It’s no fish tale

Lynch lands monster muskies on back-to-back days

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Staff Writer

When Patrick Lynch sits down in the years to come to tell his children – and grandchildren, friends, family and neighbors – about the fish he caught in Canada last week, he won’t need to brag.

The accomplishment was just that amazing. So amazing, in fact, that Lynch said after the fish was measured and released, he told friends, “I can die now.”

Lynch caught a pair 50-plus inch muskies at Grassy Narrows in Lake of the Woods, Ontario, last week – on back-to-back days in the same part of the lake over the weekend.

And they were definitely different fish. The first was lean and about 54 inches, while the second was 52 inches – but about 45 pounds.

Lynch released both fish back into the lake, and said Tuesday he did it so others could have a chance at a trophy fish.

“They are a trophy fish,” said Lynch. “It’d be neat for someone else to catch it.”

To truly understand the generosity of Lynch’s move requires just a trip to his office at the Lynch Automotive Superstore in Burlington. On his wall is a 48-inch musky he caught in the same lake when he was just 13 years old.

He mounted that one, but swore if he ever got one more than 50 inches, he would mount it as well.

Since that age, he’s made a trip back to that lake every year. He didn’t strike pay dirt until last Friday and Saturday, when he went out in the evening for one last shot at a prize fish.

He found the first Friday evening, but released it after getting a good look at it because the season didn’t begin until the next morning.

But on Saturday evening, he returned to the same spot – and found a much bigger fish. With the help of Jared Bird – who was on the trip along with his father, Kevin, and others – Lynch brought the fish to the boat, but could not get it aboard.

Somehow, Lynch and others maneuvered the fish back to the pier – about 1,000 yards away – and managed to bring it on land with a net. After measuring it and then weighing it, Lynch returned it to the water.

The fish eventually swam away.

Lynch said he’ll continue to make the trip north of the border every year, mainly because of the rewards that have nothing to do with the size of the fish.

“It’s just beautiful up there,” Lynch said. “It’s as much for the experience up there as the fishing. It’s just relaxing up there.”

Now, however, he will always have a story to tell – not about the one that got away, but the one he let go.

“It’s harder than it looks,” he said.