Mark and the Tuna

The Richard & Arnold is back fishing--but I am remembering another kind of fishing today.

For all those who love fishing stories - here's another:

An unusual tuna affair was held at Ballston Beach in Truro, MA on an overcast September morning many moons ago. Mark was out to surf-cast for Stripped Bass as the sun was breaking over the wet horizon. This time of day was a favorite, before he went to work as a house builder. With a pole in his left hand and a gaff-hook looped by a leather strap over his wrist in the other, he walked beside the curling waves. At first he was not sure what he was seeing. There was a silver flash, then another. Could that be a tail? Mark Instinctively threw out his right arm like a surprised Captain Hook and sank the barbed end of the gaff that was secured to his wrist, deep into the head of a three hundred pound tuna-fish. Without thought he yanked, pulling the denizen of the deep out of the water onto the beach in front of him. The fish began whipping its body about in a wild frenzy and Mark wondered if the fish might break his arm. It would either drag Mark back into the water or Mark would land it.The muscled and scaled mass thrashed about continuously bruising and cutting Mark's legs and arms until the impulsive fisherman was able to position himself at the sea creature's head. He held the hilt of the gaff with both hands. Using brute strength and the buoyancy of the water under his feet Mark was able to pull the fish clear of the briny world. His dog was barking, rushing at the big fish then quickly retreating. Mark's whooping and holler was lost in the crashing surf and barking dog. Mark wrestled the fish away from the tide line as the struggling contortions of the fish with its flapping motion actually gave the fisherman the edge. The big fish ceased motion, the enormous eye clouded and the gills stopped pumping when Mark was sweating from fatigue and could not pull another inch. They were only ten yards from the water. He slipped the leather strap from his hand and sat on the sand, admiring and contemplating the fish. The enormous scales of rainbow colors were fading to gray, matching the sky and water. He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, instead he ran to his truck for a longer rope which he placed over the fin at the large 'Y' where belly and tail met. He put the other end of the rope over his shoulder and pulled the creature up an incline until he was close enough to use his pick-up to winch it into the back. There was not one other person there to witness the 'catch of the day'.  Word got out and friends gathered to hear the telling and retelling, while the process of bleeding, gutting and washing took place in Mark's garage. He hung it up like a deer carcass during hunting season for everyone to admire. The men shook their heads in disbelief but Mark swore the story was true. That fish fed half the town of Truro that night with some left over for freezing. It was a tasty delight, a one of a kind fish dinner and a tale worth the telling.www.provincetownfishwife.com