Butts Giraud and Son:
Big Fish Caught

July 2002... Butts Giraud, Dog's Ear T-shirt Co. President, and son Scott Horne

This beast (halibut) was caught 3 weeks ago by a friend of mine, Butts Giraud 345lb. (Ex-professional wrestler), guy at the back grimacing with his son, Scott Horne, 6'2" 212lb (strong safety) (Western Washington University football player), left of picture, who played the brute for over two hours, on a thirty pound test line. Apparently the creature was harpooned and towed behind the boat for sometime before being gaffed and tossed aboard a 20' fibreglass boat. The captain of the boat,Capt. Tim Fox thinking the the creature was dead, began removing hooks and gear with the assistance of his 83 yr. old father, Allan, when suddenly all hell broke loose. The 105lb. flatfish went berserk and began destroying everything in site knocking the elderly fellow to the galley below, and with a tail swing dislocated Scott's knee, who just weeks before, had under gone ACL knee surgery, broke a downrigger and fishing rod, knocked the cooler off the boat containing several freshly caught salmon, and had the captain pinned behind the steering wheel. Butts decided it was time to come to the rescue of his buddies, and leaped upon the monster in belly flop style (he was once the Belly Flop Champion of the World) covering the Heterosomata with all 345 lbs. of his flesh. In doing so, his hand and arm went into the mouth of the fish which instantly clamped down with its razor sharp teeth and had Butts screaming in pain awaiting the count of three.

The captain was able to break free and with the assistance of Scott, who preyed the mouth open by pulling upper and lower jaws apart with his bare hands, and then sticking the butt end of the broken fishing rod vertically between jaws to eventually free the arm and hand. All survived including the old fellow who watched the debacle from the washroom and lived to tell perhaps the best fish story of his life.

The halibut was roped to the gunnels, taken to Ucluelet, a nearby fishing village, and weighed over 105lbs.

All those who have fished for halibut know that this is not an unusual or rare incident. It is a true story!

It is just another common day experience fishing for hali's off the west coast of Vancouver Island., and at Island West Fishing Resort & Marina.

Story By: J.A. Smith
www.smartproductions.ca

Back to previous page