Scott Enloe, a U.S. angler, made a spectacular catch at the Blue Mesa Reservoir, a man-made lake in Colorado, reeling in a 33.24-kilogram lake trout. The trout, a greenish-grayish speckled giant the weight of a golden retriever, is potentially record-breaking. Enloe’s catch challenges the standing record set in 1995 by Lloyd Bull, who caught a 32.6-kilogram lake trout from the waters in the Northwest Territories.
“It’s obviously the largest one I’ve ever seen,” Enloe said, describing the trout as being 47 inches long with a 37-inch girth, which was larger than his own waist. However, despite the size of Enloe’s trout, it might not be officially recognized by the International Game Fish Association’s (IGFA) record books. This is due to the IGFA’s requirement that fish be weighed on land, whereas Enloe weighed, measured, and photographed his trout on his boat before releasing it back into the water.
Enloe expressed indifference towards this potential technicality, stating, “Whether I get my name in the books or not, that’s irrelevant to me. I was not going to kill the fish regardless.” Zac Bellapigna, angler recognition coordinator for the IGFA, commended Enloe for his catch-and-release approach, noting that fishers can bring their catch to shore, weigh them, and release them alive. “I commend him for releasing the fish alive, that’s a good thing,” said Bellapigna.
Read More Here: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/lake-trout-catch-1.6842380