But Sidmouth fisherman James lets record catch off the hook

Hours of patience helped a Sidmouth man reel in a cod measuring more than a metre in length - and break a club record.

James Trevett said the look on his brother Barry’s face was priceless as he made the 21lbs 13ozs catch at Hinkley Point near Bristol.

The 35-year-old is a member of Honiton Sea Angling Club and said that the duo had been waiting for more than two hours for a fish to bite. The club’s previous record was a cod weighing 16lbs. James said: “I knew it was a big fish straight away. My rod was bent in half. I have never seen it bend like that before. I turned to Barry and his facial expression was priceless. The day was right, the water was right and if it had been 20 yards to the right it could have been a different story. It’s a fish of a lifetime.”

The brothers like to catch and quickly measure fish before releasing them back in the water.

It is not James’s largest catch. He has landed a conger eel measuring seven-and-a-half feet long and weighing 70lbs.