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Monster shark landed off Isle of Wight

9:00am Monday 6th August 2007

comment Comments (60)   Have your say »


A MONSTER shark - one of the biggest ever hooked in British waters - has been caught off the Isle of Wight.

The beast, weighing an estimated 500lb (226kg), was the "catch of a lifetime" for Danny Vokins, who has been chasing sharks for the past 30 years.

It took the amateur fisherman more than two hours to reel in the 14ft (4.26m) thresher shark.

Using live mackerel as bait on an 80lb line, the "freak" shark struck at 1.45pm about five miles south east of St Catherine's, the island's most southerly point.

As the battle raged between man and fish, he even had to call other fishermen to help him haul it to the side of his boat.

The marathon fight lasted two and a quarter hours and left the 58-year-old exhausted.

The property developer said it was the culmination of three decades of chasing the monsters of the deep. "This shark was a freak," he said.

Linda Reynolds, from the Shark Angling Club of Great Britain, said only sharks that are killed and then weighed on the shore go into the record books.

"It is a massive fish and it would certainly have broken the British record for the biggest thresher shark," she said.

Mr Vokins, of Bembridge, Isle of Wight, who releases every fish he catches, said he didn't fish for records: "I am not about killing sharks, there's not enough of them in the ocean, so I am not bothered about any record."


Your Say YourDaily Echo

Ian, Turkey says...
9:57am Mon 6 Aug 07

Headline '' Monster shark landed off IOW ''

Gives one the thought of looking out for low flying sharks.

King Mush, Woolston says...
10:41am Mon 6 Aug 07

I think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks.

They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life.

Ever since 'Jaws' so many gullible goons have been suckered into the falsehood that their cosy paddle will result in being ripped to pieces by a Great White - even if risking the freezing waters off Netley shore!

This 'amateur fisherman' got his kicks out of torturing this creature for two hours - what a psycho.

58 yr old 'Property developer' eh? Probably bored with making so much money and needs 'excitement' in his life - been at it some 30 years or more.

Pathetic. "This shark was a freak," he said" Sorry pal - I think its the other way round.

His parting shot:
"I am not about killing sharks, there's not enough of them in the ocean"

Great scientific insight there. Why doesnt he sod off to the South African coast, cover himself with fresh offal and go for a swim.......




Robert, says...
11:27am Mon 6 Aug 07

Not to worry. With all this global warming there'll be another one along in a minute.

Ian, Turkey says...
11:39am Mon 6 Aug 07

Hotly pursued by the Innuits and then the Japanese super trawlers.
Forgot the flotilla of little boats with their oxygen bottles.

Nick, Winchester says...
11:42am Mon 6 Aug 07

Well said King Mush.

My sentiments exactly.

Neil, Southampton says...
11:59am Mon 6 Aug 07

think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks.


Mr Vokins, of Bembridge, Isle of Wight, who releases every fish he catches, said he didn't fish for records: "I am not about killing sharks, there's not enough of them in the ocean, so I am not bothered about any record."

Today


Did you even read the artical


mangobean, Eastleigh says...
12:06pm Mon 6 Aug 07

King Mush wrote:
I think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks. They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life. Ever since 'Jaws' so many gullible goons have been suckered into the falsehood that their cosy paddle will result in being ripped to pieces by a Great White - even if risking the freezing waters off Netley shore! This 'amateur fisherman' got his kicks out of torturing this creature for two hours - what a psycho. 58 yr old 'Property developer' eh? Probably bored with making so much money and needs 'excitement' in his life - been at it some 30 years or more. Pathetic. "This shark was a freak," he said" Sorry pal - I think its the other way round. His parting shot: "I am not about killing sharks, there's not enough of them in the ocean" Great scientific insight there. Why doesnt he sod off to the South African coast, cover himself with fresh offal and go for a swim.......
They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life

If these creatures weren't caught and subsequently tagged etc. you would probably know even less about them.

