Amateur angler sets new freshwater record after battling for 50 minutes to haul in monster 143lb catfish (despite not landing anything else all day)

• Darren Reitz, 34 hauled an 143lb-catfish out of Chigborough Lake, Essex
• What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever caught? Email [email protected]

An amateur angler who went all day without catching anything has landed the UK’s biggest ever fish caught by rod in freshwater.

Darren Reitz, 34, said he and three others had to battle for 50 minutes to haul the 143lb catfish out of Chigborough Lake on Saturday night. 

The dustman from Rainham in Essex had started his day of fishing at the nature reserve in Maldon, Essex at 8.30am but had failed to catch a single fish.

After more than 12 hours fishing, at around 10.30pm, Mr Reitz said something finally took his bait and an hour after struggling against the monster fish, he was weighing his catch.

The previous record for a catfish was set at 130lb and the British Record (rod-caught) Fish Committee (BRFC) has encouraged the record-breaking fisherman to claim his title. 

What’s the biggest fish you’ve ever caught? Send your pictures to [email protected]

The angler said he was overjoyed by his catch which has been nicknamed Scar. 

Mr Reitz, who started fishing in 2017,  ignored the advice of his friends and after a long day of disappointment switched his bait and managed to land the giant catch.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing.

He told The Telegraph: ‘My friends started panicking as it was clearly a big fish and they were telling me how I should pull it out.’

The fish could be the largest ever caught in the UK and Mr Reitz said he was a ‘over the moon’.

‘I can’t stop talking about it, you never think you will catch something like that.’ he said. 

In a post on Facebook, Chigboro Fisheries said: ‘The grizzly weather over the weekend didn’t dampen the spirits for Darren Reitz’.

They included photos of the angler next to his giant prize-winning catch. 

What is a catfish? 

Catfish are are the largest freshwater fish in the UK.

The predatory fish scavenge as well as hunt and eat most baits.

They have also been known to eat small animals and birds and can be very strong.

Living up to 90 years, catfish can grow to be bigger than 600lbs.

 They are classed as an invasive alien species and are under strict controls to keep their population numbers low.

Nick Simmonds, secretary to the BRFC, said the record for a catfish was set in 2000 at 62lb but record keeping was closed in October 2000 over fears it was encouraging the illegal importation of large catfish.

On November 9, 2023, the BRFC reopened record-holding and set 130lb as the benchmark. 

The BRFC secretary has encouraged the record-breaking fisherman to come forward and claim his prize.

The 143lb-catfish is thought to be not only the biggest catfish caught in Britain but it’s officially the biggest of any fish caught on a rod in freshwater in the UK.

Mr Reitz has already received a reward for his hard work.

After releasing the gigantic fish into a different lake, Chigborough’s fishery bailiff, who looks after lakes and makes sure anglers are following the law, paid him £143 in cash.

The fishing club had been looking to remove catfish from the lake Mr Reitz was fishing in and were delighted by his surprising catch. 

The cash prize and his new record have spurred Mr Reitz on and he is hoping to come back next weekend and catch another huge catfish.

The dustman only started fishing in 2017 after being attacked in a nightclub in Southend-on-sea, Essex earlier in the year. 

He took up fishing and motocross, a form of off-road motorbike racing, after being the victim of an unprovoked attack which he said resulted in him needing metal plates inserted into his face.