Whangarei builder Ross Jameson just wanted to have a go at big game fishing - now he's landed himself a New Zealand record for the biggest fish ever caught.
Ross Jameson, a builder who has lived in Whangarei for 55 years, caught a 483.4kg blue marlin off Cape Reinga last Thursday.
The
fish is not only the biggest marlin caught in Northland but also the biggest fish ever caught in New Zealand waters.
Mr Jameson was fishing with friends on the charter boat, Harlequin, wanting to "just have a go at some game fishing" when he hooked the huge fish.
He wasn't initially fussed about the technicalities of making a New Zealand record, but has since joined the Houhora Big Game & Sports Fishing Club to make his record-breaking catch official. A fisher has to be a member of an official club to have a record stand.
He said the huge catch took he and his mates by surprise.
"We didn't go out there trying to set records, we just went out there for a fish."
John Douglas, Harlequin's owner and co-skipper said he was "quite chuffed" with the catch.
International rules meant that Mr Jameson was the only person allowed to touch the line but once the fish was close to the boat, experienced fisherman and co-skipper, Chris Ash helped the men bring it in.
The struggle took almost an hour and a half in conditions that Mr Jameson described as "very choppy and windy."
It then took a further 20 minutes to get the fish onto the boat and even then Mr Douglas said it was only "half"on.
Once the boat got to North Cape they managed to bring the fish aboard and continued for another two hours to Houhora where it was weighed.
Mr Jameson said it was definitely a team effort: "It's certainly not something you can do by yourself."
Mr Douglas said the prize catch was the result of a combination of things. "It takes a lot of luck to find it, and a lot of skill to land it."
The blue marlin was almost 10 kilograms heavier than the previous record, a black marlin caught in 2002 weighing in at 473 kilograms.
The fish is now in Tauranga where it will be mounted.
