Local fisherman Pauro Arnold was stoked to land his biggest blue marlin – a monster weighing in at 274.5 kilogram – on Saturday afternoon during the annual Gordon Murray Memorial fishing competition.

The day was a memorable one for Arnold, this was his first marlin to land solo, and the first time his new boat “Haura” entered a Cook Islands Game Fishing Club competition.

Using a 200-pound line, Arnold hooked the giant fish about 12 miles out from Avana. About 20 minutes in, the monster fish snapped the rod and he spent about 40 minutes with the marlin on a broken rod.

Arnold and crew Kahiki Tehaamatai weighed in their giant catch at the Fishing Club premises in Tupapa in the early afternoon and were both thrilled with the result.

Arnold took home first prize in the Heaviest Marlin section of the competition. Full results tomorrow.