A 9-year-old boy fishing on Alaska’s Kasilof River this week landed what many would consider the catch of a lifetime: a 40-pound king salmon measuring nearly 42 inches.
Daryl Sachwitz Jr., who was guided by a family friend, reeled in the salmon by himself, despite the immense fish swimming furiously in currents during a prolonged battle.
“Mid-catch he was yelling in pain with his arms hurting, but he never gave up,” Brittany Hyatt Sachwitz, Daryl’s mom, told For The Win Outdoors.
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Daryl, who caught his first fish when he was 3, received advice and encouragement from Dave Wilson, the family friend, who also had his children on the boat.
When Daryl saw the fish come into view, he knew he was close to completing a long-desired trophy salmon catch.
“He has tried catching his own king salmon for two years,” Brittany explained. “His daddy promised him if he were to catch a king of his own that he would have it mounted.”
Daryl and his family live in Soldotna, on the Kenai peninsula. The catch occurred last Sunday during a time when king salmon are swimming upriver to spawn.
Daryl stands 4 feet 5 inches, so the salmon was nearly as long as he is tall.
–Images are courtesy of Brittany Hyatt Sachwitz
