Monster fish was a recordbreaker – but it had its chips

A fisherman’s tale turned sour when he discovered his record-breaking fish on a plate.

Whitburn angler Lee Davies landed a monkfish while fishing on Sunderland pier.

He believes the 20lb giant is the biggest fish ever landed by rod and line on the pier.

But his pride and joy became a fish supper before he had the chance to savour his triumph.

Catching the deep-sea monster was the high point of Lee’s fishing career.

He said: “At first I thought it was a shark. It had a head as big as a man’s.

“I tried to pull it in but it was too strong. In the end I had to haul it the full length of the 2,000 foot pier and drag it on to the beach.”

After his half-hour struggle, Lee, a member of Whitburn Fishing Association, decided to display the fish in the widow of McKeith’s fish shop in Chester Road, Sunderland.

But he rushed to the shop next day to pose for the Echo’s photographer only to find his whopper had become a cropper. Fishmonger Darren Salicki had sold the monster to a customer and it was destined for the pot.

A rueful Darren said: “I got a good price for it, I thought I was doing him a favour.” Share your memories of Sunderland back in the 1990s.

Email chris.cordner@ jpress.co.uk