No rod and reel required

Melvin Flansaas caught this 25 pound lake trout while ice fishing on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park on March 8.

According to photographer Patrick Booth, Flansaas parked his car along Going-to-the-Sun Road and hiked through the deep snow onto the lake until he found the perfect spot. Flansaas explained that he had been out fishing with just a 12-pound test line. After some time he pulled in the big lake trout with just a line and a hook — no rod and reel needed.

Flansaas said he had caught fish in the lake before, but nothing as large as the 25-pounder.

“There was no fish tale this morning, but there was a fellow who loves his fishing, and without rod and reel pulled in a beauty,” Booth said.