A world record for Brown trout?

Roger Hellen with his 41.5 pound Brown trout
Angler Roger Hellen poses with his 41.5 pound Brown trout for Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel photographer Benny Sieu at Salmon-a-Rama on July 16, 2010 in Racine, Wis. The trout, caught that morning, was speculated to be a world record-setting catch. The current record for Brown trout was set last September in the Manistee River of Michigan at 41 pounds, 7 ounces. Hellen's trout, an ounce heavier, is pending review of National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame and the International Game Fish Association before it can be declared the world record for this species. | Canon 1D Mark III and 24-70mm f/2.8L lens @ 51mm | Exposed 1/800 sec. @ f/4, ISO 200 (+1 EV)

Not just any “fish story”

On the morning  of July 16, 2010, Roger Hellen set out in his boat, “Get Hooked,” with his friend Joe Miller.  He came back with what is quite possibly a world record for Brown trout: 41 pounds, 8 ounces.  The fish will likely earn Hellen the grand prize of $10,000  at Salmon-a-Rama, and also stirred up a bit of a media frenzy given the possibility of a new record for Brown trout.  The current record was set only back in September 2009 by an angler in Michigan with a 41 pound, 7 ounce Brown trout.  The catch also beats the Salmon-a-Rama record for largest fish entered in the contest which has stood since 1997.

So far, I’ve met some great people out at Salmon-a-Rama, and I think that the stories I’ve heard will be compelling for the argument that sport fishing is an important part of Lake Michigan–something that could be lost should Asian carp gain access to the Great Lakes. Continue reading “A world record for Brown trout?”