A fisherman in Idaho set a catch-and-release state record for German brown trout that surprised the Idaho Department of Fish and Game in more ways than one.
Benjamin Smith of Thatcher made the historic catch and release of a 31-inch brown trout from the Bear River in Franklin County on Aug. 28, just three months after the previous record was set, the IDFG announced Friday.
The size of the fish, the short timeline for the previous record to be broken and the location of the catch and release were all surprising to IDFG.
“The only thing more surprising than a brown trout over 30 inches is how quickly the previous record fell,” IDFG stated in a press release. “Given how rare a fish of this class is for Idaho, most anglers should have expected the previous record to
stand for quite a while.”
Also on FTW Outdoors: Idaho’s state-record brown trout is no small potatoes
Smith’s catch surpassed the previous record of 30.5 inches by Caroline Langdale, who was fishing with a guide on the South Fork Snake River in May.
“In the Bear River?” one commenter on IDFG’s Facebook post of the record stated. “I could see the Main Snake or either fork of the Snake, but the Bear River? Lunkers hiding everywhere in SE Idaho.”
The Bear River in southeastern Idaho is actually best known for its native cutthroat trout, though it is also home to quality rainbow and brown trout fishing.
Now the question is, how long will Smith's record last?
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Latest brown trout record surprises Idaho Fish and Game
