An amateur fisherman has caught the largest freshwater fish ever recorded in the UK. Officially known as Siluro (Silurus glanis, scientifically) is popularly like catfish, it was caught in a lake in Maldon, in the east of England.
Darren Reitz, 34, was responsible for catching the fish. In an interview with BBC News, Mr Reitz said it took an hour and four people to bring the fish to the surface. “Three of my friends even jumped into the water with nets as we were afraid the fish would escape,” the fisherman said.
A garbage man by profession, Reitz said he likes to fish because of the tranquility and silence. The fishery in question lasted about 14 hours and was nearing its end when the fish was caught. According to Reitz, the caught catfish looked like a “monster.”
The fish, caught in a specific fishing lake, was weighed by Paul Tallowin, owner of the establishment, who measured 64.4 kg, surpassing the previous record of 58.9 kg, also held by a catfish.
Tallowin told the BBC that this is probably not the biggest fish in the lake. “On average, catfish gain about 3.2 kg per year, and this one must be about 45 years old. I believe there are some bigger ones, it depends on what they find to eat,” said the owner of the establishment.
According to the BBC, the fish was returned to the lake, but was photographed with Reitz and given the name Scar, which means scar in English.
