Monster dhufish caught in Walpole gives record a nudge

Capes fishing enthusiast Calum Macaulay snared the biggest dhufish of his life on a recent trip to Walpole — but he’ll never get to taste his catch.

The Dunsborough-based spearfisher sent the whopping 23.5kg fish to a taxidermist in the Eastern States where it will be preserved as a lasting trophy.

Mr Macaulay was diving off the coast of Walpole with long-time fishing buddy Tom O’Brien when he saw the “big boy”.

“I was lining up a 15kg dhuey and looked around and noticed they were everywhere,” he said.

Mr Macaulay said he and Mr O’Brien had dived together for years but neither had seen “a fish like that”.

John Curtis, of the Australian Anglers Association, confirmed the State and national records were held by Keith Lidlow, who set records in 1971 with the same 25.854kg fish, also caught off the coast of Walpole.

Mr Macaulay’s monster catch was caught on what would have marked the start of the demersal finfish ban, had it not been for the Statewide Gone Fishing Day on October 15.