Fisherman Reels In Giant 30-Inch Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout, Breaks State Record

Courtesy of Nate Burr via Idaho Department of Fish and Game

A man from Rexburg, Idaho, is being recognized for breaking the state catch-and-release record for largest Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

After catching what the Idaho Department of Fish and Game call an “exceedingly rare” 31-inch trout while fly-fishing in the Snake River, Nate Burr broke the old state record, which was recently set in August by a 30.5-inch big trout from the same river.

After spending his childhood in Tetonia, Burr started his career as a fly-fishing guide at the age of 18. Recently, he’s wanted to focus on large prize catches or fishing in large numbers.

So, Burr and a fellow angler set out to see what they could find on the Snake River.

Courtesy of Nate Burr via Idaho Department of Fish and Game

They fished the river for three days, hoping for big trout. But they hadn’t had much luck.

“It was one of those brutally slow days,” Burr told the Department of Fish and Game. “Hunting big trout on streamers means a day on the water can go from zero to 100 in a split second. That was exactly the case with this fish.”

Once the chase took off, Burr and his companion went after the fish down river for nearly half a mile. Eventually, they managed to snag the fish with a landing net.

The pair quickly revived the huge trout, snapped a picture, and released it back into the water.

The photo secured Burr’s name in the state hall of fame for the largest catch-and-release Yellowstone cutthroat trout.

Catches of this size are even rarer in a river where fish growth is limited by the size of the environment in which they live.

According to the Department of Fish and Game, the catch-and-release program was launched in 2006 as a way to recognize fishermen who didn’t want to keep their trophy catches.

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