85-Year-Old Catches 850-Lb Fish
Connie Laurie was on vacation near Cooktown in Australia when she caught an 850-pound marlin on a charter boat trip. She said of the adventure, Its something Ive wanted to do all my life, to go out and fish for something big. I got my wish. It was absolutely fantastic and made my holiday. (Source: Cairns Post) The largest official documented marlin in Australia water reportedly is just less than 1,000 pounds. (One in Hawaii weighing a little over 1,800 pounds has been caught also.)
Marlin fishing is considered by some to be the ultimate sport fishing experience, due to the size and power of the fish. Hemingways novel The Old Man and the Sea is the story of an elderly fisherman struggling with a huge marlin for several days until he is able to kill it. In Connie Lauries case, the marlin was released, and she obviously was using more modern gear aboard a better equipped boat so the struggle was far less taxing and much shorter. Undoubtedly some will criticize this article as promoting marlin fishing, which is not the intent. It is about the attitude of an older person open to embracing new challenges and enjoyable physical experiences.
Named Top Shot, the vessel used is over forty feet long, has air conditioning and electronics such as radar and fish finders. In video below you can see the Top Shot in action, bringing in a marlin.
Cooktown is located in northern Queensland and named after British Explorer James Cook. The small town on the coast is known as a good place for sport fishing.
Image Credit: Ross Finlayson
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