Eric Files Sr. of Martinsburg holds the record rainbow trout
he caught April 30, 2014, in a private pond in Berkeley County
(Photo Courtesy of the West Virginia Department of Commerce)
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. - A state record rainbow trout was caught recently by Eric Files Sr. of Martinsburg, West Virginia, according to Frank Jezioro, Director of the Division of Natural Resources.
Files caught the 33.11-inch, 19.40-pound fish from a private pond in Berkeley County April 30, 2014. He caught the record rainbow using a nightcrawler while fishing for sunfish.
Files' catch establishes a new West Virginia record for weight and length. The previous weight record for rainbow trout was a 17.31-pound fish caught by Tony Corbin from the same private pond in 2013. The previous length record length was a 31.7-inch rainbow caught by John P. Arnett in 1993 at Stonecoal Lake in Lewis and Upshur counties.
Anglers who believe they have caught a state record fish should check the record listing in the 2014 Fishing Regulations brochure. The brochure also outlines the procedure to follow for reporting the catch. This information also is available online at www.wvdnr.gov
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