Aussie fisherman narrowly avoids being impaled by marlin

It was a close call for one Aussie fisherman who narrowly avoided being impaled by a marlin.

Cooper McGlashan, son of well-known angler Al McGlashan, was out fishing with his family not far from Sydney Harbour when he caught a marlin and began to reel it in.

A camera attached to their fishing boat caught the struggle between fisherman and fish, with the family cheering when the marlin was seen jumping in the air. It got a little too close for comfort, however, leaping out of the water towards Cooper with his spear-like bill.

"Watch it!" a passenger shouted as the fish almost made contact with Cooper's chest.

After managing to dodge the initial attack, Cooper held onto the fishing rod while the marlin was flailing on the back of the boat, once again coming dangerously close to the fisherman before falling back into the water.

Thankfully, Cooper was unharmed. The family dog was also aboard the boat and was close to the marlin but sustained no injuries either.

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Marlins one of the fastest fish in the ocean

From December to June, the warm waters of the Australian east coast attracts many marlin species and black marlins are no exception, however, they are usually found in open water well offshore.

They can grow to five metres in length and can be as heavy as 700kg yet their size does not diminish their speed, with the species known to be one of the fastest fish in the world. They are known to migrate far distances.

Despite their fearsome bills, they often are used to disorientate prey in the water rather than impale, but they do use them for this function too.

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