Holiday Shark Fishing

This entry was posted on 29th August, 2018

In typical fashion (as my wife would say) I managed to hijack a day in our busy family holiday schedule to get some fishing in. I think I managed to use both the ‘work’ card and the fact it was my birthday to swing it. Now, as we were in Fowey, Cornwall it would be rude of me not to try and catch probably the pinnacle of sport fish in UK waters, the Blue Shark.

These awesome predators find themselves off the south coast of the UK, following the warmer waters of the gulf stream, and can be targeted mainly between June and September. During the cooler months tagged blue sharks have been found as far afield as Florida, so these very welcome visitors to our shores not only provide an awesome test on rod and line, but are a true examples of just how wild nature can be; far away from stocked fish, these beasts are transient hunters, appearing and disappearing in a moment in the vastness of the English Channel.



I booked myself a trip aboard the Borlewan 2 ,skippered by Dan Gummow. Dan is vastly experienced, and provides all the tackle and bait needed to tame these awesome predators. He is also so in touch with the areas where fish are caught that it’s a no brainer to ensure that, for the one day I was allowed out, I would be in prime position to tick a lifetime angling experience off my fishing bucket list.

I boarded the boat at around 8am with Dan picking me up from Fowey Quay. We then steamed some 12 miles off shore in next to no time, courtesy of Dan’s ultra speedy and well equipped new boat.



Once in position Dan set about chumming the water with a combination of crushed mackerel and herring. The oils released created a huge, expanding slick that looked irresistible to any passing blue sharks. In fact, when speaking to Dan on the way out, he was telling my how the chum has proved irresistible to many species, including porbeagle sharks and even blue fin tuna in the time he has been a skipper guiding trips.



With the chum working and a slick the size of the largest carp lake I’ve ever fished drifting from the boat we got three rods at varying depths, baited with mackerel flappers fished at different distances from the boat, right in amongst the slick. It was now a waiting game.



The theory is that the slick creates a scent which drifts along with the boat and tide. The sharks pick up the scent with their awesome sense of smell and then move up the slick until they take the baits. The moment I was waiting for was the line to rip from the reel and then it was show time.

After some two hours there had been absolutely nothing to report. I was well and truly hypnotised by the bobbing floats that fixed the depth of the baits and the surface covered with seagulls, blackbacks and falmors.



As we chatted about general fishing nonsense the birds all lifted suddenly. Dan said that this was a clear signal the sharks had found us and that it was time to get ready.

Sure enough the rod ripped off and after letting the shark run for a second time I struck into my first blue shark of the trip. Sharks are 100% muscle and after some 10 minutes of playing this fish with its huge runs and pure power I was amazed to see a blue of no more than 30lbs lifted into the boat. They put any fresh water fish to shame with the pure power they have and their amazing speed.

Dan expertly unhooked the shark and after a quick photo back it went just in time for the other rod to go. The next two hours were madness; the water had literally become shark infested and I managed 4 sharks, all in the 30-45lb bracket.



Feeling more than happy with my catch already I grabbed some lunch, as we had rods in the water. I must have had one bite of my sandwich before the purring of line leaving a reel burst me back into life.

From striking this fish I knew it was larger. The rod bent more than before and the fish just held itself, taking slower but longer more powerful runs. It was a case of hanging on. With all the talk of porbeagle sharks and tuna my mind was racing but bit by bit I inched in my PB blue of around 65-70lb. This shark was both impressive and beautiful, if not a little scary when on board and after a few photos I was beyond happy with the experience, what a creature and to think it’s only a few miles off our very own coastline. Fair to say I didn’t venture into the sea the rest of the holiday.





At this point I have to commend Dan on not only his expertise as a skipper but how well he treats and handles each shark. He’s quick, and ensures no hooks are unnecessarily left in the shark, and that each one goes back to fight another day. His experience shines through, especially when a blue with teeth as sharp as razors enters the boat and is flipping around near your legs.

With an hour or so left before I had to return home with an awesome shark fishing tale and the pictures to prove it, the longest line we had out, and the only rod left, slowly started to tick off the reel. I hovered over it knowing this would be my last fish of the trip. After a few more seconds the reel was in melt down. I followed Dan’s advice and waited for the shark’s second run before putting the reel in gear and striking into the fish. Wow! It hit me back harder then I hit it and instantly took the best part of 100 yards. HELP ME was all that was going through my head. That 65lber was bad enough but this was in a different leauge to anything I had ever hooked off shore in the UK in my life. I called Dan for a butt pad to help with the fight, as the butt of the rod was digging into my stomach with the weight of the fish attached.



Slow, steady, long runs left me holding on for dear life; the fish was unbelievably strong and just so heavy. Over the next 20 minutes I took off my hoodie, had a drink or two and grunted and cranked my way through the pain in my arms and lower back until Dan, with the help of a tow line, hosted a huge blue shark onboard. I stood holding the rod in pure amazement and awe. I didn’t compute how much the fish had beaten me up; it was just the most amazing spectacle ever. Cobalt blue, pure predator teeth the size of knives and in every way a proper beast.



Dan calmly unhooked the creature as if it were a roach on the Wensum, and then came the photos. I was so unbelievable happy. It’s all a blur, a true angling ambition realised. We measured the length from the shark’s nose to the fork in the tail, and girth, which, put into an equation, gives the shark’s weight. At 74 inches long the shark came out at over 100lb, but also unbeknownst to me, qualified me as a member of the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain.

Talk about an amazing trip and truly a capture that with stick with me until my last day.

A huge thanks to Dan, honestly the most amazing day. I still get goosebumps now. I can’t recommend the fishing highly enough. If you are ever in Cornwall look up Dan and get out there, trust me you won’t regret it.