TONASKET, Wash. - Longtime Priest River resident Kelly Flaherty has a whopper of a fish story to tell, only this experienced angler has the proof and backing of the state fish and wildlife department to keep his account from becoming just another fisherman's tale.

Flaherty, 53, reeled in the Washington state record tiger trout on May 5 during an annual fishing trip at Bonaparte Lake in Tonasket.

Hooked only 10 feet from the shore, the massive trout weighed 18.49 pounds and 32.5 inches long with a girth of 21.75 inches.

"It's going on the wall," Flaherty said assuredly. He added that while the tiger trout is no longer stocked after being introduced in 2004 he has, "caught fish 18 inches so who was to say they can't grow up big."

Certified by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Flaherty's tiger trout, a cross between a German brown and an eastern brook trout, broke the previous state record of 15.04 pounds set in 2012 at Roses Lake in Chelan County.

According to the International Game Fish Association's all-time list of world records Flaherty's tiger trout also ranks second in the world. The 20.13-pound world record fish was caught in Lake Michigan in 1978.

Luck and skill blended last Cinco de Mayo when Flaherty set himself up for the chance at a nice catch but almost never got that chance had things played out the way they normally would.

As an annual Mother's Day tradition, Flaherty and more than 20 family members fill the cabins at Bonaparte Lake Resort for a couple weeks and enjoy some great sport fishing.

Flaherty caught only two fish after spending the entire day on the water trolling in their 18-foot Starcraft boat and as the daylight faded decided it was time to congregate across the street and beside the campfire.

But as any good or slightly addicted angler would do, Flaherty decided to cast out one more time before calling it a day. Casting off the shore his idea was to set his pole in a holder rig and leave it but a busted piece on the pole holder left the fisherman searching for a replacement part.

In a stroke of luck and with his pole resting on a stump, Flaherty happened to glance over his shoulder and see the state record fish swimming in just 10 feet away from the shoreline.

Reeling in the slack and setting the hook - the fight was on and one to remember.

Despite the short distance to shore, the lifelong fisherman struggled as the nearly 20-pound hybrid fish fought and sprung from the water, nearly knocking a surprised campground host off a nearby dock and into the water. Wearing the fish down, Flaherty decided that with no net available he would back the trout up and beach it on the shore.

The plan worked.

"I've caught enough bass to know about 'bassers thumb' but this thing tore me up," Flaherty said. "I wasn't sure I could hang on to it so I put my thumb in its' mouth and the fish started thrashing. It wasn't until I sat down that I realized my whole hand was bloody."

The fisherman also noticed the trout had a treble hook still lodged in its gill plate from a previous angler who battled but had the monster get away.

Something familiar to Flaherty and another element of mystique to the story, as the new record-holder believes he previously hooked the same fish four-years ago.

For its aggressive fighting nature Flaherty affectionately nicknamed the one that got away, "thrasher" after totally disrupting the "smooth as glass" lake surface.

After some initial shock and celebration the group weighed the fish and used Wi-Fi at the resort to track down the state record, which Flaherty beat by more than 3 pounds. Kelly and wife Randi reported the catch to the fish and wildlife department and had the fish weighed via a certified scale before witnesses at Double S Meats in Tonasket. The couple met with fish biologists who took DNA and scale samples to accurately identify and age the fish.

"Honestly at first I didn't want to tell everyone and lose my fishing spot but then I thought about how good it would be for the resort," Flaherty said.

Flaherty started fishing when he was just 2-3 years old thanks to the guidance of his grandfather, who set a record of his own with a 54-pound Chinook caught sometime in the early 1960s.

"I buy the sportsman's package and go for what moves," Flaherty said regarding hunting when asked if he enjoys the outdoors in other ways. He also said he enjoys all types of fishing such as fly fishing, trolling, bass fishing and going after catfish at night. He listed Round Lake and Blue Lake as a few of his favorite local spots to get a worm wet.