A big, big goldfish, weighing nearly 70 pounds, caught in France
A British fisherman has been the envy of many when he caught a huge goldfish weighing almost 70 pounds - possibly the biggest in the world - in a lake in the Champagne region of France. The photos of the impressive catch are creating quite a stir on social networks.
Andy Hackett, 42, managed to catch the monster fish, nicknamed The Carrot, originally, while fishing at Bluewater Lakes, known for carp fishing.
Elusive for several years, the huge fish weighing exactly 67.4 pounds has finally been captured. The fish grew and would have gained weight, according to local fishermen.
"I always knew 'The Carrot' was in there, but never thought I'd catch it," said Hackett, a Worcestershire-based business manager.
Not a goldfish per se, the huge orange monster is actually a hybrid species of leather carp and koi carp, ornamental fish commonly found in ponds.
Its weight of 67 pounds is almost as heavy as five bowling balls. And it's also 30 pounds heavier than what was previously considered the largest goldfish in the world, caught by Minnesota resident Jason Fugate in the United States in 2019.
After bringing it to the surface after 25 minutes of pulling the line, Hackett took the opportunity to capture the moment with the fish before releasing it back into the waters.
“I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait. Then it came to the surface at 30 or 40 meters and I saw that it was orange,” added Andy Hackett.
"It was great to catch it, but it was also luck," he concluded. Let's say this goldfish will need a larger bowl than the norm.
Source: New VAT
