British biologist catches 55 stone, record-breaking stingray
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British biologist catches 55 stone, record-breaking stingray
A British biologist has landed a 55 stone stingray - the biggest freshwater fish ever caught using a rod.
Ian Welch spent 90 minutes tussling with the giant stingray and it took 13 grown men to heave it out of the water.
This fish measured 7ft long and 7ft wide, while its long sting measured 10ft
It has smashed the previous record of 46 stone for a huge catfish caught in 2005.
Mr Welch, a freshwater biologist, had been visiting Thailand to help with a stingray tagging programme when he landed the fish on the Maeklong River.
The 45-year-old said he was nearly pulled over the side of the fishing boat when the specimen took his bait.
He said: "It dragged me across the boat and would have pulled me in had my colleague not grabbed my trousers - it was like the whole earth had just moved. I knew it was going to a big one.
"It buried itself on the bottom and the main fight was trying to get it off the floor.
"I tried with every ounce of power but it just would not budge. After half an hour my arms began shaking and after an hour my legs went.
"Another 30 minutes went by and then I put a glove on and physically pulled the line with gritted teeth and somehow I found the reserves to shift the fish."
Once the stingray was off the bottom 11.5 stone Mr Welch, from Aldershot, Hants, managed to lift it 30ft to the surface.
He said: "As soon as we saw it there was just silence because everyone was just in awe of this thing.
"That line from the film Jaws came to mind about needing a bigger boat because we had to get it to the shore to tag it."
The group managed to put a 12ft wide net under the fish and towed it to the bank.
Mr Welch and the team released the stingray, which turned out to be a pregnant female.
The giant freshwater stingray is listed as a vulnerable species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's red list.
Although its numbers are unknown, experts believe the population has dwindled by 20 per cent over the last 10 years, making the possibility of extinction extremely high.
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and why on earth does he want to catch it????food or just to show he caught it only to be turned into cat food later on?
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Originally posted by Terminator Hitman:
and why on earth does he want to catch it????food or just to show he caught it only to be turned into cat food later on?
.....for research I believed, anyway the ray is released back to the river -
he just want to study it lar and tag it for research. probably will release it into the river or sea. I know what you are thinking right, BBQ the sting ray?
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It was released when it was found to be an expecting mom, as in the 3rd last para.
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big and cute like a giant facehugger. too bad cannot keep as pet
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Thats.. thats a very big peng hu...
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Originally posted by BadzMaro:
Thats.. thats a very big peng hu...
.....and, and lots of sambal balachan chilli -
that's BIG
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Ill be damned!
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Mamma mia!
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Last year's news.
And 55 stone is about 349 kg, if anyone is wondering. Hawkers at the Newton Circus would be thrilled.
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lucky its a biologist who caught it....if not...I think it will really end up as dinner...
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He's just getting it for research..try eating that amount of stingray in a meal and you'll not wanna eat stingray for the rest of your life
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Never know that there are such big fresh water sting ray.
An eye opener.
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OMG!!!!
That's so big!!!!
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Originally posted by NeverSayGoodBye:
.....and, and lots of sambal balachan chilliHell yeah... *slurps*