Fisherman Sets World Record by Catching Eight-Foot, 206-Pound Albino Catfish

British fisherman Bernie Campbell has been trying to catch a rare albino catfish for seven years. The hard work has paid off as he has reportedly set the world record by hauling in an eight-foot, 206-pound albino catfish out of River Ebro near Barcelona, Spain.

Bernie, who is 54 years old, was in the middle of a week-long fishing trip with his son, Gary. They had been using special pellets to attract the fish. He shared the incredible details with the Daily Mail:  

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I was three days into my holiday this year when I hooked into a big fish coming up to midnight. When I got the fish closer to the shore and I saw it was white I couldn't believe it. It was so strong it nearly pulled me in on four separate occasions. I was absolutely shattered when I landed it, but the feeling was unbelievable.

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It was the first time he had caught an albino catfish. With the fish being so large, Campbell said that it took him about 30 minutes to reel it in. He had 1,800 feet of super-strength fishing line to help him catch it.

Once ashore, they weighed it, photographed it and released it.

CatMaster Tours expert angler John Deakin gave the Daily Mail some background information:

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We have had two or three big albino catfish out of the river, but none that has topped 200 pounds. Albino catfish of that size are very rare indeed. This is the biggest we’ve ever seen. It was a very special fish.

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Campbell's catch beat the previous record by 10 pounds. Last year, British fisherman Phil Hilton caught a 196-pound fish. However, Campbell's catch is not officially the record yet.

It's a cool story of persistence and determination. It took Campbell seven years before he was able to make such an incredible catch, so it's amazing that he kept going.

This father and son can enjoy the cool feat, and the rest of the world can just be amazed by looking at the pictures of the massive fish.

Photos via the Daily Mail, and hat tip to GrindTV for the find.