The coastland times with which is combined the pilot and herald of Belhaven and Swan Quarter. [volume] (Manteo, N.C.) 1959-1973, 1961-05-26
FISHING
Continued from Page One)

fish. And it seemed to loll on tn,
surface as its great head beat from
side to side in an effort to shak,
the hook.
From there on, it was simply a
question of time. Albert knew wha
he was doing and did it well. Tn,
greatest trouble came after thu
leader was in and. Although badl!
hurt-the fish had disgorged it;
stomach as deeply hooked billfisf
often will-the marlin still hac
plenty of fight in it. Billing sue!
a creature in a choppy sea is ne
easy matter and all hands were
required to manage the job. Ever
at that, the blue buried its bill
into the cockpit coaming after il
was manhandled aboard and tool
along with it a considerable portion
of one of the handlers trousers If
the process!
AS the great fish died, brilliant
blue colors chased themselves il
waves across its skin. It's big eye:
clouded, and another specimen fol
the new marine research laboratory
at Hatteras was guaranteed.
Although he had taken big game
fish all over the world, this was
Albert's first blue marlin. After
the usual congratulations came the
usual weight estimates. Finally all
all agreed that it was "about 400
Later, back at the Hatteras Blue
Marlin Club docks, it was found
to be 1914 pounds more than the
estimated 400.
'eNow it's your turn" said AL
bertrand we settled down to watch
the skip bats again.
My turn? One fish in the boat
was good fortune enough for the
day. I was happy and envy was
not among my emotions. Any man
who has journeyed from South
Africa to Hatteras deserves a re-
ward-and Albert had made that
journey more than once before
without success.
The shortwave radio told of mis-
sed fish, sighted fish and one other
boated the fleet. There were no
Complaints on ire Twins II.
While we kept one eye on the bats,
we not unnaturally talked of fish
and fishing. Albert noted that tire
North Carolina boats trolled with
the bats rather close to the hull
no matter what the weather. In
clroppy seas, which we were ex-
periencing, this might not make
much difference, but he pointed out
that, on a calm day, activity on the
flying bridge would be silouetted
clearly against the sky. The resul'
might we'll be scared fish. Wake
and propeller flash undoubtedly at.
tracted blue marlin, so it seemed
that the solution was matter OF
compromise troll we'll astern, but
not too we'll astern.
expounded on the theory that
every game fish requires a certain
number of man-hours of angling
time before success. A fisherman
might boat certain species on the
first trip, but would then have tc
put in his full time before catching
his second fish. For blue marlin
i'm view of my own experience:
and conversations with others,
figured that more than 100 man
hours of trolling were required be
fore boating the initial catch.
''Not off Hatteras," said Edgar
who was one of the blue marlin
fishing pioneers in that area. I,
support his statement, he quote,
figures from the days a few year
ago, when only scattering of boat
tried for the big billfish, up unit
the present, when even the mos
skeptical We're forced to admit tha
Hatteras is among the top ports il
the world for blue marlin. TIL
season is long one with the frs
blue taken this year in April an
the last of the season usually boat