A young angler is celebrating a double catch of the day.

Michael Towers braved a tug of war with two massive fish to smash records at a renowned angling centre.

Michael, 15, from Alderley Edge, sat for a whole day and night by the lakes at Anglers Paradise, in Devon, waiting for something big to bite. And his patience paid off.

Through the eery darkness, Michael got the break he’d been waiting for – catching a carp and catfish so big they nearly pulled him back into the water.

But there was no way he would let the slippery customers get away, so, hanging on for dear life, he brought the haul to shore – breaking records at two different lakes.

Michael’s common carp weighed in at 32lb 12oz and his catfish was 24lb 4oz. Both were more than 3ft long.

The catches were lake records and the carp was the biggest ever caught at the site.

Michael, who lives with his dad Andrew and sister Kayleigh on Elm Crescent, said: "It was amazing. They were the biggest I’ve caught by far and the biggest I’ve ever seen caught by anyone. I had to hold the line for an hour and a half for the carp, it pulled me right in at one point, and I couldn’t see anything so had to crawl back to my tent to get a torch, it was really strong. It’s about being patient and having the skills to pull it in, you have to know what you are doing."

And Michael’s secret for catching an oversized carp? – a fruity flavoured bait called a pineapple pop-up and a bag of trout pellet mix.

The Wilmslow High School pupil started fishing 18 months ago with his friend Guy Warwick at Rossmere Lake.

Taking inspiration from Guy’s dad, Frank Warwick, a professional fisherman from Styal, Michael says he would like to make a career out of angling. He added: "I like the thrill of it, I’m going to stay with it all my life. This latest catch is great because it will help to get me recognised."

Proud mum Carol, of Elmfield Road, said: "No-one in our family fishes, Michael has done this all on his own. He had been dreaming about what he could catch in Devon for months and certainly excelled his dream, he’s a hero down there."

Owner at Anglers Paradise Zyg Gregorek said: "For someone so young, it shows real dedication and knowledge."