Mystery surrounds mega-trout

Is it true or is it false? Is it a world record catch or a monumental hoax? That’s the question many anglers are asking after hearing that a 55-pound (24.94kg) brown trout was caught in January at the canals near Twizel.

As of February 1, the name of the angler still remains unknown although an unnamed friend of the angler is said to have witnessed the catch, but is remaining loyal to his buddy’s request for privacy.

“He will be happy to show the fish in public after it has been mounted,” says the friend. Despite this, neither anglers nor Central South Island Fish and Game staff have had any confirmation of a large trout brought in for mounting from local taxidermists.

In the meantime, some anglers are asking whether the catch, if it really exists, has been officially measured and weighed and whether the mystery angler had a current fishing licence.

Angling history records many exaggerations and falsehoods, but at the Mackenzie Country canals almost every catch is within the range of the many cellphone cameras on site, and most catches are photographed by someone, but apparently not in this instance!

According to the International Game Fish Association website, the present record for a brown trout is a 19.1 kg (42lb 1oz) fish caught in the same canals in 2013. If confirmed, it would be a new world record for a brown trout.

The record for a rainbow is 21.77kgs – 48 pounds – for a rainbow trout caught in Canada in 2009.

Fish and Game Field Officer for the Central South Island region Rhys Adams says because of the international significance of the catch, his organisation would like to hear from anyone who has more information or details.”

F&G communications advisor Richard Cosgrove says some details are starting to emerge.

“Witnesses say the fish was landed after a two-and-a-half-hour fight,” Richard says.

“Once he had the fish landed, the angler wrapped it in his shirt to keep it cool before getting ice from a nearby salmon farm and rushing it to a taxidermist.

“He also got it weighed on certified scales to confirm that this was the fish of a lifetime.

“We have been told the whole story, along with photos, will emerge once the trout has been mounted.”

The Mackenzie Basin hydro canals have a well-deserved reputation in New Zealand and overseas for consistently producing huge trout.

The canals are easy to access, flow through spectacular high country scenery and are open all year round.

But it is the number of huge trout living there which attracts thousands of anglers every year, making the canal network the country’s most popular freshwater sports fishery.

According to Fish and Game’s latest canal harvest survey, anglers made approximately 43,800 daytime visits to the canal fishery during the 2015-2016 season.

Rhys Adams says those anglers are catching big trout.

“Rainbow trout have the most impressive seasonal catch figures.

“Around 30 per cent of rainbows are trophy size, between 10 and 20 pounds, with nine percent classed as ‘exceptionally large’ – that’s over 20 pounds.”

Rhys Adams hopes the monster brown trout catch can be confirmed.

“It’s much rarer to catch an exceptionally large brown trout – only about one per cent of browns caught in the canals fall into this category so it would be nice to make this official.

“The size of these trout just reinforces how good New Zealand’s trout fishing is. If we can confirm this brown trout record, then the next thing is setting a new world record for rainbow trout,” Rhys Adams says.

“It would be nice to challenge that, but even if we can’t, anglers will enjoy trying.”