It's a Long Shot II

This can only be described as, "FISH ON!" Daddy goes over to try to put on tension on the rod and I run halfway across the cockpit only to bounce back to where I started thanks to my tether. I look back to see a splash, then one by one the crew started to pop up. I looked back at the line and I saw a huge white disturbance - I figured I caught a whale - but turns out it was the curl off a wave. Knowing it's a huge fish, I slam up the tension and start barking orders to get ready for the big pursuit. Unfortunately Mommy and Daddy both disagreed to put the boat in reverse so at least they hove to while I tried to bring in this fish. Then, Mommy says we don't want to be anywhere near it when the line snaps so I put my feet inside the cockpit and kept reeling. Before I knew it, there was a giant bang with the rod lying nearly horizontal across our metal railing. It took a few seconds for me to respond and realize this fish had broke our fishing rod holder - a half an inch sized bolt! Then Daddy and I struggled to keep the rod up. If hadn't been for the tether that Captain Al gave us, our rod would have been no more. At this point you are probably wondering what happened to the fish, but no, the fight continues. Daddy holding the bottom half of the rod while I reel, keeping the rod tip vertical. Now all the crew are up and Riley yells, "MARLIN!"

Now my head is spinning. This marlin is probably so big that it'll probably take everything into the water including the rod, the tether and the stanchions. And I'm tethered onto the stanchions too. So now I don't know if I should worry about the tether and clip into somewhere else or keep reeling. I decide to go with "B." Dad says it looks like a shark so now I think a shark has eaten my marlin and now I have a shark on the line. After half an hour, the leader gets to the tip of my rod. Riley and Mommy are now trying to hold onto the rod while Daddy takes a hold of the leader. It was no shark but a three metre Marlin. I was just as excited as catching my 60lb tuna but this is even better as it's my first Marlin. It showed us it wasn't our little puppet. It came up out of the water with it's bill nearly impaled into my right thigh. It started beating the boat - you could hear it thudding into the side - then it headed over to the starboard side. Now, Riley is upset too cause guess who abandoned their post. Mommy grabbed the camera from Saylor to try to take as many photos as possible leaving Riley to try to hold onto the rod. Now me and Riley are struggling to keep the rod tip vertical but avoid the sword that's trying to stab into us. Daddy put the leader on the port quarter winch so we could take a break and figure out what to do. Just then the hook came out.

Mommy, Daddy and Saylor were glad the hook came out while me and Riley were pounding our fists into the cushions. I guess we couldn't keep it anyways cause our freezer is full and there was enough meat on that thing to sink our dinghy five times over. I realize that this rod and reel have been so good. They have battled every fish imaginable and this Marlin really tested it bending it from vertical to horizontal. I am proud that I have successfully caught a Blue or a Striped Marlin, whichever one it may be, without losing any equipment, other than the rod holder. Luckily we have two of those.