3-Year-Old Little Angler Catches Huge Rainbow Trout with Spider-Man Fishing Rod

Illustration - Shutterstock

Starting as he means to carry on, a pint-sized angler from Massachusetts named Zach has snagged himself a very impressive catch. The 3-year-old boy hooked a monster of a rainbow trout in Boston’s Jamaica Pond while out on a fishing trip with his dad, and the best part? He was using his Spider-Man fishing rod!

The tiny trawler used the “thumb button” mechanism on his child-sized (yet clearly very effective) spincast-reel fishing rod, and with the implicit power of the Marvel Comics superhero behind him, he reeled in his catch. Zach was, it goes without saying, absolutely delighted.

Zach’s dad, who took the little boy on his rewarding day out, is his son’s biggest champion, and no doubt sees a glittering future in the world of angling for his talented young protégé. Zach’s catch even caught the attention of the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife, who took and shared a celebratory picture on their Facebook page. “Nice catch, Zach!” they congratulated.

Sales of the Spider-Man fishing rod may well shoot through the roof after Zach’s success story—maybe Zach will even become an ambassador for the superhero-themed angling appendage. Only time will tell! The red-and-blue-colored rod certainly got the job done, neither tangling nor buckling under the impressive weight of the hefty rainbow trout.

Governor Charlie Baker of the State of Massachusetts was the man who took the initiative to stock the Jamaica Pond with 1,000 trout for the sake of recreational fishing.

The Boston Globe reported on the annual “stocking of the pond,” which has become a community-led initiative. “More than 40 students from the John F. Kennedy Elementary School and Nativity Prep School, both in Jamaica Plain, and the Dorchester Youth Academy joined state and city officials to start the fishing season,” they reported, “by helping release several species of trout into Jamaica Pond.”

Illustration - Shutterstock | Oleg Mikhaylov

Here’s hoping that the governor gets wind of Zach’s impressive haul! Community initiatives such as these, promoting healthy, outdoorsy activities and good, strong family values, are worth their weight in gold.

And speaking of the weight of gold: How much did Zach’s fish weight in at, after all? Judging by the photo—the fish is almost as long as little Zach is tall, and it took his dad to lift it—we’re thinking a fair amount. Care to venture a guess?

An old fishing proverb once professed: “A trout is a moment of beauty known only to those who seek it.” Well, 3-year-old Zach has certainly had a taste of the beauty of an impressive catch, and we’re willing to bet he’s hooked!