Wyoming Tiger Trout State Record Broken Twice in Two Weeks
OutdoorHub 05.20.12
Tiger trout are getting bigger and bigger in High Savery Reservoir as evidenced by two new state records set in the past few weeks by anglers from Rawlins and Casper.
Last month, Rawlins angler Tom Murry bested the existing state record, reeling in a fish that weighed 7.54 lbs. breaking the old record by more than two pounds. The old record was 5.12 lbs. and was set in 2010. However, that record only lasted several weeks when it was eclipsed by Casper angler Jackson Sorensen who caught an 11.07 lb. monster May 6, doubling the record fish from 2010 and besting Murry’s new record by well over three pounds.
The two record fish were caught using very different methods. Murry was fishing Apr. 23, trolling a Needlefish in about 40 feet of water when the fish hit. After boating the fish, Murry suspected he had a new record, which was later confirmed with the weighing of the fish on a certified scale in Rawlins. Other fish Murray caught that day included several kokanee salmon and brook trout. Murry’s fish measured 27 inches in length and had a girth of more than 15 inches. The previous record was 24 inches long.
Sorensen’s trip to High Savery was his first. He had made the trip to the reservoir specifically to fish for tiger trout. He had been bait fishing from shore since first light and around 8 a.m. his record fish took his bait. As soon as the fish was in, Sorenson’s fishing partner told him it was a state record and they hustled into Rawlins to have it weighed. Sorensen’s fish was nearly 29 inches long and had a girth of nearly 18 inches. Like Murray, Sorenson also caught several other brook trout on that fishing trip.
Since 2006, new tiger trout records have become almost an annual occurrence from High Savery Reservoir. The reservoir is the only public water in the state with tiger trout and was first stocked with the fish in 2005. It has been stocked every year since that time. It is likely Sorensen’s fish was from that first stocking in 2005. High Savery is a relatively new impoundment located 30 miles south of Rawlins. Tiger trout are a sterile cross between a brown and a brook trout.
Rules for submitting a fish for state record consideration are on the Game and Fish website. A listing of state record fish is also on the site.
