[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 142 (Thursday, September 12, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6016-S6017]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO JAMES FAUTH

 Mr. DAINES. Mr. President, today I have the distinct honor of 
recognizing James Fauth of Phillips County for his record-breaking 
chinook salmon he caught while boating on Fort Peck Lake.
  Fauth, a retired power company lineman from Malta, took his 25-year-
old pontoon boat out for a leisure day of fishing alongside his wife 
Nancy and friends Tony and Emily Simonsen. After several hours of 
patience and perseverance, Fauth noticed his spinning rod come to life 
off a downrigger and jumped into action. He figured it was a salmon 
because he had been tracking them deep on his sonar and the fish was 
putting up a fight. The rod's original 20-pound line had never been 
replaced, so Fauth was hopeful it wouldn't break. After approximately 5 
minutes of back-and-forth battling with the fish on the other end, 
Fauth was overjoyed when his $29 Wal-Mart rod and reel proved to get 
the job done as he landed the chinook in the boat.
  The enormous salmon, weighing an astounding 32.62 pounds and 
measuring 38 inches long with a 28-inch girth, broke the previously 
held State record set by Greg Haug in 2020 with a 32.05 pound salmon, 
also taken from Fort Peck Lake. The area is no stranger to impressive 
catches, but Fauth's recent trophy stands out for obvious reasons. The 
story of Fauth's historic catch will live on in history, and residents 
of River's Bend Assisted Living in Malta will soon get a special up-
close look at the record breaking salmon, as Fauth has chosen to donate 
it to the facility so residents can enjoy it. What makes this story all 
the more special is that the assisted living facility is owned by Tony 
and Emily Simonsen, who got to bear witness to the historic catch on 
the Fauth family pontoon.
  It is my distinct honor to recognize James Fauth for his once-in-a-
lifetime catch that earned him the title as Montana's new State record 
salmon angler. This historic catch is a celebration of the Treasure 
State's natural resources

[[Page S6017]]

and a nod to our shared Montana way of life rooted in our passion for 
the great outdoors. Way to go, James; your story will forever be tied 
to one of the greatest catches ever made on Fort Peck Lake. You make 
Montana proud.

                          ____________________