The Brief
- A River North fisherman caught a rare American eel in the Chicago River near Grand Avenue.
- The eel was discovered during a late-night fishing trip targeting carp.
- After documenting the catch and sharing it online, the fishermen released the eel back into the river.
CHICAGO – A rare catch in the Chicago River is drawing attention after an American eel was reeled in downtown.
Ben Gorashchenko, 25, of River North, made the exciting discovery while fishing last week.
Rare eel caught in Chicago River
The backstory:
Gorashchenko and his friend, Joshua Lee, 24, were fishing along the Chicago Riverwalk near Grand Avenue around 9 p.m. Monday, May 4 — in search of carp. Gorashchenko, an avid fisherman, had recently pulled a 20-pound common carp from the river and was hoping to accomplish a similar feat.…