Most of us are familiar with the type of goldfish commonly kept as household pets.
On average, goldfish kept in an aquarium are one to two inches long.
If the goldfish is kept in a pond, it can grow to as long as 10 inches and weigh up to nine pounds.
In the wild, a goldfish can become 12 to 14 inches long.
While these lengths are significantly longer than a pet goldfish, these numbers are smaller than one special fish in France.
A typical goldfish’s average length and weight make this next story unique.
Andy Hackett, a fisherman from the U.K., was on a trip to the Champagne region in France when he went fishing in one of the lakes in the area.
It was not his first time fishing in this lake.
However, this trip proved to be very different from his previous trips.
On this particular trip, Hackett caught The Carrot, a hybrid of a leather carp and koi carp that was introduced to the Bluewater Lakes 20 years ago.
The giant fish is nicknamed The Carrot because of its bright orange hue.
“You’re going to need a bigger bowl,” was what people first thought when they saw The Carrot.
The fish weighed in at an incredible 67.4 pounds or the average weight of a nine-year-old boy.
It wasn’t easy catching The Carrot.
It took Hackett 25 minutes of battling with the humongous fish before finally capturing it.
This particular fishing trip was not the first time Hackett traveled to the region to go fishing.
While The Carrot made several appearances during previous trips, catching it was always elusive and hard to do.
This was the first time Hackett caught the giant fish.
“With normal fish, you struggle to see them if they’re under the surface. But The Carrot is obviously bright orange, so you can’t miss it,” Hackett told the BBC.
After catching the fish and taking photos of himself holding the fish, Hackett released The Carrot back into the lake.
The catch-and-release allows other fishermen to catch the sought-after fish.
Hackett shared that it’s possible for others also to catch The Carrot.
“Just like general big fish, they’re heavy, they’re slow, they plod around,” Hackett shared.
When a fish moves slow, it makes it easier for the fisherman to spot and catch them.
While it is certainly possible for another fisherman to catch The Carrot, it will take a lot of patience.
The fishery that also serves as The Carrot’s home currently has a five-year waiting list of those who want the opportunity to fish in the lake.
Netizens were also curious about The Carrot.
When someone asked about the lifespan of the famous fish, the Bluewater Team answered on their Facebook account.
“It can vary on their lifespan, but they can live to 35 years plus. She is around 20 years old now and in excellent health and condition. Utmost care is taken when our carp are caught, and are treated for any wounds and cuts. They’re never taken out of the water, all photos and care [are] done on a floating mat, just in case the carp decides to flip,” answered the Bluewater Team.
We don’t know when The Carrot will be caught again.
In the meantime, we’ll be happy knowing that The Carrot can live freely in the wild.
And if she is caught again, we know that the Bluewater Team will ensure that she is well taken cared of.
Watch the video of amazing giant fish The Carrot below!
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