You Have to Read This

From left to right: Captain of Rebecca J.R, Rebecca Jensen, Isabel Jensen, Gail Jensen, Deckhand Luis Cota
Center, Striped Marlin about to be released.

When we received the above photo, it really caught our attention, it’s as if the emotions were transmitted through the picture -even the marlin’s expression caught the eye. We studied it and could see there was a story here, more than just a striped marlin being released. So we tracked down Rebecca Jensen, the person who made the reservation and asked her the story behind this beautiful photo that expressed such joy. Rebecca told us that she had fished Cabo on several occasions and wanted to come back again and bring her dad, 83 year old Gail Jensen, a cattle rancher from Utah. Gail has worked hard all his life, being a cattle rancher is not easy, leaving little time for family reunions. Rebecca loves to fish and when she was a little girl it was her dad that taught her to fish and instilled in her a mutual love for the sport they shared. Gail has just retired and sold his ranch, so Rebecca thought it was time for dad to go for the ultimate sport fish and check off his bucket list by catching a marlin.
Gail Jensen is not much of a traveler, so when Rebecca called him and asked him what he was doing she was surprised when he answered “I’m at Walgreens getting my passport photo, shall I get the expedited service?”  Of course Rebecca encouraged him to do so and then went about getting the fishing trip set up in Mexico.  Scouring the internet, with her seven year old daughter, Isabel, they came across Pisces Sportfishing and saw the 31 ft. Bertram named “Rebecca”….. “That’s it mom, said Isabel, we have to fish on that boat. That’s your name.” Rebecca called Pisces and spoke to Ady Moya who soon had the Jensen’s set up for two days fishing.
Now the ball was rolling and the group began to grow, why not invite Gail’s 80 year old brother, Neil, also a farmer, living in Idaho and his 45 year old son, David, same profession and Rebecca’s cousin, born just one day after her and who she had not seen in twenty years.  Rounding out the group was Isabel, the third generation of the Jensen’s.

The Jensen's At the Airport, the day of the trip to Mexico has finally arrived.

Now it has to be understood that the two brothers in their 80’s had never worn a t-shirt in their lives, let alone travel to an exotic place like Mexico. But Rebecca, a regular Cabo visitor soon had them feeling more comfortable and they came by the Pisces store to pick up their lucky Pisces fishing shirts – there was no way they were losing the jeans though.

First T-shirts evey worn by the Jensen brothers.

Next day they were up early and out on the Rebecca, within one hour of leaving port, they had a hook up on a striped marlin and Rebecca’s emotions could not be expressed as she encouraged her dad to reel, as he fought the biggest fish of his life – not to last though, as the fish managed to get off. No problem though they had it close to the boat and Gail had fought it for over 20 minutes; which we classify as a “Mexican” release.

A delighted Rebecca Jensen poses with her dad, Gail, as he reels his marlin in.

Lines were put back out and before long another hook up was registered this time for 80 year old Neil, who successfully released a striped marlin estimated at 140 lbs.

The Jensen team, David, Rebecca, Gail, Isabel and Neil

 It was late in the day and the crew of J.R and Luis, said it was time to head back towards Cabo. Two marlin for the two seniors was not to be sniffed at and the group felt good with the day’s activity, but it was not over yet. They were clipping along with lines out at a good speed, when the captain suddenly slowed the boat, yelled to the deckhand and they abruptly did an about turn – he had spotted a marlin jumping. Luis quickly cast a live bait and hooked up again. This time the fish was for cousin David, who could hardly believe the strength and beauty of the fish on the end of his line (his mother was to call Rebecca later that evening, after she received the photos, in tears and said she had not seen her son smile like that since he was a little boy).

David Jensen poses with his marlin, before letting it go.

David’s fish was successfully released and the boat pulled up lines, picked up speed and headed for the marina. They had not gone far, when the crew again saw a marlin jumping and did a replay of the previous fish, slowing down, casting a bait and getting a hook up, this time for seven year old Isabel, who with a lot of encouragement and coaching by the skilled crew managed to release the fish shown in the photo that had caught our attention.

Seven year old Isabel's marlin put on a magnificent show and they snapped this perfect photo, which looks like a painting

Rebecca, was positively glowing as they returned to port, all of her loved ones had caught a marlin in what was supposed to be a slower time of year.

The following morning they set off again, with lower expectations; a dorado or tuna for the table would suit them just fine, that was not to be however, within an hour the dedicated crew of the Rebecca had their namesake, Rebecca Jensen, hooked up to a marlin, which would turn out to be the only one caught that day.
The Jensen family caused quite a stir back at the hotel, the staff was intrigued by the two old, but strong men, brothers, wearing their Wrangler jeans on the beach, as they sipped a drink and reminisced about old times - it was like they were little boys again.

The Jensen brothers, cattle ranchers in their 80's on the beach - like little boys again.

By the end of the stay, some of the waiters were affectionately calling Gail, “Papa”.   Rebecca was approached by many people and they nicknamed her “marlin lady”, as the story had spread around the pool about how many marlin this family had released and how she had arranged everything.

Asked how she felt Rebecca replied “This trip changed my life, I cannot put into words how special it was”.
It seems that the effort of putting a trip together paid off for Rebecca, giving her and her family wonderful memories that none of them will ever forget. Who knows maybe you’ll even see a couple of old cattle ranchers wearing Pisces shirts around Utah and Idaho.
By Tracy Ehrenberg