Who's to say the shark didn't enjoy it too. Potentially a big meal for him at the other end of the line!

pottersrites, eastleigh says...
12:08pm Mon 6 Aug 07

King Mush wrote:
I think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks. They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life. Ever since 'Jaws' so many gullible goons have been suckered into the falsehood that their cosy paddle will result in being ripped to pieces by a Great White - even if risking the freezing waters off Netley shore! This 'amateur fisherman' got his kicks out of torturing this creature for two hours - what a psycho. 58 yr old 'Property developer' eh? Probably bored with making so much money and needs 'excitement' in his life - been at it some 30 years or more. Pathetic. "This shark was a freak," he said" Sorry pal - I think its the other way round. His parting shot: "I am not about killing sharks, there's not enough of them in the ocean" Great scientific insight there. Why doesnt he sod off to the South African coast, cover himself with fresh offal and go for a swim.......
what a load of bol-locks.you talt sh-t mush.kill all the sharks i say, we are the kings of the animal world,if only we could of all seen the dead shark.then it could of been a record,if in dought kill it.

Ian, Turkey says...
12:10pm Mon 6 Aug 07

Over 2 hours fighting a losing battle against a line and hook in your mouth, and you say he might have enjoyed it.

If it were that good, maybe we should all pretend we are fish and eat a hook and get reeled in.

Neil, Southampton says...
12:15pm Mon 6 Aug 07

If your really concerned about a fish with a hook in its mouth and has been safely released. I'd do some research into Gill Netting and commerical fishing around our coast, and worry about that rather than sports anglers.

Katy, Southampton says...
12:28pm Mon 6 Aug 07

http://www.ukshark.c
o.uk/

We have taken part in the UK Shark Tagging Programme for a few years now and most of the local Charter Skippers do to.

It is gill nets and commercial fishing we have to be worried about. If this shark got caught up in a net then it would have died. At least this was returned safe and well.


Fred, Bristol says...
12:44pm Mon 6 Aug 07

While we could sit here and debate the ethics of sport fishing (look around, lots of research about it) I think some of the anger on here is mis-directed. In this day and age of being "eco-friendly" there are still organisations such as "Shark Angling Club of Great Britain" who demand a shark is killed, so it can be weighed simply to break a record.

Why is this?

If I were to go coarse fishing and catch a record breaking carp I wouldn't have to kill it to get in the record books, in fact killing or otherwise stressing the fish would be severely frowned on.

Why the difference?

Neil, Southampton says...
12:58pm Mon 6 Aug 07

While we could sit here and debate the ethics of sport fishing (look around, lots of research about it) I think some of the anger on here is mis-directed. In this day and age of being "eco-friendly" there are still organisations such as "Shark Angling Club of Great Britain" who demand a shark is killed, so it can be weighed simply to break a record.

Why is this?

If I were to go coarse fishing and catch a record breaking carp I wouldn't have to kill it to get in the record books, in fact killing or otherwise stressing the fish would be severely frowned on.

Why the difference?


I agree with you that the record system in Sea angling is stupid.

I'm a sea angler and would never dream of killing a fish just for the glory of being the record holder.

I think something also be done about match fishing, which is not catch and release.

The litter left behind but some is awful too. I can understand why some people seem against sea anglers.

Hopefully more sea anglers will learn from there freshwater friends about conservation.

Sorry I've gone off topic here



kingdon, sholing says...
1:00pm Mon 6 Aug 07

king mush, you are full of s**t. The sport of fishing has been around for hundreds of years. who are you to say it is cruel? i bet you don't think about the welfare of fish when you tuck into your battered cod on a friday. this shark was returned to the sea with little more than a sratched mouth which would heal quickly. Fair play to the fisherman who probably had the catch of his dreams and returned the fish, everyones a winner.

