UK Angler Reels in World Record 90-pound Common Carp
OutdoorHub Reporters 09.26.14
A 52-year-old fisherman from Greater Manchester, England is celebrating what is believed to be a world record catch. According to ITV, Warren Harrison hooked a 90-pound common carp while recently vacationing near Hungary’s Euro Aqua Lake. The massive fish beat out the current world record by nearly 15 pounds.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s never been done before. The only problem is, where do I go from here? I might go shark fishing now,” the angler told Manchester Evening News. “These carp will get bigger so I’ll go next year and try and catch a 100lb fish—that’s my aim.”
Harrison is no stranger to big fish. The veteran angler said that he goes fishing for carp about four times a year and travels all around Europe to do so. In 2010 he caught the world’s second largest common carp in France, so in a way it is fitting that Harrison finally got a chance at the world record. Harrison will now have to submit documentation to the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), which keeps the record books for the world’s largest fish, for review. Harrison also caught a 94-pound and 87-pound mirror carp on the trip.
Common carp are a popular sport fish in Europe, while they are often seen as an invasive pest in other places. The species has been introduced to just about every part of the world, including many waterways across the United States where they were originally stocked as food fish. Unlike more recent Asian carp invasions, common carp have become long established in many states and are not as feared as species like bighead and silver carp. However, common carp is just as adaptable if not more so, and can grow to massive sizes in Europe. According to IGFA, the current world record for the species belongs to Leo van der Gugten, who caught a 75-pound, 11-ounce common carp from the waters of France’s Lac de St. Cassien in 1987.
You can see an interview with Harrison below.
