TIDDLER William Hood poses proudly after landing a whopping great brown trout from the River Test.

The nine-year-old Embley Park Junior School pupil pulled out the monster fish - the biggest brown trout found on the river in ten years - on the Lea Park stretch in Romsey.

Weighing 10lb 3oz, the record catch was also a sad reminder of William's fishing-mad uncle Duncan Hood, who died mysteriously in his sleep, aged 38, on April 16 this year.

William, of Bracken Hill, Chilworth, caught the colossal catch while out fly-fishing with dad Jason and grandad John using a red lure. But all of them got more than they bargained for - the fish was so big it wouldn't fit into the net.

William said: "I do a lot of fishing and I enjoy it but the biggest one I ever caught before was a 7lb pike and I

didn't expect to catch a big fish that day. Trout are usually only a few pounds."

When the monster bit it nearly took his arm off, but William was determined.

"When it bit the line it felt extraordinarily strong, quite unbelievable. All that went through my mind was 'I am going to catch this fish'. I shouted to my dad and he got in the water with the net, but the fish was too big, so he got the net behind the tail and scooped it out. I couldn't fish any more after that, it was too tiring. But I want to keep on fishing now and try to get an even bigger one."

Proud gran and mum of Duncan, Pauline Hood, of Chilworth Road, Chilworth, said: "It is so thrilling because we have been through so much sadness lately. It is a bit of light relief for us all.

"His uncle would have been thrilled and delighted. He was a real fishing man and would have been extremely proud of his eldest nephew."