Biggest catfish in uk ?

[tortoise100]

Hi I know the official record has been abolished but if we forget about that what is the actual record at the moment .
By this I mean the biggest freshwater fish in the uk just currious as to why this info is hard to find you would have thought the records would have just continued anyway .

 

[dannytaylor]

not sure either Ive heard of 80Ib + fish, has the "ton up" been achieved?

 

[Bob Hornegold]

Danny,

Cemex Boat Pool has an official 82lb Catfish, but I'm sure there are Bigger ones than that !!

The trouble is, you hook them on Carp Tackle and they dissappear across the lake ?

Bob

 

[noknot]

How long has the "Wels" been in the UK now?

 

[geggsnick]

this is one record fish i would NOT like to catch...must be a nightmare to deal with on the bank, big long slimy things...

 

[Bob Hornegold]

How long has the "Wels" been in the UK now?

I think Woburn stocked them at the end of the 18th century ?

And some were liberated to local waters in that area ?

Bob

 

[noknot]

Thank's Bob! How about Zanders? And Nick Cats are like pussys on the bank, no trouble at all....

 

[geoffmaynard]

I think Woburn stocked them at the end of the 18th century ?

Spot on. Seventy fish introduced Oct 20th 1880 in the shoulder of mutton pond at Wolburn. About time they were considered British imho.

 

[tortoise100]

I thought i saw 132lb but not sure where .

 

[robhale]

The problem with the Wels record is that it started off well (mid 90's) when my local club FAS stocked them along with Cemex at 3-4lbs (Ian will remember), and they grew to 70lbs+. However there was also a number of Wels which had been imported at much larger sizes, making any record irrelevant.

They're also classed as an alien invasive species, so stocking now is very difficult.

The BRFC ceased considering any new records after 23rd October 2000, current (rather irrelevant now) record of 62lbs held by R Garner, caught from Withy pool in 1997.

 

[cg74]

How long has the "Wels" been in the UK now?

Like said by Bob, Woburn Abbey stocked them circa 1782 (I seem to remember reading).

this is one record fish i would NOT like to catch...must be a nightmare to deal with on the bank, big long slimy things...

No Nick, they are very well behaved once out of water. They are bloody slimy though.mg:


Back to the thread's original question, UK biggest: Biggest I know of; 96lb and still growing!!
(and I'm not at liberty to say where it resides:wh)
Plenty of record beaters out there; White Acres Cornwall - 68lb, Farnham AS Badshot Lea Big Pond - 68lb, Linears St Johns lake - 70lb+......


But what really grinds me - why the hell can you no longer claim a new record, some ******** (rubbish) about discouraging the spread of alien species, same as with grass carp... Though the old records still stand.
Common mirror & leather carp, along with rainbow trout and zander are indigenous (sorry, "native species"), yeah??

 

[Philip]

I thought I heard of one over 100 pound years ago …there was an article in the Mail or Times maybe 10 years back …I think it was one of a pair stocked into a tiny lake..there was a picture of the owner being towed round the lake by one of them I seem to recall.

I think Claydon lakes along with Woburn was one of the first places wasn’t it ? …plus Tring held the record for a while…43.8 if I remember right…the guy catching it by accident when after Pike I think but this is off the top of my head so I may have that wrong.

 

[tortoise100]

I am honestly suprised this thread is still going without an answer yet ?

If the BRFC wont recognise it then maybe we should on here, the fish is still the biggest cat in the uk regardless of were it was born and as the biggest freshwater fish in the uk I would think lots of people would want to know how big it is .

Fishing Magic threads come up on google at the top so people will come looking.

As of now the biggest is 96lb any offers ?

 

[robhale]

There isn't an answer quite simply because the only central record of record fish doesn't recognise the record anymore. :w

I sent an email to the BRFC asking if they are prepared to tell me the largest claim they have received, regardless or not of whether they have recognised it!

I await a reply and will post up if I get one.

 

[dezza]

They're also classed as an alien invasive species, so stocking now is very difficult.

And so they should be.

Any catfish I land is going to get short shrift with a bloody big heavy rock!

 

[Philip]

And so they should be.

Any catfish I land is going to get short shrift with a bloody big heavy rock!

Goodness, what with no Catfish, no Carp, Zander for the pot ...I wonder whats next on the Clay hit list !?!

Angling would be very boring indeed if all we had left was to trot for Roach.

 

[geoffmaynard]

And so they should be.

Any catfish I land is going to get short shrift with a bloody big heavy rock!

Why Ron? They have been here longer than you - and longer than your father. Time they were considered British. Our eastern rivers probably held them once anyway, tributaries of the Maas etc.

 

[dannytaylor]

123Ib moggy reported in todays anglers mail

 

[mol]

But what really grinds me - why the hell can you no longer claim a new record, some ******** (rubbish) about discouraging the spread of alien species, same as with grass carp... Though the old records still stand.
Common mirror & leather carp, along with rainbow trout and zander are indigenous (sorry, "native species"), yeah??

I was under the impression the record was stopped for catfish due to illegal importation. There was a spate of big cats getting caught that where obviously being imported illegally although there was never enough proof to prosecute so in a bid to stop this the record was closed.

 

[robhale]

Indeed, my email and the response from the BRFC:

(Yes, I have noticed the complete lack of correspondence etiquette my auto-sig has)

*****
Dear Sirs,

I am aware that the official record for the Wels Catfish in the UK was stopped a number of years ago, however there is currently a lot of confusion (and no central record or authority) on the largest Wels Catfish in the UK.

If the BRFC are not officially recognising the record, would you be good enough to advice what the largest claim is that you have received?

Best regards

Rob
******

The response:

Dear Mr Hale

The Wells Catfish record was closed on 23rd. October 2000 at 62 lbs. by the committee as fish exceeding that record were reported as being illegally stocked into UK waters.

We have since that date not entertained any new claims.

Regards

Ian Epps (Chairman BRFC)

********


So, no answer to my question and doesn't look like there will be anything from them in the future.

Surely if a Wels Catfish had been illegally stocked, then a quick check with the EA would suffice?

I wonder what their position is on Carp, after all, there is a thriving market in imports, legal and otherwise...