Irish Giant

[Albiemanmike]

Came across this while looking for a knot how-to. Kind of puts things in perspective when it comes to how big these beautiful monsters can get. this fish was/is the Irish record at 968 lbs.

http://www.leadertec.com/Images/gallery/gall_bluefintuna_record.jpg

[twofinbluna]

Thing is as skinny as a rail and still 968 pounds! After a season of feeding that thing would be much, much heavier (assuming it had enough to eat). They always fight hard when they are still skinny so that guy must have been spent after that one.

Handful of fish that big caught around here this year, real big ones.... but there was one fish that multiple pilots saw in the CC Bay and Middle Bank area that was estimated to be around 1500 pounds. Biggest fish (by far) either had ever seen, so it was assumed it may have been the same fish...but thats obviously not a sure thing. Its entirely possible that there are multiple fish that big over such a big area as that. Amazing fish.

[offshore31]

A couple of years ago I got to know a commercial guy from Nova Scotia. He sent me some of the pictures of his fish. All over 1000#'s. There are some monsters out there. Wish we'd see more down here in NH.

[scruffy_fish]

In the 60's that fish was considered a little guy. I've read stories of Lee Wolfe catching real giants, off Nova Scotia, over 1200 lbs.

That was before netting was used to catch these fish. Back in the day it was cane poles and back breaking work to put tuna in the boat. If we returned to that type of fishing the stocks might have chance to recover.

[offshore31]

Funny you mentioned Lee. I've got an old video of his, with him and his wife fishing up there for giants. Back then it was trolling single macks, only 2 poles. Watching the fish come up to take the bait is unbelieveable. Looks like a small sub. They got one at 980 i think, and lost one after a many hour battle that was much bigger.

on the same video, he fishes in a 17' whaler (montauk?) for giants. they're trolling mack daisy chains and fishing around ice bergs. they did get a 'small' one, 650sh. really something to see, fighting the fish from a small boat, in the rain, ice bergs around. back in the day...

[Capt. John]

The Lee Wulff stuff is AMAZING... was just talking about it yesterday with a client. Saw some pics of him in the little whaler fishing giants (#$119), the guy was one of a kind and I'd love to sit down with Joan someday and hear the stories. The guy lived the life......

Thanks Lee

[Eric the Red]

When a tuna hits the 1,000 pound mark, how old is it considered to be? Mike, that pic certainly puts it in perspective!

[springking]

Taken from the IGFA Hall Of Fame.

Lee Wulff
1905 - 1991
1998 Inductee
Lee Wulff's contributions to the world of angling are among the greatest of any single individual. Wulff popularized fishing all of his life and reached millions through his books and magazine articles, films, and productions for the television series, The American Sportsman. In filming one episode, he met champion fly-caster, Joan Salvato, whom he married. Wulff's career began in advertising in New York. He had earned a civil engineering degree from Stanford, wanted to be an artist, but loved sport fishing best of all. He soon bailed out of big business to pursue his passion. In 1931, while Wulff was teaching anglers to tie flies, he conceived and designed the fishing vest which is in popular use today. Soon he was writing for fishing magazines as he pursued his passion for angling, especially in the Canadian wilderness. Wulff had a zeal for catching fish on light, inexpensive equipment. In 1967 off Ecuador, he landed a 148-pound striped marlin on 12-pound test to set a long-lasting IGFA record. As satisfying to Wulff as the record was the fact that he had set it with a rod and reel that nearly everyone could afford. After 1979, Lee and Joan Wulff operated a fly fishing school on the Beaverkill River in the Catskill Mountains. Here, Wulff encouraged and taught others the sport of his lifetime. He was also very active in conservation efforts, and instrumental in popularizing catch and release practices. He coined a phrase which became a rallying cry for angling conservationists: "Game fish are too valuable to be caught only once.":-%

[offshore31]

Capt John

If you ever do hook up with Joan, let us know. I'd love to sit in and hear some of her stories. She was quite the fisherman also. I'm going to see if I can find that tape. Something to watch this rainy weekend.

Joe

[CornerOffice]

seeing we are talking about the big one... this is a pic I believe from the notherers - Novia Scotia folks.

[Capt. John]

Wow- now that's a fish. Just curious as I have no desire to ever tangle with a fish that size, you giant hunters out there,,,How do you bleed a fish like that :confused:, I would assume you need to kill that fish asap when boat side ?? How do you deal with something like that and still preserve the quality of meat out of it ?

[pametfisher]

That's a great fish! A 960#er was taken North of Race Point beach last week. But not by me ... --124-3

[offshore31]

Corneroffice

is that the igfa record fish?

[CornerOffice]

not too sure - I think I found that pic on this site a while back.

[Ray]

That is the IGFA record

[scruffy_fish]

Back in the day, when I lived in CT, I was a member of TGF (Theodore Gordon Filyfishers) and sat in on several seminars that Lee and Joan presented. I also had the pleasure to speak with them on several ocassions afterwards. He did "live the life" and they both have been pioneers in the sport. Very nice people, I might add.