TWO Swindon twin brothers tackled more than they expected on a fishing trip.

John and Paul Bailey were on a chartered expedition during rainy and rough conditions four miles off Anvil point, in Swanage, in Dorset, when the amazing coincidence occurred on board a boat named Onamission.

The 32-year-olds both hooked the same fish - a blonde ray weighing 17lb 10oz, which they say is the biggest seafish they have ever caught.

It was unhooked safely and weighed in a special sling and was quickly returned to the sea unharmed, but not before a photo of the lads with the fish was taken.

John from Chiseldon described the build up to the incident that happened on board the angling charter boat.

He said: "I set my rod up as usual, baited the hook and let the line down to the bottom of the seabed. The wind had picked up a bit more by then, and I was starting to feel a bit seasick.

"I noticed my rod being pulled over the side of the boat.

"At first I thought I had hooked the bottom but soon realised something had taken my bait and was making off with it.

"I was playing the fish for about a minute, when my twin brother Paul shouted that something had taken his bait as well."

After the twins had been fighting the fish for about 15 minutes, the skipper Malcolm Collins and the other six fishermen on board were wondering which of the brothers would land the fish first.

When it surfaced they could see it was a big fish but it was tangled around several different fishing lines.

"When we looked closer we realised we both had our hooks about an inch apart in its mouth," John said.

"This must be a very rare occurrence for anyone to do let alone twin brothers fishing on opposite sites of a boat with six other anglers fishing as well.

"The odds of this happening must be quite high - it's quite remarkable.

"One of the other guys on the boat commented that the twins always do things together," he joked.

The boys had been fishing for about five hours when they hooked the fish around lunch-time.

The twins organise fishing trips every six to eight weeks and say they are the best mates.

Paul, from Perrys Lane in Wroughton, said: "This really was the fish of a lifetime.

"It was special to catch this type of fish but to catch it with my brother made it extra special.

"We were at the back of the boat and six feet apart and in quite rough conditions at the time.

"John hooked onto the ray first then 30 seconds later I'd hooked on as well.

"We reckon it was about 30 years old and was bigger than average.

"I can't describe the feeling of getting it. I couldn't believe we'd caught it together, just really unbelievable.

"I was seasick after the catch but it was well worth the trip out there."

Skipper of the boat Malcolm Collins added: "The ray was caught by both of them at the same time.

"They both played it to the surface thinking that they had two separate fish but both their hooks and baits were in the ray's mouth.

"After the photo the ray was returned, but this story will live on and on for the identical twins."