Wels catfish (European catfish)

A giant scaleless catfish with a broad flat head, a huge mouth, two long whiskers on the upper jaw and four short ones under the chin. The body is long and eel-like with a tiny dorsal fin and a very long anal fin that runs to the tail. Color is mottled dark olive to black with a pale belly.

20–80 lb is common in the big rivers.

Over 9 ft and over 250 lb; the biggest rod-caught fish come from Italy's Po River and Spain's Ebro.

Fish, crayfish, frogs, eels, rats and water birds; big ones eat almost anything they can swallow.

A night hunter that rests in deep holes, under undercut banks and around sunken trees by day, then roams the shallows after dark. Very strong and stubborn on the line.

Found from Spain & Portugal (Azores, Madeira & Canaries), France, Italy & Malta, Northern & Central Europe, Greece & the Adriatic, Turkey, Cyprus & the Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea & Caspian, Russia, Mongolia & Kazakhstan and United Kingdom & Ireland. Native to the big rivers and lakes of central and eastern Europe and western Russia (the Danube, Volga and their deltas); introduced to Spain's Ebro, Italy's Po, France's Rhône and Loire, and some English lakes.

Native to the big rivers and lakes of central and eastern Europe and western Russia (the Danube, Volga and their deltas); introduced to Spain's Ebro, Italy's Po, France's Rhône and Loire, and some English lakes.

10–50 ft holes by day; 3–10 ft shallows at night.

On the bottom in deep holes, or mid-water under a float or a buoy rig.

Late spring through early fall, when the water is warm (above about 60°F); summer nights are best.

Night, dusk and dawn.

No tide. A rising, slightly colored river after rain often turns them on.

Warm, muggy nights before a storm are famous for big fish.

Live fish where allowed (check local rules), bunches of big worms, squid, liver, and halibut pellets.

Big soft swimbaits, large spinners and spoons, and vertical jigs; the wooden 'clonk' (kwok) drums the water to call them up.

Heavy 8–10 ft catfish rod (100–300 g casting weight) with a big spinning or multiplier reel.

Strong 6/0–10/0 single hooks or 1/0–3/0 trebles on big baits.

80–130 lb braid.

100–200 lb mono or braided catfish leader; their teeth are like sandpaper.

Anchor or drift over deep holes and fish live bait or a worm bunch on the bottom or under a float; on Spanish and Italian rivers, many anglers also fish from the bank with baits held up by buoy rigs. From a boat, use the clonk and vertical-jig a big soft lure.

Wear gloves and land big wels by hand by gripping the lower jaw, or bring them to the bank on a soft mat. Never lift a giant by the jaw alone; support its body.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Edible but not prized — strong or bony; many anglers release it.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Small wels (under about 20 lb) have firm, white, mild meat, good fried, smoked or in stews (a classic in Hungary). Big ones are fatty and may carry pollutants, so release them.

Big wels are strong enough to pull an angler off balance. The sandpaper teeth scrape skin, so wear a glove, and never wrap the line around your hand.

Where wels is native (the Danube and Volga countries) most places set seasons and size limits. Where it was introduced (Spain, Italy, France), some regions forbid releasing it back alive, while some fisheries require release, so the rules are very different from place to place — check before you go. Freshwater fishing in Europe always needs a permit: a national or regional license where one exists (for example the rod licence in England and Wales or the French carte de pêche) plus a permit or day ticket from the club, lake or river owner.

In its native range big wels are worth protecting. Where it was introduced it eats native fish and birds, so follow the local rules on what to do with it.