Magical Marlin Moment - Multiplied
Two and half years ago in June 2011 my honeymoon trip to Cabo San Lucas for Marlin fishing became a reality. There were so many other adventures during that trip but the Marlin fishing trumped them all. We woke up early to get to the docks before sunrise, loaded up on the boat and got our bait and licenses. As we made our way into the beautiful ocean, we watched the breathtaking sunrise and our anticipation kept building for the adventure ahead. We helped the deckhand bait the hooks and throw out the lines and begin the trolling process.
We watched
some flying fish as they skimmed the water, and even had a few moments where we
could see striped marlin right on the top of the water but they just weren’t biting.
They would throw the bait right in front of them and they would swim right to
it, duck under it and swim off. What was going on? My heart was sinking as 7
hours of trolling in rough seas continued with the same disheartening results.
It was an 8 hour trip and I was running out of time. With 10 minutes left of
the trip the deckhand had reeled in all but 2 outriggers as we began turning to
head back and all but given up hope.
At the
very last possible moment one of the reels started screaming and peeling off
line and my heart began racing. Could there be a marlin on the end of the line
or would it be a small tuna and whatever it was could we get it reeled in
without losing it? We were short on time so the deck hand helped me reel the
fish in while my husband was recording every second of the excitement. As the
deckhand horsed the pole backwards I would reel furiously down. It seemed like
forever but when the fish got close the most beautiful sight I have ever seen
in the water occurred. My striped marlin leapt out of the water in front of me
with a magical aerial display that will be forever engrained in my mind. Please
don’t break my line, please don’t snap the pole, just let me get this massive
fish to the boat for pictures!
As the
fish came closer I was ready to grab the leader, take pictures, and release the
fish; however unbeknownst to me, the crew had different intentions. Most
fishing trips like this are a catch and release style which I am completely ok
with. To my surprise the deckhand took the necessary actions to bring the fish
on board safely to take back to the dock. My jaw dropped as this massive fish
was brought on board that I had fought and reeled in. As soon as the fish was
landed we began heading back to the dock as fast as possible! They hoisted the
marlin flag to signal our catch to the other boats and people at the dock.
As we
unloaded the striped marlin and took his measurements and pictures I was
overwhelmed. My Striped Marlin was 120 lbs and 8 feet 4 inches long and my
smile was a million miles long. This was a dream come true for me and to share
it with my husband was perfect. We were also thrilled to donate all of the meat
to the locals to ensure it didn’t go to waste. We didn’t have the means to
bring the meat back, nor had we planned on it, so I was satisfied with the end
result of harvesting a fish to feed the community. This marlin has been my
biggest fish ever caught to date! (and don’t worry we went out on another
fishing trip during our honeymoon and my husband caught 2 large tuna, so he
wasn’t left out haha)
Here is the Video of the Catch!
Fast
forward to Christmas Eve 2013 where the entire journey came full circle. Hubby
and I had talked about getting a mount completed of the fish but it is an
expensive process and something we just waited on. We were eventually blessed
with the opportunity to get a full size mount of my marlin completed through a
few friend and coworker connections. We sent him pictures and dimensions but
never asked much after that. We knew he was busy with so many other orders and
he wasn’t even sure if he still had a striped marlin mold. Time went by and the
idea of it slipped to the back of my mind as summer faded and hunting season
took over.
On
Christmas Eve however, it was brought back to my full attention. As my family
gathered, opened gifts, and shared memories, my husband said he had one more
gift for me outside. They made me close my eyes as I was guided down the
driveway towards the truck. When I was finally allowed to open my eyes it was a
complete ‘shock’ moment. I gasped, covered my mouth with both hands and
immediately started crying. I couldn’t speak for quite a while. I just stood
and stared at the most beautiful sight of my Striped Marlin laying in the bed
of the truck. I was truly surprised and in shock (I am a pretty hard person to
surprise so this was monumental).
The
Striped Marlin mount is not just a mold created from fiberglass but is a Striped
Marlin that was caught in Mexico, placed in the sand and molded. Luckily, that
fish and the mold were within inches of my 8ft 4 in marlin so everything worked
out perfectly to fit the same size and weight of my fish. Because this mount
was derived from a real fish, the fins have the same imperfections; rough,
small cuts, and character; the bill is rough and slightly jagged, the gills are
inconsistent but real, and he is beautiful and perfect to me.
Now that
he is on our wall in our home, the ‘moment’ is complete. I didn’t think the
excitement of the catch could be beat but the surprise of the mount was
overwhelming. I am thankful every time I look up at it and remember all the
blessings it represents and all the joy that was shared with that beautiful fish.
