A Czech tourist, Karel Sourek, snagged the biggest trout to be caught in Ireland in over 100 years.

The whopping fish weighted in at 11.4kg and measured 90cm. Shane O'Reilly, of the Central Fisheries Board of Ireland, confirmed it was the biggest trout caught in over a century.

Sourek was supposed to have flown home to Prague but due to the volcanic ash cloud above Ireland his vacation was extended.

He took advantage of this and went fishing with his friend, Emil Bucko, on Lough Corrib, County Galway.

The lucky pair were fishing in eight meters of water when Sourek thought that he has caught his line on the bottom. When he felt a tug he realized that he had snagged a monster.

"We had got him into the net and I was shocked and screaming. I have seen many big fish in my life but this fish was magnificent," said Sourek.

Having photographed and weighed the fish he set it free. “It is much better than to kill it and stick it into the display case,” he said.

Sourek said that the fish was quite possibly the oldest in the lake and referred to it as “the beautiful warrior”. He said it deserved to be free.