The angler recounts: “On May 9th a promising trolling day began with light wind and clouds. Around midday we had already been successful, yet we decided to keep at it for one more hour. After 15 minutes we got a strike on one of the downrigger rods. The first run was not particularly spectacular, we estimated it to be a medium sized salmon only. Then it stopped moving.
But then the salmon started to fight in all directions and depths. When we saw the tail and dorsal fin for the first time close to the surface we knew this was not “just” another big fish. All rods and the downrigger were taken in and the engine put in neutral. After approximately 45 minutes of intense fight we realized that with a fish of this length we would only have one chance to net it, however my friend Stephan managed perfectly. What a feeling to finally have this fine specimen in the boat!
The Salmon was donated to the local community. The mayor is having it prepared to be displayed in a local restaurant, so that many anglers will have the opportunity to admire the giant.