Teen reels in 66lb catch of a lifetime

Jack Smith with his huge catch

JACK Smith had nearly given up after trying for two years to catch a monster catfish lurking in a lake just outside Stowmarket.

But just when he least expected it, the 15-year-old landed the 66lb beast.

Copleston High School pupil Jack had gone out for a three-day fishing trip to the lake with pal Matthew Davies and just four hours in he felt a great big bite on his line.

Although he was on the hunt for carp, mark had managed to hook the “catch of a lifetime” as the enormous catfish took the bait.

Jack, who lives with his parents in Spring Road, Ipswich, said none of his friends at school had believed him about the catch until he showed them the stunning photos he had taken, before releasing the fish back into the lake.

He said: “I got it within the first four hours of getting there - it's the catch of a lifetime. It took me 45 minutes to get it in.

“It's actually the first catfish I have ever had - the biggest other fish I have ever caught is not even half as big as that thing.

“I was fishing for carp at the time. We didn't think it was as big as it was. For about 15 minutes it just sat there, trying to dig its head in the silt.

“Then, after that, it was going everywhere - thrashing about. The rod was bending right down and the line was whistling in the wind.

“My granddad has been fishing for over 50 years, but he's never had anything as big as that.”

Jack's mother Emma, 40, said she was amazed when she saw the pictures of the giant catfish - and claimed it could even have been a record breaker.

She said: “He's been trying for two years to catch that fish. I think the British record was set in 1997 and that was a 62lb fish, but the only problem is you have to kill the fish to class it as a record.

“Jack's been fishing since he was five - if he could get a job about fishing, he would be sorted. He's never happier than when he's out fishing.”