Holy mackerel! Fish attacks angler

BRISBANE - A Queensland fisherman suffered the ultimate revenge when a mackerel jumped into his boat and floored him -- and then got away.

In what he called a bad case of "fishy's revenge", Glen Hopper suffered bruised ribs, cuts to his face and arms and a dented ego when the 1.5m fish jumped out of the water and hit him on Sunday morning.

"It felt like I'd just run into a brick wall, because I was going 20 knots one way and it was speeding the opposite direction," the 43-year-old Sunshine Coast man said today.

"I remember it coming out the water and the next thing I knew I'm in the back of the boat winded, trying to get my breath."

Mr Hopper, who said he had set out to catch a haul of mackerel on Mooloolah River, was in his 4m tinnie when the "freakish" mishap occurred.

He said the mackerel, which he guessed weighed about 30kg, shot out of the water and into his boat, hitting him in the chin and chest.

It knocked the recreational fisher out of his seat and sent him tumbling backwards before spearing back into the water.

"I remember thinking 'What am I doing back here and how come I can't breathe?'," Mr Hopper said.

Mr Hopper, a scientist, said he had taken the day off work to recuperate from his injuries, which included grazes to his chin and arms caused by the fish's sharp fins.

He initially feared he had suffered a collapsed lung but doctors believed he was badly bruised.

A sheepish Mr Hopper said he never explained to his boss exactly why he needed the day off.

But he admitted he was something of a joke among his mates after retelling his unusual version of "the one that got away".

"It's fishy's revenge I suppose. It's been a bit of a laugh with my friends," Mr Hopper said.

"I've seen them come out of the water before but not at me."

- AAP