Schoolboy, 14, reels in record-breaking catch on his first time cast fishing after two-hour battle with monster skate

A SCHOOLBOY has broken the UK record for the biggest fish caught by a child. Henry Ralph, 14, caught a massive 195lb skate fish at a beach near at Oban in Argyll & Bute, Scotland. A schoolboy has caught one of the biggest fish ever by a juvenile Credit: BNPS Henry Ralph wrestled with the fish for two hours Credit: BNPS Henry caught the mega fish – with huge wings, a thrashing tale and rough, thorny skin – during his very first time cast fishing. At first, he thought his line was snagged on a heavy clump of kelp. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! But when the scaly titan started splashing around, he knew he’d caught something big. The supersized fish took Henry two hours to reel in, and nearly pulled him into the murky sea as he played tug of war with the mammoth skate. Michael Hannah is Henry’s fishing guide Credit: Facebook Michael Hannah The fish is twice his size Credit: BNPS Once he’d got hold of it, the determined teen realised the slippery skate was more than twice his size. Michael Hannah, Henry’s fishing guide, helped measure the creature, which was 81 inches long and 69 inches wide. Henry said: “It was really hard to reel in and was like the fight of a lifetime. “It took about two hours but I am quite determined and I wasn’t going to let it go. Most read in The Sun “When I saw it flailing around about 20 yards from the shore, that’s when I realised how big it was. I was just shocked at the size of it. “I did feel tired afterwards and had to sit down but after a while I was ready to catch another one.” Henry, who lives in Moray, has been fishing since he was eight. Michael, who works with the Moray Skate Guide, watched in awe as the lad battled the marine monster single-handed. Michael said: “He is only a wee boy but didn’t need my help. He didn’t want to give it up, it was phenomenal to watch. “I know grown men who would have handed the rod over. It was the fish of a lifetime for Henry and he is only 14!” The guide confirmed that the fish was safely returned to the waters. This comes after a boy from the UK caught a 152lb catfish during a holiday in Spain. In 2023, Joshua Davenport, who was 11 at the time, broke the European record for the largest freshwater caught with a net by a child. Joshua had been fishing with his parents when he snagged the mega catfish with his bait, fighting for 25 minutes to secure the catch. The catfish was 9ft long and took three adults to lift it onto the scales. 1 comment1