World Record Brown Trout Caught In New Zealand

The IGFA (International Game and Fish Association) has officially certified a new All-Tackle World Record for brown trout.

Otwin Kandolf was fly fishing near a salmon farm on the Ohau B hydro canal on New Zealand's South Island when he caught the fish of a lifetime - a 42-pound, 1 ounce brown trout.

According to an article for Bay of Plenty Times, Kandolf thought he snagged bottom.

"I called out [to my fishing partner], 'I'm stuck, I'm stuck again'. And then I pulled and pulled and I could see my little red spinner coming up. I didn't even see the fish at first but then I did and shouted 'it's on, it's on'. He went back up the canal and I followed him up about 100m."

Though they had just a small net at their disposal, Kandolf managed to wade out in the water, put the fish's head in the net, and push the massive fish up on the bank finally land it after 20 minutes of fighting.

The 71-year-old angler caught the fish back on March 8, but it wasn't until this past weekend before it was officially certified as the new world record. The old record belonged to Roger Hellen's 41-pound, 8-ounce catch in 2010 out of Lake Michigan.

For more info and a better better look at the size of this fish, check out this 3 News video report.