HELENA — Steve Hagen, who recently retired as the Helena Police Chief, now holds the Montana state record for a Utah chub, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
Hagen landed the fish on March 7 while on Canyon Ferry Reservoir. The fish weighed in at 2.39 pounds and measured 15.9 inches in length and 10.4 inches in girth. The previous record Utah chub, also caught at Canyon Ferry in 1992, weighed 1.81 pounds.
When MTN last spoke with Hagen at his retirement celebration, he mentioned he hoped to have more time for hunting and fishing.
Utah chub were introduced into Montana in the 1930's, probably by bait fishermen according to FWP. They were released into Hebgen Lake, a headwater reservoir on the Missouri River system, and have since extended their range about 200 miles downstream.
Hagen’s catch adds to the list of Montana record fish caught in the last year and a half including a walleye, a chinook salmon, a brown trout, a longnose sucker, and a largemouth bass.
Anglers who think they caught a state record fish should keep the following things in mind:
- To prevent loss of weight, do not clean or freeze the fish. Keep the fish cool — preferably on ice.
- Take a picture of the fish.
- The fish must be weighed on a certified scale (found in grocery stores or hardware stores, etc.) and witnessed by a store employee or other observer. Obtain a weight receipt and an affidavit from the store personnel if no FWP official is present. Measure the length and girth.
- Contact the nearest FWP office to have the fish positively identified by a fisheries biologist.
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