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Seven-foot 122lb Diss Mere monster captured




An angler unintentionally captured a seven-foot long fish, which was believed by many to be a myth.

Phil Spinks, who is a highly experienced angler, was fishing for carp at the Mere in Diss on Tuesday when he hooked the 122lb monster.

After a lengthy tussle, Mr Spinks landed the catfish, before contacting Diss and District Angling Club .

Monster of the Mere (41275657)
Monster of the Mere (41275657)

Once informed of the jaw-dropping capture, the angling club informed the Environment Agency , so that the fish could be safely moved to other waters.

The fish is believed to be the same one reported to have been caught in the Mere five years ago, when it weighed 100lb, having been placed in the lake illegally by an unknown individual sometime before 2015.

Martin Buckenham, 36, treasurer for Diss and District Angling Club, said: “We don’t have a licence for it to be in the Mere and, if we didn’t contact the Environment Agency to have it removed, we would have faced a big fine. Scientific testing needs to be done on fish before they are stocked to ensure that diseases aren’t brought into the water.

“The River Waveney is also close by and overflow water can go into the river through pipework, which creates a further risk.

“You can see by the size of it that they also eat a lot of fish, so its presence certainly isn’t good for the ecosystem.

“There has been a lot of hatred directed at ourselves and the Environment Agency and we even have anglers who live miles away and aren’t even members of the club commenting and wanting to know where it is being moved to.”

Anglers had reported hooking, but losing, the giant catfish previously, but none have been able to land it in front of witnesses until now.

A spokesman for the Environment Agency said: “We were contacted by the local angling club in Diss, who reported that a catfish had been caught. Our officers visited the club and removed the catfish with specialist equipment. It was then transported to an undisclosed location in a large fish tank.

“Catfish are a non-native species that can harm delicate river eco-systems. They can only be used for angling purposes when in a fully enclosed still water, where the owner has a permit granted by the Environment Agency.

“We are unable to say where the catfish has been moved to due to the high amount of attention this could generate.”



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