A man from Sverdlovsk stuffed a fish with a heavy metal to win a contest.

      At the "Kamensky Predator — 2025" festival, held near Kamensk-Uralsky, one of the participants was caught attempting to cheat. The angler had placed lead sinkers into the pike he had caught to increase its weight. For violating the rules he may face a lifetime disqualification, the event organizers said.

      "In one of the pikes presented for weighing we found lead 'cheburashka' sinkers in the stomach. The rules categorically prohibit artificially increasing the weight. We know who this fish belongs to. The participant did not place among the prize winners, and the question of his future participation in our festivals is currently under consideration," the Kamensk Anglers community wrote on VKontakte.

      The news sparked an active discussion among anglers: many demanded that the offender be named, but the organizers refused to do so for ethical reasons. According to them, the post about the incident was published as a warning to other participants. In the future the organizers promised to carry out more thorough checks of contestants' catches and personal belongings, including tackle boxes and bags. If necessary, they may use metal detectors.