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Young Valley angler pulls up rare albino catfish from Chaparral Lake in Scottsdale

Arizona Game and Fish Department confirmed to 12News that albino catfish are not commonly found in Arizona.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — It was Gabe Drews' second catch of the day from the depths of Chaparral Lake, but a rare catch for anglers in Arizona. 

The 12-year-old angler catching an albino catfish off a generous fellow angler's gifted bait. 

"It was catfish guts and blood and mixed with bread," Drews said. "And it's really stinky, so the fish like it."

Once reeling in the uncommon catch Drews snapped a few photos and released it back into the water before calling the Arizona Game and Fish Department. 

According to the Arizona Game and Fish Department, the catch is "definitely not common," but albino catfish can "occasionally" be part of stockings in Arizona community waters. 

Drews' mom, Tina Drews, said her son came home very excited. 

"We were all just super excited for him to have that really special catch right there in Scottsdale, near where we live," Tina Drews said. 

Fishing is a newfound passion for Drews, who said the experience at Chaparral Lake earlier this month marked his first time fishing there. 

A hard trip to top, given the rare albino catfish he pulled up.

"I thought it was really fun. I think other people should fish. You can catch cool things too, and all different kinds of things," Drews said. "Just make sure you have the right stuff."

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