This Man Found A Genius Way To Catch Illegal Fishermen By Pretending To Be A Giant Salmon

When it comes to sharing amazing stories, users on Tumblr definitely know what the gig is. Almost anyone can find something for their taste in the vast blue universe of the big T, only if they dig deep enough. From social and political discussions to endless canvases full of breathtaking art and photography, the social media site has so much to offer. And this story about a real-life hero is no exception.

Between amusing real-life anecdotes and exceptional people, one person’s story stands out in the crowd. Tumblr user Ultrafacts shared a tidbit about Terry Grosz, a former fish and game warden, and a prolific author, and the rest of the people on the site picked up the funny incident and added to it, one reblog at a time.

Tumblr users shared and discussed Terry Grosz’s hilarious story on how he caught illegal fishermen

The story shared on Tumblr refers to Terry’s early days as a fish and game warden at national parks, when he knew the laws and his purpose but no one really gave him instructions on how to approach it. So, he did what many of us would do in such a situation — Grosz improvised.

Terry dedicated most of his life advocating for wildlife conservation and trying to stop those who abused and profited from it, oftentimes illegally. As California’s game warden, he had plenty of tales to share, from catching those fishing illegally to protecting grand elk on Gold Beach, many of which he detailed in his books.

While most of his stories and experiences show the real dangers of dealing with poachers, this story has a humorous twist to it. Grosz details it in his book “Wildlife Wars” as well as retells it on “The American Life.”

As Terry was positioned, in a wetsuit, in the Eel River to catch illegal fisherman at night, he waited for them to cast their lines and once the men took his bait, the warden proceeded to pretend that he’s a fish and reeled himself in. “I kept tugging and pulling, and tugging and pulling [the line]. And he’s groaning. And it was hard to keep from laughing because I knew this guy was going to be surprised.” Grosz recollected the memory.

Image credits: checkconnect

He detailed how he approached the fishermen, cool as a cucumber and more than casual to the stunned men that just reeled a man out of the river. A man that was about to arrest them. “Anyway, I finally got right up on them. And like I said, it’s dark as the dickens. And then I turned on my little three-cell flashlight. And I said, ‘Good morning gentlemen. State fish and game warden, you’re under arrest,” he added.

After having them sign the citations and collecting the illegal fishing gear, Terry simply walked back into the river and swam away. “I gather up all their fishing rods because I seized it. It was illegal gear. And into the river I walked and quietly swam away,” he explained on “The American Life”. An unexpected exit compared to the shocker of an entrance.

Grosz was a state game warden of the California Department of Fish and Game from 1966 to 1970, then a special agent and assistant regional director for law enforcement for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Denver, CO until 1998.

Terry Grosz peacefully passed away in February 2019 after spending his career and post-retirement days fighting to protect the wild animals. His goal was to give a voice to animals “who die silently” and encourage people to step up and advocate for the same message.

You can watch Terry retelling some of his adventures in the video below

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