For one B.C. angler, the live release of a likely record-book fish is the true trophy

It was a typically calm and misty West Coast morning in early August 2020 when my husband, John, and I had our lives changed forever. We were mooching for chinook salmon in the Special Management Zone at Rivers Inlet, B.C., and I soon had a good fish on the line. I could tell by the weight, the violent head shakes and the way it ran—there was no putting the brakes on it—that I’d hooked a trophy. We had the fish close to the boat several times, but not close enough to the surface of the milky glacial waters to see it. Finally, after about 45 minutes, I got it to the surface. There are no words to describe the massive fish we saw. I was shaking and crying tears of joy as John calmly talked me through the most amazing experience of our lives.

After John netted the chinook and we quickly measured it three times, we carefully put it back in the water and watched as it swam away, continuing its journey. Anglers in another boat close to us asked for the measurements: 55 inches long, with a girth of 38 inches. They checked their chart to calculate the weight (length times girth times girth divided by 750) and announced the result: 105.9 pounds! It was the biggest chinook ever on record to be caught and released by a recreational angler.

WHY I LET IT GO

The question as to why we released this unofficial world record comes up sometimes in conversations and online. By killing that gigantic fish, we would have wiped out its genetics, so there was no hesitation on our boat. It was just the right thing to do, and we’ve been praised by anglers all over the world for making that choice and opting to have a replica made instead (pictured above). Now the genetic traits of that fish will continue to be passed on, keeping the waters swimming with mega-chinook for years to come.

John and I first started fishing the SMZ at Rivers Inlet five years ago, and we continue to return every year.
We also continue to be strong advocates for practising catch-and-release, especially here where the chinook from the Wannock River are arguably the largest salmon in the world. Along with my world-record giant, we’ve also released another 20 chinook weighing more than 50 pounds, including two calculated at 82.43 and 84.7
pounds.

Catch-and-release is the best way for anglers to help guarantee such fish will still be here for future generations. Indeed, there have been multiple scientific field experiments along the West Coast showing the survival rate of sports-caught chinook is greater than 85 per cent.

Since we began fishing the Rivers Inlet SMZ, we’ve noticed a sharp increase in fellow anglers also releasing their dream salmon. If you are fortunate enough to land a Wannock chinook—or any trophy fish, for that matter—you should be prepared, as the survival of a released fish depends on good handling practices. Most anglers use a rubber coated net to protect the mucus layer on the salmon’s skin, which is vital to ensuring the overall good health of the fish. We use an enormous net from Beckman. With a hoop measuring 34 inches wide by 46 inches long by 44 inches deep, it’s one of the largest rubber-coated nets on the market.

RELEASING FISH QUICKLY

To ensure a caught fish has an excellent chance of survival, it’s also important to land, revive and release it as quickly as possible. If you want a hero shot, I strongly recommend using a voice-activated camera such as GoPro to shorten the amount of time the fish is out of the water. And if you want to quickly take measurements to calculate the weigh, the formula we use based on the length and girth is best.

At Rivers Inlet, it’s all about giving the salmon a chance to complete their incredible journey and pass on their genetics, so continuing to practice catch-and-release and encouraging others to do the same is essential. In fact, we are hoping to see changes in the fishing regulations so that the SMZ only allows catch-and-release—further protecting and conserving some of the largest salmon on the planet.

Western view is an opinion column. We invite constructive discussion of the various issues raised here.