When your catch tips the scales at nearly 100 kilograms, conventional transport options quickly become negotiable.
That was the case for Hokianga fisherman Luke Land, who made headlines after strapping his first-ever marlin to the roof of a car for the short trip home. The impressive fish weighed in at 96.1kg and came after an intense 40-minute battle on the line.
Land and his mates briefly considered using a friend’s ute, but opted for a more unconventional – and ultimately memorable – solution.
“The back of the ute was way hotter than the car,” Land said. “It was an overcast day, so the car wasn’t too warm, and we hosed the fish down to cool it even more. Plus, we thought it would be pretty funny. Turns out it was.”
The drive home took around 10 minutes, after which the marlin was placed straight into a chiller before being processed. Land said he never expected a photo of the moment to go viral or attract such widespread attention.
“Even before the photo went online, you could see people doing double-takes as we drove past,” he said. “You could almost hear them saying, ‘What the?’”
Once home, the marlin was prepared for smoking – a process that takes several days. The fish is first placed in a brown sugar and salt brine with ice for one to two days, before spending seven to eight hours in the smoker. Once finished, it will be vacuum-packed and shared among friends and family.
“There’ll be enough for at least 20 to 30 people,” Land said. “Smoked marlin is absolutely amazing – great on crackers, in a smoked fish dip, or pretty much any way you have it.”
A regular fisherman, Land has helped land marlin before, but this was the first he had personally reeled in – a long-held goal finally achieved.
“It’s a bucket-list fish for most fishermen, so it was pretty epic to finally tick it off,” he said. “Hopefully it’s the first of many, but we’ll see.”
Earlier that day, the crew had already lost one marlin after it managed to shake the hook during a jump.
“They quite often spit the hook doing those big leaps,” Land said. “This one stuck, though, and we got it in.”
The now-famous photo was posted by friend Jeremy Mitt, who said the attention had been a positive reflection of the local community.
“It’s been hugely popular, and it really epitomises the spirit of our community,” Mitt said. “I’ve been fishing with Luke for years, and he’s been trying to catch a marlin for a long time, so it was a massive moment for him.”
As for the next fishing trip, Land said plans will depend on conditions.
“We live in the Hokianga and have a big bar to cross, so it’s all weather-dependent,” he said. “When everything lines up, I’ll grab some mates and head back out.”
