Fishing story grows

Its common knowledge that fish tales get better over time and this weeks Cook Islands News story on the first marlin of the season is no different.

Marlin Queen Charters operated by Junior Ioaba reported that they had caught what they believed to be the first two marlins of the year.

As soon at the fishy tale appeared in Thursdays edition of the daily newspaper the newsroom was inundated with phone calls correcting the tall fish story.

It appears that although Marlin Queen caught its first marlin weighing in at 91kg on the afternoon of January 4 the first marlin of the year was caught earlier that morning by angler Trent Nicholson on a laser around the Panama FAD (fishing aggregate device) on board Dawnbreaker skippered by Brendon Nicholas.

The two fishermen reeled in a 67kg marlin at 10am on January 4 thus making their marlin the first of the season.

On Wednesday, Marlin Queen caught a 70kg marlin on their morning charter and calling it the second marlin of the year.

But it appears the fish wasnt the second marlin of the year.

It appears that on the same day but earlier in the morning at around 7.30 Nicholas reeled in a marlin on his own weighing in at 56kg.

Other local fishermen have also called the newsroom reporting that Akura Fishing Charters had also caught a marlin this week too.

On their final charter on Wednesday, crew and customers caught yet another marlin.

The fish was Marlin Queens second of the day.

There are also rumours that other smaller local fishermen have brought in marlins too.

So just how many marlins have been caught this year is unclear but what is clear is that marlin are being caught in numbers making for plenty of fish on the market!