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NEWHAVEN
PORT RECORD CONGER 103lb - AUGUST
2003
Andy
Matthews from Fareham is one of my regular
anglers and he caught his personal best
Conger of 103lb.
It was caught on an offshore wreck and it
fell for a Mackerel flapper with a size
8.0 hook, on a 30lb class rod with 30lb
braided line. Andy had a job to get the
Conger off the bottom as it took so much
line. After approximately half an hour it
took several dives back down, but the
biggest dive was when it hit the surface.
As I got my Conger net over the side it
dived approximately 60 to 70 foot down.
This time it came up and laid on the
surface and it was netted and brought over
the side. Andy's face looked a picture!!
As he has been fishing for Congers for 24
years)
The eel was weighed with certified scales
in front of nine anglers, then
photographed, measured at 7ft 2in with a
girth of 28 inches. We then put it back in
the net and released it unharmed. That was
a sight to see - a big eel swimming slowly
away - as do the majority of all Ocean
Warrior's eels that are caught.
Although this Conger will not qualify for
the main trophies with the Conger Club,
which he would have qualified for, if the
eel had have been brought ashore to be
weighed, which would normally result in
the eel dying. Andy and Don decided that
it should go back straight away as it was
such a specimen fish and felt that it was
worth more than any trophy, seeing it swim
away unharmed as it can only get bigger!!
However, Andy has qualified for a new
trophy put up by Skipper, Tony Allen of
Electric Blue 'for the heaviest Conger
weighed and released at sea', plus Andy
has won his gold medal with the Conger
Club.
I must add that it makes me sad as a
skipper to see big Congers in magazines
that are being killed in the name of
sport. As I talk and hear from other
professional skippers around the country,
that they too are trying to protect the
species by putting them back. Any skipper
or angler who catches a large specimen
would understand that they need
protecting, as they are awesome when
caught. It is also in the anglers best
interest to return these specimens as it
would result in bigger world records to
come!
Also, Andy's Dad Don Matthews has also
been fishing out of Newhaven for 33 years,
had a Conger of 60lb, aswell as Andy
catching another Conger of 58lb. Andy and
Don are two of the most dedicated Conger
fishermen I know. Also on the trip, they
produced a dozen good-sized Cod, Andy's
son Chris had a Cod of 15lb on his first
day out on a fishing boat and Kelly Rogers
had a Cod of 22lb which was his personal
best and the biggest of the day!
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