Katy, Southampton says...
1:04pm Mon 6 Aug 07

Fred wrote:
While we could sit here and debate the ethics of sport fishing (look around, lots of research about it) I think some of the anger on here is mis-directed. In this day and age of being "eco-friendly" there are still organisations such as "Shark Angling Club of Great Britain" who demand a shark is killed, so it can be weighed simply to break a record. Why is this? If I were to go coarse fishing and catch a record breaking carp I wouldn't have to kill it to get in the record books, in fact killing or otherwise stressing the fish would be severely frowned on. Why the difference?
I agree with what you are saying, especially vary large fish and sharks. I couldn't even contemplate killing a shark to weigh back on land.

When a fish is caught on a boat, the scales move around too much with the boat to get a true reading.

I remember watching John Wilson once and the skipper, Spike caught a potential record smooth hound. Spike refused to bring the smooth hound to shore and weighed it on board.

Me, Soton says...
2:46pm Mon 6 Aug 07

I don't care about all the debate going on above - all I know is that there are sharks getting closer and closer to us and I'm getting a bit worried!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!

Ian, Turkey says...
2:48pm Mon 6 Aug 07

Dont't go in the water, or is flooding really bad round your way

Me, Soton says...
2:50pm Mon 6 Aug 07

That's what it is!!
If the floods don't drown us the sharks will get us first!
Can't win either way!
Or, we could be struck down with human mad cow disease - what next????

Ian, Turkey says...
3:08pm Mon 6 Aug 07

Foot and mouth next, by the look of it.
If you survive that, we must be due another bird flu scare soon.

King Mush, Woolston says...
3:20pm Mon 6 Aug 07

kingdon wrote:
king mush, you are full of s**t. The sport of fishing has been around for hundreds of years. who are you to say it is cruel? i bet you don't think about the welfare of fish when you tuck into your battered cod on a friday. this shark was returned to the sea with little more than a sratched mouth which would heal quickly. Fair play to the fisherman who probably had the catch of his dreams and returned the fish, everyones a winner.
Calm down dear..its only a forum....

I will ignore your abusive opening line, likewise the inarticulate gibberish from 'Pottersrites' Eastleigh. His post clearly indicates the superior intellect of a shark's brain. In fact, an amoeba has the edge on this moron.

We eat to survive and I'm not going to enter into that old chestnut of a debate.

The teasing, torturing and killing of any animal does not constitute a 'sport' in most people's minds.

I am aware that angling is the no. 1 pastime for those that wish to escape from reality for a few hours on a cold river bank.

I am also aware that many anglers help with the conservation of our waterways although some of them leave assorted flotsam & jetsam that kill other creatures - slowlyyyyyyyyyy.


Big game fishing is all about testosterone laden posers who wish to 'fight' any large fish that dares to be hooked.

You see these marine Rambos grinning away in photos as they stand beside the bloodstained carcass of a marlin, sahrk, tuna etc.

Just like the dumb yanks who blast wildlife to pieces (and often miss a few that go limping into the forest to die a slow lingering death)

This shark was returned to the sea with little more than a scratched mouth?

lol yeah sure....

I guess you were there?




Ray Pemble, Cavaille, France says...
5:00pm Mon 6 Aug 07

Monster shark? Not at 14' it's not!But it's a good headline for the Echo

Grumpy from Fareham, Hampshire says...
5:02pm Mon 6 Aug 07

King Mush wrote:
I think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks. They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life. Ever since 'Jaws' so many gullible goons have been suckered into the falsehood that their cosy paddle will result in being ripped to pieces by a Great White - even if risking the freezing waters off Netley shore! This 'amateur fisherman' got his kicks out of torturing this creature for two hours - what a psycho. 58 yr old 'Property developer' eh? Probably bored with making so much money and needs 'excitement' in his life - been at it some 30 years or more. Pathetic. "This shark was a freak," he said" Sorry pal - I think its the other way round. His parting shot: "I am not about killing sharks, there's not enough of them in the ocean" Great scientific insight there. Why doesnt he sod off to the South African coast, cover himself with fresh offal and go for a swim.......
A big well done for a truly worthwhile post. Its a shame that more people don't think like you.

