The joiner, from Clayton-le-Woods, caught the 34.5lb whopper in the River Nith, near Dumfries.
And after safely returning the slippery fellow, Sam was handed Scotland’s most prestigious angling honour, the Savills Malloch Trophy, for his haul.
The trophy is awarded to the person who records the largest salmon caught on the fly “in a sportsmanlike manner” and returns it unharmed.
Sam said: “In 27 years of fly-fishing it has always been my ambition to catch a salmon of over 20lb.
“This ambition was well and truly achieved!
“I saw something huge breaking the surface of the water.
“It appeared almost like the back of a seal. Two casts later my line just stopped.
At first the fish seemed unaware that it was hooked.
“Then it took off and I had an epic battle of 45 minutes before eventually we were able to land it.
“After quickly weighing it, we returned it to the water and with a flash of the tail it swam off very strongly.”
Sam’s mammoth salmon was cast as the winner out of nine possible contenders at the Savills Malloch Trophy Committee meeting last week.
His entry, which fulfilled the relevant criteria including best evidence and careful handling, was after lengthy consideration endorsed as the winner for 2011. www.lep.co.uk