The whopper that did NOT escape: A British angler lands 30 STONE catfish – one of the world’s largest – after ‘fight of a lifetime’ to catch a monster in Thailand
- Dean McEwan from Renfrewshire caught the huge fish in Palm Tree Lagoon
- It took the 36-year-old an hour and a half to reel in the giant Mekong catfish
- The critically endangered specimen was 7 feet long and weighed 30 stone
A British angler landed a whopping 30-stone catfish – one of the largest in the world – after “the fight of a lifetime” to capture the monster in Thailand.
Dean McEwan, a 36-year-old oil rig engineer from Renfrewshire, Scotland, was stunned after he hooked monster Mekong catfish during a fishing trip at Palm Tree Lagoon Fishery.
The mighty specimen gave Dean the “fight of his life” and it took him an hour and a half to reel it in.
Three men then had to help hoist it into a large net so the catch could be measured.
Dean McEwan (centre), a 36-year-old oil rig engineer from Renfrewshire in Scotland, was stunned when he hooked monster Mekong catfish during a fishing trip at Palm Tree Lagoon Fishery
The 7-foot specimen tipped the scales at a mighty 30 stones (420 lbs).
While there is no official record for the largest catfish caught by a British angler in Thailand, Dean’s attempt is almost certainly the largest.
He said: “When you first feel the true power of these fish, you’ll understand why they hold the title of the world’s hardest fighting freshwater fish.
“It was midday and hot when I took my eyes off the float for a second, only to hear the braid whip off the spool of my rod.”
He added: “I immediately picked up the bar and leaned into it. As soon as it took off I knew it was a big girl.
“I’ve caught quite a few catfish so I knew what I was getting into. There’s really nothing you can do with these fish other than pull the line back whenever you get an opportunity, usually when the fish is changing direction.
“It was really an endurance test. An hour and a half later we landed the fish and let it sit for a while.”
The mighty specimen gave Dean the “fight of his life” and it took him an hour and a half to reel it in
After recording his weight and measurements and posing for the obligatory photo, an exhausted Dean released the catfish back into the lake safe and sound.
Tim Webb, a British expat who fishes with his wife Benchawan, said: “This is the biggest catfish in the lake and probably in Thailand.
“This is definitely the largest catfish caught by a Brit.”
The Mekong giant catfish is the official freshwater heavyweight champion of the world.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, a 9-foot fish caught in northern Thailand in 2005 weighed 646 pounds, making it the largest freshwater fish ever recorded.
Because their numbers have drastically declined in recent decades, they were listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union in 2003.