A fisherman has wowed fellow anglers around the world after he managed to catch a 70lb goldfish while fishing in Champagne, France.
Andy Hackett, 42, was at Blue Water Lakes when he reeled in the giant orange fish, which many believe could be the world’s largest.
Hackett, a Worcestershire-based company director, nicknamed his catch The Carrot, which he had plucked from one of the world’s premier carp fisheries. He said: “I always knew The Carrot was in there but never thought I would catch it.”
The Carrot is not a goldfish, but a hybrid species of leather carp and koi carp, which are ornamental fish commonly found in ponds.
This specimen, which is estimated to be around 20 years old, was introduced to the lakes 15 years ago “as something different for the anglers to try to catch,” according to Blue Water Lakes spokesperson Jason Cowler.
He said: “Since then it has grown and grown, but it doesn’t often come out. She is very elusive.”
The Carrot had managed to elude being caught until Hackett reeled it in, earlier this month.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, he said: “I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait and went off side to side and up and down with it. Then it came to the surface 30 or 40 yards out and I saw that it was orange.
“‘It was brilliant to catch it but it was also sheer luck.”
It took him 25 minutes of trying to reel the monster in from the water.
After catching The Carrot, the huge fish managed to tip the scales at 67.4 pounds. It weighed 30 pounds heavier than what was previously considered to be the world’s biggest goldfish, which was caught by Minnesota resident Jason Fugate in 2019.
After landing The Carrot, Hackett posed for photos with it and released it back into the lake. He then celebrated his catch in an appropriate fashion by drinking a cup of tea.
“Congratulations to Andy on a great catch,” said Cowler, who reported that The Carrot is currently in “excellent health and condition.”
