This list is of the heaviest European freshwater fish caught using the traditional angling method of rod and line.
The criteria for inclusion on this list is that the species, weight, date and venue have been published by a recognized publisher with a genuine photograph and a link to that publication is referenced here. The list is intended to include all categories of coarse and game fish caught by sport anglers.
| Image | Species | Weight kg | Weight lb oz | Captor | Date | Water | Country | References / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Allis Shad - Grand alose / Maifisch (Alosa alosa) | 3 kg | 7 lb | Mr. Michou | 2008 | Blavet River |  France | [1] |
 | Asp - Aspe / Aspio / (Leuciscus aspius) | 10.3 kg | 22 lb 11 oz | Miroslav Šajdák | 2008 | Vah River, Nosicky Canal |  Slovakia | [2] |
 | European Eel - Aal - Anguille - Anguilla (Anguilla anguilla)  Note 1 | 6.04 kg | 13 lb 5 oz | G. Cadora | 1991 | Niepkuhle |  Germany | [3] [4] |
 | Silver Bream - Güster / Björkna / Brème bordelière - Blicca ( Blicca bjoerkna ) | 1.48 kg | 3 lb 4 oz | Ulf Ahlinder | 2010 | Dal River |  Sweden | [5] |
| 1.474 kg | Gareth Evans | 21 May 2012 | Mill Farm Fishery, Bury, West Sussex |  England | [6] [7] | |||
 | Bream / Brachse / Braxen / Brème / Abramide ( Abramis brama ) | 10.3 kg | 22 lb 11 oz | Scot Crook | 17 April 2012 | Ferry Lagoon, Fen Drayton Lakes, Cambridgeshire, | England | [6] |
 | Common Barbel - Barbe (Barbus barbus) | 9.59 kg | 21 lb 2 oz | Colin Smithson | 7 November 2019 | Sussex River, Sussex | England | [6] |
 | Common Iberian Barbel - Barbo Común ibérico ( Luciobarbus bocagei) | 11.5 kg | 26 lb 6 oz | Mr. Felix | 2007 | Lagunas de Ruidera, Guadiana river |  Spain | [8] |
 | Comizo Barbel - Comizo ( Luciobarbus comizo) | 16.8 kg | 37 lb | David Aldana | 1 March 2017 | Lago Penarolla | Spain | [9] |
 | Andalusian Barbel - Barbo andaluz andalusische Barbe - barbeau andalouse (Luciobarbus sclateri) | 4.1 kg | 9 lb 1 oz | Peter Staggs  Netherlands | 2000 | Las Tortugas Lake, Nueva Andalucía | Spain | [8] |
 | Burbot - Quappe - Lake - Barbotte - Bottatrice (Lota lota) | 8.5 kg | 18 lb 12 oz | Margit Agren | 22 Oct 1996 | Angenmanelren | Sweden | [10] [11] |
 | Chub - Döbel / Färna / Chevaine / Cavedano (Squalius cephalus) | 5.72 kg | 12 lb 10 oz | Franz Wutte | 1991 | Gurk River |  Austria | [12] |
 | Crucian carp - Karausche / Carrassin / Carassio(Carassius carassius) | 3.64 kg | 8 lb | B. Spörlein | 2005 | Lake at Strössendorf | Germany | [3] |
 | Goldfish - Goudvis / Poisson rouge / Carassio(Carassius auratus) | 3.2 kg | 7 lb 1 oz | Brian Jensen | 2006 | Lake in Denmark TBC |  Denmark | [13] |
 | Bighead Carp - Cardona / Tolstolobec pestrý / Grootkopkarper / carpa testa grossa(Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) | 77.5 kg | 170 lb 14 oz | Diem János | 14 July 2009 | Lake Tisza (hu:Tisza-tó), (Kisköre Reservoir) |  Hungary | [14] |
 | Carp - karpfen / Karpe / Carpe / Carpa - Common, Mirror, Leather(Cyprinus carpio) | 51.2 kg | 112 lb 14 oz | Michel Schoenmakers Netherlands | 23 Nov 2018 | Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita | Hungary | [15] |
