Will We Still Be Celebrating This Century Old World Record 100 Years From Now?

The Story Behind the World Record Brook Trout

By Randy Beamish Randy Beamish is a guide in Northwest Ontario

July 11, 2023

100 years ago this July, Dr. J. W. Cook caught the world record brook trout in the Nipigon River in Ontario.

This massive brook trout weighed in at 14.5 lbs and one hundred years later it still holds the distinction of being the largest brookie ever caught. This amazing catch was the focal point of the day at the 100th anniversary of the world record brook trout at the Nipigon River Brook Trout Festival, which was held July 17-19, 2015.

Actual photo of the brook trout caught in 1915. Photo courtesy of the Nipigon Historical Museum.

The following excerpt is from Randy Beamish's article 'Nipigon River Brook Trout' published in The New Fly Fisher Magazine.

The Nipigon River Brook Trout

July 21st, 2015 will mark a century since Dr. J. W. Cook caught the world record brook trout, in Ontario's Nipigon River, one of the most notable of all freshwater fishing records. The fish, that date, and the angler are the stuff that dreams and obsession are forged. So welcome to my obsession. I know the record brook trout story all too well, growing up chasing brook trout in Southern Ontario while dreaming of the Nipigon and its trophies, often wondering what it must have been like on the river that week in July 1915 when Dr. Cook and his party fished the Nipigon and made history. I now live within two hours of the river and consider myself blessed to be able to regularly enjoy its treasures, fishing over water that was once home to the record fish and possibly its counterpart today.

Dr. Cook's massive trout was hooked, fought and landed on the upper Nipigon River at Rabbit (Mac Donald's) Rapids. Today, the river is very much different from what it was a century ago, but trophy brook trout still inhabit this beautiful, austere place.

Virgin Falls, Nipigon River. Photo courtesy of Nipigon Historical Museum

Much has been written about this fabulous specimen, but here's my two cents worth. At 14 ½ pounds, skeptics have suggested it was too big to be a pure brook trout, but rather some sort of hybrid. However, I find it more plausible to accept that it was a pure Salvelinus fontinalis, as the Nipigon is full of big brook trout and hybrids are very rare. Moreover, Dr. Cook ensured that his fish was weighed and meticulously examined by fishery experts, whose findings were indisputable.

I'm convinced that the Nipigon is still capable of producing a trophy to beat Dr. Cook's 100-year-old record, despite the toll taken by dam construction, diversions, spawning habitat destruction, and over-harvest, and today, steps are being taken to remedy this. During the past 20 years, the Nipigon has rebounded nicely, mainly due to harvest/size restrictions along with early season closures and habitat protection.

The actual rod that Dr. Cook used to reel in the monster brook trout. Courtesy of the Nipigon Historical Museum

Ironically, I believe that one of the most significant contributors to the Nipigon brook trout's decline, the hydro dams, may now help produce a possible record fish, as the rail waters create productive white water habitat similar to the extensive wild rapids of 100 years ago. This, along with genetics and a virtually unlimited supply of rainbow smelts to forage on, provides the conditions to produce a fish to beat Dr. Cook's record.

"Ironically, I believe that one of the biggest contributors to the Nipigon brook trout's decline, the hydro dams, may now help produce a possible record fish."

I have been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to fish the Nipigon extensively over the past 18 years after my career brought me to Northwestern Ontario, and I have seen several fish taken that have been close to or even equal to the record. Finally, I was able to live my childhood dream. Camping and fishing there for a week every June, my wife and I quickly fell under the spell of the hallowed waters. I will never forget my first encounter with the river's trophy brook trout. As I was swinging a streamer fly at the head of a rapid, I watched an absolute monster brook trout rise from the bottom into the boat's propeller wash and eyeball my fly. It hovered there for what seemed like an eternity then simply sank back into the depths. To this day, it was the largest brook trout I have ever laid eyes upon. On another occasion we spotted two large brook trout lying over a submerged reef in the current, and when I swung a fly over them the smaller of the two grabbed it. One measured a full 24 inches, and the other was easily four to six inches longer! Thus, such trophy fish inhabit the Nipigon today!

The Nigigon River once again is home to many trophy brook trout. Photo: Nipigon Historical Museum.

The Nipigon River should be on every serious fly fisher's list, as it is one of the planet's very special places. It will provide an experience you will cherish and, who knows, may just enable you to make history.

For more information on the Nipigon River and the Town of Nipigon, visit www.nipigon.net.

To find out more about fly fishing, visit the New Fly Fisherman website. You can also find out where their TV show airs.