27.02.2019

Fish & Chippy - Part 2: Shark Fishing

It is the beginning of October. Fabian Frenzel, Oliver Krage, Frank Adam, Florian Hühnken and I are staying in Penzance, a town in the most westerly part of Cornwall, Southwest of England. The bay to the entrance of the British Channel is a paradise for sea anglers: We were able to catch 20 species of fish in only four days. We will share our experiences in a series of three articles. Follow us into breathtaking moments, surrounded by a beautiful landscape.

Part 2: Shark Fishing

In the early morning we meet in the harbour of Penzance. We have no idea what is waiting for us. There is so much excitement in the air, as Robin "Chippy" Chapman welcomes us. Chippy offers fishing trips with his company "Bite Adventures" in the South of England.
Looking around, we see light and very heavy fishing tackle in the rod holders on the roof. The catamaran is fully equipped with high-end tackle from Fin-Nor. The engine is running and just five minutes later, Chippy stops the boat to collect the required bait au naturel. Nearly three dozen mackerel are stowed in the bait bucket. 30 miles south of the coast the big fishing adventure begins: We take the heavy stuff and drop the bait at different depths into the Atlantic.  We are using luminous green 0.5-liter PET bottles as floaters. If one of them sinks, action is required. And that is exactly what happens minutes later. Chippy looks over at me and smirkingly says: "Ladies first!"

I take the rod and position myself for the first shark. I had never fought so hard, cursed so much and trembled all over in my entire fishing life. The blood is pounding in my head. My arms are burning; my knees are wobbling. Cold sweat is running down on my skin. An approximately 150 pound Porbeagle has taken the mackerel and has no desire to meet me. The Fin-Nor Lethal Variado (20-30lbs) combined with our workhorse, the Marquesa, help me to manage the “heavyweight”.
With my last remaining energy, I pull the monster to the surface for the third time as another float suddenly sinks into the ocean. Frank is now standing next to me and is fighting, powerfully. All of a sudden, I feel no pressure in my rod. The shark has simply bitten through the 400-pound wire and is gone. Even Frank does not manage to land his Porbeagle, successfully. The Blue Sharks however make is easier for us: The following "Shark Runs" are all successful. Fabian, Oliver and Florian present their first Blue Sharks to the camera and carefully release them.

I am wheeling in my second Porbeagle when Fabian sees a little Blue Shark hunting on the surface. He picks up a relatively light Fin-Nor Megalite, removes the weight from the rig and drops the bait just below the surface of the water. Fabian actually manages to catch it. The entire fishing experience was amazing, but this was definitely the icing on the cake…