This is one fishing story that is no exaggeration.

Nine-year-old Austin Underwood of Liberty Pole was only minutes into his very first beginner’s summer fishing class at the Esofea Park Ponds, Monday, when he discovered that his line “was going nuts.”

Just before that, Underwood’s fishing instructor, Daryl Skrupky, noticed that the incoming fourth-grader at Viroqua Elementary School had a knot in his fishing line and went to untangle it.

When Skrupky took hold of the line, he felt something tugging on it.

Realizing right away that his young student had a bite, Skrupky instructed Underwood to take his pole and reel in his catch.

Underwood said Skrupky helped him bring the fish in by pulling on the line, when out came a 24-inch rainbow trout.

Skrupky estimated the fish to be a little more than five pounds in weight.

“He was wiggling a lot,” Underwood said.

Skrupky said for the first day, the first five minutes and the first catch, it was a terrific start to Viroqua’s summer fishing school.

“That was just an awesome catch,” Skrupky said.

The trout is not only the biggest fish Underwood has ever caught — this young fisherman has been fishing since he was three — it’s also the largest ever at Esofea Pond and in the approximately 15-year history of the summer school fishing program as well.

In the past, Skrupky has taken students to the Mississippi River to catch bigger fish, but apparently it can happen in one’s own backyard, too.

Skrupky said the year before, another fishing student, Erik Vesbach, nabbed a six-pound bass on his first day of fishing.

The 24-inch rainbow would be a lifetime achievement for many a Wisconsin trout angler, who dreams of hauling in a fish 20 inches or longer.

“I got lucky,” Under-wood said.

Skrupky said it was just by chance they were fishing at Esofea at all.

Underwood and the 18 others in the class were supposed to be fishing that morning at Sidie Hollow, but Skrupky scrubbed those plans after the heavy rains over the weekend and drizzling rain on Monday.

This year’s fishing school has a total of 56 fishing enthusiasts signed up for the introductory fishing class this week, and 42 the second week for the advanced fishing class from June 15-19.

Will Underwood reel in yet another lunker?

“I’m not done fishing,” he said.