Angler catches record brook trout in Raquette Lake
By MIKE LYNCH, Enterprise Outdoors WriterArticle Photos
An angler from Utica is the new holder of the New York record for catching the largest brook trout, the state Department of Environmental Conservation announced Wednesday.
Tom Yacovella reeled in the record-breaking fish on June 7 while fishing Raquette Lake in Hamilton County.
Caught on a Rapala lure, the brook trout weighed in at five pounds, four ounces and measured 21 inches, surpassing the previous state record, set in 2006, by 5 ounces.
Yacovella submitted details of his winning fish as part of DEC's Angler Achievement Awards Program.
Yacovella describes himself on his own Web site as "a wildlife artist, writer, educator and national award-winning designer.
"I have been a devoted student of the outdoors for 50 years," Yacovella wrote on his Web site. "My burning desire to portray wildlife accurately had led me to consistently explore nature's delicate underbelly. I return to the wilderness often; to see it, smell it, taste it, sweat in its days and freeze in its nights. Only then can I discover a strong sense of what belongs and what does not belong in nature."
He is a co-founder and treasurer of Adirondack Wild Turkey Unlimited, a member of the New York Outdoorsmen Hall of Fame and an avid Adirondack angler.
"Tom is an accomplished angler and has caught some impressive fish, including some big brook trout over the years," outdoors columnist Leo Maloney wrote in the Utica Observer-Dispatch recently. "Of course the native brook trout is the official state fish and certainly one of the most beautiful with its colorful blueish-green back, reddish fins and flank, and brilliant red spots surrounded by blue halos. Although he has caught a number of good sized brookies, his best fish up to this point had been a 4 lb., 1 oz. brookie about eight years ago."
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For more about the record brook trout catch, read Joe Hackett's column on the Outdoors page of Saturday's Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
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Contact Mike Lynch at (518) 891-2600 ext. 28 or mlynch@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.
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DSlayton
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07-03-09 12:57 PM
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Congratulations Tom, well done. I think what a lot of folks don't realize is that when it comes to fishing in general, sportsmen like us practice catch & release almost religiously - however, when you get a once-in-lifetime chance to pull in a trophy/record fish, it's time to cash in on all those years of patience & good sportsmanship. It may come as a surprise to some folks out there that most of these trophy specimens are on the last leg of their lives. One doesn't affect any gene pools by keeping them- they've already had a tremendous impact on their local population. Enjoy your catch, Tom.
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UPeopleRNutz
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07-03-09 10:51 AM
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What belongs in Nature, Mr. Yacovella, is that brookie alive and swimming in Raquette Lake. There is no need to keep the fish to claim your record or even to have it mounted. Catch & Release is the sign of a true sportsman and lover of the great outdoors. It is through C&R that sustainable populations of NATIVE fish can be achieved for generations to come.
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Truthbetold
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07-03-09 8:33 AM
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What all these Trophy-takers (and DEC who sets the rules) don't seem to get is that when they catch and kill the biggest fish, the deer with the biggest rack, the largest hare, they are taking the most successful and hardy of the species out of the gene pool. This ongoing practice will have a detrimental effect on all game species over time. If hunting and fishing is a "sport", then the catch should be released. If it is for subsistence, then a couple of small specimins will feed you just as well as the biggest and best specimen.
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DW12983
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07-03-09 7:00 AM
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On decline....where? You seem to know facts that are easily rebuffed. Where Brookies are in decline it can be attributed to the introduction of invasive species, mostly Bass. Or am I dreaming that where there is a fish barrier, Pink Pond or Black Pond, they are thriving? My recent stringer would say I'm right.
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alumni
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07-02-09 12:42 PM
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Anyone who fishes for brook trout would agree that they are in decline. I do not understand why you feel the need to attack science because a new record brook trout was caught. If you do not know what your talking about, please educate yourself before you open your mouth.
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DW12983
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07-02-09 11:33 AM
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Gee...."global warming myth" is making the fish grow larger? I thought the pseudo scientists said they'd all die due to warmer streams and less water. Guess it's time for them to change history, again.
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