Chapter 27

"Work it, Mr. Bayer. You're doing a beautiful job," said the Captain.

"Come on, baby, you're mine, and you know it. Just head this way," an excited AJ encouraged the fish.

Sarah came down and stood behind AJ to watch, as the fish danced out of the water, how it twisted and fell back, fighting the pull toward the boat. "Come on, AJ, pull it in-you can do it, sweetheart," said Sarah, dancing around AJ watching the magnificent fish.

"Lucky bastard. That's all fishing is anyway, luck," grumbled Charlie.

Finally, after just over an hour the deck hands hooked the fish and hauled it aboard the Blue Dolphin.

"What kind is it, AJ?" asked Sarah walking around look at the strange fish.

"Darlin, that's a Blue Marlin and a big one at that," AJ laughed. Captain Sebastian had the deck hands weighed it on the galley scales and AJ's Blue Marlin, which turned out to be a female, weighed 394 pounds and measured six feet seven inches. AJ grinned from ear to ear as all the men congratulated him on his catch.

"That didn't look hard," said Sarah, walking over and sitting in the chair AJ had just vacated. "I want to fish!"

"Darlin', it's not as easy as it looks. My arms are plum worn out, and they'll be sore tomorrow," discouraged AJ.

"If you can fish, I can fish," claimed Sarah. "Wanna make a bet on it, dearest?"

AJ sighed, since nothing would do, but to allow her to try her hand at fishing, the hook was baited and dropped into the water. AJ, who was satisfied with his catch and didn't care if he caught anything else, went below. He had something to eat and drink, then rested for a while.

Sarah waited. "Come on, fish-bite that squid. Bite all squid!" growled Sarah, hot, tired and hungry. Just as AJ came back outside, Sarah's line squealed. Reaching for the pole, she sat there and held on.

"Sarah, Darlin', you have to reel it in now that you've hooked it," explained AJ grinning.

"I know that. I'm just giving it a head start," replied Sarah looking everywhere but AJ.

Reaching down, she started to reel the fish in, but it didn't jump out of the water like AJ's did. "My fish is lazy," frowned Sarah.

"I doubt it, Sarah. It's probably a different kind of fish," explained AJ.

"Yeah, but it's just as big as the one you caught," argued Sarah, fighting her fish to get it to the boat.

"Yes, Darlin', I'm sure it is," grinned AJ. "Are you getting tired, honey? Want me to help you get it in?"

"What? So you can claim you caught it? I don't think so, buster," replied Sarah, breathing hard and her arms were trembling.

Finally, the fish was at the edge of the boat, and the deck hands grabbed the hooks. Pulling the fish up to the edge of the boat, Pete called," Captain, it's a Hammerhead."

"Cut it loose then," yelled the Captain.

"Wait, just a minute! That's my fish! I want to keep it," exclaimed Sarah, stomping her foot.

"Sorry, Ma'am, but we can't bring a Hammerhead shark this size aboard the boat-someone could lose a leg," explained Pete, holding on to the shark.

"Well, how big is it?" asked Sarah crossing her arms, trying to get a good look at her fish.

"Oh, 'bout eight feet in length. But we can't bring it aboard to weigh it," said Pete.

"Ah-ha, my fish is longer than yours!" Sarah bragged to AJ. "Wait, don't turn it loose-I want to take its picture. I never caught a shark before, or a fish for that matter. Although I have dated a few….sharks, not fishes!" she explained. Running up to the upper deck, she dug through her beach bag and pulled out her camera. Climbing back down, she ran to take a picture of her prize shark.

"Oh, now, AJ, you take a picture with me and my shark. Hurry, they're getting tired, its sooo big," said Sarah, rushing AJ over and giving him the camera. She stood as close to the shark as the crew would allow, while AJ smiled and took her picture. Then, watching sadly as the crew dropped her fish back into the ocean she decided fishing wasn't so bad after all. If only she could have kept her fish. She would love to have had it mounted and hung in her office. 'That would have scared off a few would-be suitors.' she thought.

To be continued….