Giant goldfish a mystery

Samantha Walker and her dad Tony Walker, who saw this giant goldfish out of the corner of his eye swimming past their property at Makaraka. Pictures by Liam Clayton

For 15 years Tony Walker and his family have fished the Taruheru River that runs alongside their property at Makaraka.

But last weekend's catch topped them all when Tony landed what could be Gisborne's biggest goldfish.

While doing tractor work on Saturday, Tony spotted out of the corner of his eye an orange fish swimming in the river.

He thought if he could see a goldfish from his tractor “it must be huge”.

Tony rang his son and daughter, Marshall and Samantha, to get the net and kayak.

Then he jumped in the kayak and after half an hour managed to net the fish.

“When I took it out, I realised it was at least 30 centimetres long.

“It wasn't big, it was bloody big.”

They rushed the fish home and it lives on today in the Walker's fish pond — the biggest goldfish in there by far.

Theories of what it is, and how it got there, have ranged from a former pet left to grow huge, to a surviving fish from when the botanical garden ponds were flushed out about 10 years ago.

Other sightings of goldfish in the river by Campion College were recorded a few years ago.

“I don't know whether it is a giant goldfish or a carp,” said Tony.

“We've been living on this river bank for 15 years and never seen anything like it. It is like a goldfish on steroids.”

The Taruheru River by their property is brackish water — which is where fresh water meets salt water, but Tony says it is mostly freshwater.

Department of Conservation community ranger Jamie Quirk said the fish was “most probably” a goldfish as carp have barbels on their lower jaw.