TRIBUTES have been paid to fishing fanatic Ian Fisher who died of a suspected heart attack after reeling in one of his biggest ever catches.

The father-of-three was competing in Marston Angling Club's open competition earlier this month when he suffered the attack and died shortly afterwards.

After weighing in 52.8lb of fish, the builder won the contest on March 12 but as he walked back to his car he collapsed and later died.

The tragedy on the banks of the Thames in Oxford came more than two decades after the 68-year-old fought through a heart attack and went on to win an angling competition.

In 1993, when he was owner of the Tackle Box fishing shop in Wallingford, Mr Fisher, then a member of the Jolly Anglers club, suffered a heart attack during a contest near Wallingford.

Mr Fisher, who lived with wife Carol, 65, in Wallingford, made national headlines when he suffered a heart attack and fished on through the pain to win a competition on the Thames, near Fair Mile Hospital, Cholsey.

His catch of the day, featuring two chub weighing about 3lb and 4lb 5oz, won the match.

He told at the time how he experienced chest pains after lugging his fishing gear to the 'furthest peg away'.

Mr Fisher's daughter Melanie Bennett, 38, from Oxford, said her father was the winner again this month at the competition near Donnington Bridge on March 12 when he collapsed and died.

She said: "It's very strange that history in a way has repeated itself and dad has suffered another heart attack in a competition.

"It was his first match after joining Marston angling club and he caught more than 50lb of fish - everyone else caught about 20lb so he was in front by a long way – it was one of his biggest catches.

"It was a hard day's fishing and he didn't stop all day; the excitement probably got a bit too much for him.

"The whole fishing community will be saddened by this but this is exactly how he would have wanted to go."

Mum-of-two Mrs Bennett, from Oxford, said her father would have died a happy man because he was 'very excited by his catch'.

She added that Mr Fisher's winnings of £125 would now be put towards the cost of a memorial cup.

Mrs Bennett added: "It was the perfect way for him to have gone. He wasn't in any pain, he just went.

"People laid some flowers on the riverbank and we drilled one of his hats to a post near where it happened with a note on it saying 'gone fishing'.

"So many passers-by tried to help dad on the day he died and we would like to thank them all for their efforts."

Julian Humm, chairman of North Oxford Angling Society, said he had known Mr Fisher for 40 years.

He added: "It's sad news for the fishing community in Oxfordshire – Ian was a very keen and successful match angler."

Mrs Bennett said the funeral will take place at 1.30pm on Friday, March 31 at St Mary's Church in Wallingford.