Catching a fish that barely fits into a photograph is every angler’s dream. But once in a while, someone reels in a creature so enormous that it pushes the limits of what many thought possible.
That may be exactly what happened on the banks of the Po River in northern Italy, where an experienced fisherman found himself locked in a tense struggle with one of the largest freshwater fish ever encountered in Europe.
A breathtaking encounter on the Po River
Anyone who has spent time fishing knows that the moment a line suddenly goes heavy can spark an instant surge of adrenaline. That feeling multiplied dramatically for Italian angler Alessandro Biancardi, who hooked something unusually powerful while fishing on the Po River.
At first, he sensed immediately that this was no ordinary catch. According to his own account, the fish remained almost motionless for a few seconds after taking the bait—an eerie calm before a storm. Then the battle began.
Biancardi, who has been practicing sport fishing for more than two decades, soon realized he was facing the biggest fish he had ever encountered.
“I was alone with the largest catfish I had ever seen in 23 years,” he later recalled. The fear of losing the fish was almost overwhelming as the animal began pulling hard against the current.
Anyone who has fought a strong fish understands the delicate balance involved—too much pressure risks snapping the line, too little gives the fish the chance to escape. For over 40 minutes, that balance defined the struggle.
A 43-minute battle with a river giant
The fight reportedly lasted 43 minutes, an exhausting contest of patience and strength. At one point, the enormous fish dragged the boat with the current, forcing Biancardi to improvise.
To gain control, he steered toward shallower water where landing the fish from the riverbank might be possible. After several tense attempts, he finally managed to secure the massive creature.
The result was astonishing: a giant catfish measuring 2.85 meters (around 9.35 feet) in length.
Fish of this size belong to the species Silurus glanis, commonly known as the Wels catfish, the largest freshwater fish native to Europe. According to the European Environment Agency, this species can grow beyond 2.5 meters and weigh over 100 kilograms in rare cases, particularly in large river systems such as the Danube or the Po.
For many anglers, encountering one of these giants is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Why this catch could rewrite the record books
Although the fish was never officially weighed, its length alone may place it among the largest ever recorded.
Biancardi’s team believes the catch exceeds a previous benchmark from the same river—an earlier Wels catfish measuring 2.81 meters. If confirmed, the new measurement could represent a potential world record for length.
The body responsible for validating such records is the International Game Fish Association (IGFA), the global authority on sport-fishing records. According to the IGFA, catches must meet strict documentation requirements—including photographs, measurements, and witness reports—before they can be officially recognized.
Whether this catfish will ultimately be certified remains to be seen, but the sheer size of the animal has already drawn attention from anglers across Europe.
The fisherman chose to release the giant
One detail about the story stands out even more than the fish itself: Biancardi decided to release it.
Rather than weighing the animal—which could have stressed the fish—he returned it safely to the river. For experienced anglers, this approach reflects a growing commitment to catch-and-release fishing, a practice encouraged by many conservation groups.
Organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the IGFA emphasize that releasing large breeding fish can help preserve healthy freshwater ecosystems and maintain sustainable fish populations.
Biancardi later explained that curiosity about the fish’s weight was overshadowed by concern for the animal’s wellbeing. He preferred to let it swim free, hoping it might someday give another angler the same unforgettable thrill.
For fishermen, moments like that often become lifelong stories. Landing a record fish is remarkable—but watching it glide back into the depths might be the part that stays with you the longest.
