{"id":35503,"date":"2026-08-09T08:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-09T12:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecoticias.com\/en\/?p=35503"},"modified":"2026-08-09T08:48:20","modified_gmt":"2026-08-09T12:48:20","slug":"two-anglers-in-france-land-a-nearly-seven-foot-catfish-in-the-saone-river-after-a-twenty-minute-fight-and-release-it-back-alive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ecoticias.com\/en\/two-anglers-in-france-land-a-nearly-seven-foot-catfish-in-the-saone-river-after-a-twenty-minute-fight-and-release-it-back-alive\/35503\/","title":{"rendered":"Two anglers in France land a nearly seven-foot catfish in the Sa\u00f4ne River after a twenty-minute fight and release it back alive"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A normal afternoon of fishing on France\u2019s Sa\u00f4ne River suddenly became anything but normal. Two friends hooked a European catfish measuring 6 feet 11 inches near Glanon and spent about 20 minutes trying to bring it in. Not exactly a small fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After finally getting it out of the water, they measured it, took photos and videos, and released it back into the river. The catch set a new personal length record for the angler holding the rod.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rod suddenly came alive<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday, Aug. 1, the two friends headed out onto the Sa\u00f4ne near Glanon, just as they had done many times before. They traveled a short distance in their small inflatable boat and put their rods in the water. Then something moved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the pair were talking, one of the fishing setups suddenly started shaking. The angler quickly realized this was not going to be an ordinary catch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the next 20 minutes, it was basically a tug-of-war. On one side, a fisherman in a small boat. On the other, a freshwater predator<\/a> longer than most people are tall. Eventually, the fish came within reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A personal record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe fight lasted 20 minutes, and this fish gave me a great battle,\u201d the angler later told French newspaper Le Bien Public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once they had the catfish out of the water, they measured it at 6 feet 11 inches. Its dark coloring also caught their attention. \u201cThis catfish had dark colors, it was magnificent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They took a few photos and videos. Then came the important part. They put it back. According to the angler, the fish returned to the river \u201cwithout any difficulty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No weight was reported, so there is no reliable way to compare its mass with other giant catches. Still, nearly 7 feet is hard to ignore. For the fisherman, it was a new personal best by length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
The European wels catfish (Silurus glanis) is one of the largest freshwater fish in Europe and can grow to extraordinary lengths in major river systems.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

So, what kind of fish was it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The animal was a European catfish, also known as a wels catfish or Silurus glanis<\/a>. It is a freshwater species<\/a> found across parts of Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know the look. A broad, flattened head. Long whisker-like barbels. Smooth skin instead of scales. And a lot of fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wels catfish live mainly in freshwater and tend to stay close to the bottom or in open water depending on conditions. FishBase classifies the species as a freshwater and brackish-water fish with a broad European and Asian distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sa\u00f4ne is good catfish territory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A huge fish turning up in the Sa\u00f4ne is not completely surprising. Big rivers provide exactly the kind of space these animals need. They also provide food. Plenty of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

European catfish are predators<\/a> and can eat a wide variety of aquatic animals. That flexibility is one reason they can thrive in large river systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does that mean every catfish becomes a 7-foot monster? Of course not. the species is certainly capable of reaching extraordinary sizes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FishBase records very large maximum sizes<\/a> for Silurus glanis, although extreme historical measurements should always be treated carefully. The Glanon fish was huge. Just not impossibly huge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Catfish can get even bigger<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That is perhaps the strangest part of the story. A fish measuring 6 feet 11 inches sounds almost unreal when it is lying next to a person. Yet European catfish can grow significantly larger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The original local report even pointed to another catch near Auxonne in 2023. That fish reportedly measured about 7 feet 11 inches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So yes, the Glanon catch was a personal record. But by European catfish standards, there are bigger ones<\/a> out there.Somewhere under the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why these fish attract so much attention<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For anglers, part of the appeal is obvious. Size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hooking a fish this large is nothing like pulling in an ordinary river catch. The animal can use its body weight, the current, and sheer strength to turn the fight into a long physical battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty minutes can feel very long when your rod is bent and the fish at the other end is close to 7 feet long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is also the uncertainty. You do not really know what you have hooked until it gets close enough to see. That is where the excitement comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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