Why this Maine fishing guide is reeling in tires, too

For Brandon Bichrest, the catch of the day isn't a fish.

Instead, the Maine fishing guide has made it his goal to reel in tires.

In total, Bichrest has already caught 197 tires this year along the Androscoggin River.

"On my biggest day -- I pulled 32 tires on the boat and it took me an hour and a half," he told NBC affiliate News Center Maine .

Removing the tires from the river has environmental benefits, as he notes the rubber tires coat the river bottom with pollutants.

Bichrest says some of the tires he pulls out are nearly 100 years old, dating back to the 1930s. He says he rarely sees any newer than the 1980s.

Despite bringing in nearly 200 tires already in 2025, Bichrest says he has a long way to go to remove all the tires he estimates sit at the bottom of the Androscoggin.