Schoolboy lands giant catfish (and it's the biggest fish in Britain)

Updated
teen-catches-giant-catish-biggest-fish-in-britain-norfolk
teen-catches-giant-catish-biggest-fish-in-britain-norfolk

A schoolboy has set a record after catching the biggest fish in Britain.

Will Sutton, 14, from Colchester, Essex, landed a giant catfish that was 7ft long and weighed 8 stone 10lb.

He was fishing at the Oakwood Park Lake in Thetford, Norfolk, when he landed his record-breaking catch.

The boy was woken at 5am in his waterside tent at 5am by his electronic bite alarm.

And, after a massive 45-minute struggle, he landed the 7ft Wels catfish.

He told the Daily Mail: "After two days of only catching carp suddenly my rod alarm went off and my reel started screaming.

"I struck into the fish and immediately the rod bent forward and was almost ripped from my hands. I knew that I had hooked one of the big catfish in the lake."

The fish was around a stone heavier than Will, so he had a bit of help from his Uncle Graham, 60, dragging it from the lake onto the bank.

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teen-catches-giant-catish-biggest-fish-in-britain-norfolk


After weighing it and having some photos taken, the pair then released the fish back into the water.

Experts say it is the biggest living fish in Britain. And Will also managed to beat the record for the biggest freshwater fish caught by a junior in Britain.

According to the Express, catfish records were suspended by the British Records Fish Committee (BRFC) in 2000 because they are a non-native species.

But, Mike Heylin, chairman of the BRFC, said he thought Will's catch was a new record.

He told the paper: "We don't keep records on catfish catches any more, but at 122lbs Will's catfish catch is five or six pounds heavier than the next biggest catfish.

"It is highly likely it is the biggest fish in Britain - I don't know of any fish that is bigger.

"I'm also positive that no junior angler has ever caught a freshwater fish this big in Britain."



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