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Fly fishing for shark


Worms

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Has anybody on the forum done any?

 

I've been doing a lot of reading up on the subject and I've had e-mail conversations with a couple of guys who've done it (but only one in UK waters).

 

Got the rod, got the reel and have advice on lines and flies I was just wondering if anyone here has given it a bash?

Edited by Worms

Eating wild caught fish is good for my health, reduces food miles and keeps me fit trying to catch them........it's my choice to do it, not yours to stop me!

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Has anybody on the forum done any?

 

I've been doing a lot of reading up on the subject and I've had e-mail conversations with a couple of guys who've done it (but only one in UK waters).

 

Got the rod, got the reel and have advice on lines and flies I was just wondering if anyone here has given it a bash?

 

 

 

Quite a few years ago I was lucky enough to fish with John Brittain, skipper of Blue Water out of Clifden on the west coast of Ireland. At that time he was the first skipper in Europe to have caught blue shark on the fly, and he told me exactly how they did it!

He had a couple of Dutch guys on board that had booked the boat to specifically target sharks on the fly, and I think they got two to the boat one day.

 

Basically, you set yourself up a decent rubby dubby slick as you would normally, then you have a powerful spinning rod and fixed spool set up with a mackerel tied to the end of the line - no hooks!

You bring the sharks up in the slick, then cast out the mackerel towards the shark. meanwhile, the fly angler has the fly up in the air on a medium-length line, just false casting without dropping the fly into the water.

The other guy with the spinning rod coaxes the shark towards the boat so that it's within range of the fly. Then, once the shark is close enough, the guy on the spinning rod winds like hell and takes the mackerel out of the equation. At the same time the fly angler drops the fly in front of the shark and begins to strip. Then it's all down to the shark, and whether it's angry enough to take a bite or not!

 

It's quite simple when you think about it, but it does require two people.

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Thanks Dave, the mackerel enticer will be what the Americans call a 'teaser' then!

 

I'll give that a try in the summer.....must tie some blue and silver flies! So far I've knocked up some 'Lefty's Deceivers' in 'lifejacket orange' which blues love apparently....slightly worrying eh?

Eating wild caught fish is good for my health, reduces food miles and keeps me fit trying to catch them........it's my choice to do it, not yours to stop me!

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If he can do it then I'm sure I can........and without tavelling halfway round the world :D

Eating wild caught fish is good for my health, reduces food miles and keeps me fit trying to catch them........it's my choice to do it, not yours to stop me!

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Thanks Dave, the mackerel enticer will be what the Americans call a 'teaser' then!

 

I'll give that a try in the summer.....must tie some blue and silver flies! So far I've knocked up some 'Lefty's Deceivers' in 'lifejacket orange' which blues love apparently....slightly worrying eh?

 

 

Yes mate, the ol' Yanks would call it a teaser. Hey, you can't beat anything that Lefty Kreh has had a hand in - the guy's a total legend! And, I should think that orange or yellow would be ideal colours to annoy a blue shark into 'having a go'. Good luck with it, and get in touch with John over in Ireland, he's a really nice bloke and will talk to you about how he's been doing it - no worries.

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Yes mate, the ol' Yanks would call it a teaser. Hey, you can't beat anything that Lefty Kreh has had a hand in - the guy's a total legend! And, I should think that orange or yellow would be ideal colours to annoy a blue shark into 'having a go'. Good luck with it, and get in touch with John over in Ireland, he's a really nice bloke and will talk to you about how he's been doing it - no worries.

Cheers Dave,

 

Yes, old Lefty seems to have his finger on the pulse...one of the reasons I bought one of his rods for the shark, a TFO, Bluewater MD, 13-15wt. Just picked up an old Orvis Vortex 13-14wt reel which, although not the lightest reel in the world has a prety impressive smooth drag......and more than a few quids worth of Power Pro backing capacity :o

Edited by Worms

Eating wild caught fish is good for my health, reduces food miles and keeps me fit trying to catch them........it's my choice to do it, not yours to stop me!

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Cheers Dave,

 

Yes, old Lefty seems to have his finger on the pulse...one of the reasons I bought one of his rods for the shark, a TFO, Bluewater MD, 13-15wt. Just picked up an old Orvis Vortex 13-14wt reel which, although not the lightest reel in the world has a prety impressive smooth drag......and more than a few quids worth of Power Pro backing capacity :o

 

Bloody hell! You really are taking this seriously aren't you! I'm sure if you put the hours in you'll get a result. Make sure you take a camera and take a few trophy shots - I'd be interested in a feature on the subject for the mag.

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Bloody hell! You really are taking this seriously aren't you! I'm sure if you put the hours in you'll get a result. Make sure you take a camera and take a few trophy shots - I'd be interested in a feature on the subject for the mag.

Yep, after battling a 155lb blue on 20/30 gear for an hour and a quarter last year I decided that the proper gear was the only way to take shark fly fishing seriously....don't want to break lesser tackle and leave yards of wire and line trailing from a fish!

 

I've had some good advice from quite a few people and I've got a top skipper prepared to let me have a go so, roll on the summer :D

 

As for cameras, well, an essential part of my fishing gear these days....and a little video camera jobbie B)

Eating wild caught fish is good for my health, reduces food miles and keeps me fit trying to catch them........it's my choice to do it, not yours to stop me!

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