A FISHERMAN from Bentham is celebrating after hooking ‘the catch of a lifetime’ in the River Lune.

Fishing fanatic Gary Macdonald landed the monster salmon – which was more than 41 inches long and is thought to have weighed a whopping 28 lbs – on Sunday at Whittington Hall.

It is believed to be the biggest salmon caught on the stretch for several decades.

“I was shaking like a little kid when I landed it,” said the 39 year-old joiner, who returned the fish to the water after measuring it with a length of line.

“It was a real tug of war. I had it on the hook for about 40 minutes before I brought it in,” he said.

Mr Macdonald, who first picked up a rod at the age of nine, travels the country following his hobby and believes his catch had grown so big because it had spent three winters at sea.

“Most salmon spend a year or two at sea – the longer they are out there gorging themselves the bigger they get.

“I knew it wouldn’t be much good for eating because when they’ve been in the river a while they lose condition.

"It would have fed a heck of a lot of people though.”