Fishing: 9-year-old Waikato angler lands impressive striped marlin at Raglan

Hadley Curtin, 9, has caught a 63kg striped marlin off the Raglan coast.

A 9-year-old angler from Waikato has brought home an impressive haul, when she caught a 63kg striped marlin off the Raglan coast.

Hadley Curtin was fishing with her family on their 6.9m boat when the fish struck Hadley’s 24kg line.

The marlin immediately began leaping and making the fight far livelier than expected.

As the boat had no fighting chair on board, Hadley had to take the full weight of the fish on her legs and feet.

Her dad Brad, an engineer and long‑time West Coast angler who usually fishes out of Raglan, said the fish “was jumping a bit”, which made the challenge a bit more fun.

Each time the fish came out of the water, Hadley had to adjust her stance and keep the line tight, Brad said.

Hadley said her arms and legs were so sore, and she got really tired.

The fight stretched to around an hour before the marlin finally tired enough to be brought aboard.

This meant Hadley officially joined the family club, matching the achievements of her older brothers Kody and Dexter, who both previously caught a striped marlin.

When the family is out fishing, they usually tag and release their marlin, Brad said, but they keep the first one each child catches.

With this being Hadley’s first, the fish was brought home and later smoked.

Fishing is only one part of Hadley Curtin’s busy life. She also does tap dancing and lyrical dancing.

Brad, who once chased marlin himself, now seems to have become the designated driver of the family boat as his children take over the rods.

With Hadley matching her brothers’ achievements, he may be spending even more time at the helm in the years ahead.

But fishing is only one part of Hadley’s busy life: she also does tap dancing and lyrical dancing, helps Brad in his workshop, and is counting down the time until she’s old enough to race speedway ministocks at Waharoa.

With school starting again soon and rough weather forecast, she knows her fishing window is closing, though she joked that a “sick day” might help her squeeze in one more trip.

Graeme “Mintie” Mead is a sports commentator, the host of the radio show Waikato All Sports Breakfast and a Newstalk ZB overnight host. He is also a Hamilton City Councillor.