UK tourist reels in rare 13ft sawfish during fishing trip in Florida

UK tourist reels in rare 13ft sawfish during fishing trip in Florida

pA Brit who headed to Florida in the hope of catching a shark ended up hooking something far rarer - reeling in a 13ft sawfish.ppIan Atherton, 57, had swapped the UK spring for the US when he went fishing on Saturday morning (94).ppHis half-day adventure with Fin & Fly charters saw them leave Port Canaveral and sail a few miles into the Atlantic.ppWhen they arrived at their planned fishing spot, Ian put some bluefish on the hook in a bid to attract one of the fearsome predators - and he almost immediately got a bite.ppBut it turns out, that was the start of an hour-long struggle, with Ian trying to reel in what he assumed was a shark.ppAfter a while, the boat's captain realised that Ian had caught something much rarer - and was in fact battling with a sawfish.ppIan from Fleetwood, Lancs., said: "I've fished all over the world and this is up there with the best experience I've ever had on a boat.pp"We came as a family on holiday, and the kids didn't fancy it that morning so I went out on my own.pp"At first I thought it was a sting ray, but after struggling with the thing for nearly an hour we eventually saw it's enormous rostrum poke out the water.pp"I wasn't strapped in when I caught it, and there were multiple times I could have ended up in the drink!pp"It was a hell of a find and one which I can add to my long list of catches.pp"A sawfish like that trumps a shark any day - and that's what I was thinking whilst in the bar afterwards, celebrating my catch.


User: SWNS

Views: 6

Uploaded: 2022-04-12

Duration: 00:39

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