Lost Espresso Bar’s Ryan Parsons blown away by whopper flathead catch in Tweed River

A cafe owner and keen angler has shared his impressive catch from the Tweed River, which he says came as quite a surprise. Think you can do better? We’d love to see it.

A businessman and keen angler has shared his whopping catch from the Tweed River, which he says came as quite a surprise.

Ryan Parsons, 50, owns Lost Espresso Bar in Tweed Heads South and when he is not brewing coffee he is out fishing.

Mr Parsons proudly displaying his catch. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Parsons said it took less than five minutes in the boat to catch the spectacular 82 centimetre-long flathead around Boyd’s Bay Bridge, Tweed River, earlier this week, on November 26.

“It was a beautiful sunny day with an incoming tide and very clear water,” he said.

“The fish was caught on a lure and was the biggest of 60 plus flatheads I caught in the week.”

The flathead was set free and swam away healthily, as per NSW fishing regulations.

Mr Parsons left the fish go after he caught it. Picture: Supplied.

The state has a flathead size cap of 36-70cm and bigger fish must be returned to the water.

Mr Parsons said he enjoyed the challenge of fishing with lures.

I find switching colours, styles and sizes to suit conditions is rewarding – if you can get a good fish,” he said.

Mr Parsons said he grew to love fishing when his father would take him on trips as a boy.

“Being on the river on a weekday with no one around is really relaxing,” he said.

It’s a sentiment widely held in the Tweed, which has an abundance of attractive waterways to throw in a line.

While Mr Parsons fish is nothing to sneeze at, flatheads have been known to grow to more than a metre long.