Picture: fisherman lands biggest UK freshwater fish ever caught

Published on 01/08/2012 10:29

A FISHERMAN usually laughed at for his terrible luck was left reeling – when he landed Britain’s biggest ever freshwater fish.

James Jones, 31, was stunned when he hooked the monster wels catfish, which weighed a whopping 144lb (65.3kg). The father of three, of Essex, spent two hours fighting to bring the giant into the bank with the help of two other fishermen.

The catch was so big that 5ft 6in tall James and his friends had to haul the animal on to land using their bare hands because the rod could not cope.