TACTICS
Decking for the Great Barrier Reef’s big black marlin By Ryan Williamson
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TANDING braced against Top Shot’s transom with back-up spray covering the cockpit and the angler using all his remaining strength on the 130 lb rig while the giant black marlin gets closer with every turn of the reel handle is a mind blowing experience. For at least 20 years marlin fishing has been my obsession. In order to fulfil my lifelong quest to learn all I can about targeting this species, I have continually gravitated to stories and articles about the grander black marlin off 58 • SKI-BOAT March/April 2018
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the skippers and crew that hunt there. My wishes were answered this year when a great opportunity came my way. Captain Ross Finlayson of the renowned Top Shot, and one of the Barrier Reef’s top skippers, asked me to work as a deckhand on Top Shot for the 2017 marlin season. Ross has targeted huge marlin in this area for the last 35 years, during which he and his original sportfisher Sea Baby and now Top Shot have acquired legendary status. Gloved up I stood at the transom, the wire leader barely 5m beyond my grasp and at the end of that a giant
black marlin. Stay focused, I told myself. Adrenaline was pumping, the excitement was overwhelming and, with trepidation, I took the initial grab of the leader and executed the initial wrap which would hopefully bring this great beast under control. Talk about David and Goliath — me weighing in at 90kg on one end and mama black marlin over 1 000 lb at the other end of 30ft of 450 lb wire leader. It was daunting to say the least. This was one of the highlights of my life, even though I’ve landed many, many marlin. Bringing in a grander black marlin is the pinnacle of this