 | Silver Carp - Carpe d'argent / srebrny karp / zilveren/ Silberkarpfen(Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) | 41.5 kg | 91 lb 8 oz | Werner Schwingenschlögl | 2018 | Baggersee Schweitzer Grube | Austria | [16] |
 | Dace - Hasel / Stäm / Leuscico comune(Leuciscus leuciscus) | 0.76 kg | 1 lb 11 oz | Mario Grill | 2007 | Attersee | Austria | [17] |
 | Ide or Orfe Aland / L'ide.(Leuciscus idus) | 5.5 kg | 12 lb 2 oz | V. Korotkovs | 1989 | Lubāns |  Latvia | [18] |
 | Grass Carp - Graskarpfen / Amur bílý / Graskarper(Ctenopharyngodon idella) | 40.5 kg | 89 lb 5 oz | Diem Szeles Sándor | 21 Aug 1993 | River Danube | Hungary | [14] |
 | Grayling - Äsche - Ombre - Temolo (Thymallus thymallus) | 3.175 kg | 7 lb | H. Baumann | 1 May 1975 | Danube | Germany | [19] |
 | Huchen (Danube salmon) - Hödekin -salmón del Danubio (Hucho hucho)  Note 2 | 58 kg | 127 lb 14 oz | Halil Sofradžija | 1938 | Drina river, Dragojevic buk, Foča-Ustikolina |  Bosnia | [20] photo does not confirm the weight |
 | Mullet - Thin-Lipped Grey / Meeräsche / mulle / triglia (Liza ramada) | 3.45 kg | 7 lb 9oz | Shaun Sillett | 20 August 2012 | Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk | England | [21] |
 | Common Nase - Nose / nasus (Chondrostoma nasus) | 3.4 kg | 7 lb 8oz | Dieter Lindemann | 10 Feb 2006 | Rhine | Germany | [3] |
 | Perch - (Fluß) Barsch / Abborre / Perche / Persico(Perca fluviatilis) | 3.75 kg | 8 lb 4 oz | Stephan Gockel | 2010 | Meuse River | Netherlands | [22] |
 | Pike - Hecht / Gädda / Brochet / Luccio(Esox lucius) | 26.7 kg | 58 lb 14 oz | Lukas Matejka | October 2019 | Lake in Bohemia |  Czech Republic | [23] |
 | Prussian carp - Silver or Gibel karpfen / Karpe / Carpe / Carpa ( Carassius gibelio) | 4.84 kg | 10 lb 11 oz | Jan Zablocki | 2009 | Kocher River, Germany | Germany | [24] |
 | Roach - Rotauge / Mört / Gardon / rutilo (Rutilus rutilus) | 2.625 kg | 5 lb 12 oz | M. Müller | 1981 | Weser | Germany | [3] |
 | Black Sea roach - Perlfisch / Pärlfisk (Rutilus meidingerii) | 6.57 kg | 14 lb 8 oz | Cosimo Radler | 2015 | Wolfgangsee | Austria | [25] |
 | Cactus roach - Neitsisärg (Rutilus virgo) | 3.34 kg | 7 lb 6 oz | Peter Sagl | 2021 | Danube River | Austria | [26] |
 | Danube Roach - Frauennerfling / Gardon galant / pigo(Rutilus pigus) | 2.56 kg | 5 lb 10 oz | Jurgen Perl | 3 July 2016 | Danube River, Bavaria | Germany | [27] |
 | Rudd - Rotfeder / Sarv / Gardon Rouge / Scardola (pinne rosse)(Scardinius erythrophthalmus) | 2.7 kg | 5 lb 15 oz | S.Nagel | 1976 | Weser | Germany | [3] |
 | Tench - Barn / Sutare / Tanche / Tinca(Tinca tinca) | 6.899 kg | 15 lb 3 oz 6 dr | Darren Ward | June 2001 | Sheepwalk big pit, Shepperton, Middlesex | England | [6] [28] |
 | Atlantic Salmon - Atlantischer Lachs / Lax / Saumon / Salmone (Salmo salar) | 35.89 kg | 79 lb 2 oz | Henrik Henriksen | 1 Jan 1928 | Tana River |  Norway | [11] [29] |
 | Wels Catfish Europäischer Wels / Mal / Silure glane / Siluro (Silurus glanis) | 134.97 kg | 297 lb 9 oz | Attila Zsedely Hungary | 11 March 2010 | River Po |  Italy | [30] |
 | Siberian sturgeon - Sibirischer Stör / Esturión siberiano / Esturgeon sibérien / Storione siberiano (Acipenser baerii) Note 2 | 32 kg | 70 lb 8 oz | catcher ? | 2012 | Fishing paradise, Pielachtal | Austria | [16] |
