Giant tuna Amazing 500lb fish taken
Monster fish taken off Wales and released after long fight
SHARK specialist Andrew Alsop battled for more than two hours to land this 520lb bluefin tuna.
The 7ft-long fish was taken by skipper Andy aboard his own boat White Water II during a charter trip off the south-west coast of Wales.
The tuna, thought to be the biggest fish ever to be caught in British waters, fell to a mackerel and whiting hookbait over an area known as the Celtic Deep. It was beaten on a 20-40lb class rod and reel.
Just a week ago, Angling Times revealed that an increasing number of rare and exotic fish species are being caught in UK waters. Gavin Davies, one of the guests aboard White Water II, was among those who helped Andy to land the bluefin. “It just came out of nowhere,” he said.
“There was no surface activity even though we were chumming for sharks. Suddenly the reel screamed and line poured off it. As I’m an experienced boat captain we decided it was best for me to take the helm and allow Andy, who’s more experienced with monster fish, to take the rod.”
Bluefin tuna are recognised as an endangered species by the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) and it is illegal to target them by design in EU waters. Andrew and his crew released the fish safely back to the water. Andrew said: “It took six of us to get it on board. The last 40 minutes were the worst. I could barely gain any line. It’s the fish of a lifetime and an amazing feeling to catch one on my own rod. I’m still aching days after the catch, and I wouldn’t want to do that all over again in a hurry.”