An angling club in Limburg has lost its complete stock of 600 fish during the recent flooding, local broadcaster 1Limburg reports.

The club kept carp in special ponds which overflowed, giving the fish an unexpected chance to make a break for it and swim into the river Maas.

The escape is a serious blow to the club’s finances as each carp costs around €200. Although the rising water alerted the club to the possibility of the fish disappearing it proved impossible to move them. ‘600 to 700 fish, where on earth do you put them?’ Pascal Flink of angling club Willem Een told the broadcaster.

The club had been working on a bigger pond more inland, and with a less easy access to the Maas and plans were afoot to take the fish there next year. The club hopes to raise €28,500 via crowdfunding to buy fresh fish.