A great grandmother catches an 850lb marlin

An 85-year-old great-grandmother has astonished the world of game fishing by reeling in an 850lb marlin.
Connie Laurie was on board a fishing charter from Cooktown, Queensland, when she landed the colossal black marlin, famed as the fastest fish in the sea and the sort of prize that sea anglers spend a lifetime trying to catch.

Mrs Laurie, a keen fisherwoman, had only taken a spot on board the Ross Finlayson Marlin Charters trip when flight cancellations forced others to pull out.

But she grabbed her chance with both hands, first landing a 12lb mackerel to use as bait then getting the bite from the marlin - which is capable of swimming at up to 50mph - almost immediately.

And despite the leviathan's strength, Mrs Laurie was able to reel her prey in fairly quickly.

"Only twice did I get lifted out of the seat when it made a run, but I was able to get it right up to the back of the boat before we released it," she told the Cairns Post.

"It was just a magical sight to see this huge big fish jump out of the water."

Mrs Laurie shrugged off her advanced years, and said that she was just delighted to have fulfilled an ambition.

"I certainly didn't feel 85 when I was bringing it in, I was too busy concentrating on keeping it on and getting it into the boat," she added.

"It's something I've 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."

Local fishermen were stunned by Mrs Laurie's achievement, and paid tribute to her abilities to land the prize despite her age.

"It's very unusual for a lady of that age to be able to catch a marlin of that size," said Bob Lowe, president of a local game fishing club.

"It comes down to technique: the skill of the angler and the skill of the boat driver combined. It's definitely quite an achievement."

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source-http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/world-of-sport/article/76389/

Fantastic story ............... i can honestly say that i have never wanted to be an 85 year old grandmother before but do now

What a great story, that is one serious fish! Imagine the fight it'd put up...

Catching a Big Marlin is on my bucket list .

I'm not really into sea fishing, but if I were ever given the opportunity I'd certainly go for it, a marlin would be an exhilarating experience. Imagine it wouldn't be cheap, though...

Fair play to the old girl, hope i`ve got the strength and marbles to do that at 85