Watch young anglers’ priceless reactions as prized first fish slips from their hands

It’s usually the hefty record breakers that earn attention in the fishing world, but in a funny switch up, Colorado Fish and Wildlife has shared a video devoted entirely to the ones that got away.

The minute-long video, created to promote Free Fishing Weekend, focuses on children who caught their first fish, only to see it slip through their little fingers as they posed for a photo.

In scene after scene, the youngsters’ expressions go from pride to shock, as their fish jumps free, sometimes flying through the air past their heads.

The video has been viewed thousands of times on social media since being shared Friday.

“Kids make the funniest faces when they hold (or attempt to hold) their first fish,” Jerry Neal posted on Facebook.

“I know some adults who still act like that with their catch!” Chris DuKart posted.

“This is adorable,” Annie Kier wrote.

Being slippery is a key part of a fish’s defenses, experts note. Fish secrete a type of “protein slime” — or mucus — that makes it tougher for parasites to stick, and harder for other animals to hold them, according to ScienceFocus.com.

And just in case some get the impression kids can’t fish: One of the largest trout ever snagged in Colorado was caught in April by an 11-year-old boy, reported CBS News on April 28. It was 35 inches long, about 15 inches over the norm, the news outlet said.

Photos showed young Tanner Wilson holding the fish firmly in both arms. It did not get away.

This story was originally published June 8, 2020 at 1:20 PM with the headline "Watch young anglers’ priceless reactions as prized first fish slips from their hands."