Keith: Mulling over monster catfish

I'm not sure if I fancy latching onto one or not; my carp-fishing sessions on the Thames are quite short and swee so hooking a 5ft-long catfish and having it come at me head-first would generate more than moderate surprise - shock even!

Keith Arthur
Quotes of the week

In the early 1920s, Mr George Wilson, then proprietor of Wilson's Boatyard at Sunbury on Thames, which still exists, stocked some 'Austrian Welles Catfish' into the river from his slipway.

Two stockings were made, in June and September of, I believe, 1923. The earlier fish were 6ins (15cm) long and the early Autumn introduction was of fish up to 12ins (30cm).

It was noted in the angling paper of the time - Anglers' News - along with a photograph of a Derby-hatted, waistcoated Mr Wilson depositing the fish from what looked like a large enamel bowl.

I guess that little was heard or thought of those catfish, which we now know as wels but over the past few years, as the anglers fishing the Thames have changed, so there have been tales of big cats.

Up to the turn of the Millennium most anglers fished the Thames for roach and dace, hoping for an occasional bream or chub, or even a barbel.

The huge majority of anglers floatfished although during the 1970s the blockend feeder craze took hold. But even then tackle strength was geared more towards roach and dace as bonus fish were rare.

Of course anglers hooked fish and lost them - each loss usually being attributed to barbel as no fish, pound for pound, fights as hard in our freshwater fisheries.

Occasionally blame would be heaped upon the head of an eel when slime was found above the hooklink.

Monsters

Since Y2K (it's a long time since I used that!) an ever-increasing number of anglers have fished the Thames for specimen fish, mostly carp in the lower reached and they have been well-rewarded with captures of fish to close-on 40lbs.

Obviously the tackle requirements for landing fish of this size, and fighting capabilities, is vastly different from that used previously.

Now some of the previously unseen monsters are coming to light - and some of them are wels catfish.

Stories of fish over 50lbs captured between Walton and Weybridge refuse to go away and I have no doubt such a fish, or fishes, exist.

Some four or five years ago a group of anglers gathered at Canbury Gardens in Kingston on Thames for their regular Thursday evening sweepstake.

As they stood awaiting the prescribed time for the draw, they watched a senior angler fishing for bream (you can't help it - if someone's fishing, it's compulsory to watch!), he was bemoaning the fact only small roach were taking his bait.

Experienced Thames match angler Andy Love suggested he try a worm on his hook instead of red maggot and donated a wriggly redworm to the cause.

The now-worm-baited feeder rig was cast out and, as soon as it settled on the bottom, the rod tip wrenched round and kept going.

The gathered throng all proposed the attempted rod-stealer as a carp, maybe an outsize barbel and, after an arduous battle lasting several minutes on relatively stout gear, a wels catfish appeared on the surface.

A bigger landing net was assembled and, once netted, the fish was found to weigh 20lb 10oz on the scales to be used in the match.

That, as far as I was concerned, was the first irrefutable claims to have caught a cat from the Thames because people I trust to be my eyes saw it.

Another pal, John Gard - a tidal Thames angler of great repute - swears he spotted one once, whilst halfway up a tree outside Marble Hill Gardens, Twickenham, looking into the rising tide to see if he could notice any carp moving. I trust John too.

So, when John called me on Sunday to advise me that a wels catfish had been caught from Kingston weighing in at 60lbs and that pictures of the fish were available in the local tackle shop, I believe him.

Two seasons ago a carp angler in Kingston reported losing a catfish that, in his words: "...could have been 100lb". Who knows?

Proof

Now, having made a brief study of wels morphology, it is not beyond the realms of reality that this fish could be one of the original stocking. They can certainly live for more than 80 years; there is proof of such an age.

Maybe those original kittens stocked by Mr Wilson are still there, or maybe they have bred and there are more wels in the river than even I think.

Possibly they have come from other sources: a 'specimen fish group' were giving away small cats at a meeting some years ago, encouraging their members, quite illegally, to spread the things to their local waters.

However, a 60lb catfish in the wild in our climate is going to be more than 20 years old so the latter scenario is unlikely.

In continental rivers, including the Seine, which isn't too far removed from the Thames as far as climate goes, fish well over 100lbs exist and are caught.

Their main diet is crustaceans - the lower Thames is alive with mitten crabs - and fish, especially slow moving fish such as bream. A 5lb bream makes a decent meal for a big catfish of 60lb and more.

I'm not sure if I fancy latching onto one or not: my carp-fishing sessions on the Thames are quite short and sweet; hooking a 5ft-long catfish and having it come at me head-first would generate more than moderate surprise - shock even!

As for the chance of 100lb fish, and bigger, I doubt that even modern carp tackle would handle a fish of that ilk from the Thames without a large portion of luck.

And if it did, a fair old landing net would be required.

Keith answers your questions

MIXING IT UP
Keith, I love river fishing, and have mostly fished small rivers in Kent - mainly the Kentish Stour and occasionally the Medway. I did one trip last autumn to the Thames at Hampton Court by the Mole conflluence and I caught plenty of small dace and some better roach trotting (which I love doing) albeit I did enjoy the challenge. Could you advise me where on the Thames I can comfortably fish for a nice mixed bag of species without having to "beachcast" to the horizon? I am buying a sturdier speci-rod to try fishing for the big chub but any other tips? I know it's a big question but I intend on giving it a good go this season. Thanks, Phil
KEITH SAYS: A couple of weeks ago, I left my mate John fishing on the tidal Thames in Richmond. He'd lost a barbel and landed a 24.4 mirror, having started at 7.30am. His pal, another John, had 3 carp: 16, 22.4 and 26.6 fishing 400m away. John 1 was using a 12ft barbel rod, free-spool-type reel and 10lb line with a 2oz grip lead, 15lb Strip Teaze hooklink and a 14mm boilie wrapped in boilie-mix paste. John 2 used a method feeder with sweetcorn on the hook!!! They were both amazed that they'd not been 'breamed out' as earlier in the week the bream were going bonkers. The entire stretch from Kew to Teddington holds plenty of fish, it's a case of working out the tides. I like to fish the run-down and then the out period between Teddington and Twickenham but below Richmond half-lock once the tide has dropped the water can be VERY low. That's handy for short sessions. As for the non-tidal river, Canbury Gardens in Kingston has bream galore, with decent roach as well as odd carp (to mid-30s!), VERY odd barbel and even more scarce chub, but they can be massive. One place worth trying for big chub is on the opposite bank to the Mole confluence, between the bridge and the start of the 'natural' bank. Another spot is at the end of Cherry Orchard Lane at Molesey. All of those would be better suited to a specialist, legering approach; float fishing for the bigger fish is a much harder task although I've had some good bags of bream on the tidal and some good chub from Walton, on the stick float. It's better suited to winter though.

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