AN EXTRAORDINARY BLACK MARLIN FISHING DAY

Oct. 5, 2006, Josh Temple, Torture Chamber, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico:

Our last 3 baits of the day saw the lights go out in rapid succession.

The short bait not 30 feet off the back of the boat gets obliterated by a massive black marlin. Largo feeds the fish perfectly. We hammer the throttles and over 800 pounds of fire breathing dragon tears a swath across the ocean in a display of power and magnitude that still has me shaking.

We lose the fish after the 10th or 12th jump but not before another 600 pound black marlin has engulfed the left rigger and that fish departs in the opposite direction of the 800 pounder still jumping off the port corner.

I see 2 more marlin coming for the right rigger and they are literally shouldering each other in desperate attempt to get to the bait first.

But 280 pounds of giant yellowfin tuna explodes up through the bottom and detonates on the near dead bait. perhaps for the first time in my life i am at a complete loss for words at the scene playing out behind the boat.

We lose the 800 pounder to a thrown hook. No big deal. We've still got our hands full with 600 pounds of marlin going one way and 280 pounds of cow tuna going the other.

After an hour we pull the hook on the 600 pound black marlin as well. We pin the drag and focus on the tuna.

We aren't really too worried about losing two marlin like that because we have already released 5 other black marlin from 250 to 600 pounds, and have a 600 pounder strung up on the swim step after we were unable to revive it.

Gary, who bested the aforementioned huge black marlin on the swim step, is grinding for all he's worth. As the sun drops down and illuminates Cow Town Puerto Vallarta in a golden orange pink salmon hue, the beast surfaces and the gaffs go in and that turned out to be the last dance in one hell of a day of offshore fishing at Puerto Vallarta.

I have spent my life guided by the movements of fish, and the men and women who endeavor to catch them. I wouldn't have it any other way.

(See "Mexico Fishing News" online for current fishing reports, photos, weather, and water temperatures from Puerto Vallarta and other major Mexican sportfishing areas. Vacation travel articles, fishing maps and seasonal calendars, and fishing related information for Puerto Vallarta may be found at Mexfish.com's main Puerto Vallarta page.