Boats mentioned // Tristram 741 Offshore TDI (Alma G) and Tristram 851 Grandeur (Midnight Oil)

Story by Debbie Gregory // Gisborne Herald

A GISBORNE man smashed the local record for broadbill while just ”doing what we do” last week.

Phil Matthews went fishing on his boat Alma G on Friday with a couple of mates in search of broadbill swordfish, notoriously tough fighters with a ‘soft’ mouth that often sees the hooks pull during a fight.

Matthews has caught them before but nothing the size of the 274kg broadbill he landed on Friday near Ariel Reef. They were out fishing specifically for broadbill.

“We were just doing what we do There are plenty of them around at this time of the year and it is a bit of a challenge.”

He stresses that catching such a fish is a big team effort, with all three crew including Ben Roberts and Adrian Stokes involved.

“It was definitely a good scrap and took four hours to play before we landed it. But it is a team effort. Someone has to drive the boat and someone has to gaff it when it gets to the boat. All I did was play it on the rod.”

Takes the record

He takes over the Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club’s record for broadbill by a long shot. The previous club record was a 148kg fish caught by Dugald Hamilton.

But he falls short of the world record, a 536.15kg fish caught in Chile.

Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club captain Craig Miller said broadbill were a much sought-after fish and this one was a great catch.

“There have been quite a few broadbills caught here lately — five in the last month. There were two landed on Simon Mill’s boat Midnight Oil.”

Caught on 37kg line, he cut up the tasty fish and shared it with family, friends and his son’s rugby team.

Broadbill caught in New Zealand average between 120 and 250kg. The scientific name for broadbill, Xiphias gladius (the Greek and Roman words for sword) refers to its prominent feature — the large, flat, sharp-edged sword that is usually about one-third of the total length of an adult.

Although they superficially resemble marlin, sailfish and spearfish in this regard, they are not closely related to these other billfish.