Thank you to Wayne Cooke of John Graeme for his story of how he bagged his first marlin and the first one of TOMT 2023

It is Day One and we are lines in for my 5^th Two Oceans Marlin Tournament  Struisbaai. I must admit I do not have high expectations as I have yet to catch a Marlin or even be part of our team catching one.  As normal the Bonnies are set and ready for action. As has happened over the years the boat gets quiet as the day starts to drift on.

After a while, I’m told that it’s my turn for the next hour to watch the rods. Around mid-day, one reel starts to slowly give line and there is something eating my Bonnie. The next minute our other rod also goes stiff and starts giving line.

“SHARK,” one of the crew calls as surely it’s not possible to hook two Marlins especially as I have never even seen one live.

Hylton Goatley takes charge of one rod and I take the other. I promise myself that I am going to give whatever is on the other end time to swallow the bait, and I give free line for about 2 minutes.  

At the same time, Hylton goes tight on the drag and a big black marlin jumps clean out of the water. There is now total chaos on the John Graeme.   Some run for the black magic and others just run from sheer excitement.

 I then decide to tighten up the drag on my reel, still not believing what is happening. I am happily looking out the back of John Graeme expecting whatever was on my line to show itself as not too much line is being taken. Well, if I bother to look ninety degrees to my left, I will see a massive Marlin jumping and going crazy.

All attention is now on me as I hear skipper, Chris Goatley, radioing that we have not hooked the first Marlin but are still hooked up on the second. I have never had so much attention from the crew before.   I am offered water and asked if I am feeling okay. The doctor on board is even happy to inject me if I require a boost at any stage. 

I am pumped with excitement as I realise that it is up to me to catch this one for the team. This fact is mentioned to me more than once by my team mates!

“Don’t F **k it up, Cookie,” I hear one of them warn.

Well, with great skill from our skipper Chris Goatley and 55 minutes of hard fighting, my first Marlin shows itself next to the John Graeme and with all the skill of the crew and lots of shouting the fish is measured and released to fight another day.

It is a day I will always remember but most importantly the pleasure it gives us all to see it swim away is just magical.

The John Graeme is on the scoreboard, but little do we know there is much more to come……..

Watch this space!