greenfrog Loc: Central NJ

Angler ‘panicked slightly’ at sight of vivid yellow ‘Mandarin catfish’
David Strege
October 14, 2021 7:30 am ET

When Martin Glatz first saw the color of the fish he was reeling in, the German fisherman couldn’t believe how beautiful it was, and his reaction was an apparent rush of adrenaline, along with the thought that he didn’t want this one to get away.

“At first, I was expecting a big pike,” Glatz explained to Field and Stream. “The fight was comparable to a large 47-inch pike. When I saw what color the fish was, I panicked slightly and yelled at my brother to call for the net.”

The vivid yellow fish was netted and was identified as a “Mandarin catfish,” sometimes called a golden catfish.

The Etang de Azat-Chatenet fishery in France described the Mandarin catfish as the same as a European wels catfish but one that is leucistic. “Leucism in a fish is a condition in which there is partial loss of pigmentation in an animal which causes white, pale or patchy coloration of the skin,” the site states.

Glatz took some photos and then released the fish with hopes it will grow to be “very big,” he told Field and Stream.

The wels catfish, a freshwater fish native to Europe, can grow to over 8 feet and weigh over 400 pounds.

Glatz, who fishes two to three days a week, made this catch and release on Oct. 4 while fishing with his twin brother on a lake in the Netherlands.

“Friends, I still can’t quite believe how beautiful the little guy was,” Glatz wrote on Instagram. “I’m still overwhelmed.”

Angeldomaene, an outdoor equipment store in German that sponsors the fishing twins, called it a “dream fish.”

Link: https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/10/angler-panicked-slightly-at-sight-of-vivid-yellow-mandarin-catfish

Photo courtesy of Martin Glatz.

michael4now Loc: wilder id

never ever seen anything like that before

rgutierrez Loc: San Jose CA

Just beautiful!

greenfrog Loc: Central NJ

Looks like some kind of fish you would see on a salt water reef.

bottomcoon Loc: Tahlequah, oklahoma

That is one beautiful fish.

hacksaw Loc: Pasadena, Texas

That is one beautiful catfish. Thanks for sharing Frog 🐸.
Hack 🇺🇸🍺🍺

dbed Loc: POMME DE TERRE LAKE MISSOURI

It is so bright It almost hurts the eyes

Ponchobuck Loc: South Central Pa

That is a beautiful fish. Definitely a fish of a lifetime.

OldBassGuy Loc: Temecula, CA

Absolutely awesome! Thx for sharing the fish of a lifetime.

Ricky Loc: Columbia City, Oregon

The was a great fish. Thanks for sharing. I learned something more about fish.

kandydisbar Loc: West Orange, NJ

Wow. Hope he put it back.

greenfrog Loc: Central NJ

Yes he did. from the article.
Glatz took some photos and then released the fish with hopes it will grow to be “very big,” he told Field and Stream.

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

I'll take two. Just for the pics or donate to n aquarium so many could enjoy it. Then again it may enjoy the wild more 👍👍

Adk Loc: Cadyville NY 🌄🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

That is a spectacular catch, great pic

Robert J Samples Loc: Round Rock, Texas

Wow! That is a shockingly beautiful catfish! We have what we call yellow catfish in rivers and lakes of Texas, but none come anywhere to the total color of that fish. I am glad he released it to continue to grow and hopefully have a million offspring. Just Sayin...RJS