It was during the rough and rainy conditions four miles off Anvil point in Swanage, in Dorset during a chartered fishing trip that they beat the odds. John joked that one of the other guys on the "Onamission" that day had said that the twins always do things together. They had been fishing for about five hours when, at around noon-time, John set his bait and dropped his line to the bottom.
It was then that he noticed his pole moving and thinking he had hooked the bottom, he grabbed it up. He soon realised that something had taken his bait and within approximately 30 seconds of John's shout that he had a fish, his brother Paul yelled the same. Skipper Malcolm Collins and the six other men on board were left wondering for the 15 minutes the brothers fought their fish, which one would land it first.
When a fish did finally surface, everyone could see it was a big one but it was tangled around several different fishing lines. A closer look revealed who had caught the 17 lb 10 oz blonde ray........both Paul's and John's hooks were in it's mouth, about an inch apart from each other.
"This must be a very rare occurance for anyone to do let alone twin brothers fishing on opposite sites of a boat with six other anglers fishing as well," stated John.
They both consider it special to catch a fish that large and by their estimates, about 30 years-old but to catch it with their twin brother made it extra special. The fish was safely unhooked and weighed in a special sling. Before it was returned to the water though, it had it's picture taken with the twins holding it.
The ray lives on for another day and now the brother's have the proof of their "fish-tale" to back up a story that will probably get them several years of free pub drinks.
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