It was one of those nights that many anglers hope, pray and believe will one day become a reality…
But let us start at the beginning: November 2012, the Rhino Black Cat guided tours on the middle reaches of the River Po in Italy are in full swing and, as is so often the case, the starting point is the renowned Heiner family’s Wels Camp.
The river was proving quite temperamental with plenty of fluctuations in water level over the first few days of fishing. However, with dedication and the instinct of top guides Stefan Seuss and Benjamin Gründer, five fish measuring over two metres were landed in a short space of time, including one specimen that tipped the scales over the magical 100kg mark.
Week two brought a rainy start with the river swelling to four metres over the banks. In these conditions the old ditches that fill up in high water are the first port of call for the predators as foraging fish retreat to these areas and the large wels lie in wait for their prey at the entrances. Benjamin Gründer went in search of exactly this type of swim with his guests Horst and Maik Grieb and Erik and on the first night Maik Grieb landed a 235-cm-long Po brute. The successful method was a ‘top-water’ bait presentation from the overhanging trees using thin release lines.
On the evening of 12 November at around 18:00, the Black Cat Buster leaned worryingly towards the water surface and the drag of the Fin Nor Offshore 9500, which was almost fully closed, began to release line. Horst Grieb was called over and took hold of the rod as Benjamin fetched the dinghy.
Some 15 minutes later, the fish had dragged both men into the main current of the river, where the battle of man versus fish became even more ferocious. Around 20 minutes after the bite, Horst was forced to hand the rod to Benjamin because the fish had brought him to the limits of his physical strength. Countless minutes later, Benjamin had managed to overcome the fish and, together, the two anglers hauled the specimen into the Mission Craft dinghy.
It was only then that Benjamin realised just how big the fish was as the arrival of the monster wels in the boat also began to let in water. As a team, Horst and Benjamin had landed one of the largest wels ever caught and claimed a new River Po record with a fish measuring 255cm in length and weighing in at 117.5kg.
