Matt's answer, "I'd like to catch a marlin off a surf board". And since he'd broadcast those words on live television in front of millions of viewers worldwide, well he couldn't exactly wimp out.
So that is exactly what Matt did. in his own back yard; the Bay of Islands, just two weeks after returning from New York where Matt had a star turn on The Late show with David Letterman.
Matt and his team ventured out twenty kilometres off the east coast of Northland, and at 11am Matt hooked into a big striped marlin that proceeded to tow him out to sea. At times the surfboard was traveling fast enough for Matt to stand up. To add to the drama, the marlin was towing Matt directly into the path of a container ship. The fight lasted 90 minutes in which Matt was towed six nautical miles (11 kilometres). Only a few hundred meters away from the container ship Matt got the fish alongside and released it to fight another day.
All the action was caught from many angles from above and below the water and now New Zealand viewers can catch this epic action themselves, with the first of this two part episode screening this Saturday at 5:30pm on TV 3. Replays can also be seen on the Sky Sport network.
So now, the question remains "What are you going to do next Matt?"
A preview of this amazing feat can be seen here
