'Monster' fish record bid refused

The BFRC holds records on freshwater fish caught in the UK

A large salmon caught on a Highlands river will not enter the record books because its weight cannot be verified, the British Fish Record Committee said.

Anglers had hoped that the male, or cock salmon, hooked on the River Ness, near Inverness, would break the 64lbs (29kg) record set 85 years ago.

However, the BFRC said the catch did not meet all its three criteria.

It had been estimated the salmon was 50in (127cm) long and had a girth of 40in (101cm).

The fish was caught by an angler believed to be from the Aberdeen area and was released back into the river.

British Fish Record Committee (BRFC), which holds the angling records for the UK, said the catch met two of its criteria, which are that there must be witnesses to the landing and that the fish must be identified.

It's sad, but that's the way it is David Rowe BRFC secretary

However, it failed on the third which is that the fish must be weighed.

David Rowe, secretary of the BRFC, said: "As far as the British Fish Record are concerned, it doesn't qualify for consideration.

"It's sad, but that's the way it is. It has to be weighed on certified scales. You cannot estimate the British record."

Robby Bremner, who witnessed the catch, said: "As far as I know, it's the largest fish to be caught in the Ness for some time.

"It was just one man that caught the fish although we did have to get a bigger net. It's a great feather in the cap for him and a fantastic achievement."

In the current confirmed record, Georgina Ballantine landed her 64lb catch on 7 October 1922 from a boat on the Glendelvine stretch of the River Tay in Perthshire.