Huge sturgeon caught near Lillooet, B.C., for likely the first time in its 110-year life
A massive sturgeon caught near Lillooet, B.C., on Father's Day may be the largest ever landed on that portion of the Fraser River, according to the company that organized the fishing trip.
River Monster Adventures estimated that the nearly 700-pound fish was around 110 years old. It measured 10'1" (nearly 3.1 metres) long and had a girth of 57 inches (1.4 metres), the company said in an email to CTV News Vancouver.
Alberta hunters Steve Ecklund and Mark Boise joined guides Nick McCabe and Tyler Speed for the excursion. They had caught a few sturgeon earlier on in the weekend, but none came close to the size of the giant they landed late Sunday, after a roughly two-hour, two-kilometre-long upstream fight.
"The sturgeon jumped out of the water multiple times, and that’s when they realized how big this dino actually was," a spokesperson for River Monster Adventures said.
The company said it believes the fish may be the largest ever caught in the "middle portion" of the Fraser River, and it's the largest the company has ever been involved in catching in that area.
Despite its advanced age, the sturgeon had not been tagged, suggesting that this may have been the first time it had been caught, according to River Monster Adventures.
"Steve and Mark have never fished the Fraser, so it was a fish of a lifetime," the spokesperson said.
After taking some photos, the crew released the fish back into the Fraser.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, white sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in Canada, and they've existed relatively unchanged for millions of years.
In a critical state of decline in some parts of B.C., the bottom-feeding fish is among the wildlife protected under the Species at Risk Act. Species living in the Nechako River, Upper Columbia River, Upper Fraser River and Upper Kootenay River are all protected by the federal act.
The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society says white sturgeon can live well over 150 years, and can grow up to six metres in length.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Kendra Mangione
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
NEW Iconic Canadian song turns 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Prince Harry, Meghan arrive in Nigeria to champion the Invictus Games and meet with wounded soldiers
Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, arrived in Nigeria on Friday to champion the Invictus Games, which he founded to aid the rehabilitation of wounded and sick servicemembers and veterans, among them Nigerian soldiers fighting a 14-year war against Islamic extremists.
Countries struggle to draft 'pandemic treaty' to avoid mistakes made during COVID
After the coronavirus pandemic triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions, leaders at the World Health Organization and worldwide vowed to do better in the future. Years later, countries are still struggling to come up with an agreed-upon plan for how the world might respond to the next global outbreak.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.