If you’ve ever had that feeling of hooking into what feels like a steam train, you know that one of the first questions you ask yourself is; “Is my gear up to the job?”
Grzegorz Kotlarz hooked into what is the biggest record fish from a UK river since sturgeon were caught at the beginning of the 20th century, a catfish measuring 172cm that is guesstimated to be in excess of 100lb. To catch a catfish from a UK river is a pretty rare occurrence, but to have one so big and on gear attuned to catching barbel, that puts this capture into a different league.
With that in mind, we caught up with Greg to find out more about this amazing capture and how Wychwood tackle played a part on getting this massive moggy to the bank…
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So, Greg – congrats and what a way to start off the river season. You must be thrilled at such a huge fish?
Of course – especially considering the catfish took a 10cm silver bream. We were expecting at most a big barbel or a powerful zander. None of our fishing friends had ever caught a catfish on the Trent before, so what happened was a complete surprise to all of us.
The previous Trent catfish record was 67lb – did you think something bigger might be out there?
It was only after landing this river monster that we started searching online for mentions of catfish in this river. That’s when I found information about the previous record – and that’s when it really hit me what had just happened.
Tell us about the session and how it came about?
It was a night session on the Trent, at Fosse Rd near Newark, with two friends. Earlier that evening, around 10pm, I caught a small silver bream on a white maggot and decided to use it as bait. The catfish took at 1:43am. Once I was busy fighting the fish, my friend started filming everything.
What was the fight like? You had it on for 25 minutes – how nerve-wracking was it?
The adrenaline was high, because I knew exactly what tackle I had and what it could handle. My friends usually fish with 40kg braid – you can hear on the recording how the friend filming suggests reeling the fish in faster. That’s when I told him what leader I actually had – 11lb – and that the whole rig could snap at any moment. That’s when he understood how serious the situation was.
At what point did you realise it wasn’t a barbel?
Right until the very end we had no idea what it was – my friend kept suggesting it was a huge barbel. It was only when we saw the splash and that powerful tail that we knew it was a catfish.
What’s it like landing such a big fish on standard Trent tackle?
That’s exactly what makes it so exciting. The skill isn’t hauling a fish in by force – the skill is giving the fish a fair chance, and with today’s tackle technology that idea is slowly losing its meaning. I’ve fished fly all my life too, for grayling and trout, where the leader is sometimes as fine as a hair (0.06mm) and the fly is often over 6mm – staying connected to a fish on such delicate tackle is a real masterclass in fly fishing, and that’s the approach I bring to fishing the Trent as well.
Does reliable gear like the Solace 10 make Trent fishing easier?
The Solace 10 is my favourite reel – you can see on the footage how beautifully the drag works. It also has a free spool function, which is invaluable when fishing with live or dead bait.
The Wychwood Solace 10 ACS — smooth drag, free spool function, and the reel that helped land a record-breaking Trent catfish.
What about nets and caring for the fish once landed?
We had unhooking mats with us, but in this case they turned out to be unnecessary – the fish was three times bigger than the mats we normally use for barbel or zander.
What does this catch mean for the Trent – one-off or a sign of change?
Honestly, I don’t know, and I’d be careful about drawing big conclusions from a single catch. It shows catfish are present in the Trent and clearly capable of reaching serious sizes – but whether that’s one exceptional fish or a sign of a wider population is really a question for the Environment Agency and local clubs who monitor the river long-term, not something I can judge from one night’s fishing.
What’s your history with the Trent – what keeps bringing you back?
This was only my third time on this river – I live in south London, so the distance really limits how often I can get out there. But even with such rare visits, this river can still completely surprise you.
Biggest difference between fishing in the UK and Poland?
The differences are significant. The biggest one is the deeply rooted catch-and-release culture here, which clearly contributes to how rich the fish stocks are in rivers and lakes. In Poland this is changing gradually – people are only now coming to realise that a fish that’s been eaten will never again give another angler the pleasure of catching it.
What’s your ideal session – big fish or big numbers?
Big fish, definitely. I always set my sights on big specimens, even though that sometimes means sitting for days without a result – that’s just how fishing goes. Proof of that: last year we spent 10 days on the Ebro in Spain trying everything for catfish, and didn’t get a single bite.
What are your river fishing goals for this season?
There aren’t many good rivers close to London, so it’s hard to talk about specific goals for the season. What I do have – for now just a dream – is a fly-fishing trip after golden dorado in Bolivia or Brazil, or after taimen in Mongolia or Russia.
Is river fishing in a good place right now?
The Trent is a genuinely exceptional, richly stocked river – beautiful, well-conditioned, hard-fighting fish, and the results of every trip prove just how healthy the fish stocks are.
Finally, what’s one piece of advice you can give someone about river fishing?
It’s hard to give anyone advice – everyone knows exactly why they came to the water. One person comes for a big fish, another for peace and quiet, to escape the noise of the city. I’m in no position to lecture anyone on that.
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If you want to hear the sound of purring clutches and witness the moment the fish hit the bank, here’s the video from Greg’s perspective:
N.B. Greg was on the hunt for barbel and didn't expect to catch a fish of such huge size, which is why he didn't have a mat that was suitable for the catfish. However, if you're heading out to catch large fish such as wels catfish then it's best to be prepared with suitable fish care products.
