wels catfish

[DTidmarsh]

Hi Aaron,

Didn’t know the answer to your question but found an interesting article whilst looking.

It seems that we also haven’t got a large amount of them here; I myself have never caught or heard of one being caught. Hes a copy of that article which makes me glad I haven’t

 
A catfish can decimate all other life in a river

A teenager illegally threw a large catfish back in to a village river and now it could have escaped in to the River Thames. 
The Environment Agency called off a four-day search for the Wels catfish when it could find no sign of it in the River Darent in Kent. 

Bosses of the agency's fisheries team say they will not seek to prosecute Oliver Parker-Grater for the unwitting act, because of his age. 



When I saw it in the water I knew it was a big 'un, but had no idea it was larger than me. But I was not about to let it get away
 
Angler Oliver Parker-Grater  
The operation to land the 5ft-long Wels catfish, which weighs 40lbs and is worth up to £2,000, began after fears he could decimate other wildlife in the river. 

Fifteen-year-old Oliver of Pollyhaugh, Eynsford, was unaware of how dangerous Darren could be, when he threw it back. 

Angler Oliver caught Darren after battling him for 90 minutes and being pulled along the river from one end of the village to the other. 

He had to climb into the water, straddle the fish and lift it out with his hands, as it was bigger and heavier than him. 

Oliver told a local newspaper: "When I saw it in the water I knew it was a big 'un, but had no idea it was larger than me. But I was not about to let it get away." 

Adrian Saunders, who has been leading the search for Darren, said his team had been using electro-shock fishing techniques for three days. 



The Environment Agency team have called off their search
 
"My suspicion is that he has swum downriver towards the Dartford Creek area and could even be in the River Thames." 

Darren is believed to have been illegally imported into Britain to provide game for anglers who relish the fight they give. 

Mr Saunders said: "We think the fish was illegally imported and stocked in a gravel pit in the Sundridge area, which is upstream of Eynsford. 

"He was then washed out of the pit during the floods at the start of this year and escaped into the Darent. 

"We do not believe anyone would put a fish of this size deliberately in a small river like this." 

The Wels catfish is Europe's largest freshwater fish and is not indigenous to the UK. 

They have no natural predators in Britain, can grow up to eight feet long and feed on fish, small mammals and waterfowl. 

Razor-sharp teeth 

Mr Saunders added: "These are very strong, muscular fish that put up a huge fight." 

Catfish have an ugly appearance, looking like a giant tadpole with a huge bulbous head and a wide slash of a mouth lined with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth, which are used to rasp its prey. 

"The presence of huge carnivorous fish like this can be a threat to the environment," added Mr Saunders. 

The current British record for a Wels catfish - Latin name Siluris Glanis - in Europe is 62lbs, while the world record weight is 202lbs.

[rudding]

hello wells catfish are really wide spread in britain and can grow up to 500lbs and that will put up a fight so keep in touch :surrender:

[English_Pride]

Im afraid the last comment isnt the case.

The British record for wels catfish is around 62lb. They dont grow as big here in the UK becuase they are not a native species so the climate and environment is not perfect for them.
Fisheries stocked with catfish aren't too common around the UK. The fish have large apitites and can seriously damage fish populations in some lakes. However there still are some great fisheries that stock catfish. Anglers Paridice in oakhampton, devon, has some huge specimines. Ive been there myself but not fished for them.

If you want to catch big cat fish, goto France and fish, most of their rivers are hold large amounts of huge fish.

[madaboutsilurus]

Thats right silurus glannis or the wels catfish is not native to the UK but it has been stocked here for its excellent fighting potential. The record book was closed with a 62LB cat for fears that illegal imports would smash the genuinely uk bread cats. however, there are several places that have got imports that are known about with the record one being at Oak Lodge in Essex this was last out at 121lb.

I would not support your theory about cats devistating native fish stocks as they are more scavengers than preditors and have been found to co-exist quite happily with all other species. They do howver, prey on dead and dying fish and do wonders for keeping lakes quite healthy. I fish a lake in essex for cats and am always getting plagued with bream and find that perch and silver fish are abundent. I do confess though that many of the smaller silver fished tend to get caught and used as bait so we are more of a threat to these fish than the cats are. But who was a discustingly slimey bream that is the equivelent fight to a perch in a crisp packet.

I hope this answers your questions but if you want to see more then go to www.catfishconservationgroup.co.uk

incidently i am the fat guy just wearing underpants cuddeling a 67lb wels beauty

[English_Pride]

It is popular angling belief that cat fish are scavengers and scavengers only, however this has been proved simply untrue.

Luke Moffat, possibly the worlds greatest wels catfish angler, will always use a livebait whilst fishing rivers such as the Somme in France. This is because the cats whiskers detect vibrations and sounds, proving that they indeed do feed on live baits. The fish smell by using scent glands situated all the way up its body, most of these are concentrated around the head area.

Cat fish feed on both live and dead baits.

[camo]

I must agree with English Pride,
The Siluris Glanis is not just a scavenger it readily takes healthy fish, Naccolt Lake in Wye has a Wels Catfish weighing over 70lbs and has deleted the Tench stocks considerably and it's the only one in the water, it was stocked by a local after it outgrew his fish tank at approximately 5lb-0oz.

26lb-0oz From Chilham Mill

[camo]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...0ozCatfish.jpg

[DTidmarsh]

Is that you? :???:

[camo]

Afraid so :tup:

[mattbird49]

hey how big was it and wot did u catch it on??? i have had a 26lb out of the waveney valley complex on two casters. i heard that catfish are mainly nocturnal but i caught mine in broad midday sunshine. Is this true??