High-and-dry marlin a lucky strike

By DANIEL JACKSON

Recreational fisherman Phil Evans did not hesitate when he saw the striped marlin lying in ankle-deep Northland waters.

"It was just lying there, twitching a bit."

The Top Energy contracts manager summoned help from his family, camped at Whatuwhiwhi in Doubtless Bay, to recover the hefty creature.

It was over 2.7m long and estimated to weigh more than 90kg.

"It took three of us to pick it up and put it on the front of the Land-Rover."

Mr Evans said the marlin was unmarked and, apart from literally being a fish out of water, looked like it was in fine condition.

"We figured it was chasing fish and got into water which was too shallow for it when the tide went out," Mr Evans said.

The family took it back to camp, where the fish immediately became a star attraction and, once word spread, people came from miles around to look at it.

"No one believed us at first but it was a bit hard to deny it because it was right there," Mr Evans said.

Everyone posed for photos with the fish, but as last Sunday wore on it became more of an attraction for flies and the decision was made to fillet it.

Since then, the family have had smoked marlin, fried marlin, marlin pie, marlin sashimi and almost every other variety of marlin - and there's still plenty left in the deep freeze.

"Everyone at the camp has been eating some."

Now, after nearly a week of marlin meals, they have gone back to conventional fare and last night it was silverside on the Evans' table.

A National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research fisheries scientist, Talbot Murray, said it was extremely rare for a marlin to come so close to shore.

"Typically they're an oceanic species but it is possible it became disoriented or was sick and lost," Mr Murray said.

He said he had heard of only two or three similar cases before in New Zealand.

"There was a spearfish caught amongst the boats in Tutukaka Harbour a few years back, and a blue marlin was caught in shallow water in the Firth of Thames, but it really is very unusual.

"They are good eating though."