This 8-year-old girl caught a massive, record-breaking trout and named it Old Man Sparkles

Sophie Egizi of Sandpoint, Idaho, is only 8 years old, but she’s already well on her way to being a star fisherwoman. On Oct. 11, she broke the Idaho state catch and release record while fishing with her family at Lake Pend Oreille. On that day, Egizi reeled in a 36.5-inch Gerrard rainbow trout, which is more than double the size of the fish set by the previous record-holder, who caught a 14-inch fish in November 2018.

It took her 30 minutes of fighting to reel the fish in, but according to her dad, Robert Egizi, she was patiently determined to make her catch.

“Although her hands were cold and arms sore, Sophie never gave up,” the proud father told Idaho Statesman. “She was a real trooper and we are proud of her.”

Wow! Now that is an epic catch.

Her dad says she predicted she would make a big catch that day, and it sounds like her confidence paid off. Egizi named her catch “Old Man Sparkles” before releasing him back into the lake. In addition to her fishing skill, it appears she’s quite creative as well!

“Lake Pend Oreille has a well-deserved reputation for producing trophy trout,” reads a statement from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. “The lake still holds the certified weight record Gerrard rainbow of 37 pounds set in 1947! In addition to big ‘bows, the lake also recently produced a new catch-and-release bull trout, set by Aaron Fox at 29 inches.”

The release goes on to explain that Gerrard rainbow trout in Idaho are specific to the Clark Fork River drainage, and have been handled as a separate trout record species due to their uniquely enormous sizes.

Congratulations to Egizi, and here’s hoping she makes many more record-breaking catches!

If you’re looking for more amazing fishing stories, check out this two-mouthed fish caught by a woman on Lake Champlain at the New York-Vermont border.