UK tourist reels in rare 13ft sawfish during fishing trip in Florida

A Brit who headed to Florida in the hope of catching a shark ended up hooking something far rarer - reeling in a 13ft sawfish.

Ian Atherton, 57, had swapped the UK spring for the US when he went fishing on Saturday morning (9/4).

His half-day adventure with Fin & Fly charters saw them leave Port Canaveral and sail a few miles into the Atlantic.

When they arrived at their planned fishing spot, Ian put some bluefish on the hook in a bid to attract one of the fearsome predators - and he almost immediately got a bite.

But it turns out, that was the start of an hour-long struggle, with Ian trying to reel in what he assumed was a shark.

After a while, the boat's captain realised that Ian had caught something much rarer - and was in fact battling with a sawfish.

Ian from Fleetwood, Lancs., said: "I've fished all over the world and this is up there with the best experience I've ever had on a boat.

"We came as a family on holiday, and the kids didn't fancy it that morning so I went out on my own.

"At first I thought it was a sting ray, but after struggling with the thing for nearly an hour we eventually saw it's enormous rostrum poke out the water.

"I wasn't strapped in when I caught it, and there were multiple times I could have ended up in the drink!

"It was a hell of a find and one which I can add to my long list of catches.

"A sawfish like that trumps a shark any day - and that's what I was thinking whilst in the bar afterwards, celebrating my catch."