TWO highly experienced and well-respected shark anglers are convinced the first authenticated great white shark in British waters could be caught this summer.
Graeme Pullen and Wayne Comben are both convinced a great white of at least 12 ft has visited Langstone Harbour in Hampshire for the past two summers.
And they want to catch it when it returns later this summer to feast on Europe’s biggest population of seals.
The UK has 50,000 common and 120,000 grey seals and the pair are sure this giant apex predator is feasting on the pups and suckling mums on that part of the south coast.
Langstone Harbour – could this be where a great white shark has been visiting?
Commercial fisherman is convinced
Local commercial fisherman Pete Williams encountered the potential man-eater when it got entangled in his lightweight nets. He was using them to catch mullet right in against the sandbanks which the seals also use.
Pete, 35, said: “It was huge, the biggest shark I have seen, and it looked like a great white.
“It literally wrenched the net out of my arms and ripped through it like it was tissue paper.
“I saw it within a few feet with a head torch on it. It had huge teeth, piercing eyes. It was at least 12 ft.
“We deal with porbeagles, threshers, blues, tope and smoothhound and just return those back to the sea so I know my sharks and this just wasn’t one of them.
“It was so much bigger and I got a long view of it at close hand and I’m sure it was a great white.”
Very big shark dorsal fin spotted
Wayne, who has caught the biggest porbeagle and thresher sharks on film in the UK, immediately fished for the creature the following night and saw the great white’s dorsal fin.
The 50-year-old said: “I saw a very big dorsal fin. I am not prone to imagination. We were in the harbour, you should never see anything like that. I can’t see what else it could have been other than a great white.
“Some workers on the beach saw a huge dorsal fin patrolling the harbour, so it seems clear there is a big shark coming back to hunt each year.”
Graeme, who runs the Totally Awesome Fishing show online, added: “I’m convinced without a shadow of a doubt that a great white has been here and will be back again this summer to feed on the seals. Hopefully we can catch it and prove it.”
Watch video about UK great white shark
GOT SOME NEWS OR CAUGHT A BIG FISH? Email photos and details exclusively to: anglersmail@timeinc.com – you could star in the magazine and win great prizes.