-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
Print
Email
Share
The Cult of the Wels: Catching Giant, 200-Plus Pound Catfish in European Rivers
The Cult of the Wels: Catching Giant, 200-Plus Pound Catfish in European Rivers
You may think trophy catfishing is a distinctly American activity, but across the Atlantic there's a group of anglers who share a similar passion for their own species of whiskered freshwater monster. I'm talking about cats so big, hundred-pounders are routine. Cats so powerful anglers come from all over the globe for a chance to catch one. This is the story of the Wels catfish.
NOTE: Most of these photos come to us via Wels guide Colin Bunn of CatMaster Tours. These are his clients and though we don't know exactly who they are (or why so many go so scantily attired), you've got to see the size of these cats to believe it.
Advertisement
RELATED PHOTOS
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
FieldandStream.com is part of the Bonnier Outdoor Group Network
Copyright © 2009 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Photo Gallery Comments (48)
These things look so gross. Would these be just like eating CatFish and the Fishcamp?
Were do I sign up for a trip....
Those are some big cats. How much fun would it be to fish those from a kayak? Yippi-ki-ay, hang on, we're going for a ride!
Going for a ride? that ride would be underwater. Those are some massive fish. Can you imagine noodleing a fish that big. Pretty much GAME OVER.
That is incredible - I'm going to have to look into that trip. Maybe I could take my wife too - I'm sure she could find something to keep her busy in Europe......!
I wonder how many Asian carp one would eat in a day.
is it just me or am I missing something? why in allot of photos are thp eople in the water with the fish up to their necks or in other shots completely wet like they just wrestled the fish, and boy do they hold em tight in those shots they don't mind gettign a lttle wet or slimey.
I like the way they lay the fish on the tarp to protect it. They sure are big.
Extraordinary! Somewhere upriver from this site, there must be a pharmaceutical company releasing steroids into the river! These are massive, and I've not seen anything so huge in Oregon.
Extraordinary! Somewhere upriver from this site, there must be a pharmaceutical company releasing steroids into the river! These are massive, and I've not seen anything so huge in Oregon.
Is it just me or is she topless in #3?
I think they probably get big enough to swallow a person (like Jonah perhaps?) Wouldn't mind getting ahold of those big 'uns.
They need to release some of these in the USA!
I have been there and those fish get a big as 300 or more pounds and can swallow an adult.
Skiing?
WHO NEEDS A BOAT!
Pic 3 looked like she went for a ride!
thats nothing those are small ones
can we start getting women to fish topless in America?
Those are some massive fish. There are few things as interesting as massive fresh water fish, they are so mysterious. That is the appeal in catching them I think, it is amaizing to pull something so massive out of muddy water, that few people actually see.
I love the idea of planting them to eat our Asian carp here in Illinois! Would provide some great sport, and eating!
i am w/ duckling WHERE DO I SIGN UP??????? & I AM NOT gay but, look there is a boob lucky to be a boob up close & personal............... i'd crap if i caught one of those, 21" bass is exciting to me......
That's something, that's really something...I think the fish look happier with the women.
Personally, I'll stick to Brown and Brook trout.
But...What an impressive haul.
This would be so fun to go do for about a week!
This would be a fun adventure to say that you have done it. Especially if some of the women were your guides.
Doesn’t Picture #3 gives Catfish Noodling a twist?
That is just amazing!
I checked and no one can say for sure what the largest species of catfish is in the world. It's basically between the European Wels catfish and the Asian Mekong catfish. One website suggests the Wels is probably the longest, while the Mekong is heavier. The Mekong is currently endangered and the new dams in Cina ain't helping them at all.
An impressive fish! Kind of looks like an eel.
pic #18 almost looks like an anaconda
Reminds me of noodling. Monster fish
I grew up in West Virginia on the Ohio River. In 1967 "The Silver Bridge" spanning the Ohio River collapsed sending 46 people to their deaths. More than one recovery diver quit the job on their return to the surface as, "there are fish down there bigger than I am!!!"
My father was the Cabell County Attorney for many years and told the story of looking over some aerial photos from the 1930's at a time when there had been a chemical spill into the Kanawha River that then dumped into the Ohio. In the photo, a catfish had made its way from the Ohio into the shallows of the Guyandotte River and was apparently just waiting for the polution to pass. It scaled out to 12 feet long in the photo.
I don't know if the big guys are still in there, but I'd make a tripo to the Ohio before I'd make my way to Europe. And for you family men, we do require women anglers to wear their shirts.
If I saw one of those, I would not think to jump in after it, I would run to go get my shotgun!
id love 2 noodle one but all it is is a lesser evolved flathead on steroids but the shotgun would be my second option lol
id love 2 noodle one but all it is is a lesser evolved flathead on steroids but the shotgun would be my second option lol
i hv 1 ? for the tackle anglers what kinda bait do they use if your gonna ctch a blue cat around where im from over a hundred pounds the only way is to use some STANKAY!!!!!! with a capital stank bait?
For a while there, I thought I was looking at the Playboy website.
I did not notice a fish in 2 & 3 untill I read the comments. ;)
i have heard many stories of cats that big in the ohio but they're not caught as regularly as comes off in this story so i would be willing to save the money and go on trip over there to fight a 200lb plus catfish
Those are monster fish. It would be nice if we had cats that size over here in the states. But whats up with the eel like tail.
