A monster Murray cod, caught on fly gear after it had emerged from the depths to attack and kill a 3 kilogram golden perch.
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It sounds like an urban myth – one of those fishing tales you'd expect from an old-timer in the corner of the pub on a Sunday afternoon.
The angler was well-known Canberra fishing identity Rob Paxevanos, who on Sunday will launch his latest and most ambitious DVD, Total Native, which includes incredible footage of the once-in-a-lifetime catch and release from Googong dam in 2001.
Paxevanos, who made a living teaching anglers how and where to target fish in and around Canberra, shares some of his memorable fishing experiences and insights from the past 25 years.
The DVD also shines a light on the region as a great family fishing and general tourism destination.
"I hear people bag out Canberra for not being a good place for fishing," Paxevanos said.
"When I moved here I found that wasn't the case. When you live somewhere you have time to explore it. And the more I explored the more I found that we have freshwater fishing equal to anywhere in the world and I have always wanted to showcase that.
"It's still not widely known just how good the high end fishing for giant Murray cod and the family fishing opportunities are in this region.
"I know and love Canberra and I like encouraging people to fish. I think it's healthy, particularly with the pace of life and social media and everything that's happening."
Topics covered in the DVD include catching giant cod and golden perch on lures, bait and fly.
"We drew on years of teaching one-on-one fishing for cod and perch, addressing the common questions we would get asked."
Total Native includes segments on bait fishing in Canberra's lakes; cooking golden perch; river fishing on baits and lures; bush safety; and Googong dam – an impoundment Paxevanos considers one of the jewels in the crown of the region.
"I fell in love with Googong dam … It's a step back in time to what the Murray-Darling Basin used to look like ... it is one of the few places where you can see fish in clear water.
"It has become a model for impoundments around Australia."
And it is still producing monster cod, like some of the fish featured in the DVD.
"That cod footage is historic. You'll hear old-timers in pubs saying they used to see big cod sitting under logs that would come out and chase turtles.
"It was just a rare event that we were lucky to capture on film.
"People [who have seen the footage] were surprised that it was in Canberra."
Total Native will be launched at the Googong Fishing Fair on Sunday at Beltana Park, Googong from 11am.
The DVD is available to purchase from www.totalnative.com
