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Cat'll do nicely!

March 1st 2008.

Now I know it's not sea angling, but I just had to mention a mate's recent coarse fishing session. I logged on to the usual forums and there's a thread from my old mate Flipper Field. He'd done an all night session on a local still water and caught Sturgeon of 53, 55, 61 and 64lb and two catfish of 52lb and, wait for it, 110lb!!! There was a great picture in the Eastern Daily Press, there he was on the back page with what looked like a Jurassic tadpole, bloody great thing. For those with a technical interest in the how's, why's and wherefore's Dave caught the beast on a 3lb test curve rod, size 2 korda wide gape hook carrying a roach dead bait on 20lb xline.

sturgeon

Not a bad start!

How the hell do you get enthusiastic about going to try and catch 2lb codling? It's got to be almost impossible to raise your game after a session like that. Flipper's now had four freshwater fish over 60lb, a cracking record by any standards. He's had a mirror carp of 61lb 8oz, 61 and 64lb sturgeon and the big cat. I don't fully know the politics with British freshwater record lists, lots of fish seem to move about between here and Europe these days, but whether it's a record or not is largely irrelevant in my opinion. I'm just chuffed a mate has had some of the best sport anybody is ever likely to have, a proper red letter day that I know Flipper won't forget while he's got a breath in him, awesome.

Flip

This is the quality of fish he's used to out of our seas, here he is trying to get a tune out of a "mouth organ" whiting. Terry has a just sizeable codling, probably good bait for big cats!

Here in his own words and with pictures:

A couple of mates (Matt and Murph) and myself decided to give our local day ticket venue, Witchlake in Hockwold, an over night session. Matt had seen cats moving the week before and a 52lb cat came out that weekend.

So Friday afternoon 29th February we arrived in heavy rain with winds picking up, why do the forecasters always get it right when you don't want them to! Fortunately there was a brief break in the weather allowing us to get bivvies set up, baits out and the kettle on.  (We must have had a feeling about this weekend as the usual bottles of wine were left at home!)

Witchlake has a good stock of sturgeon, carp and catfish, and the first to show was a 55lb sturgeon.

We had a steady stream of fish throughout the night, add to this the wind blowing a hoolie and heavy showers, meaning not much sleep.  By the time dawn was creeping over the horizon, Murph had had  PB catfish of 39lb and two Sturgeon of 47 and 59lb,  Matt had 3 cat fish 22, 24 and 33lb, and I had had 4 sturgeon of 53, 55, 61 and PB 64lb (the 64 and 53 on the bank at the same time!) and a PB catfish of 52lb.

A truly fantastic nights fishing!

BUT.....

at 6am my roach deadbait came to life! The moment I hit it I knew this was definitely different to anything I had had that night.  First thought - foul hooked sturgeon.  I had absolutely no control, my 3lb tc greys prodigy was practically bent double and my 20lb Xline was screaming off my reel.  20 minutes later I at last started to make line on it, with all of us asking the question 'what the hell is this!?'

Size 4 hook held and it surfaced for the first time 10 minutes later, jaws dropped and then   '...king hell!!!'.  Monster catfish!  Hearts stopped when the first two attempts to get it in the net only saw it swim out, the 50inch specimen net really didn't appear big enough.  The third attempt we had it curled up nicely in the net, like a kitten in a basket!  Next task was to lift it out of the water!  It took two of us and then we could really appreciate the size of it.

The new owner of the venue was phoned so that he could come and witness his very own monster catfish.  It took three of us a JRC hi care sling and Ruben Heaton scales to establish that it weighed 110lb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The new owner Tim, true to his word of £100 for a catfish over 100lb handed over the readies. Thanks Tim! Needless to say he will probably get it all back as I might just have to go again! 

It has been said this fish is now to be known as 'flipper' (my nickname) if this is the case.......lost for words too emotional!!!

catfish

The beast!

Thanks ever so much Dave for the words and excellent pictures, a top class session if there ever was one. Mrs Aitch has asked if you could do our lottery numbers please!