A NOVICE Suffolk fisherman landed what is believed to be a record catfish while on holiday in Spain.

A NOVICE Suffolk fisherman landed what is believed to be a record catfish while on holiday in Spain.

Chris Hysett, who lives at Cavendish, near Sudbury, was on a fishing holiday with friends in northern Spain when he caught a 100kg (220lb) plus catfish. When the fish, which was caught in the River Ebro in Mequinenza, Aragon, which borders Catalonia, six witnesses verified that the scales bottomed out at their maximum of 100kg, so it is thought the catfish weighed even more. The 58-year-old's catch, which was 2.34 metres (7.68ft) in length, is believed to be a record weight in the country. Chris, who said he rarely has time to go fishing due to running his own businesses, quipped: “I needed help from five other people to haul the fish from the water! My arms are still aching!”

Chris, who runs Associated Trainers Ltd, which trains people for fork-lift driving, and Chocolate Box weddings, a chauffeur service, was on holiday in Spain with four friends who also caught catfish on the trip, ranging from 34kg (76lb) up to 64kg (140lb). Catfish have one of the greatest ranges in size within a single order of fish. The British rod caught record stands at a mere 62lb from Withy Lake in Bedfordshire in 1997.

But the species has thrived in the warmer waters of southern Europe with catches of over 200lb reported from rivers and lakes in Spain and Italy.

The largest specimens on record measure more than 2.5m (8.2ft) in length and have exceeded 100kg (220lb).