We were fishing out of Port Renfrew in the around 1990 when we came across one on the surface. It looked like a chrome bumper floating in the water it was so shiny. Pretty much dead at that point, so we scooped it up on the net. It was about the same size as the one in the article, about 6' if I remember correctly. They are so thin that it was probably only about 6 lbs.
We were staying at Gallagher's and one of the old timers from the camp next door new what it was. Ended up calling the DFO and they had us place it in the freezer on a piece of plywood and they sent someone out from Nanaimo to pick it up. The draggers had been through earlier that week and the consensus was that it had been pulled up on one of their nets.
Got our picture in Island Fisherman magazine which was pretty cool as kids!
Thanks for posting, brings back great memories!