221-pound albino catfish landed in Spain

MEQUINENZA, Spain, Oct. 9 (UPI) -- A British retiree reeled in a 221-pound albino catfish believed to be the world's largest just an hour after his fishing buddy landed a 209-pounder.

Tom Herron, 68, of Cornwall, England, said he and friend John Edwards, 75, were fishing in Mequinenza, Spain, and he thought he had lost their private contest when Edwards reeled in a world record 209-pound albino catfish measuring 7 feet, 11 inches long.

However, Edwards' record proved to be short-lived when Herron landed a 221-pound albino catfish measuring 8 feet, 1 inch long just an hour later.

"John broke the world record before me... he was running up and down the bank shouting 'yes, yes, I've caught the biggest fish,'" Herron said of the Sept. 23 fishing trip.

"But when they were photographing his catch my rod started to go, and I said 'I've got a big fish here', I don't know what it was -- but it's one big fish," he told the Plymouth Herald.

Herron said it took 40 minutes to reel in the massive catfish.

"I didn't realize how significant it was, I just thought I'd caught a big fish, but when the owner of the tours came down he was shocked," Herron said. "It was the biggest albino they have ever seen caught on the river. Apparently they make good eating -- but you'd need a lot of chips."

Catmaster Tours, the British tour group that organized the trip, said albino catfish are extremely rare, making the duel records in the same day especially impressive.

"Albino catfish of that size are very rare indeed. This is the biggest we've ever seen," a spokesman said.