Bill Forrest, of Alexandra, his grandson Will Scurr, of Wānaka, and Griffyn Westwood, of Lincoln, combined to land a whopper off the West Coast.
An unofficial weigh station was set up at the Cobden boat ramp over the weekend in celebration of the Greymouth bluefin tuna recreational fishing bonanza.
The weigh station was intended as a way for fishermen to show off their tuna catches, and the showstopper was a huge swordfish that tipped the scales at more than 140kg.
The crew of Bill’s Dream — a vessel usually moored at Moeraki — were still enveloped in darkness when the fish was first hooked about 5.30am on Saturday.
"We were expecting a tuna ... then this appeared," Mr Scurr said.
Mr Scurr, along with Mr Westwood, landed the fish after a two-and-a-half-hour effort. Job done, the crew returned to port in Greymouth a little after 11am. Their big fish was the first weigh-in of the day and instantly became a crowd favourite. — Greymouth Star
By Meg Fulford
