Huge: Michael Snell, 65, (right) and his wife, Margaret, (center) both of Salisbury, England, reeled in a 12-foot white sturgeon weighing 1,100 pounds during a trip to Chilliwack, British Columbia in Canada earlier this weekA couple from England may have nabbed the biggest fish ever caught in North America when they reeled in a 12-foot white sturgeon weighing 1,100 pounds.
Michael Snell, 65, and his wife, Margaret, both of Salisbury, England, caught the giant fish during a trip to Chilliwack, British Columbia in Canada earlier this week.
Mrs Snell had to hold on to her husband during the hour-and-a-half hour long battle to bring the mammoth sea creature to shore.
The couple had travelled to area's Fraser River inspired to get a big catch following a trip they made there in 2009 where they caught what they considered an impressive five-foot long sturgeon.
But they never imagined the catch they were making on the most recent trip when Mr Snell saw his rod tip.
'Most excitement': Mrs Snell had to hold on to her husband during a battle that lasted an hour and a half to bring the mammoth sea creature to shoreHe tried to reel in the fish, but he struggled for about 45 minutes before he could even see the surface of the creature.
'It is the most excitement I’ve ever had with a fish,' he told GlobalPost.
'Just marvel': The sturgeon may be the biggest fish ever caught in North America and it had never been tagged, meaning that it is unlikely that it had ever been caught beforeThe fisherman continued to struggle.
His wife held on to his harness to prevent him from being pulled into the water during the catch.
They eventually got the fish to shore with the help of their guide, Dean Werk.
Mr Snell said he couldn't believe his eyes when they got a good look at the enormous creature: a white sturgeon 12 feet, four inches in length and a girth measured at 53 inches.
He told GlobalPost: 'It all happened so quickly. When we picked her head up out of the water, it was almost three feet wide. I never knew a fish could be that large.'
'A dinosaur': The couple's guide, Dean Werk (left) said the fish was unlike anything he's seen, saying, 'I¿ve been a professional fishing guide on the Fraser for 25 years and I¿ve never seen a sturgeon this big'
Back to sea: After Mr Werk tagged the fish, the group released the fish back into the water to be freeMr Werk inspected the fish and saw that it hadn't been tagged before - a sign that this was the first time the fish had ever been caught.
The guide told the news agency: 'I’ve been a professional fishing guide on the Fraser for 25 years and I’ve never seen a sturgeon this big.'
Records from the local conservation society show that the sturgeon the Snells caught may be the biggest ever recorded in North America, according to Werk.
The guide tagged the fish and the group released the fish back into the water.
Mr Snell told The Canadian Press he will never forget the catch of a lifetime.
'Here I am, holding a dinosaur, virtually. You watch it breathe, watch it blow,' he said. 'You just marvel at this fish.'
source: dailymail
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