A 40-minute battle on the water earned angler Mike Gage a 61.5-pound chinook salmon and an entry in the record books. It’s not only the largest registered fish Gage has ever caught, it’s the biggest catch in 30 years for his fishing club, British Columbia’s Tyee Club. Gage told the Campbell River Mirror that his catch was a good start to a good season.

mike-gage-400x273 Photo by Outdoor Hub

“They’re bigger and fatter this year… This year the fish are predominantly tyee. It looks like it’s starting out to be a good season… We had to dig a hole in the gravel because his tail was on the scale but his head was on the ground and it was absorbing five pounds of weight.”

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Photos: Bureau of Land Management (top); OutdoorHub (above)

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Shannon Rikard
Shannon Rikard is a freelance writer and photographer with a passion for conservation and wedding and portrait photography. The Archery Trade Association and National Wild Turkey Federation have published her work. A self-professed word geek, she enjoys Wheel of Fortune, crossword puzzles, and finding a dynamite synonym to illustrate any point. After starting her career in public relations with a national conservation organization, she ventured out on her own with Copper Door Studios.