 | Adriatic sturgeon - Adriastör / Adriatisk stör / Esturgeon de l'Adriatique / Storione (Acipenser naccarii) Note 1 | 19 kg | 41 lb 14 oz | Josef Hotzl | 2012 | Fishing paradise, Pielachtal | Austria | [32] |
 | Sterlet - Kleiner Stör / Sterlett / Esturgeon du Danube / Storione sterleto (Acipenser ruthenus) | 7.85 kg | 17 lb 5 oz | Gábor Burián-Kozma | 2002 | River Danube | Hungary | [33] |
 | European sturgeon - Europäische Stör / Esturgeon d'Europe / Sturys (Acipenser sturio) Note 1 | 176 kg | 388 lb | Alec Allen | 1932 | River Towy, Nantgaredig, Carmarthenshire |  Wales | [34] |
 | Trout, Brown - Seeforelle / Truite De Lac / Trota Di Lago / Insjööring(Salmo trutta) | 17 kg | 37 lb 8 oz | Kurt Stenlund | 16 Oct 1991 | Storsjön, Gällivare kom Lappland | Sweden | [10] |
 | Vendace - Kleine Maräne / Corégone blanc / Muikku(Coregonus albula) | 0.55 kg | 1 lb 3 oz | unknown | 1 Oct 2004 | Inarijärvi |  Finland | [36] |
 | Vimba - Zährte / Vimma / Vimbe(Vimba vimba) | 2.325 kg | 5 lb 2 oz | J. Müller | 21 May 1975 | Weser | Germany | [3] |
 | Whitefish - Renke / Sik / Siika(Coregonus lavaretus) | 7.08 kg | 15 lb 10 oz | Markku Taponen | 15 July 2000 | Sodankylä | Finland | [36] |
 | Zander - European Pikeperch / Gös / Sander / Luccioperca(Sander lucioperca) | 18.7 kg | 41 lb 4 oz | Friedrich Kraus | 1990 | Danube | Austria | [37] |
 | Ziege - Rasoir / Garda / Ožka (žuvis)(Pelecus cultratus) | 0.91 kg | 2 lb | Markku Pesonen | 2008 | Saimaar Lake | Finland | [38] |
 | Zingel - Tsingeli / Magyar bucó / Czop czarny(Zingel zingel) | 1.23 kg | 2 lb 11 oz | Gregor Käfer | 2011 | River Danube | Austria | [39] |
 | Blue Bream - Zope(Ballerus ballerus) | 2.2 kg | 4 lb 14 oz | Alexander Schulz | 2022 | Elbe | Germany | [40] |
| Image | Species | Weight kg | Weight lb oz | Captor | Date | Water | Country | References / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | Barbel (Barbus barbus) | 9.58 kg | 21 lb 1 oz | Grahame King | 22 April 2006 | Great Ouse, Adam's Mill, Gayhurst, Buckinghamshire | England | [41] |
| | Carp - karpfen / Karpe / Carpe / Carpa - Common, Mirror, Leather(Cyprinus carpio) | 49 kg | 108 lb | Marco Eichner Austria | 21 Oct 2017 | Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita | Hungary | [42] |
| 48 kg | 105 lb 13 oz | Thomas Krist Czech Republic | May 2015 | Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita | Hungary | [43] | ||
| 45.93 kg | 101 lb 4 oz | Roman Hanke Austria | 2 June 2012 | Euro Aqua Fishery, Nemesvita | Hungary | [44] | ||
| 45.49 kg | 100 lb 8 oz | Colin Smith England | April 2013 | Etang La Saussaie, Champagne (province) | France | [45] [46] | ||
| 44.91 kg | 99 lb | Ambrose Smith England | 5 June 2010 | Les Graviers, Dijon | France | [47] | ||
| 42.64 kg | 94 lb | Martin Locke England | 6 January 2010 | Rainbow lake, Bordeaux | France | [48] | ||
| 41.28 kg | 91 lb | Nick Greenall England | April 2009 | Les Graviers, Dijon | France | [49] | ||
| 41.28 kg | 91 lb | Andre Komornicki England | April 2009 | Les Graviers, Dijon | France | [50] | ||
| 40.09 kg | 88 lb 6 oz | Graham Slaughter England | 22 May 2007 | Rainbow lake, Bordeaux | France | [51] | ||
