An interesting article from last summer about shark fishing on Whitby club members Mal Pitman's boat sea spray. I was talking to Malcolm just the other day (whilts he was working on my car for the 5th time since Christmas) and he was telling me he is starting to get phone calls already about booking shark fishing trips this summer.
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Shark Fishing At Whitby - Malcolm Pitman Sea Spray Charters
www.seaspraywhitby.co.ukThe potential for a new recreational shark fishery in the North East of England has been confirmed by Save Our Sharks (SOS) with the targeted capture of a porbeagle shark by a group of anglers fishing out of Whitby during the three days starting on Wednesday 26th July 2006.
Regional SOS organiser Dave Morton arranged for a group of anglers to fish for porbeagle sharks, just off the North Eastern coast, following a period of intense investigation and preparation in collaboration with local angling charter boat skipper Malcolm Pitman who skippers Whitby’s angling boat Sea Spray.
The initial group involved in the capture of the porbeagle consisted of Dave and Malcolm and included Dr Nigel Proctor of the National Federation of Sea Anglers Conservation Group, Leon Roskilly of the Sea Anglers Conservation Network and Norman Berry, editor of Sea Angling News who was the member of the group who hooked into the six foot long porbeagle.
The shark was bought aboard the boat so that measurements could be taken and the fish was tagged before being released unharmed back into the sea, to help gather important information about the species that could potentially prove a money spinner for the North East as recreational sea anglers flock from across Europe for the chance of landing and releasing one of the largest predatory fish to be found in UK waters.
SOS’s Dave Morton said ‘The days when shark were regarded as evil killing machines to be wantonly destroyed are fast ending as ecologists understand more of the vital contribution these top predators make towards maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem, and the social and economic value of the catch and release shark fishery is realised’.
‘A shark is too valuable a creature to be caught just once’
As well as the fish boated, another was seen close by the boat on the previous day, and shortly after the capture Dave Morton hooked into another possibly bigger fish which was lost when the fish managed to rub the line ahead of the 30ft 250lb rubbing leader.
With some other baits coming back badly mauled, and dropped runs, possibly from tope, a smaller member of the shark family, the potential for a recreational shark fishery off of Whitby seems to be huge.
Following the successful exploratory trip, another is planned for the near future and Malcolm Pitman is offering a 10% discount on future shark fishing trips for members of Save Our Sharks.
