NZ fisherman straps oversized marlin to side of tinny

Who would have thought that a guy who reeled in a massive marlin that was too big to fit in his boat would pan out to be a happy story?

Not anyone who reads Ernest Hemingway, that's for sure.

Read more: Rescuers bitten after saving 'stray' bobcats

Read more: Loose moose peers into couple's house

But New Zealander Josh Roberts somehow arrived back at shore with a 146kg marlin intact after strapping it to the side of his four-metre tinny.

It took him about an hour to reel in the marlin, but he was forced to improvise when he couldn't get the big fish on board.

Roberts said there were a few sharks hanging about after pulling in the leviathan, but none went in for a bite.

And for fans of The Old Man and The Sea, arguably the world's greatest book, that's a victory.

Roberts expected the giant fish to weigh about 115kg.

"Once I saw it crank up to 146kg it was just like 'woohoo!'" he told stuff.co.nz.

"It was an epic day."

Roberts smoked the fish and is now giving out batches to his colleagues.