Is this real?

My Uncle Paul sent me this email today. I know practally nothing about Sturgeon so you be the judge is this a hoax?

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This is a darn interesting picture and story even if you aren’t into fishing,
but please show it to anyone you know that likes to fish.

FYI: This sturgeon is still alive, just worn out from the fight.
They turned him loose after the photo.

This Sturgeon was caught on the Willamette River just below Oregon City two weeks ago.
It weighed out at over 1,000 lbs and measured out at 11’1″.
It was 56″ around the girth and took over 6 and a half hours, and 4 dozen beers, for the
4 guys taking turns at the reeling it in.
Any Sturgeon OVER about five feet has to be released unharmed and cannot be removed
from the water.
They are brood / breeding stock and probably older than most of us.

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It’s a real fish. That photo has been passed around for years and the location is always different. If I remember correctly, I think it was really caught on the Frasier River in British Columbia. I know Dtro looked into it and got the real scoop. Maybe he’ll chime it.

“It took 4 dozen beers”

That’s my kind of fish

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I think it was really caught on the Frasier River in British Columbia.

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Bingo

Yes, it’s real. But are you guys sure about the location? I’m pretty sure that was caught on the rainy river.

A small pumpkin seed takes me at least one brew.

Hmmmm, I’m pretty sure it was caught in “the mouth”

The first time I saw the photo was in the fall of 2004. I remember it well as Dennis Steel and I were working on organizing the first Sturgeon Excursion together.

When the email arrived, it stated it was from the Rainy River and for a few hours I was believing it… then it was debunked that it was a White Sturgeon coming from the Frazier. What a let down!

Wasn’t it last year that Channel 5 here in the metro area spent a week or so tracking it’s originators down? I recall that one because I thought it was funny that they would go through all that work…when they could have ask the question in the Cat/Sturgeon forum and had an answer in just a few minutes.

I’m pretty sure the Wilmette River was correct. It even made it into many newsletters for fish biologists.

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I’m pretty sure the Wilmette River was correct. It even made it into many newsletters for fish biologists.

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http://www.lenssportfishing-bc.com/sturgeon-fishing.htm

The above photograph of a huge sturgeon and the group of fisherman who caught it has been posted on a number of websites and online forums and also circulates via email.

The photograph itself is authentic. This huge sturgeon was caught on the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. According to information on Len’s Sport Fishing Adventures website, the photograph was taken during a 2005 fishing expedition and was at the time the “Largest Fresh Water Fish caught by a British Subject”. The expedition was led by Curtis Besse.

The information was also validated in an article by columnist Brad Dokken that was previously available on GrandForksHerald.com. Mr Dokken contacted Len Ames from Len’s Sport Fishing Adventures who confirmed that the photograph was authentic and indeed depicts a white sturgeon caught on the Fraser River:

To get the rest of story, I called Len Ames, owner of Len’s Sport Fishing Adventures, on Friday morning. He was fishing on the Fraser River at the time.

According to Ames, a party of anglers Besse was guiding caught the monstrous sturgeon last fall on the Fraser near Chilliwack, B.C. Four men battled the fish for about six hours before the sturgeon finally gave up long enough for a picture.

Catch and release is mandatory for white sturgeon, but Ames says the big fish measured 11 feet and probably weighed about 1,000 pounds.

So the email I got saying it was the Blackdog 35W inlet was a hoax? Sheesh, so many wasted hours.

Pug – there are no wasted hours at Blackdog.

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Pug – there are no wasted hours at Blackdog.

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Really? Try fishing with me once, you’ll swear it off!

You are the man Dtro. Thanks for sharing the truth.

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Pug – there are no wasted hours at Blackdog.

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Really? Try fishing with me once, you’ll swear it off!

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Well then I challenge you to fish with me my friend!

Won’t need any sun block DFresh…You’ll have this black cloud following you.

I always caught fish when I fished with PUG!!! hahah

He usually didn’t manage any however! hah

dtro,

It’s almost your full time job to validate this pic.