Hailey Thomas, an avid angler from Idaho, made headlines recently after catching a giant rainbow trout and setting a state record. The fish weighed an impressive 33 pounds and was 36 inches long, making it the largest rainbow trout ever caught in Idaho.

The Fish Weighed An Impressive 33 Pounds And Was 36 Inches Long

Congratulations to Hailey Thomas of Rigby on landing a new catch-and-release state record from Henrys Lake. Hailey hooked the 36-inch long monster rainbow/cutthroat hybrid on Oct. 4 while fishing with her family on the renowned east Idaho lake. Hailey’s fish comfortably cruises past the prior record – an impressive 30-inch rainbow/cutthroat hybrid set by Ryan Ivy from the Snake River in 2018.

Hailey and her husband, Shane, set out on the lake with their two kids, hoping to enjoy an afternoon of warm fall weather and catch a few nice trout.

Despite the beautiful weather, the water was slightly off-color, and fishing was slow. By mid-afternoon, they struggled to locate fish with only a few trout to hand. As they raised the anchor to move spots, Hailey hooked up on a heavy fish.

Hailey spent over 20 minutes ʙᴀᴛᴛʟɪɴɢ the fish before finally reeling it in. She and her husband were both amazed at the size of the rainbow trout, and they quickly measured and weighed it before releasing it back into the river.

That’s The Biggest Trout I’ve Seen In My Life!

Upon scooping the fish, Shane — a seasoned angler and previous state record holder — yelled excitedly, “That’s the biggest trout I’ve seen in my life!” Knowing they landed something special, they used the boat’s life well to help the fish recover.

Suspecting they might have caught a record, the angling pair got the measurement and photos needed to document the catch.

At 36 inches long, with a 21-inch girth, the fish might have weighed anywhere from 17-20 pounds! After a quick photo, Hailey returned the lunker trout to the lake to ꜰɪɢʜᴛ another day.

Henrys Lake in eastern Idaho is famous for its blue-ribbon trout fishing and is home to native Yellowstone cutthroat trout, as well as rainbow/cutthroat hybrid and brook trout.

News of Hailey ‘s record-breaking catch quickly spread throughout Idaho, and many people have congratulated her on her achievement.

Some have even suggested that she may have set a national record for the largest rainbow trout caught on a fly fishing line, although this has yet to be officially confirmed.