Frank, the Museum's 100 Year Old Trophy Fish

The museum received an unusual call recently.  Scott Boettger from the Wood River Land Trust was interested in the 100 year old trout that we have mounted and showcased in the museum. We have fondly named this fish Frank. 

Frank was caught in 1912 by a sixteen year old boy named Jess Stitt. A true trophy trout, the fish was donated to the museum as a star specimen of the Wood River. He weighs in at 11.3 pounds.

The Wood River Land Trust wondered if they could collect a DNA sample of Frank the fish in order to conduct DNA testing to see how clearly he is related to other specimens from various locations. 

You can imagine our excitement of what the DNA findings will bring. Who might Frank be related to? Charlie the Tuna? Billy the bass perhaps? 

Bob MacLeod, the BCHM President, carefully unmounted the case that Frank is displayed in, allowing Scott Boettger to collect the scale samples from the fish for the Land Trust project.

Many thanks to Scott Boettger for thinking of us as a resource, and we await the results with interest! 

Initial reports have not reported any signs of Covid-19 antibodies....

Jess Stitt, far left, who caught the trophy fish