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Wednesday 8th August 2012
This picture shows how a schoolboy landed a monster sea-fish almost twice his own size.
Conor Smith, aged 12, reeled in the 13st 5lb (187lbs) Bigeye Tuna on holiday with his parents off the coast of Madeira.
The monster was so big it would fill 500 cans of tuna. The whopping tuna measured five feet - the same height as Conor, who weighs 7st 5lbs.
Conor, from Halesowen, West Mids, is awaiting confirmation from the International Game Fishing Association that his catch is a new junior world record.
Proud dad Frank, a business development manager, told the Birmingham Mail: "Conor only weighs 47kg and this tuna was almost double that!
"When we knew what he was bringing in, he took the chair. We talked him through it and he listened. He let the line go slack a couple of times before pulling back.
"It was a real battle - about 25 minutes before he finally reeled him in."
David Abreu is the Burton-on-Trent born skipper of the Cabo de Sâo Joâo, the boat the family hired for the trip.
He said: "There are a lot of large tuna about, so I knew we had a good chance of a junior world record. Conor did a great job, his technique was perfect."
The magnificent catch caused a stir in the harbour and made headlines in the islands' newspaper, Dario De Noticias.
Frank has been fishing Madeira's waters for six years and took wife Michelle, eldest son Alex, 15, Conor and 10-year-old daughter Niamh on the record-breaking excursion.
Conor seems set to follow in his dad's footsteps. "I've got a passion for fishing and I am delighted that Conor shares it too," Frank added.
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