NEW SHARK FESTIVAL

Falmouth skippers hope to rekindle the port’s glory days

WHEN YOU THINK OF BIG-GAME fishing you would usually think of racing around in a high-speed boat in tropical waters chasing billfish and sharp-toothed monsters. Maybe you wouldn’t think of heading to the South West of England.

Falmouth in Cornwall continues to be an area for exciting shark sport, due to the rich diversity of fish held in its coastal waters, including mackerel and herring, which, along with the local conditions, seem to encourage the various species of shark to the area.

With the dramatic coastline and clear turquoise waters, on a good day you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in far-off seas thousands of miles away.

Mako sharks are just one of the four shark species found in the South West, along with blue sharks, threshers and porbeagles. It is game fishing at its finest, with fish reaching speeds of up to 31mph. The high speed and scale-topping sizes, reaching lengths of up to four metres, make the shark one of the most sought-after game fish around the world.

The British record for the blue shark and the mako were captured from these waters, and it is possible that porbeagles could exceed the current record.

The earliest game chasing organisation in Falmouth was the Falmouth Shark and Big Game Angling Club, which came to an end in June 1961. Then the first annual meeting for the Shark Angling Club of Falmouth was held on March 17, 1972 and this organisation continued for eight years.

REVIVAL

Now it’s time for a revival. The sharks and variety of fish haven’t left these waters, are more prevalent in numbers and size than ever, so local skippers reckon it’s time to put Falmouth back on the game-fishing map.

A group of Falmouth’s charter skippers are aiming to bring the fun and games back to the town with a catch and release contest. The 2018 Shark Festival will run for three days from September 10-12, and taking part will be the local boats, Chaser, Anglo Dawn and Madeline May, with other vessels likely to be confirmed. The boats will be leaving together from Falmouth Marina.

There will be daily prizes for both the biggest fish and most fish, with an overall winner for biggest fish and most fish. Only sharks that need to be landed will be brought aboard during the catch and release event. Measurements will be taken, where possible, while the shark is in the water.

To enter, contact: Anglo Dawn, skippered by Andy Howell, tel: 07779 728966; Madeline