Loch Ness Monster hunter hooked on catfish theory

A man who has given up most of his working life to watch the mysterious waters of Loch Ness thinks he may have solved the mystery.

“Looking at all the evidence, speaking to eyewitnesses, the most likely solution is a wels catfish”, Steve Feltham, 52, told Sky News.

He left his job fitting security cameras, his girlfriend and his home to move to the banks of Loch Ness and devote his time to searching for the legendary monster in 1991.

“It is known they were introduced into English lakes by the Victorians for sport”, he told the newspaper, adding that he thinks the monster of lore is specifically a Wels catfish. “I just don’t think that Nessie is a prehistoric monster”, Feltham was quoted as saying. “References to a monster in Loch Ness date back to St. Columba’s biography in 565 AD. More than 1,000 people claim to have seen ‘Nessie” and the area is, consequently, a popular tourist attraction.

He holds the record for the longest continuous vigil hunting for the Loch Ness monster and he predicted he could continue his search for another decade. Steve Feltham certainly hopes so, especially after all of these years waiting for this mystery to be solved.

Instead, he claims Nessie is in fact a Wels catfish – a giant fish that can grow as long as 13ft and up to 62 stone.

The next year saw publication of the famous photo showing a head and neck resembling that of a brontosaurus protruding from the loch.

“I’m in my utopia living here on the shores of the loch”, he said. The scaleless fish can live for at least 30 years. After careful consideration, the Wels catfish theory seems to fit.

Their long life span would explain the sightings since the 1930s as the animals reached maturity. The larger ones also eat frogs, mice, rats, and aquatic birds like ducks. They have also been observed lunging out of the water to grab pigeons on land. One famous photograph that showed a brontosaurus-type creature in the waters was revealed to be a hoax 10 years after it went public.

Mr Feltham has become such a feature of the loch that he is even a member of the local community council.

“Have I ever regretted my decision?”