An angler fishing off of Norway barely missed a world record, bringing in a Halibut less than three pounds shy of the mark.
Christer Carlund was drift-fishing above the Arctic Circle Monday when his fishing rod tightened up and he thought that he snagged the bottom. Sportsquest Holiday guide Alexander Lindgren knew the boat was above sandy bottom, so he took the rod to see what was going on. That’s when an 8-foot-long, 416-pound Halibut began to shake its giant head and snapped the rod. Despite a broken rod, the guide and fisherman were able to play a strategic game of tug-of-war, with help from the captain who placed the boat over the Halibut.
After 45 minutes of fighting, the men were able to bring the giant fish to the side of the boat and thread a rope through its gills and mouth for a photo opportunity. From there, the fish was released, which Carlund says was always the plan.
