They call her “The Carrot.” The fish has been swimming in the Bluewater Lakes in Champagne, France for about 15 years and during that time has evaded most anglers. But Andy Hacket, from the U.K., recently reeled her in for a few priceless photos before releasing her back into the water.
The goldfish, or more specifically a female koi carp, is 20 years old and weighs an astounding 67.4 pounds, according to the Bluewater Lakes Facebook page.
Bluewater Lakes is a carp fishery and their spokesperson Jason Cowler revealed to FTW Outdoors that The Carrot was added to the lake as “as something different for the anglers to try to catch.” With her bright orange color she’s a memorable catch if you can reel her in.
For his part, Hacket didn’t think he would ever catch The Carrot but he was thrilled that he did. He told The Daily Mail, “I knew it was a big fish when it took my bait and went off side to side and up and down with it. Then it came to the surface 30 or 40 yards out and I saw that it was orange.” He added, “It was brilliant to catch it but it was also sheer luck.”
After 25 minutes of reeling The Carrot in, Hacket posed for a few photos before gently releasing her back into the water. He shared video of her release, giving a “thumbs up” when she swam away.
Many people were stunned at the size of The Carrot commenting that the fish is “amazing” and “super.” They were also very happy Hacket released her. The Carrot is a stunning catch and quite unique among large carp, which tend to be a pale beige or brown color.
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