You're going to need a bigger boat! Shrewsbury angler lands this 9ft 4ins monster fish

The secretary of Shrewsbury Angler’s Club had travelled to Canada with the intention of bagging a white sturgeon.

He knew that there were some huge fish in the waters of the Fraser River in British Columbia with several measuring up to 8ft and, although he started off comparatively small - landing a mere five-footer he then hooked 9ft 4ins leviathan after a mighty 75-minute tussle.

Weighing in at more than 450lbs, the fish projected itself from the water six times during the catch.

Chris said: “We were on holiday in Canada initially and are now making our way across America.

“I booked a day’s fishing with guide Steve Kaye from Sturgeonhunter.com on the Fraser River at Chilliwack, British Columbia, with the target being a big white sturgeon.

“The average size of fish in the river is said to be 4ft to 7ft, and 8ft is considered a specimen fish.

“I was fortunate enough to hook five fish starting at 5ft and getting progressively bigger at 5ft 6inches, 6ft 8inches (150lbs), 7ft exactly (200lbs) and then finally a 9ft 4inch leviathan which would have weighed 450lbs-plus and took 75 minutes to subdue.

“After being unhooked, some specimen photos were taken and the fish rested until it had sufficiently recovered and then it was gently released.”

What are white sturgeon?

White sturgeon are distinguished by the two rows of four to eight ganoid bony plates between the anus and anal fin, with about 45 rays present in the dorsal fin. Colouring can range from grey to brownish on the dorsal side, paler on the ventral side, and grey fins.

At sexual maturity, the fish can reach 5ft 2inches in length, while the maximum length recorded of any age class is 20ft, with common lengths around 6ft 9inches. The maximum published weight known was 1,799lbs with a reported age of 104 years.

The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia.