Bob Kingston and Gary Keeler of Butte found one of the Bighole Rivers legendary monsters this past week. Kingston tied into the fish with a 5 weight and an 8lb. tippet. 30 minutes later they were looking at a 35 inch, 20 lb. bruiser.
There is a lot of buzz about whether or not the angler should have killed the fish. He is of course having it mounted. Personally, just knowing that fish are out there with these kind of dimensions is part of what keeps me fishing, it’s part of the “mystique”; the unknown out their lurking at the end the line and taking a fish out like this diminishes that whole “mystique”. That is, unless I’m just hungry and even then a fish that big is WAY beyond even my appetite. A few small Brookies would suffice.
I am not however, judging this anglers decision one way or the other. For myself, this one of the great moments where cameras really shine. A good picture can capture everything I will ever need to remember about the fish, the moment , the colors, the setting and stage. I have seen to many fish come out of the cooler that are not even a faint resemblance of the flash and living color of a fish momentarily removed from the water. Every moment a fish remains out of water is like watching a masterpiece of color fade to black and white; mercury to rust.
Finally, releasing the fish and watching it swim away, knowing that we had our dance, knowing that it lives on to battle another day, or to simply lie in his hold and grow old and fat wisely ignoring my fakes keeps that “mystique” alive.
In the end, photographs fade, memories are forgotten, wall mounts fall apart. All it will ever be is a few moments in time, man and fish in a contest that is timeless and remembers no one. Its part of the magic of fishing, it is all in the present.
Addendum- After waxing a bit philosophical, I found a closely related incident, a 30lb. Hoh River Steelhead that was killed by the angler. Below is man and beast, and the blog post and response from the folks at Fly Boys Fishing.
While the rivers and streams of the world are crawling with Brown Trout and giant Hoh River Steelhead are rare I think some of Dylan Tomine‘s concepts fly for giant Browns in Montana.
“My point is that if even a small fraction of the time and energy that’s being spent against this one angler and his dead fish could be directed toward actions that have a significant impact on the underlying problems wild steelhead face, it would do a world of good.”
“I also believe this angler’s unfortunate decision to kill the fish in the first place demonstrates how much work we have left to do in our collective efforts to educate our peers.”
Stream and species conservation, regulatory cooperation from the fisheries management community and angler education. So, I think maybe a note to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks might be a good starting point and at the very least relating this story to others and doing our part to educate and inform and hopefully someday being repaid by having the chance at catching a monster Brown or Steelhead of our own and then watching them swim away.
Joe Maurier, Director
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
I was asked to remove Mr. Maurier’s name here as a contact on the subject. So to keep the water flowing in the right direction please refer your comments to:
Bruce Rich, Region 3 Fisheries Manager
I got a call from Bruce, read about it here.
Addendum Part 2: I keep running into stuff that fits this post and it’s only fitting that every story should eventually have a happy ending. So here it is, another 30lb. Steelhead that was released to fight, feed and live another day.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well put. I grew up and now live on some of the finest trout water in the state of Colorado. I have seen first hand the impact catch and release fishing can have on a fishery. It is a positive for me, my kids, and many generations of anglers to come.
I agree with your assertion that time spent condemning the actions of other anglers should be better spent education people about conservation.
Thanks,
TM
there is no doubt that this is a big fish and a big loss to the bighole, But if you fish there very often you will realize there are more big browns, you just have to know how to catch them. Now to think this one fish could damage the grayling population is a joke not to mention the fact that all trout will migrate towards headwater and cold springs during low warm water if stressed. Brown trout can tolerate warm temps better than some other fishes. The real fact lies in the truth about electroshocking and the people who use these tools, not to mention the harsh ranching practices on the upper bighole. If you dewater, over graze, and alow cattle to trample streambeds, and then turn around and shock the hell out of the river and its prime spawning areas, throw in some liberal laws that make no sense and you will see that there is a bigger picture to this watershed and the challenges it faces everyday. The reality is the balance is lost in the headwaters and it has to do with brown trout, brook trout, dewatering and electroshocking , and there is no way that fish and game can stop any of this, shy of killing the stream and all its tributaries, one does not have to be a biologist to realize, the planting of these non native species was and is a mistake. You cant take back the past, when the same mentality is still present here today. Our state sits in a stagnate pool of ideas, and practices when it comes to managing our streams, except when it comes to creating new prices and fees for our recreation that we cherish so much. I cant wait to see where my daughter will be fishing in 15 years. It scares me to think of this, so I choose not to.
I don’t blame the guy one bit for keeping this fish. There are thousands of trout in the Big Hole. I understand this guy has been fishing since age 14….maybe he released this fish once 10 years ago when it was more edible?
BTW I fish the stone with nightcrawlers. I release the ones I catch on the lip and sometimes will cut the line with the hook left inside for release. Sometimes, when deeply hooked, I take them home for MOM to eat. I obey the law and buy a MT fishing license and I obey the limits like this guy did. If everybodt wants to get so ethical then don’t fish at all and rent “A River Runs through It” and watch Brad Pit catch fish. BTW open the Big Hole, Yellowstone and Big Hole Rivers totally to us bait fisherman. We should have some rights as well as east coast deep pockets and those few outfitters who cater to them!
I release all my trout as a personal choice.
On the bighole brown not being released question…
Not defending or condemning the bighole angler, but, a brown that large was already several years old. How much longer it may have lived if it had been released that day is questionable.
I believe our energy would be much better spent educating people on how to properly handle and release trout so that they have a much better chance of living after beling released. I’ve seen poorly handled trout that, although, were likely released with good intentions, probably died shortly thereafter, due to improper handling.
Digital photos are much better for me.
And for those who must have something physically hanging above the fireplace on a plaque, there are excellent fish replica resources available.
Tight Lines! <
m.f.
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