Loch Ness hunter believes the monster is nothing more than a catfish

A MAN who has dedicated more than two decades of his life to investigating the Loch Ness monster believes he knows the truth.

That’s a strange looking catfish, mate.

A MAN who has dedicated more than two decades of his life to investigating the Loch Ness monster believes he has an answer for the fabled tale.

In 1991, Steve Feltham sold all of his possessions and left his girlfriend in order to search for the Loch Ness monster, although he now believes it is nothing more than a catfish.

After much deliberation, the 52-year-old said when people claimed to have seen the Loch Ness, they were more than likely just seeing a Wels catfish — a species that can stretch over four metres in length and weigh up to 394kg.

“They are very long lived and it is entirely possible they were introduced by Victorians to the loch, which would explain why the main sightings of Nessie really started in the 1930s — just as the animals were reaching maturity,” he told the Australian.

“I’ve had to change my mind slowly over time, but what a lot of people have reported seeing would fit in with the description of the catfish with its long curved back.

“I have to be honest. I just don’t think that Nessie is a prehistoric monster.”

This man holds the Loch Ness monster ... or is it just a Wels catfish?

Mr Feltham said while the legend of the monster will keep people coming to visit the area, he believes sightings will become less because the catfish will soon die out.

“There was a viable breeding population but I think the numbers have declined to the extent that there are now just one or two left,” he said.

“They also eat other catfish and may have eaten breeding females over time. Nessie is destined to be no more, I’m afraid.”

Local hotelier Willie Cameron discredited Mr Feltham’s claims suggesting they were the result of frustration.

“If it’s a giant catfish then is that not still a monster? No one said it had to be prehistoric. There are far more eminent people than Mr Feltham who have said it doesn’t exist and it has never harmed the one million people who visit here every year,” he said.

“Mr Feltham’s announcement will not make an iota of difference.

“When this kind of thing happens, and sightings are ‘proven’ to be faked, it’s usually just down to frustration that the person hasn’t seen anything themselves.”

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