They say fishing is boring unless you catch a fish - but what if the prize is a giant from the depths of history!

Fishermen Raymond McElroy and Charlie Coyle thought their nets had snagged on an old piece of dead tree at the bottom of Lough Neagh on Thursday morning.

But what they pulled up was the perfectly preserved antlers of a giant Irish elk.

"We thought it was an old tree or something. Raymond kept going round with the boat to try to get a different angle," Charlie told UTV North West reporter Gareth Wilkinson.

"Then when it came to to the top of the water...he saw its head. He said its an elk! I said it's the devil."

The Irish elk became extinct over 10,000 years ago. Credit: UTV

It's over 10,000 years since the Irish elk became extinct. This one was netted about a mile off shore in a mysterious part of Lough called the 'The Thorns'.

The antlers are now in a garage awaiting a new home.

Charlie and Raymond will be back out on the water very soon trying to find the rest!