Well as many of you know anglers fishing with us here at Carrigaholt Sea Angling have made some headlines over the last month! I suppose it started with enquires almost a year ago now and then confirmed bookings at the end of last year.
First over where the 2 Ben’s from Somerset, they took a chance and booked a 3 day fishing trip with us for the first week in May. The plan was to be here for 3 days but to fish the 2 best of them. As they arrived the forecast was quite promising but with the weather disapproving. So we got out the first day and it was perfect. No wind and almost flat seas.
We got our first take during the afternoon and after a 25min fight Ben Carter had an 18foot Shark to the side of the boat. A real bonus was that Ben had brought a drone with him and we got some great aerial footage of the Clare Dragoon with the shark beside the boat.
The next day was slightly windier but still perfect and although we did have at least one good bite we did not manage to hook up. So that night the Ben’s asked if they could do the third day. Although the forecast was not perfect I was happy to give it a go and as is often the case, once we went for it the conditions were not bad.
The lads were fishing a rod each but as Ben Carter had already got his Shark he was happy that Ben Bond would have the first hook up regardless which rod it was on. As it happened we put down a quite day until it was almost time to go when we got a good hook up.
Ben Bond got rigged up with a harness and then got stuck into what turned into an hour and a half fight. His fish seemed to be willing to come to mid water but no further! When at last he got it to the surface it was a massive fish and as it lay along side the boat we called it at 25ft and about 1500lbs. Unfortunately mainly because it was now quite windy we could not fly the drone but we got lots of good pictures and film from the boat.
Just as a side note to those two Sharks. I was using marks alongside the boat to measure them. As the longest up to that was just around the 18ft I knew my mark there but the bigger one was longer that any before.
I took a tape to the boat the next day after the lads had headed for home and measured the mark for the bigger fish at 22ft 11 inches. Weights are always only an estimate if you do not take them in to weigh so I can only go off the one I did weigh which was 12ft 9inches and 1056lbs.
I think it was safe to say Ben Carters shark was over a 1000lbs and as Ben Bonds fish was just massive I knew I was being very conservative at 1500lbs. We will never be sure but it would not surprise me if it was nearer 2000lbs!!
Next up was the week just passed and Andy Griffith’s trip. Although he had tentivitly booked 3 days fishing over these dates at the end of last year I was happy to move them about a bit during the week depending on the weather. So he had not booked flights and was playing a waiting game.
On Wednesday the 17th we had a chat on the phone and although the forecast was very changeable we felt we would get some window so he got the flights. We planed to then make the most of the weather even if the “3” days got rolled up into one long session.
As it happed the Tuesday was all right and we got a standard day with one Sixgill during the afternoon which was about 9 ft and 600lbs. Andy was chuffed as he had got his target but was also keen to go again as he hoped to break the 1000lb mark.
We decided to throw it all at the Wednesday as the forecast was not great for the day after. So we headed out with the plan to fish until dark. As it happened Andy got his first hook up of the day at just after 6pm. A 20min fight had a 14ft Sixgill to the boat. The Grander was bagged!
We put out another bait and took to the wheelhouse for some dinner, it was a case of job done…will we just put in another while?! I must admit that I did not expect any more action. Then at 7.45 we got a good hard run and another hook up. This shark took a lot for fighting but after a hard hour Andy had a very feisty 18footer to the boat.
Again taking in the benchmark of the landed Shark I estimated Andy’s 2 Sixgill at 1150 and 1400lbs. One thing for sure they where both over 1000lbs and 2 1000lb Shark in one days fishing is a high bar!
Luke Aston
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