When Wolverhampton angler Phil Argyle travelled to Spain this week for a mid-winter holiday he was looking forward to sun, sea and a spot of carp fishing.

But the trip has turned into a record breaker for the 42-year-old from Oxley after he caught this monster catfish, measuring more than 7ft in length.

The giant fish, which weighs in at 196lb and measures a whopping 7ft 2ins, took nearly two hours to reel in when Mr Argyle hooked it while fishing on the River Ebro near Mequinenza.

The self-employed bait maker, of Jones Road, said: “I couldn’t believe the sheer size of the thing. It’s an awesome fish. It was exhausting trying to bring it in – a real battle of man versus nature.

“It was towing the boat all over but I was determined it wouldn’t be the one that got away.”

Mr Argyle threw the huge fish back into the water after taking this photograph.

Officials are now looking into whether the fish is a record breaker.

Although bigger fish are regularly caught, Mr Argyle was using a 15lb carp line at the time. This means it is thought it could be the lightest line ever to catch such a heavy catfish anywhere in the world. Mr Argyle, who has fished in Germany, Spain and across England, said: “We’re checking it out with the Spanish fishing authority but we’re confident it will be the biggest.

“I’ve been fishing since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, from about the age of six, but this is just a dream catch.

“I was delighted to get it ashore. It dwarfs me. When it was out in the water, it was the boss.”

He added his previous biggest catch had been 140lbs also in the River Ebro but that was with a full catfish line.

David Down, of the Norton and Kingswinford Catfish Appreciation Society, said: “The size is big but not extraordinary for the Ebro but the fact he caught it with such a light line is very impressive.”