Latest news with #RiverMonsterAdventures
Time of India
11-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Living dinosaur caught in Canada? 120-year-old sturgeon stuns anglers in BC river
A massive white sturgeon known as " Ghost ," believed to be more than 120 years old, was finally caught and released this week in British Columbia's Fraser River. The rare 10-foot, 2-inch fish was reeled in on Monday(July 7) by a team from River Monster Adventures , a Chilliwack-based fishing charter that specializes in sturgeon. For years, the crew had only glimpsed the elusive fish on sonar or breaching briefly at the surface, never close enough to confirm or tag. 'Over the years, we believe we've caught glimpses of him, either on our sonar or possibly breaching, but actual sightings have been extremely rare,' said Jen Shareski of River Monster Adventures in an email to CTV News. 'As far as we know, no one else has ever caught Ghost before this.' The moment was described as both thrilling and nerve-wracking. 'It was like, 'Holy, we have the opportunity of a lifetime. Don't mess this up,' said Jeff Grimolfson, the company's owner, during a Zoom call with CTV. 'Panic set in when we realized what we had.' Live Events The catch took over an hour and involved a coordinated team effort between two repeat clients, a deckhand, and the captain. The fish was identified by its unique curled dorsal fins, a sign of its old age. Despite being over a century old, Ghost had never been tagged, one of many reasons the team believes it had never been caught before. Once the fish was secured and measured, it was tagged and released back into the river as part of an ongoing conservation program. 'We are strictly catch and release,' said Shareski. 'We're proud to be part of the sturgeon conservation tagging program.' Century-old river giant White sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in Canada and have remained largely unchanged for millions of years. They can live well over 150 years and grow up to six meters (20 feet) in length. Ghost now joins other famous sturgeons in Fraser River lore, including 'Pig Nose,' another massive sturgeon caught by the same company in 2016 and again in later years, known for the distinct scar on its snout. Conservationists warn that despite their size and resilience, white sturgeon are a species at risk. Many populations in BC are in decline due to habitat destruction and overfishing in the past. Today, strict catch-and-release rules and tagging programs help researchers track population health and movement. But stories like Ghost's are rare. 'It's a reminder of how ancient and precious these creatures are,' said Grimolfson. 'It's not just about fishing, it's about protecting something truly irreplaceable.'
CTV News
09-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
‘Estimated to be over 120 years old': Massive sturgeon caught in B.C.'s Fraser River
River Monster Adventures says a group fishing just south of Lillooet on Monday was able to reel in a massive sturgeon that had become something of a legend among the company's team. (River Monster Adventures) A Chilliwack-based fishing charter company that specializes in Fraser River sturgeon has landed the largest fish in its history. River Monster Adventures says a group fishing just south of Lillooet on Monday was able to reel in a massive sturgeon that had become something of a legend among the company's team. The nearly 3.1-metre (10′2″) fish is known as 'Ghost,' because it has 'ghosted' the company's anglers for more than a decade. 'Over the years, we believe we've caught glimpses of him, either on our sonar or possibly breaching, but actual sightings have been extremely rare,' said Jen Shareski, of River Monster Adventures, in an email to CTV News. 'As far as we know, no one else has ever caught Ghost before this.' The crew fishing that day included two repeat clients, a deckhand and a captain, who spent more than an hour reeling in the fish with 'a total team effort,' Shareski said. River Monster Adventures (River Monster Adventures) 'Ghost is easily identified by his curled dorsal fins, a rare feature that marks him as a very old fish, estimated to be over 120 years old,' she said. Despite its advanced age, the fish did not have a tag, which is one of the reasons River Monster Adventures suspects it has never been caught before. 'We are strictly catch and release, and we're proud to be part of the sturgeon conservation tagging program,' Shareski said. 'Before releasing Ghost back into the river, we tagged him and recorded all the relevant data to support ongoing conservation efforts.' According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, white sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in Canada, and they've existed relatively unchanged for millions of years. In a critical state of decline in some parts of B.C., the bottom-feeding fish is among the wildlife protected under the Species at Risk Act. Species living in the Nechako River, Upper Columbia River, Upper Fraser River and Upper Kootenay River are all protected by the federal act. The Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society says white sturgeon can live well over 150 years, and can grow up to six metres in length.
Global News
09-07-2025
- General
- Global News
Massive sturgeon caught for the 1st time in B.C., believed to be over 100
A massive sturgeon was caught in the Fraser River south of Lillooet, B.C., and it may be the largest ever seen in that area, according to the company that organized the excursion. River Monster Adventures says this fish had never been tagged before and is believed to be between 120 and 140 years old. They even named it Ghost as the giant fish has been seen many times but always remained elusive. The company's owner told Global News that catching the giant fish was exciting but nerve-wrecking. 'I got super nervous,' Jeff Grimolfson said. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'I was like, 'Oh my God, this is a chance of a lifetime. '' Grimolfson said he has been dreaming about this moment his whole life and he has been guiding fishing expeditions for almost 20 years. Story continues below advertisement 'We're lucky that all the stars aligned,' he added. 'We had the right crew on the rods, a great group of guys from Alberta and yeah, it was awesome.' 1:39 'Newbies' hook 700-pound sturgeon on B.C. catch-and-release fishing trip The White Sturgeon is considered the largest and oldest-lived fish in the world. Any person fishing for White Sturgeon must possess a valid BC Freshwater Fishing Licence and a White Sturgeon Conservation Licence for fishing upstream of the tidal zone and must adhere to fishing regulations. Sturgeon must also be placed back into the river after catching them and taking some photos.
