Tauranga game fisher Bruce Boyle caught his first marlin on Tuesday off the boulder bank west of Mayor Island.

'I would have been going out for 30 years,” says Bruce.

'I've had some on, lost them, dropped quite a few. I've seen a lot of other fish caught.”

Bruce, proud of his first marlin catch.

The 105.5kg striped marlin was caught with live kahawai bait off the boat Veronique.

It took Bruce 45 minutes to boat the fish, which will be smoked.