IT IS a mammoth creature from the deep which you would have expected to be lurking in the depths of the world’s biggest oceans.

But now a fishing-mad Hampshire teenager will have a remarkable line on his CV as he makes waves on his journey towards his dream job in the fishing industry.

Joe Amos is celebrating a “catch of a lifetime” after reeling in a record-breaking rare Blue Fin Tuna in British waters.

The 16-year-old from Totton hauled in the 160lb giant after sinking a line off the Cornish coast of Looe.

Now it has been revealed that the 6ft long, 47 inch girth beast – a species rarely seen in UK waters – is the biggest of its kind to be landed in Cornwall.

And it leaves the youngster with a great tale to tell his chums when he starts a Fisheries Management course at Sparsholt College near Winchester next month.

The former Oak Lodge School pupil was out on a fishing trip with Boat Mistique skipper Dave Bondon as part of a week-long campervan holiday when the fish took the bait.

Joe and the crew spent nearly an hour pulling in the creature in as it desperately thrashed around.

Reliving the dramatic moment, the teenager, who began fishing aged nine, said: “At times, I thought the fish had the better of me in the fight. Halfway though I was feeling stressed, tired and sweating. All the other fishermen had to bring their lines in and they helped me out a lot.

“The fish was taking so much line off that the skipper had to start boat and go to after it three times. The first part of the fight was trying to bring it from the deeper water to the boat, but the hardest was trying to grab the wire trace so the skipper could help me bring it in.”

Joseph initially thought he had hooked a Mako or Porbeagle shark after the fish surfaced several times to reveal strange finds and markings on its body.

But after the epic battle they hauled it in to identify their catch.

The teenager added: “Everyone was swearing in excitement, even me. On the way back Dave said to me ‘You don’t have to spend £7k to go big game fishing for tuna in the Bahamas, just come down to Cornwall’.”

Joe’s dad Ian, a furniture salesman, said: “They were staggered that we had caught it. It was incredible and will be a story he can tell other students when he starts the course next month.”