Three Kings trifecta

A first-ever trip to the legendary Three Kings has turned into the trip of a lifetime for angler Mark Green, who ticked off not one — but three – bucket-list species in a remarkable offshore adventure aboard Mataitai.

The four-night mission to the King Bank was skippered by the legendary John Gregory, alongside boat owner Matt Gilligan and mate Mana. For Mark, it was his first visit to the iconic fishery, and by the time the trip wrapped up he’d landed a trifecta most anglers only dream about – tagging a blue marlin estimated 170kg and swordfish before boating a colossal 293kg northern bluefin tuna.

The show-stopping moment came as the sun began to drop on the horizon around 6pm. A powerful strike lit up the spread, with the fish staying high and charging across the surface. Initially the crew thought they were attached to another blue marlin, but after around 25 minutes they managed to get a tag into the fish and quickly realised they had connected with something far bigger.

Once tagged, the tuna dug deep and began a brutal downward run, peeling nearly 1000m of line straight into the depths. What followed was a 2.5-hour tug-of-war that pushed both angler and crew to the limit. With the sun fading, the Tiagra 80W was pushed to sunset drag in the final hour as the team worked together to try and bring the giant to the boat.

It was a full crew effort. John held position on the wheel, Matt took charge on the leader and Mana stood ready on the gaff as the massive bluefin finally came within range. Securing the fish boat-side was only half the battle – getting it onboard proved an even bigger mission.

With well over 400kg of men straining at the rail and several failed attempts to lift the tuna, the pressure mounted as thoughts of sharks arriving began to creep in. Timing their effort with the lift of the swell, the crew finally managed to haul the giant aboard in a moment none of them will forget.

By this stage Mark had given everything he had. Completely spent, he collapsed on deck while the crew immediately went to work bleeding and ikijime-ing the tuna to ensure it was treated with the respect and care such a magnificent fish deserved.

With a potential record on the line, the decision was made to steam back to Whangaroa that evening for an official weigh-in the following day. The scales confirmed an extraordinary 293kg northern bluefin.

The tuna was later processed by Ota Point Smokehouse, with the processor describing it as one of the best-condition fish he had ever seen. The quality of the meat was exceptional, with the catch shared among the crew as the perfect end to an unforgettable trip.

For Mark Green, a first visit to the Three Kings delivered more than he could ever have imagined – a blue marlin, a swordfish and a monster bluefin, all in one epic adventure on the King Bank.