Airdrie is not exactly known for its sportfishing but after two Airdrie anglers pulled an absolute monster of a northern pike from the not-so-deep depths of Nose Creek, that might change.

Gabe Morris and Ty Batty together landed the giant 40-inch fish from the shallow creek and have been reveling in catching the big one.

Morris, who hooked and landed the monster, described what it was like fighting the fish.

"I was about 20 feet from Ty when this fish landed and the rod went instantly bent and super heavy. I thought it was a snag till I saw the white belly and the line was pulling. So I yelled for Ty cause I knew it wasn’t (anything) normal like we had been catching. He saw the fish roll and instantly knew the same thing. He grabbed the net as I battled to bring this monster in. Ty then jumped in the creek knee deep to get it."

Morris said that he was scared it would be the one that got away.

"I was terrified the line would go loose and I would lose something so incredible. Once Ty (had) it, I knew we had done it and the feeling was just pure pride. I was literally in shock I caught that in Nose Creek," said Morris. "I believe if Ty was not there to help me net it I (wouldn't have) had this feeling of pride to take pictures with. I’m thankful he was there to share the moment with me."

Batty said that he had been fishing for pike in the creek for about a month and a half, something he had never done before.

"I've lived in town for my entire life and I've known that they've been in town, but I've just never really fished for them. This was the first year I've really gone hard on them. It was pretty cool to find that they're here and decent size."

Fishing for pike isn't exactly like fishing for the usual brown and rainbow trout you typically find in the creek. Pike are large, carnivorous fish that require heavier equipment, something that Batty was more than ready for.

"Typically, when you're targetting pike, you're going to need a heavy setup. Usually a stiffer rod, a reel that puts out heavy drag, thick line (...) and typically steel or 120-pound fluorocarbon leaders. That way the fish doesn't bite through your line and chew off your very expensive lures. That causes a large amount of harm to the fish, so we want to make sure we've got all the proper gear to hook the fish, land the fish, unhook it, get a nice photo, and put it back where it belongs."

Batty said, even when compared to the other pike in the creek, that this one was a behemoth

"For Nose Creek, I'd say that was an absolute giant. Nose Creek is not a very big water body, it's only about three feet deep in most places. Most of the fish I'd been catching have been anywhere from about 18 to about 35 inches in length. I've caught a couple that were between 37 and 40, but this one was right on the 40-inch mark and was easily anywhere from between 18 to 25 pounds."

"When I was lifting it with my net, it absolutely bent my net sideways. It was a phenomenal size for this small body of water."

The fish was originally the mythical catch of the creek, escaping capture numerous times by even Batty himself.

"I've personally hooked it six times, my girlfriend has hooked it three times, I know a couple of other fishermen have hooked it as well and nobody's been able to land it. I would've liked to have hooked it, but I'm very happy that my buddy Gabe was able to get his first absolute monster. It's phenomenal to actually see that fish in person and be able to actually feel its raw power."

Pike may not be the first fish one thinks of living in Nose Creek and Batty believes they may have come from somewhere north or south of Airdrie.

"I believe in two possibilities. As being a tributary off of the Bow, early March and April, they might be coming up here to spawn, which is one reason they might be up here. Also, I have heard rumors of a tailings pond north of Crossfield that broke loose that used to hold pike and that those pikes got into Nose Creek and came down."

"It's really hard to truly distinguish where they're coming from, but it's very cool that they're in town and they're a lot of fun to catch."

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