Fishing

The Morning Hatch - World Record Trout, ICast Awards, and Freshwater Fish Like it Complicated

"The Morning Hatch" is a daily dose of anything fly fishing, human interest, and sometimes from left field. It will be short, informative, and hopefully entertaining. Enjoy it as a morning starter with your cup of Joe.
Ken Baldwin|
The beginning of a great day.
The beginning of a great day. | Photo by Chase McCoy

In this edition of The Morning Hatch:

• Who knew there were so many trout species in the world? Some listed aren't even true trout, but char. - World Record Trout: The Biggest Trout Ever Caught

• ICAST- The International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades is the world's largest annual trade show for the sportfishing industry. It is an event where manufacturers debut new fishing gear, tackle, electronics, and apparel to retailers, buyers, and the media. - Who Won the Best of Category Awards at ICAST?

• An interesting article about something seasoned anglers already know, but now it's "official." - Research shows freshwater fish like complicated shoreline environments, just as saltwater species do

World Record Trout: The Biggest Trout Ever Caught

By Doug Olander - WIRED2Fish

"The all-tackle record of a huge lake trout answers the question “What is the biggest trout ever caught on rod and reel?” But that question, in fairness, should ask what is the biggest trout ever caught,by species. There are many species of trout found in North America and “big” is all relative. For example, for the rather obscure little Gila trout, a 3-pounder is a monster. The list here considers 10 of the species caught in the U.S. However, beyond this lineup there are others not included here; many are obscure or not found in this country. These, listed by the IGFA, include Adriatic, aurora, biwamasu, cutbow, Dolly Varden, masu, ohrid, red-spotted masu, and sunapee species." Cont.

Who Won the Best of Category Awards at ICAST?

By Game & Fish

"These new fishing products won Best of Category awards Wednesday night at ICAST 2025 in Orlando, based on voting by show attendees and media. Each product will be voted on again Thursday to determine the overall Best of Show winner." Cont.

Research shows freshwater fish like complicated shoreline environments, just as saltwater species do.

by Rick Hellman, University of Kansas - PHYS.ORG

"Van de Riet said he first got the idea for a variegated panel whose design simulates native plant roots while living along a Florida canal many years ago.

'We saw bait fish being chased by predators literally leaping up against the flat side of the seawall, trying to evade them, because they had nowhere else to go," he said. The roots of mangrove trees that once lined almost all of Florida's shoreline "were a logical source of inspiration" for the nooks and crannies of an artificial Reef Wall panel, Van de Riet said, "given what we've replaced.' " Cont.

Now, have a good day. KB

“The gods do not deduct from man’s allotted span the hours spent in fishing.” - Herbert Hoover

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Ken Baldwin
KEN BALDWIN

Ken Baldwin is a Writer/Editor for Fishing On SI, where he writes stories about fly fishing and the lifestyle that surrounds it. His writing and photography have appeared in Men's Journal, Catch Magazine, Fish Alaska, and the American Angler. He also created and hosted the TV show Season on the Edge, which aired on NBC Sports and in seven countries, showcasing travel, adventure, and culture through the lens of fishing. For twenty years, Ken worked as a fly fishing guide in Alaska, which gave him opportunities to hang out with and photograph the Alaskan brown bear. His experience photographing the brown bear helped him land a job with the Netflix documentary Our Planet 2, narrated by David Attenborough. If you dig deep enough in Ken's resume, you will see that he played the terrorist "Mulkey" in the film Die Hard 2 before fly fishing took over his life. Ken is a graduate of the University of Washington.

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