An angler from England made a monstrous catch in the form of an enormous goldfish that weighed a whopping 67 pounds and, until now, had managed to avoid being captured for a staggering 20 years. Andy Hackett reportedly snagged the remarkable creature while fishing at a lake in Champagne, France earlier this month. “I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait and went off side to side and up and down with it,” he recalled, “then it came to the surface 30 or 40 yards out and I saw that it was orange.” It was at that point that Hackett realized he was tangling with a legendary denizen of the lake that had come to be known as ‘The Carrot.’
According to the manager of the fishery where it resides, the creature had been deposited into the location around two decades ago “as something different” for visitors to try and catch. However, the hybrid species of leather and koi carp turned out to be rather tough to snag and, in the ensuing 20 years, the goldfish grew to its now epic-size. The presence of the wondrous fish was well-known among anglers at the lake as, like the Loch Ness Monster, the elusive creature had occasionally been seen by awestruck observers, which led to it being given its unique name.
To that end, Hackett marveled that “I always knew The Carrot was in there, but never thought I would catch it.” However, those doubts were dispelled when he felt the tremendous strength of the creature on the end of his line and spotted its distinct orange coloring. After an arduous 25-minute long battle, he hauled in the fishery’s famous resident, which was determined to weigh a little over 67 pounds. Crediting the catch to “sheer luck,” Hackett posed for a few photos with The Carrot before, commendably, releasing the giant goldfish back into the lake.
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