FISHING -- Former Spokane resident and angler John Jankovsy sends us a report of great fishing and great local pride in fish from his adopted home in Mexico.

He included the photo above of what's reportedly been accepted by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the largest marlin and sailfish sculpture anywhere.

Problem is, he couldn't photograph the entire sculputre without cropping out a portion of Miss Mexico, Karin Ontiveros.

So you'll have to use some imagination about the fish.

Read on for more details about the artist and this sculpture situated at Barra de Navidad.

Visitors to Mexico's Barra de Navidad will experience a real treat with the completion of the new municipal sculpture, “Sanctuario De Los Picudos”, The Place of the Billfish.

John Reed, a Canadian artist and longtime resident of Barra, has arranged the new fish sculpture and glorietta at the entrance of this seaside resort, long known for it’s sportfishing.  The marlin and sailfish sculpture are fabricated from fiberglass by the Mazatlan artist, Luis Zuniga Guerra, known for his representations of marine life throughout western Mexico.

The forms were layed up in Mazatlan and trucked to Kevin Daley’s fabrication shop in Jaluco where there were finished and painted. The entrance to Barra de Navidad has been widened to accommodate the base of the sculpture and the surrounding area  has been improved.

After the erection, the sculpture was declared the largest marlin sculpture in the world, at more than 5 meters, and placed in the Guiness Book of World Records last week.  Easter week tourists gathered at the base for photos, even as workers continued finishing touches. Among the sight seers was Miss Mexico and her family.

The piece has been funded by the Jalisco Department of Tourism, The Municipality of Cihuatlan, and John Reed.