come.

He'll be feasting on prime fillets of steelhead jack, after hauling a stunning 100-pound specimen from the water with just a hand line.

Mr. Bean, 72, pulled in the four-foot monster just minutes after spotting it swimming off the North Shore.

As bystanders watched open-mouthed, he grabbed his line in both hands and dragged it on to land.

Now the giant ocean fish lies cut up in the freezer at his home in Bean Dale, Spanish Point, a challenge to the cooking skills of his wife Alice.

Mr. Bean, a courier for the Bank of Bermuda, revived his childhood hobby of shore fishing about three years ago.

He had just netted some squid off the public dock near Terceira's auto garage when he spotted the jack. Baiting his line with one of the squid, he hooked the fish in about three minutes.

About seven minutes later he was being congratulated by astonished fishermen, who identified the catch.

"I was so excited,'' said Mr. Bean "It's the fastest fish I have ever caught in my life. Everyone was so surprised to see it.

"A couple of guys commented that it should have pulled me in. It was so heavy I had to use the steps to pull it up.'' Mr. Bean's last brush with fishing heroics came when he hooked a shark off Watch Hill Park, but was unable to land it.

"On the shore you need a lot of patience to catch something worthwhile, and it just happened to be my lucky day. Lots of times I get nothing. I was just out for anything I could catch.'' Mrs. Bean has already served up the couple's first steelhead jack meal, marinated in lemon and white wine. "It was good,'' said Mr. Bean. "I'm going to eat it bit by bit.'' JACK HAMMERER -- Hobby fisherman Mr. Ephraim Bean, 72, turned hero when he landed this 100-pound steelhead jack using a hand line.