A British fisherman has been caught out telling a whopper.
Matthew Clark, 29, claimed the STG800 first prize in the Bailiwick Bass Fishing Club competition in Guernsey with a 6kg bass he claimed to have hooked in the English Channel.
However, the fish, with its distinctive markings, was recognised by a fellow competitor as a specimen that had gone missing from a local aquarium, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported.
After initially denying he stole his winning catch, Clark admitted scaling a cliff and climbing a rope ladder to access the aquarium and scoop the creature from its tank on the eve of the contest in July.
Clark this week pleaded guilty to fraud and theft and has been ordered by a magistrate to perform 100 hours of community service.
