UPDATE: The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said it has had to revoke this record-breaking catch.
Officials said the angler’s fishing license had expired a couple of days before he caught the 48-inch lake trout.
The previous record of 46.5 inches set by Ray Johnson in 1998 still stands.
SODA SPRINGS, Idaho -- Sidney Cellan of Soda Springs, Idaho, is now in the Utah record books.
Cellan caught a 48-inch lake trout at Flaming Gorge Reservoir on July 3, setting a new Utah catch-and-release fishing record, according to the state's Division of Wildlife Resources.
"It weighed 57 pounds. It took about 30 minutes to bring in," said Sid Cellan of his record breaking lake trout in an exclusive interview with Fox 13's Matt McDonald.
The 48-inch trout was brought up from roughly 80 feet of water in Flaming Gorge during the first week of July. Cellan was fishing with a guide out of Utah, Jim Miller from Creative Fishing Adventures.
"Jim actually seen it hit my pole and I jerked and hooked the fish," said Cellan.
Cellan is soft spoken talking about his big catch, preferring to give the credit to his guide and adding he wished his friend's son, a teenager who was on the boat, had been the one to catch the big fish. After posing for a few quick pictures, Cellan put the fish right back in the lake.
"So somebody else can catch it. You know if I kill all the fish that I catch then means there's going to be less fish for other people to catch."
The catch qualified as a new 'catch and release' record for the state of Utah. The state keeps two sets of records, one for verified catches. Those fish have to be taken to a Division of Wildlife officer to be weighed and measured. 'Catch and release' records are different. They have to be photographed, measured and must include at least one other witness to verify the account.
A list of the state's official records can be found here.
“Way to go, Sidney!,” DWR said in a Facebook post.
