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Fraser, Kathy and Jim are joining us again on Reel Chase in 2009. For Jim’s son Nathan “The Fish Magnet”, it’s his first trip but for the others, after 3 years fishing with us they certainly know what they want to do by now. And, on Day 1 we managed to check almost all of the boxes. After putting in the lures for some light tackle fishing (resulting in some good spanish mackerel) we put the marlin lures out and steamed North trying to make it as far up the reef as possible. On the way we picked up a triple header of yellowfin tuna (the third destroyed the laser pro we were running down the middle) and another XOS wahoo. Just off the tip of St. Crispins Reef, I was up the tower delivering a snack to Capt. Jim when we saw 200lb marlin pile on the left rigger and (angler) Jim was on! After some early energetic jumps, the marlin managed to get itself tail wrapped which made it tough for Jim in the chair, pulling it in backwards. But he soldiered on, getting the fish to the boat as fast as possible where we swam it for a while to get the water moving through the gills in the correct direction again, and watched it swim off. We anchored overnight at Escape and head a bit further north today. As we moved through Linden Bank, Capt. Jim marked a couple of fish on the edge of the yellowfin schools and we had a bite out of another small fish and we saw Capt. Darren (Biggles) on Allure hook up nearby successfully releasing a smaller fish as well. In the afternoon, Cool Runnings also had success at the bank releasing one estimated at 250lb for angler Jye Claydon, a former champion junior angler from Newcastle/Port Stephens GFC four years running. This fish marks Jye’s 76th marlin! Also fishing the bank Tiger added another fish to his collection.The weather is once again fantastic and no doubt because of the weekend the local boats will be out joining the charter fleet in force!