Shark Fishing photo
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Shark Fishing photo

Great White

Leave it to my buddy and Fly Talk regular Conway Bowman to spice things in the fishing world up with yet another feat from the ragged edge…

This time, Con Man (Mr. Mako Shark Fishing from a Kayak) skippered Jeff Patterson of Abel Reels to what must be the holy grail of “out there” angling accomplishments–hooking and landing a great white shark on a fly rod.

The action unfolded a few days ago. Fishing 5 miles off San Diego, the duo chummed in a shark and cast a foot-long streamer fly at it… the shark ate it, and bolted away on a scorching 275-yard run. The ensuing fight lasted 25 minutes. Only when they got it near the boat did Bowman realize the shark wasn’t one of his customary makos, but a juvenile great white, estimated at 6 feet long and 150 pounds.

It’s believed to be the first and only fly-caught great white off the California coast. Bowman has been guiding these waters for over 15 years and has only seen a couple great whites. He has never caught one.

Gear: Scott 15-weight rod; Abel Super 13 reel; Rio Leviathan 550 grain line.

So who’s next? Anyone gonna top that one? If there’s a more bad(apple) fly fishing challenge out there, I’d like to know about it…

Deeter