Jakub Vagner of the Big Fish Man tells Shalini Saksena on why he is on a mission to find the world’s biggest freshwater fish, how he wanted to be a fisherman and how Goliath Tiger has been the toughest fish he has ever caught
Why do you want to find the world’s biggest fishIJ
I’m trying to find and explore the biggest freshwater fish on our planet. When I talk about the biggest fish, freshwater fish on our planet, I count fish over two metres in length and over 100 kilos, more or less 200 pounds. I think we have over 27 truly freshwater fish, most of them are extremely rare and some of them are very close to extinction. I’m sure that at least half of them will disappear in the end of this century. So I’m trying to show all these big and beautiful fish to everybody around the world and show them that we don’t have only animals on the land, we don’t have only animals in the ocean, but we also have these beautiful animals and creatures in freshwater.
Have you ever been in a dangerous situation during your searchIJ
While shooting for the show, I got malaria seven times. I had a lot of parasites in my body, some broken bones, and of course, in the last ten years, I did a lot of trips, crazy stuff, but I’m still alive and I am not scared of doing all these expeditions because if you go to all these remote places, you just know that something might happen if you will not be careful enough.
Which has been the biggest fish you have ever caught yetIJ
It has to be Arapaima. It’s one of the biggest freshwater fish on our planet. It is a very smart fish. Also, it’s not only about the fish, but it’s as well about the place where you are trying to catch the fish. The Amazon for me is the most beautiful and amazing place on our planet. I like to be in wilderness. I feel alive there. The second most favourite fish of course is the Goliath Tiger fish from the Congo, because if you have a look at this fish, you just know why, if you see its huge teeth, this is life in freshwater.
How does a musician and a TV presenter end up being an anglerIJ
My father always told me that I was born with a brain of carp. All my family are musicians and I’m the only fisherman, so basically I’m the only black sheep in my whole family. When I was a child and saw water and there was a fish in the water, I was always trying to jump to the lake, and my parents thought I’m absolutely crazy. When I was seven, somebody asked me what I want to do in my life, I always answered that I want to be a fisherman.
Reason why you have focused your trips to the Amazon Basin River.
I’m preparing a lot of new trips, but my heart is of course in the Amazon. I love the Amazon because it is such an amazing place. Of course I love Congo, Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya as well. The thing common to these places is that all these places are very, very remote places without civilisation, because of which one can see untouched places, untouched animals and undestroyed corners of our planet. I feel and I can see that we have less and less of these places and I feel really privileged that I’m one of the last generations which can really enjoy these places.
Any new species of fish you have ever caught.
I have captured and documented the most elusive fish which have mysteries around them. None of these were new species.
What is so special about freshwater giant fishIJ
It’s not like you cast somewhere, you wait five minutes and then you catch a big fish. Of course sometimes, when you’re lucky, you can have the first fish on the first day, but most of the time you have to wait days and days, sometimes even weeks, to get even a first take. Try to imagine, after two or three weeks you have a take and then you lose the fish. So it’s sometimes it can be very, very difficult and very, very frustrating. But once I hold the fish, I’m holding basically a dinosaur, I’m holding my dream.
Which has been the toughest fish to catch thus farIJ
It was a Goliath Tiger fish. It was the biggest goliath tiger fish we have captured on a film for Discovery Channel/Animal Planet on that series, because I spent nine months in the Congo, and I had caught some smaller fish before on my previous trips, but to catch the really big one, it took me nine months. And that’s why I was so crazy and made a film on the same, because if you are waiting for your dream for nine months and then the fish — the dream is on the other side of the line, you just know you have to catch the fish, you have to land the fish, if not you will jump to the river yourself.