| | Pike - Hecht / Gädda / Brochet / Luccio(Esox lucius) | 25.3 kg | 55 lb 12 oz | Petar Filipov | January 2019 | 5 hectare Lake Bulgaria |  Bulgaria | [52] |
| 25 kg | 55 lb 1 oz | Lothar Louis | 16 October 1986 | Lake of Grefeern, Buhl | Germany | [3] [53] | ||
| | Wels Catfish - Europäischer Wels / Mal / Silure glane / Siluro (Silurus glanis) | 113.5 kg | 250 lb 3 oz | Roberto Godi | 5 Feb 2010 | River Po, Mantua, Lombardy | Italy | [54] |
| 112 kg | 246 lb 14 oz | Christophe Dubreuil France | September 2009 | River Ebro, Mequinenza, Province of Zaragoza | Spain | [55] | ||
| 110 kg | 242 lb 5 oz | Jakub Vagner Germany | 5 February 2009 | River Po | Italy | [54] | ||
Note 1 - European eel (Anguilla anguilla), Adriatic sturgeon (Acipenser naccarii) and European sturgeon (Acipenser sturio) are listed as Critically Endangered species (IUCN) status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Any of these fish caught, must be photographed, then returned to the water immediately.
Note 2 - Siberian Sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) and Huchen (Danube salmon) (Hucho hucho)are listed as Endangered species (IUCN) status by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Any of these fish caught, must be photographed, then returned to the water immediately.
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques include hand-gathering, spearing, netting, angling, shooting and trapping, as well as more destructive and often illegal techniques such as electrocution, blasting and poisoning.
Bass fishing is the recreational fishing activity, typically via rod-based angling, for various game fishes of North America known collectively as black bass. There are numerous black bass species targeted in North America, including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass or Kentucky bass, and Guadalupe bass. All black bass species are members of the sunfish family Centrarchidae.
Angling is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated via a fishing rod, although rodless techniques such as handlining also exist. Modern angling rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a cranking device for storing, retrieving and releasing out the line, although Tenkara fishing and traditional cane pole fishing are two rod-angling methods that do not use any reel. The fish hook itself can be additionally weighted with a denser tackle called a sinker, and is typically dressed with an appetizing bait to attract and entice the fish into swallowing the hook, but sometimes an inedible fake/imitation bait with multiple attached hooks is used instead of a single hook with edible bait. Some type of bite indicator, such as a float, a bell or a quiver tip, is often used to relay underwater status of the hook to the surface and alert the angler of a fish's presence.
The flathead catfish, also called by several common names including mudcat or shovelhead cat, is a large species of North American freshwater catfish in the family Ictaluridae. It is the only species of the genus Pylodictis. Ranging from the lower Great Lakes region to northern Mexico, it has been widely introduced and is an invasive species in some areas. The closest living relative of the flathead catfish is the much smaller widemouth blindcat, Satan eurystomus.
Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing for survival and livelihood.
Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish species pursued by recreational fishers, and can be freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be eaten after being caught, preserved as taxidermy, or released after capture. Some game fish are also targeted commercially, particularly less bony species such as salmon and tuna.
The wels catfish, also called sheatfish or just wels, is a large species of catfish native to wide areas of central, southern, and eastern Europe, in the basins of the Baltic, Black and Caspian Seas. It has been introduced to Western Europe as a prized sport fish and is now found from the United Kingdom east to Kazakhstan and China and south to Greece and Turkey. The wels is the largest freshwater fish in Europe. The longest wels on record was an unweighed specimen from the Po river in Italy, measuring 2.85 m (9.4 ft), captured in 2023.
Richard Stuart Walker was an English angler.
John Dennis Wilson was a British angler who had been involved with angling television production for over twenty years featuring on Channel 4 Television and more recently on the digital TV channel, Discovery Real Time. Wilson was voted 'The Greatest Angler of all Time' in a 2004 poll by readers of the Angling Times Newspaper.
Fishing tackle is the equipment used by anglers when fishing. Almost any equipment or gear used in fishing can be called fishing tackle, examples being hooks, lines, baits/lures, rods, reels, floats, sinkers/feeders, nets, spears, gaffs and traps, as well as wires, snaps, beads, spoons, blades, spinners, clevises and tools that make it easy to tie knots.
Coarse fishing is a phrase commonly used in Britain and Ireland. It refers to the angling for rough fish, which are fish species considered undesirable as food or game fish. Freshwater game fish are all salmonids, particularly salmon, trout and char. Generally, coarse fish are freshwater fish that are not salmonids, though there is often disagreement over whether grayling should be classified as a game fish or a coarse fish.
A game fish is any species of fish pursued for sport by recreationalists (anglers). The capture of game fish is usually tightly regulated. In comparison, nongame fish are all fish not considered game fish. Game fish may be eaten after being caught, though increasingly anglers are practicing catch-and-release tactics to improve fish populations.
Redmire Pool is near Ross-on-Wye in Herefordshire, England. At only 3 acres (1.2 ha) in size it is considered by angling experts to be the home of carp fishing. The earliest sign of its potential was unveiled on 3 October 1951 when a British record carp of 31.25 lb (14.17 kg) was caught by Bob Richards. The water was made famous by Richard Walker who caught a British record carp, weighing 44 lb (20 kg), overnight on 13 September 1952. The fish, a common carp, was transferred to the London Zoo aquarium. She was initially given the name Ravioli by Walker and named Clarissa by the staff of London Zoo.
Chris Yates is an angler, photographer, broadcaster, tea connoisseur and author born on 19 April 1948. He is a former holder of the record for the heaviest-recorded British carp, a 51.5 lb specimen captured from Redmire pool in 1980. Yates is a former co-editor of Waterlog magazine, and is a regular contributor to The Idler.
This page is a list of fishing topics.
Carp is a common name for various species of freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae that are native to Eurasia and sought after by some recreational fishermen. Certain carp species have been introduced, with mixed results, to various other locations around the world, and even declared invasive in certain regions.
Tring Reservoirs is a group of four reservoirs close to Tring on the border of Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, England. Their purpose is to feed the Grand Union Canal.
This is an impartial and comprehensive record list of 305 British record freshwater fish, past and present, involving 60 different species/sub-species of fish caught using the traditional angling method of rod and line. Records to include the angler, species, weight, date, venue, also referenced with a recognizable publication. The list is intended to include all categories of fish caught by anglers, that enter freshwater including and some migratory sea fish. The time since last record fish was caught is 174 days.
The British Record Fish Committee -(BRFC) are the official organisation taking responsibility for all angling fish records within the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, collectively known as the "British Records". Since 2009 the BRFC have been part of the Angling Trust
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