Two local fishermen caught a 200-kilogram marlin in Rarotonga waters on Saturday afternoon.

Fisherman Aki Tairi has recently created a social media account that keeps the community updated on his fishing journey.

Over the months of starting this, he has inspired many youths and interested individuals in this field, including Toru Mateariki, a family member who joined him on Saturday afternoon.

They went out at sea, and to their surprise, they caught a massive 200kg Marlin after 1.5 hours of trying to reel the fish in.

Mateariki did not expect to catch this on his first day of fishing beyond the reefs, but he was overwhelmed and excited after waiting for the hour to pass.

On their way out, the pair caught smaller fish for lunch before heading out to the open seas.

Mateariki said: “I’ve spent my whole life fishing — lagoon fishing, spear fishing, cast net fishing, patia toka, cast, rama unga, rama papaka, rama kaura, ī ku patia kaura and so much more —, but today (Saturday), I finally ticked off a dream: fishing beyond the reefs.”

“I am so grateful for these past experiences that helped me to quickly adapt to the skills that I learnt from Aki and hope that when I come back from Uni, I’ll be able to experience this once again.”

Being back in Rarotonga for summer break means to get back into the plantation, and go fishing, explains Mateariki.

“There’s no holiday when you’re back home, but there are cherished memories created with families and friends, especially if it means doing chores.”

After returning to shore, the two fishermen were able to weigh the massive marlin at the Avana wharf in Ngatangiia, where they were also spotted by neighbouring fishermen in the harbour. -Nicolea Mateariki