Briton hailed world's greatest fisherman after catching 27 different types of fish

Dedicated Zyg Gregorek, 65, has achieved the 'Holy Grail' of fishing by snaring nine species of shark, ten species of billfish and eight species of tuna.

To catch all 27 fish he travelled over 150,000 miles and fished in some of the most remote areas of the planet including South Africa, Australia, Mauritius, the Galapagos Islands, America, Madeira, the Ascension Island and Mozambique.

Jaws: Mr Gregorek with a stuffed 50lbs Porbeagle shark caught in Devon (left) and a 1300lbs Great White caught in South Africa (right)

Mr Gregorek has spent the past 18 years chasing fish across the globe and finally
finished his epic achievement when he landed a 200lbs thresher shark in San Diego - a fish he has tried to catch since 2004.

By catching nine species of shark - Blue, Hammerhead, Mako, Thresher, Tiger, Great White, Tope, Whaler, and Porbeagle - he has been awarded a 'Shark Royal Slam' by the International Game Fish Association (IGFA).

He has also been awarded the 'Billfish Royal Slam' to add to the 'Tuna Royal Slam' he won last year and has become the first man since records began in the 1950s to scoop the three off-shore 'Royal Slams'.

It's a big one: A Pacific Sailfish caught in Cacun, Mexico, in 2004

Mr Gregorek is only the second man on record to catch all nine species of shark and the only person in history to catch three different species of shark over 1000lbs.

His first shark, a 40lbs Blue, was caught off Padstow in Cornwall in 1996.

He caught his 1300lbs Great White in Struis Bay off South Africa in 2000.

A 40lbs Tope shark caught by Mr Gregorek in 2001

During his fishing trips Mr Gregorek has got into a few scrapes.

He said: 'In Australia I cracked ribs after an altercation with some branches resulting in an impromptu swim in crocodile infested waters. I caught the Black Marlin in Mozambique and when I jumped in to celebrate I cut my leg on the propeller.

'I've had many a run in with the authorities too. I've had guns pointed at me and had a scrape with a poisonous snake on more than one occasion.'

Mr Gregorek, lives with his wife Rose, 57, at his Anglers Paradise holiday fishing complex, which has several large lakes set in 170 acres of land.

Mr Gregorek with his wife Ruth in Florida with the Black fin Tuna he caught