A 12-year-old has bumped her own big sister out of Minnesota's record book — and the family could not be happier about it.
On Mother's Day, May 10, Sadie Spatafore landed a 30-inch rainbow trout from the Stewart River on Lake Superior's North Shore, beating the state catch-and-release record her older sister Lucy had set the previous August. The fish, which also carried a 12.5-inch girth, was measured, photographed and released, and the Minnesota DNR has since certified it as the new state catch-and-release record. Lucy's mark — a 28.5-inch rainbow from the same river — stood less than a year.
The Spatafore sisters and their dad, Dave, had driven up from Maple Grove to wade and fly fish for the river's spring run of spawning rainbows. These are not stocked pond fish.
"They're steelhead that run out of Lake Superior's north shore to spawn in the river," Dave told Wired2Fish. "They're protected by law, so it's all catch-and-release. But we love fishing for them."
Watching Lucy take the record last summer is what lit the fire under Sadie, a self-described water-sports enthusiast who has waded these streams since she was small. She knew exactly what she was chasing — and how often the North Shore gives anglers nothing.
"You never know if the conditions will be right or if the fish will even be in the rivers," Sadie said. "The wading can be difficult, too. Sometimes we hike miles of streams and don't catch anything. But the scenery is beautiful — and if you do hook a fish, they fight like crazy."
"It was getting toward sunset when I hooked a big one on an egg fly. It fought hard but didn't jump. Finally, I was able to land it," she said. "We measured it and saw that it was 30 inches long, breaking Lucy's record. It was such a beautiful fish. We took a few pictures and carefully released it back into the river."
Lucy filmed the catch and the release, and the family submitted the photos, video and paperwork the DNR requires. Rather than sulk over losing her record, Lucy told Minnesota Fish & Wildlife she was thrilled it went to her little sister.
"There is nothing that makes me more proud than having my 12-year-old sister be the person to break my state record," Lucy said. "It was very special that we were all fishing together again when she broke it."
There is one wrinkle worth noting. The DNR lists these fish as rainbow trout, and that is how they appear in the record book, but many North Shore regulars call them lake-run steelhead. Purists — especially on the West Coast — reserve "steelhead" for sea-run fish and would not apply it to a lake-run rainbow. Biologically the Stewart River fish are rainbow trout that migrate out of Lake Superior to spawn; in temperament, with their hard runs and stubborn fights, they have plenty in common with their ocean-going cousins, which is exactly why they have built such a devoted following across the Great Lakes.
For now, the record belongs to the younger Spatafore. Given the family's habit of returning to the same river each spring, it may not be the last time it changes hands between them.
