Catch of the day: Nick Richards with a 5lb, 16ins goldfish he reeled in while fishing at a lake in Poole, DorsetWhen schoolboy angler Nick Richards felt a tug on his fishing line, he was hoping it was a carp.
However, the 16-year-old was amazed when he reeled in a 5lb goldfish, which was 16ins long.
The whopper is thought to be the biggest ever in Britain.
It is thought that the fish was abandoned in the lake in Poole, Dorset, by its owner after outgrowing its tank and has rapidly expanded in size since.
Nick, from Camberley, Surrey, who has just finished taking his GCSEs at Collingwood College, Camberley, said: ‘I had gone to the lake to fish for carp - I'd heard rumours there might be some big carp there and thought I'd see for myself.
‘I was there for two days running and caught some big common carp.
‘Then suddenly I saw this big orange fish cruising along the top of the lake.
‘I was using a rod and line intended to catch carp, so it wasn't exactly a fair fight - I wasn't too much trouble to reel it in.
‘At first I thought it must be a really fat koi carp, but when I saw it properly I realised it was a common goldfish - just like one you might keep as a pet.‘The only difference was that it was massive. It weighed 5lbs when I put it on the scales.
‘It looked like it was healthy and in good condition. I put him back straight away.
The lake is sheltered with plenty of food, so it's doing pretty well.
‘Earlier in the day I'd joked that if I caught a big fish I'd call it Billy, so of course the goldfish got the name.
‘Apparently it's the biggest gold goldfish ever caught in the UK and I've heard it only weighs 2lbs less than the world record, so I'm very pleased and proud.’
In 2008, Goldie the pet goldfish from Folkestone, Kent, was branded the biggest in Britain. It measured 15.7ins in length and weighed 2lbs.
Ruth Lockwood, from the English Carp Heritage Organisation, said: ‘I'm chuffed for him - fair play to the lad for catching such a big goldfish.
‘It's difficult to confirm that it is the biggest ever caught in the UK, because it is an ornamental fish and the record won't be recognised by the British Records Fish Committee.
‘It seems most likely that it was released into the lake by someone after it outgrew a tank or pond.
‘Hobbyists must be reminded that it is illegal to release pet fish into the wild - it is a crime. It has a massive impact on the environment and our native species and must not be encouraged.’
source: dailymail
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