I just realized what these things remind me of ... tadpoles. They look like giant tadpoles. Imagine the frogs!
I'd fish with those ladies any day. Where do I sign up?
We definitely need to get more women who look like that fishing for cats in Georgia!
Looks like that big ugly fish in #3 caught a nice one!
That fish could swallow my (previous) dream fish without noticing!
The fish in #1 looks like he's smiling (I think I know why).
Is that fish i pic 1 smiling oh i see way
Gosh it would be fun to catch one of those!
Post a Comment
can we start getting women to fish topless in America?
Those are some big cats. How much fun would it be to fish those from a kayak? Yippi-ki-ay, hang on, we're going for a ride!
Is it just me or is she topless in #3?
Going for a ride? that ride would be underwater. Those are some massive fish. Can you imagine noodleing a fish that big. Pretty much GAME OVER.
is it just me or am I missing something? why in allot of photos are thp eople in the water with the fish up to their necks or in other shots completely wet like they just wrestled the fish, and boy do they hold em tight in those shots they don't mind gettign a lttle wet or slimey.
I like the way they lay the fish on the tarp to protect it. They sure are big.
These things look so gross. Would these be just like eating CatFish and the Fishcamp?
Were do I sign up for a trip....
I wonder how many Asian carp one would eat in a day.
Those are some massive fish. There are few things as interesting as massive fresh water fish, they are so mysterious. That is the appeal in catching them I think, it is amaizing to pull something so massive out of muddy water, that few people actually see.
I love the idea of planting them to eat our Asian carp here in Illinois! Would provide some great sport, and eating!
Personally, I'll stick to Brown and Brook trout.
But...What an impressive haul.
This would be so fun to go do for about a week!
This would be a fun adventure to say that you have done it. Especially if some of the women were your guides.
That is just amazing!
I checked and no one can say for sure what the largest species of catfish is in the world. It's basically between the European Wels catfish and the Asian Mekong catfish. One website suggests the Wels is probably the longest, while the Mekong is heavier. The Mekong is currently endangered and the new dams in Cina ain't helping them at all.
An impressive fish! Kind of looks like an eel.
pic #18 almost looks like an anaconda
Reminds me of noodling. Monster fish
For a while there, I thought I was looking at the Playboy website.
Those are monster fish. It would be nice if we had cats that size over here in the states. But whats up with the eel like tail.
I just realized what these things remind me of ... tadpoles. They look like giant tadpoles. Imagine the frogs!
I'd fish with those ladies any day. Where do I sign up?
We definitely need to get more women who look like that fishing for cats in Georgia!
That is incredible - I'm going to have to look into that trip. Maybe I could take my wife too - I'm sure she could find something to keep her busy in Europe......!
Extraordinary! Somewhere upriver from this site, there must be a pharmaceutical company releasing steroids into the river! These are massive, and I've not seen anything so huge in Oregon.
Extraordinary! Somewhere upriver from this site, there must be a pharmaceutical company releasing steroids into the river! These are massive, and I've not seen anything so huge in Oregon.
I think they probably get big enough to swallow a person (like Jonah perhaps?) Wouldn't mind getting ahold of those big 'uns.
They need to release some of these in the USA!
I have been there and those fish get a big as 300 or more pounds and can swallow an adult.
Skiing?
WHO NEEDS A BOAT!
thats nothing those are small ones
That's something, that's really something...I think the fish look happier with the women.
Doesn’t Picture #3 gives Catfish Noodling a twist?
I grew up in West Virginia on the Ohio River. In 1967 "The Silver Bridge" spanning the Ohio River collapsed sending 46 people to their deaths. More than one recovery diver quit the job on their return to the surface as, "there are fish down there bigger than I am!!!"
My father was the Cabell County Attorney for many years and told the story of looking over some aerial photos from the 1930's at a time when there had been a chemical spill into the Kanawha River that then dumped into the Ohio. In the photo, a catfish had made its way from the Ohio into the shallows of the Guyandotte River and was apparently just waiting for the polution to pass. It scaled out to 12 feet long in the photo.
I don't know if the big guys are still in there, but I'd make a tripo to the Ohio before I'd make my way to Europe. And for you family men, we do require women anglers to wear their shirts.
If I saw one of those, I would not think to jump in after it, I would run to go get my shotgun!
id love 2 noodle one but all it is is a lesser evolved flathead on steroids but the shotgun would be my second option lol
id love 2 noodle one but all it is is a lesser evolved flathead on steroids but the shotgun would be my second option lol
i hv 1 ? for the tackle anglers what kinda bait do they use if your gonna ctch a blue cat around where im from over a hundred pounds the only way is to use some STANKAY!!!!!! with a capital stank bait?
I did not notice a fish in 2 & 3 untill I read the comments. ;)
i have heard many stories of cats that big in the ohio but they're not caught as regularly as comes off in this story so i would be willing to save the money and go on trip over there to fight a 200lb plus catfish
Is that fish i pic 1 smiling oh i see way
Pic 3 looked like she went for a ride!
i am w/ duckling WHERE DO I SIGN UP??????? & I AM NOT gay but, look there is a boob lucky to be a boob up close & personal............... i'd crap if i caught one of those, 21" bass is exciting to me......
Looks like that big ugly fish in #3 caught a nice one!
That fish could swallow my (previous) dream fish without noticing!
The fish in #1 looks like he's smiling (I think I know why).
Gosh it would be fun to catch one of those!
Post a Comment