Roger's Angling Pages
The European Catfish Silurus glanis		Catfish family Siluridae

This is the heaviest and largest freshwater fish in places where the Huchen (Hucho hucho) is not found. A large specimen can easily be distinguished from other fishes, but a small specimen resembles in appearance the Horned Pout. Its distinctive features include 6 barbels of which the longest pair-are at the corners of the upper jaw and the 4 shorter ones are on the longer lower jaw. It also has a long anal fin and a very long brown or grey-black, speckled, scaleless body. Now and then even a white Catfish can be seen, an albino variety with red eyes. In Europe the Catfish can be found in slow-flowing rivers, as far west as the Rhine and in the hinterland of the Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral Seas. It thrives in the deep waters of dams, constructed on the lower reaches of rivers.

A wide mouth, equipped with small teeth, shows that this fish is a predator. Old Catfish mainly hunt small, insignificant types of fish and only occasionally valuable large fishes. Moreover they are not ungrateful for various larvae, shellfish, crayfish, or simply anything alive that they find on the bottom. They hunt in the evening and at night and also early in the morning. They often reveal their presence at such times by sounds reminiscent of the croaking of frogs.

Spawning occurs in late spring at a water temperature of about 19 °C, when the female prepares a nest in the shallows from roots and various plant remnants, in which she lays hundreds of thousands of large eggs. The male guards the nest for some time. The larval fishes are similar to tadpoles and tend to escape from daylight by hiding under stones. At the age of 7 years the Catfish reaches a weight of 3 to 15 lb. Older fishes put on weight more quickly than younger ones, sometimes up to 2 to 7 lb in a year. The male can live to an age of 30 years or more. At present 60 to 100 lb fishes are often caught, sometimes even heavier ones and there are even reports of fishes weighing 550 lb and measuring 3 to 5 m.

Hunting Catfish is a highly valued sport, not only because the angler has to pit his strength against a large adversary, but also because the Catfish is a good fighter and can only be deceived by a really experienced angler. Success is most likely in the morning or early evening. At night Cat- fish often approach the river banks. The best time for fishing is June, especially during warm, cloudy days. It can be caught by ledgering with live or dead fishes, by surface float fishing using a large float, or even by trailing dead fishes.

Fishing with spinners, plugs and imitations of mice and frogs is regarded as the most sportsman-like method. The rod has to be 2 to 3 m long and of sufficient strength and quality. In clear parts of the river or reservoir when using artificial lures, a line of 9 to 12 lb breaking strain is adequate, but for overgrown pools and fishing with live bait on the bottom the usual strength required is 20 lb. There has always to be an adequate length of line on the reel, because when well hooked the Catfish immediately makes for the nearest hideout, in the course of which it often somersaults, hits the line with its tail and stands on its head. During the course of the contest the reel check is applied according to the strength of the fish involved. A gaff or landing net is used to land the fish.