Everyone loves a good fishing story, and anglers love recounting a battle between rod and beast, the story growing more exaggerated each time it’s told. The details become bolder, more colorful, more intense. We only wish that, when they’re cooked up for dinner, the larger-than-life record-sized fish featured in these escapades hold a flavor just as big, and bursting with surprises.
A fish strikes the bait, the hook is set, the rod bends into a steep arc as the tip is pulled toward the water, and the fight begins. It’s not simple pugilism, but a dance—releasing the drag, allowing the fish to run and take line, with the angler keeping enough tension to reel in slack as potential prize begins to tire. After what might seem like an eternity, cramped muscles turn the last few rotations of the reel before a massive, potentially record-sized fish crests the surface and is hauled aboard or ashore.
The catch could remain a fish story, growing in size and hyperbole upon every recounting. Or, if you act fast, the prized fish could be enshrined in the record books and set the new benchmark for its species. Its fate, however, depends on which record the fish qualifies for; it could be released to live another day or it could be brought home and cooked for dinner.
outside-in 
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