Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services

Colville Lake (July 16/01) - It's the strangest fish story Bernwill Brown has ever heard.

"I've been running this place for 35 years," says the owner of the Colville Lake Lodge. It took that long to find a guy who had brought up a barren ground grizzly with his rod and reel.

Victor Montoya was on a fishing trip with his son and eight other American anglers. The retired city employee from Santa Fe, New Mexico, had already made some unusual catches during the trip, twice snagging abandoned nets, "heavy with rotted fish."

Third time was the charm, though, when Montoya's spoon hook bit hard into something very heavy.

"Half of my rod went in the water," said Montoya.

According to Brown, the bear had been shot near Colville Lake during the winter and had "gone through the ice and sunk to the bottom."

Somehow, Montoya and his buddies managed to reel the carcass almost to the surface."

Montoya was more worried about his rod than some brindle grizzly at the end of it.

Given the size and decomposing state of the catch, Montoya and his cohorts decided to practice catch and release. However, David Houseman, an Albuquerque businessman on the same fishing trip, managed to take a picture of Montoya's catch before it was cut loose.

Montoya and son Elmo did bring a few fish back to the lodge with them.

All in all, "It was a good fishing trip," said the elder Montoya. "There were plenty of fish."

It's Montoya's first visit to the Territory. He and Elmo frequently travel together.

"My son takes me all over," said Montoya.