Teen Angler Lands Back-to-Back Monster Catfish, Including 109-Pound Giant

A late-summer camping trip turned into the fishing adventure of a lifetime when 14-year-old River Nicklen landed two enormous Wels catfish in a single night.

14 year old River Nicklen with one of his massive hauls | River Nicklen

Fourteen-year-old River Nicklen is going to have a difficult time topping his late August fishing trip for the rest of his life.

The British schoolboy landed two monster catfish in one epic night at Houchins, a private fishing complex in Essex, a county to the northeast of London

It was supposed to be about catching the last of the summer warmth and camping by a lake.

A Late-Summer’s Night Dream

“I came to Houchins with little hope of catching because of this heat we’ve had this summer but this was the only time my dad could get a day off because he’s busy at work,” said Nicklen.

The elder Nicklen ended up with not even a bite, while his son landed two enormous fish several hours a apart
The first one was 109 lbs. and the second was 95 lbs.

Fourteen year old River Nicklen was amazed at the size of his catch | River Nicklen

His father later admitted he didn’t think it would be a monster because his son had been “playing the fish” so well during his 20 minute battle with the fish. When they finally reeled it in – the realized the size of their catch.

He took plenty of pictures. They thought it was the trip of a life time already when lightning struck twice twenty minutes past 4 AM when they reeled in the second big one.

A Record Haul?

The massive haul was likely the best ever for a fresh water catch by a British teen of two different fish on the same outing. Both fish were released back into the reserve.

Fishing on SI attempted to locate the record but, British fishing records of this type are not stored by age but size.
By the by – why isn’t their more tracking record sizes by the age of the angler? Age categories open lots of new oppurunities.

A River Runs To It

River with his catch on the shore of a key Essex fishing spot. | River Nicklen

River was no stranger to catfish having a 52 pounder as his previous personal best.

The year 2026 has been a lucky one for teenage anglers in the United Kingdom. Earlier this year a staggering 195-pound skate was caught by another Fourteen-year-old, Henry Ralph, during a fishing trip off the coast of Oban, Scotland, after a battle that lasted around two hours.

The Wels Catfish

Britain’s giant freshwater catfish are Wels catfish, a European species capable of growing far larger than most North American catfish. Wels can potentially reach several hundred pounds, whereas even the American blue catfish record sits at 143 lb. The species was introduced to the UK but, on continental Europe Wels can get well over 150 lb and sometimes reportedly even 200 lbs.