THE long-standing British Record catfish known as ‘Goliath’ has just been recaught after nearly 25 years… and now it’s a whole lot bigger!
Back in 1997, Goliath was caught from Withy Pool by Richard Garner at 62lb and was the last catfish to be accepted as the official best before controversy surrounding imported fish resulted in the British Record Fish Committee (BRFC) closing the record list for the species.
Withy Pool, in Bedfordshire, has been virtually unfished for years, but Catfish Conservation Group member Steve Stewart was given the chance to fish the historic venue by owner Matt Burlison and landed the very same fish, this time weighing 101lb.
“I’m good mates with Richard Garner, the current record holder,” said Steve,
“and he confirmed that it’s the same fish he caught in 1997, identifiable by a lump on its jaw.”
We asked the BRFC what the chances were of the fish being considered for another record listing. Their secretary, Nick Simmonds, said:
“I don’t think there’s any intention on the part of the BRFC to reopen the catfish listing, and I told Steve it’s unlikely we’d consider a claim. But it’s a nice story and although there’s no record, I’m sure we all appreciate what a special catch this is.”
