. Sure we could have killed her, hung her on the scale, and received our 15 minutes of fame. However, a fish that is no good to eat would just be wasted for bait, and there are not enough of them out there to justify the death of such a precious fish. A fish that size is 25 to 30 years old and will spawn over a hundred million eggs per year. By letting her go we have done our part to make sure future generations will enjoy such an experience. The excitement of a Blue Marlin is like nothing else in the world, but the key to the success of a trip depends on your Captain and Mate. Captain Allen DeSilva and James Robinson are first class all the way and are the best in the business. I cannot extend enough thanks and gratitude to those two top notch anglers. Although there were many things that made this trip memorable there is one thing that will make it unforgettable. It was not the size, the fight or the release of the fish it was being able to share the entire experience with my father who made it all possible and for that I am eternally grateful.
Facts-
| Date: |
July 27, 2001 |
| Boat: |
DeMako |
| Crew: |
Captain Allen DeSilva, Mate James Robinson, Father-of-angler: Stan North |
| Angler: |
Justin North, 19 year old student from Sea Girt, NJ |
| Fish: |
Blue Marlin |
| Weight: |
Estimated between 1,100-1,200 pounds |
| Tackle: |
130lb. test line and a 30ft/600lb leader |
| Fight Time: |
1 hour 40 minutes |
| Lure: |
JoYee Super Plunger |
| Location: |
Argus Bank- 11 miles off the coast of Bermuda |
First Grander Ever Released In Bermuda!!!
|
