On the day that Montana Governor Steve Bullock came a callin’ (more on that separately), look what showed up on the end of Tony “No Neck” Pantaleo’s Blackfoot fishing line: an all-Extravaganza largest fish, record setting 32 ½” bulltrout, and what a story it came with. It seems that Tony was minding his own business, hooked into a 12” cutthroat and, as seems to happens every Extravaganza, the quarry was attacked and grabbed by the bulltrout that you see above. Usually, however, a bulltrout will grab what appears to it to be an injured fish and swallow it whole, only to let the eaten fish go just as both are about to be netted. Not the case here, as guide Trevor Anderson witnessed the bulltrout grabbing the cutthroat sidewise (“t-boned” as Tone described it), to then release the grab as the boat neared only to attack the cutthroat a second time—this time not letting go just as Trevor’s net grabbed the otherwise would-be escapee .
You can see the result above—an proud guide, an ecstatic fisherman and a somewhat disgruntled fish who not only lost lunch but also got some air time for pictures prior to its release. “What a thrill”, No Neck reported to the assembled boat reportees, which, for the first time, included a governor (who was duly impressed, btw, asking me at the end of the evening if he could return for E-17 and even fish with us then!).
Bravo, bravo, bravo!!
RCR---<’///:><
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