A KEEN Cirencester fisherman could not believe it when he reeled in a whopping 48 pound carp earlier this month.

A lover of fishing ever since his dad introduced him to the sport when he was a boy, the 64-year-old was ecstatic to reel in his biggest UK catch yet, at 48 pounds and 15 ounces.

Steve, who lives in Cirencester, travels around 80 miles every week to fish at RK Leisure's Horton Church lake in Surrey.

"It takes me about an hour and a half," said Steve. "But it's absolutely worth it. It's beautiful.

"I've only been fishing here for a year. It's always been very hard to get on this lake. It's quite exclusive."

As well as his new favourite lake in Surrey, Steve has also spent time fishing at the Cotswold Water Park and also on Lechlade lakes.

"I was on my own when I caught it," he added, reliving the moment he pulled in the monster carp. "When I got it in I knew it was big but did not know how big. I got a chap at the other end of the lake to help me weigh it. Then I realised it was the biggest in this lake."

Steve said this is the biggest fish in the UK he has ever caught but he once caught a fish in France weighing 55 pounds.

He admitted he is much more excited about his biggest English catch.