I built a customer two 50 Class spirals and he bought two new Penn graphite 50 classs reels. He chartered Monday for tuna. The rods filled the boxes with yellowfin to 95 # and we both were heart broken. Here is what happened - I wrote him this email a few minutes ago.

Doc: I could not sleep last night wondering if that Class 50 spiral rod I built for you with the 50 Penn could have possible tamed the huge Blue Marlin that you had on the line. After I saw the brute jump the second time and realized that you were not strong enough to get the rod out of the holder I knew we were in deep poo poo. I can always take solace that the rod did stop the fish for a short amount of time. The 400 yds of 80 mono on that reel and the speed in reverse just would have not made for a long time battle. I was so busy trying to help you get positioned in the chair that I did not get a picture of you and the fish. I guess we can all wonder all we want to and maybe even think that the thing went 400 or more anyway. I could not sleep from wishing that the fight could have lasted a while longer. I would almost give anything to have a picture of the Seeker with the load you had on it with the 40 lbs of drag. You should tell the "marina guide" with the sick stomach that everyting he said about the tuna and the live hardtails was true but he was dead wrong on the possibility of hooking up with a blue marlin while dragging baits in the green water.

I just posted a couple of related pictures on the board. When you build a rod I hope you do not run into something like this! It is heartbreaking for the fisherman and the builder.

Gon Fishn

Tell

Sounds like he had some excitement, and the rod wouldn't possibly have had anything to do with him not landing the fish. Sorry he didn't land it and that you didn't get a photo, but this is what makes fishing... fishing.

............

Seeker would have liked a picture too. Especially of it with the Acid wrapped rod.

Another reason I like Momoi Diamond. Put 60# on those reels and you get extra line capacity and can still fish it as if it were 80# w/27+ pounds of drag.

Great report though. Those blues come unbuttoned way more often than not...especially when you're not expecting them to show up in the spread. Nothing the rod could have done to help (or hinder) you. Simply a matter of reel capacity and boat handling. The rods did everything they were designed to do...and that is simply to hold the line to the rod blank. Great trip it sounds like to me. You'll get 'em next time.

Jay

What happened? The fish spooled him?

It could have been worse, they could have landed the 500 lb blue marlin on your rod, then tagged and released it without ever taking a picture... Happened to me two weeks ago. The next day they got a 250 lb blue and took a picture, but you can not see the rod in it. GRRRRRR....