La Baie fisherman catches massive Atlantic halibut

An ice fisherman in the Saguenay region had the catch of a lifetime on Saturday when he reeled in a 70-kilogramAtlantic halibut.

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Charles Gagnon-Brassard went out for a typical day of ice fishingon the Baie des Ha! Ha! but he knew he'd made a big catch when a fish pulled his line with way more force than usual.

Gagnon-Brassardspent more than two hours struggling to reel it in.

"I couldn't keep it. I found it beautiful. Leaving it in the water was just normal.-CharlesGagnon-Brassard

He managed to reel it up to the fish hole five times, but each time, the fish decided it wasn't quite ready to be caught and plunged back down into the water.

"We are used to catching fish that are a maximum 10 to 12 pounds," Gagnon-Brassard said.

"So once it passes 50, 60, 70 pounds, the force is unimaginable."

Once he managed to get the fish on land, he discovered it was a 70-kilogram (approximately150-pound) Atlantic halibut a type ofhalibut listed as an endangered species on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but not considered at risk underCOSEWIC (Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada).

"I couldn't keep it. I found it beautiful," Gagnon-Brassard said.

"Leaving it in the water was just normal."

Gagnon-Brassard said he had no qualms about releasing the fish back into the water but not before snapping a few unforgettable photos.

Talk of the town

Rmi Aubin, whoruns a hunting and fishing store in La Baie, said people have been talking of nothing else but thegiant catch.

Fishermen are dreaming about it. It's a great fishing tale- Rmi Aubin, Accomodation des 21

"This is very big for us," Aubin said.

"We have never seen that here. The word spread, fishermen are dreaming about it.It's a great fishing tale."

He said thephone lines at local outfitters are ringing off the hook with people calling to see if they could be the second or third person to catch a fishthis size.

Aubinsaid he is happy there is aphoto of the catch,but he hopes anyone who snagsone in the future leaves it in the water.

Only commercial fishermen in the St. Lawrence River are allowed to catch Atlantic halibut.