In addition to having to accommodate swimmers and athletes for the 2024 Olympic Games, the Seine is home to many animals. Eels, pike, catfish and others live in the Parisian river. Not forgetting the rats, coypus and other rodents that live nearby.
Nicknamed “monster of the Seine”, the catfish is the largest fish that can be caught in the Seine. It can reach incredible proportions. The largest specimens ever captured measured more than 2.85 m in length and weighed more than 130 kg.
A 21-year-old fishing enthusiast hauls in a 60 kg catfish a stone’s throw from the Eiffel Tower
Léopold, a 21-year-old communications master’s student, pulled off an incredible catch just a few meters from the Eiffel Tower. He caught a 2m10 catfish with his fishing rod. The fish weighed around sixty kg as reported by our colleagues from Le Parisien who echo the unusual catch.
The young man settled near the Bir-Hakeim bridge in the 15th arrondissement of Paris. “I had missed a big one, a few days before, near the Île de la Cité (IVe),” says Léopold.
The fishing enthusiast lives in the 15th arrondissement, but he is originally from Strasbourg in Bas-Rhin. Léopold has been passionate about fishing since he was 4 years old. He taught himself using YouTube videos.
Half an hour of epic battle to catch such a big catfish
Today, Léopold does recreational fishing in the Seine where he systematically releases all the fish caught, including this enormous catfish. “As soon as I have time to disconnect, it’s relaxing to be by the water. My previous record was a 1m10 fish,” he explains.
This 2m10 catfish was obviously not an easy catch. Léopold, who is nevertheless used to “fishing the big ones from the Seine”, put up an “epic fight” lasting half an hour before being able to get him out of the water.
Impressive, but harmless fish
Some people may worry at the sight of this enormous 2m10 catfish, especially the athletes of the 2024 Olympics. Fortunately, catfish are completely harmless fish.
“They are impressive but harmless fish. They can have reactions during the breeding season, to defend their nest. For swimmers, it can play in the head, that’s all,” reassures Léopold.
So athletes don’t have to worry. They are not in danger of being attacked by catfish, nor by a terrifying shark like in the new film “Sous la Seine” broadcast on Netflix.
Source: Le Parisien
