Tauranga angler Merryn Clerke has earned her place in the record books, reeling in a broadbill more than twice her height after a 10-hour fight.
The massive 221.8kg broadbill is being claimed as a New Zealand ladies' record within the 24kg line class. Clerke's catch is well over the previous New Zealand ladies' broadbill-catch record of 151.2kg and is just 2kg short of the world ladies' record of 223.28kg.
Clerke's place in the record books did not come easy -- her arms, legs, back and fingers ached after fighting with the massive broadbill for just over 10 hours without a harness or game chair to sit in. Broadbill come under the shark class and are known as the "gladiators of the sea".
"At the seven-hour mark I nearly gave up," Clerke said.
"I got my second wind and I was right."
Clerke hooked the broadbill using live bait at 3.45pm on Saturday while fishing with husband Dean from their launch Maverick near the Astrolabe reef off Motiti Island, 20km east of Mt Maunganui. She finally reeled the huge fish on to the boat at 2am yesterday.
"I was thrown to the side of the boat quite a few times and the guys had to grab me," Clerke said.
An angler from another boat also helped Mr and Mrs Clerke drag the broadbill on to their launch once it was reeled in. The fish was so big it had to be taken back to Tauranga on a different boat.
The broadbill will probably be mounted on the wall of the Tauranga Game Fishing Club, of which Mr and Mrs Clerke are members.
Caption: Merryn Clerke with her record-breaking broadbill which was weighed at the Tauranga Game Fishing Club.
- BAY OF PLENTY TIMES
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