Angler scales new heights with huge pike catch in Chew Valley Lake

Lloyd Watson said his catch was "the Theatre of Dreams for pike fishing", adding: "It's just a smile factory"

It is believed a long-standing British fishing record has been broken after an angler caught a 47lb 5oz (21.4kg) pike.

Lloyd Watson, from Manchester, landed the catch on his first trip to Chew Valley Lake in North Somerset.

Once ratified, it is set to beat the current pike record of 46lb 13oz (21.2kg), set in 1992 by Roy Lewis at Llandegfedd reservoir in Monmouthshire.

Mr Watson said he was in "total disbelief", adding: "It's pike fishing mecca."

"It has made so many dreams come true for lifelong pike anglers," he added.

The pike was weighed and photographed with the help of fellow anglers.

In echoes of Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer's Gone Fishing, Mr Watson carefully released the fish back into the water.

"I still can't get over what's actually happened. I've got people from all over the world messaging me, wanting interviews," the angler said, adding: "I feel like this can't happen to me. I'm going to wake up."

The catch is waiting to be confirmed by the British Record Fish Committee

Bristol Water, which owns the lake, said the catch "caps a fantastic couple of years for angling at Chew Valley" after several fish weighing 30lb and 40lb were caught in recent months.

Luke Cox, Bristol Water's fisheries and recreations manager, congratulated Mr Watson "on this superb achievement".

He added: "And it's great from our point of view that fish welfare was top priority with plenty of anglers and staff on hand to help weigh this once-in-a-lifetime capture."

Mr Cox said he was sure the lake's "terrific form of late", including its shallow nature and abundance of food, and was a "huge factor in why the pike that live here grow to such colossal sizes".

"We take great pride in managing the fishing activities and careful planning is undertaken to conserve the pike population," he added.