The IGFA has certified several new world records over this past fall, but one that really stood out was a new fly fishing tautog record that was landed in Long Island Sound. Sam Alsop landed the heavy white-chinner that netted him the IGFA Men’s World Record for 12-pound class tippet.
Most anglers don’t think of tautog as a species that will readily take a lure or fly, but that’s part of what makes Sam’s catch so remarkable. Working a carefully-crafted green crab fly, Sam successfully tempted the heavyweight tog to take the phony crab. A dogged battle followed that ultimately resulted in Sam netting his prize, a 3.63-kilogram (8-pound) tautog.
In an effort to accurately document the record, Sam weighed the fish on his certified, portable scale, took a photo of the catch and retained a length of the tippet for testing by the IGFA. After that, Sam carefully released the record-breaker back into Long Island Sound, preserving his great catch and also doing his part in contributing to the future of this iconic Northeast species. Sam’s catch was certified in September.
