David Lewis/BNPSThese two absolute monster tuna fish were caught in British waters by UK anglers and they’re worth a tasty penny.
Angler Chris Bett, 50, hooked a massive 500lbs bluefin tuna off the west Wales coast, before Mike Steer caught a 300lbs specimen using a rod and line in the same patch of water.
The two fish, a combined 800lbs, would have earned the lucky fisherman a whopping £75,000. Not bad for a day’s work!
However, as bluefin tuna are an endangered species and highly protected in the UK, these two considerate lads didn’t take the bait and actually threw them back in the water.
David Lewis/BNPSAfter catching the hulking fish by accident, Chris said:
The spare line started to run and I picked it up. I knew almost immediately it wasn’t a blue shark, I thought it might be a bigger mako shark. It took three hours before I got it to the surface and could see it was a big tuna.
It was over 7ft long and was colossal and very powerful. We managed to get it alongside the boat but there was no way three of us could lift it on board. It would have tipped us over.
Last year a Japanese restaurateur paid £43,000 for a 550lbs tuna, which is roughly the same size of fish that Chris caught. Wow. No regrets, lads?
