Huge Eel in the Lee

Blake123

Hey guys,
Was walking home from work tonight and saw what i believe to be a conger eel in the river lee, in the opera house area of the lee.
To my knowledge congers dont migrate to fresh water, and this was at fully low tide.
I was walking down on the north side of the river when i saw it swimming upstream, when i got to the other side i realized the size of it, at least 5-6 foot long, it then turned and began swimming down stream.
It was pale grey/silver (pale enough to see in the dark) and was swimming high in the water skimming the surface (which was what originally caught my eye)
Does anyone know whether or not this was a conger as i havent heard of fresh water eels growing to this size but know they migrate between fresh and salt water?

Blake

Bogwoppit

Hugh Eel, I was in school with him, he was always a good swimmer.
(Op has now changed the title, booo, I preferred the original)

con___manx1

Blake123 wrote: »

Hey guys,
Was walking home from work tonight and saw what i believe to be a conger eel in the river lee, in the opera house area of the lee.
To my knowledge congers dont migrate to fresh water, and this was at fully low tide.
I was walking down on the north side of the river when i saw it swimming upstream, when i got to the other side i realized the size of it, at least 5-6 foot long, it then turned and began swimming down stream.
It was pale grey/silver (pale enough to see in the dark) and was swimming high in the water skimming the surface (which was what originally caught my eye)
Does anyone know whether or not this was a conger as i havent heard of fresh water eels growing to this size but know they migrate between fresh and salt water?

Blake

Congers are not silver they are black. I never heard of a river eel that big but possible I'd imagine.

thefisherbuy

I've actually seen quite seen a few this year in a local river, the biggest I have ever seen was in a trout fishery god he was big when I think of it now about 4 meaby even 5 foot long, it's really rare site to see them now a pity...

Zzippy

Blake123 wrote: »

Hey guys,
Was walking home from work tonight and saw what i believe to be a conger eel in the river lee, in the opera house area of the lee.
To my knowledge congers dont migrate to fresh water, and this was at fully low tide.
I was walking down on the north side of the river when i saw it swimming upstream, when i got to the other side i realized the size of it, at least 5-6 foot long, it then turned and began swimming down stream.
It was pale grey/silver (pale enough to see in the dark) and was swimming high in the water skimming the surface (which was what originally caught my eye)
Does anyone know whether or not this was a conger as i havent heard of fresh water eels growing to this size but know they migrate between fresh and salt water?
Blake

Wrong time of year for silver eels (they migrate to sea in October-December), and unlikely to be a conger. Possibly a sea lamprey moving upstream to spawn, colouring would be right, and maybe you overestimated the size (3 feet would be more like it).

bpmurray

con___manx1 wrote: »

Congers are not silver they are black. I never heard of a river eel that big but possible I'd imagine.

Black?!?!?!? I've never caught a black one - they're a grey slimy colour. And since the Lee is tidal all the way to the city, it's quite possible that one went all the way up.

popsy09

Have to agree on both counts , quite possible it could have been a conger sounds like one from your description ..but don't rule out a lamprey I have seen them in quite big sizes too

Spook_ie

Picture of a 1.7 kg eel, the Irish record is 3.147kg from 1979, because of the ban on eel fishing it's likely that there are specimen size ones around

dodderangler

Op fish always look bigger in water than they actually are

Eddie B

dodderangler wrote: »

Op fish always look bigger in water than they actually are

Always look smaller to me! JMHO!

mawk

They're huge when they get off the hook.

Twas thhiiiiiiiis big!