A British couple may have broken the record for the biggest fish ever caught in North America after reeling in a 3.8m white sturgeon estimated to weigh half a tonne.
Margaret and Michael Snell, from Salisbury in England, caught the fish in the Fraser River, east of Vancouver, Canada.com reports.
Mr Snell said they knew straight away they were dealing with something huge when they hooked the sturgeon last week — Mrs Snell had to hold Mr Snell's harness to stop him being dragged into the water.
"We just saw a tail fin come up, then a bit later we saw a middle fin, and eventually, as it got tired, we saw the head come out as well," Mr Snell said.
"We realized the sheer length of this fish — next to the boat, it's nearly as big as the boat."
With the help of their guide Dean Werk, from the Great River Fishing Adventures tour company, the couple eventually brought the fish to shore.
"I could only get my arms halfway around the (sturgeon’s) head," Mr Werk said.
"It’s so big, like a wine barrel or a 50-gallon oil drum.
"Here I am, holding a dinosaur, virtually. You watch it breathe, watch it blow. You just marvel at this fish."
Mr Werk estimated it could be 100 years old and the lack of a tag indicated it had never been caught before.
He said based on a database kept by the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society it could be the largest fish ever caught on the continent.
The couple released the fish unharmed.
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