Yup, it's a fish story

As posted June 25 at www.facebook.com/kootenayangler, another variation on a fish tale that's been swimming around the Internet for at least the last seven years: "Here's a fish story for you! And pictures to prove that it isn't just a story. For those of you who don't know where Turtle Lake is, it's a beautiful resort and lake in northern Saskatchewan. Probably the biggest nearby centre would be North Battleford. "No one will ever see me swim in Turtle Lake again! "This is not a fish story! It’s a new record northern pike in Canada. The man was fishing and caught a 36-inch pike. As he was reeling it in, a 56-55-lb. pike tried to eat it. He landed them both in the same net!" And a 2011 followup from the same report and same photos, this from www.duckduckgrayduck.com: "The truth is most sportsmen want to believe this stuff. If you hunt or fish, you have had dreams of the trophy buck or the record pike. I had a dream once that I caught a 5-lb. black crappie in 3 feet of water. "The story of the record northern pike caught in Turtle Lake outside of Saskatchewan landed in my inbox again this morning. The fish pictured has been “caught” in Canada, the U.S.A. and the Baltic. The story varies a bit each time, but usually involves a guy who is landing a smaller pike only to have this monster hit it. The story ends with the fisherman landing both of them in the same net." As it turns out, the man in the photo is Ewoout Blom with his 2004 catch of a 42.9-pound pike in Holland. A big one, yes, but it broke no record. Canada's largest pike can be chased in Ontario and Manitoba.