Anglers Krzysztof Pyra and Adrian Gontarz (front) and friends pose
with the massive wels catfish they caught in Poland’s Rybnik Reservoir.
The giant catfish stretched 292 cm or almost 10 feet long.
(courtesy of Polska Akademia Wędkarska)
Almost 10-Foot Catfish Caught in Poland
Source: Polska Akademia Wędkarska
Two anglers from the Polska Akademia Wędkarska (Polish Fishing Academy) have stunned the fishing world with the capture of a wels catfish measuring 9.6 feet (292 cm), setting a new length record for the species caught on rod and line. The massive fish, landed October 19 at the Rybnik Reservoir in southern Poland, surpasses the previous record of 9.35 feet (285 cm) caught by Italian angler Alessandro Biancardi in May 2023 in Italy’s River Po.
The catch came during a fishing tournament at Rybnik, a manmade lake fed by warm discharge from a nearby power plant—an environment known for producing exceptionally fast-growing fish. Anglers Krzysztof Pyra and Adrian Gontarz hooked into the giant during the event and battled it for more than an hour and a half before finally bringing it to shore.
“When we finally saw it, we couldn’t believe our eyes,” Pyra said. “It was enormous, like something out of a story. We knew right away it was something special.”
The fish was carefully measured, photographed and then released unharmed back into the lake.
This catfish breaks both the Polish record of 8.56 feet (261 cm), set in 2021, and the standing world mark. Although the International Game Fish Association requires a single angler to land a fish for it to qualify officially, the accomplishment has been widely recognized as a new high point in European freshwater angling.
“This event will be a shock not only in Poland but worldwide,” said Piotr Boufał, a catfish guide and promoter. “It proves that these giants really exist, and that sometimes, the fishing legends turn out to be true.”
The Rybnik Reservoir has long been famous among European catfish hunters. Thanks to the power plant’s warm-water discharge, fish there grow larger and faster than in most natural waters. Wels catfish exceeding six and a half feet are caught regularly. For years, anglers seeking record-breaking wels have traveled to Spain’s Ebro River or Italy’s Po, but this latest catch may shift that focus closer to Poland’s own trophy waters.
“This catch shows just how special Rybnik really is,” Pyra said. “We always knew big fish lived here, but this was beyond anything we imagined.”
The anglers emphasized that proper handling and fish safety are essential when targeting such giants. A large protective mat was used during measurement and photography to avoid injury to the catfish, and the fish was returned to the water in good condition.
The wels catfish (Silurus glanis) is Europe’s largest freshwater predator, capable of living for decades and reaching truly monumental sizes. Native to river systems across central and eastern Europe, the species thrives in deep, slow-moving waters.
Stories of monstrous catfish have long been part of fishing folklore, but with this 9.6-foot record from Rybnik, it seems that some of those old tales might not have been exaggerations after all.
