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
The night before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act in response to the 'Freedom Convoy' protests, the prime minister’s national security adviser told him there was 'a potential for a breakthrough' in Ottawa, court documents show.
After a series of interest rate hikes implemented by the Bank of Canada, housing markets are now facing a 'significant' correction. CTVNews.ca spoke to Canadians who are now struggling to make the goal of purchasing a home, or selling one, a reality.
Scientists are keeping an eye on the Langya virus, a new pathogen that appears to have been transmitted from animals to humans in China and causes symptoms similar to COVID-19 or the flu.
A high-ranking B.C. officer used police resources to conduct at least 92 searches on his ex-girlfriend and her family while stalking her over a period of five years, according to documents exclusively obtained by CTV News.
Power has been restored in Toronto's downtown core after a widespread outage caused major disruptions in the city Thursday.
A Brampton, Ont. media personality who was attacked with a machete and axe in his driveway will need months of physical rehabilitation to recover, a close friend says.
The U.S. Justice Department is asking a federal court to unseal the warrant the FBI used to search the Mar-a-Lago estate of former president Donald Trump, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday, acknowledging extraordinary public interest in the case about classified records.
An armed man clad in body armor who tried to breach the FBI's Cincinnati office on Thursday was shot and killed by police after he fled the scene and engaged in an hourslong standoff in a rural part of the state, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.
It’s been seven days since 74-year-old Lois Chartrand went missing while mushroom picking in the forest north of Smeaton, Sask.
Several Victoria restaurants that were hoping to support a local delivery service say they're out thousands of dollars since the company has failed to pay them.
A window washer had to be rescued Thursday after suffering an injury while on the side of a Victoria highrise.
The Central Saanich Firefighters Association has established a scholarship in honour of Assistant Fire Chief Forrest Owens who died from cancer in his home on June 21 at the age of 64.
Five people are facing charges after a pair of Calgary drug busts in which police seized nearly $3 million in methamphetamine and fentanyl.
The Alberta NDP has demanded resignation letters from leaders of the province's status of women department, who awarded an essay that claimed 'women are not exactly equal to men' and suggested 'foreigners' are used to 'replace' Albertans.
Residents who live near Kensington Road in the northwest are calling on the City of Calgary to decrease the number of lanes at the intersection where an 8-year-old boy was struck by a car in the spring.
Four Alberta legal associations teamed up Thursday to accuse Justice Minister Tyler Shandro of being "dismissive" and playing politics in a recent meeting over compensation for legal aid services.
Yet another delay to the opening of the Valley Line Southeast LRT has some questioning the value that public-private partnership (P3) infrastructure projects have, with the city pledging a comprehensive review into the practice.
The Edmonton Oilers shared memories of superfan Ben Stelter on Thursday. Connor McDavid, Zach Hyman and head coach Jay Woodcroft held a virtual press conference to speak about the six-year-old.
A man is dead and another is in serious condition after a shooting at a Richmond Hill cemetery, where they were attending a funeral on Thursday for a man who was shot and killed in Toronto earlier this week.
Power has been restored in Toronto's downtown core after a widespread outage caused major disruptions in the city Thursday.
Ontarians hoping to view the last supermoon of the year may be in luck—the forecast appears to be in their favour.
The Montreal North community is grieving after 26-year-old Jayson Colin -- a man described as "generous, affable and involved" -- was killed in a shooting Wednesday night.
The family of a man on Montreals' West Island who is suffering liver failure says he is being denied the chance of a life-saving liver transplant.
An American teenager who was seriously injured in a drive-by shooting in Laval, Que. during a family vacation three months ago was finally released from hospital, but still isn't able to walk on his own.
What started as a simple mistake of addresses has led to a nearly year-long fight for an 88-year-old man over a medical suspension of his driver's licence – one he fears may have more to do with his age than his health.
Lac du Bonnet RCMP are investigating after a Winnipeg man drowned in Whiteshell Provincial Park Tuesday.
The second quarter report in 2022 for insolvency statistics in Canada shows Winnipeggers over the last three months have been filing for bankruptcy more compared to the previous quarter by nearly 47 per cent.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was arrested in South Dakota for a possible illegal border crossing and kidnapping, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
It’s been seven days since 74-year-old Lois Chartrand went missing while mushroom picking in the forest north of Smeaton, Sask.
With less than a month to go until kids return to school, Nettie Cherniatenski is packing school bags for Ukrainian students at Baba’s Closet.
The suspect at the centre of Saskatchewan's recent Amber Alert was arrested in South Dakota for a possible illegal border crossing and kidnapping, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Yorkton’s SaskAbilities organization aims to take a person-centred approach when working with people with disabilities.
Hazelton says breakthroughs in care are making an impact, like advancements in virtual and tele-health care and says the province should create more community nurse and nurse practitioner-led clinics to help to ease the backlog in hospitals.
A former Halifax hospital CEO convicted of fraud has been granted bail one day after being sentenced to five months in jail.
A climatologist says the wildfires that have been burning for more than two weeks in central Newfoundland could be a sign of what's to come as the province feels the impacts of climate change.
The questions keep mounting for London police about an alleged swatting incident and how officers treated a popular online transgender activist.
A search for a missing boater continues in Lake Erie after an unoccupied boat was found along the shoreline in Madison, Ohio.
London police have identified a suspect related to the homicide of a 31-year-old man.
Timmins has a new mayor -- and she's the first person of colour to hold the seat. Kristin Murray has been appointed to take over the mayor's office until the upcoming election.
A group of motorcycle enthusiasts in North Bay were victims of vandalism this week because of their support for the LGBTQ2S+ community.
A company in Sault Ste. Marie is celebrating a significant milestone of community support.
Rorey Hill and Jessica Poreba, who were wanted in the death of a 68-year-old man in Brantford, have been arrested.
Issues impacting Ontario’s healthcare system are extending beyond the hospital and into the streets as some paramedics raise concerns.
Ask people driving and walking in the area of the Erb St. West and Ira Needles Blvd. roundabout, and it’s not hard to find someone with concerns or the story of a close call.
