Braeden Rouse, a resident of Alberta, Canada, recently made an astonishing catch while fishing on the Fraser River. The catch was so impressive that it has been likened to capturing a “living dinosaur” from the depths of the river.
As an experienced canoeist, Braeden Rouse decided to test his luck with fishing, taking advantage of the winter season when canoeing activities are limited.
Accompanied by his friends, he embarked on a fishing trip on the river, seeking the thrill of a unique challenge in the cold weather. It was during one of these weekend excursions that he made the remarkable catch.
The fish Braeden Rouse caught was a colossal creature measuring 2.5 meters in length and weighing approximately 159 kg. Wrestling with the massive fish for about half an hour, he and his friends put up a valiant fight to bring it closer to the shore.
Managing to reel in such a large fish was no easy feat. Braeden Rouse used all his strength and techniques to maneuver the fish, but it proved to be a challenging task.
He said, “I knew it was huge. I was pulling, but it wasn’t moving, not budging. My friend realized it was an enormous fish and started recording a video. But in reality, it was the fish that was pulling me all over the river. I fought with it for about 25 minutes on the water.”
To capture the footage, Braeden Rouse’s friend had to hop onto his own kayak and follow him. The video clearly showcases the speed at which the giant fish was pulling Braeden Rouse. In the video, he exclaims, “The massive fish is pulling me faster than my kayak can go!”
Braeden Rouse revealed that he nearly fainted three times during the encounter as the aggressive fish swam fiercely, requiring him to hold onto the fishing rod tightly at the bow of his canoe to avoid capsizing.
After sharing images of the enormous fish on social media, Braeden Rouse’s story garnered widespread attention. Many people were astounded to learn that he caught such a gigantic fish while using a simple kayak.
Once the fish was brought to the shore and commemorative photos were taken, Braeden Rouse and his friends released it back into the water. He expressed his delight in witnessing the fish swim away gracefully.
He said, “I love the sense of releasing the fish afterward. It’s a particularly rewarding act. The fish swam away immediately, swimming fast and looking majestic. When it executed its final kick, its tail emerged from the water, which looked enormous.”
The fish caught by Braeden Rouse is a massive specimen of the sturgeon species, often referred to as a “living dinosaur.” With origins dating back to the Triassic period, the oldest known fossils of this primitive fish species are estimated to be between 245 and 208 million years old, having undergone minimal evolutionary changes since then.