Grumpy with a smile :-)


Frank Matson, southampton says...
5:16pm Mon 6 Aug 07

There is nothing wrong with Shark Fishing. Indeed, many Shark Anglers are passionately involved in Shark Conservation. It is Net fishermen who have decimated Fish stocks, not the humble Sea Angler. Modern Sea Anglers care for Sharks, and want to look after them.

Paul Renouf, southampton says...
6:17pm Mon 6 Aug 07

At least the fish was returned to the wild, I'm also a keen angler but if the fish is to small for my dinner plate then it goes back to live another day. If it's big enough then i'll have it for my tea!!!

bob, southampton says...
6:28pm Mon 6 Aug 07

sounds like this "King Mush" needs to get off his computer bleating on like an old sheep and see what the real world is all about!!!
Bleeding Dogooder

Sheitma Pance, Soton says...
9:04pm Mon 6 Aug 07

You idiots, this shark should have been killed! haven't any of you seen "jaws"?

That shark is now going to be very angry and will grow bigger and bigger and plot revenge on humans.

It's only a matter of time before it starts eating people at the beach.


Farmboy, newport says...
9:45pm Mon 6 Aug 07

pottersrites wrote:
King Mush wrote: I think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks. They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life. Ever since 'Jaws' so many gullible goons have been suckered into the falsehood that their cosy paddle will result in being ripped to pieces by a Great White - even if risking the freezing waters off Netley shore! This 'amateur fisherman' got his kicks out of torturing this creature for two hours - what a psycho. 58 yr old 'Property developer' eh? Probably bored with making so much money and needs 'excitement' in his life - been at it some 30 years or more. Pathetic. "This shark was a freak," he said" Sorry pal - I think its the other way round. His parting shot: "I am not about killing sharks, there's not enough of them in the ocean" Great scientific insight there. Why doesnt he sod off to the South African coast, cover himself with fresh offal and go for a swim.......
what a load of bol-locks.you talt sh-t mush.kill all the sharks i say, we are the kings of the animal world,if only we could of all seen the dead shark.then it could of been a record,if in dought kill it.
King mush get a life and grow some balls.... what was the biggest adrenaline rush you have ever had....... you aint gonna get it on here slating a very well respected shark angler. Well done Danny top piece of angling!

charlesmiller4ever, says...
11:00pm Mon 6 Aug 07

Great...now we can make the Hampshire version of "JAWS".........
except of course that would mean instead of the Chief of Police going out to kill it, he gives it a verbal warning after it kills the crew, and then gets on to the social workers. for an ASBO.

pottersrites, eastleigh says...
11:01pm Mon 6 Aug 07

King Mush wrote:
kingdon wrote: king mush, you are full of s**t. The sport of fishing has been around for hundreds of years. who are you to say it is cruel? i bet you don't think about the welfare of fish when you tuck into your battered cod on a friday. this shark was returned to the sea with little more than a sratched mouth which would heal quickly. Fair play to the fisherman who probably had the catch of his dreams and returned the fish, everyones a winner.
Calm down dear..its only a forum.... I will ignore your abusive opening line, likewise the inarticulate gibberish from 'Pottersrites' Eastleigh. His post clearly indicates the superior intellect of a shark's brain. In fact, an amoeba has the edge on this moron. We eat to survive and I'm not going to enter into that old chestnut of a debate. The teasing, torturing and killing of any animal does not constitute a 'sport' in most people's minds. I am aware that angling is the no. 1 pastime for those that wish to escape from reality for a few hours on a cold river bank. I am also aware that many anglers help with the conservation of our waterways although some of them leave assorted flotsam & jetsam that kill other creatures - slowlyyyyyyyyyy. Big game fishing is all about testosterone laden posers who wish to 'fight' any large fish that dares to be hooked. You see these marine Rambos grinning away in photos as they stand beside the bloodstained carcass of a marlin, sahrk, tuna etc. Just like the dumb yanks who blast wildlife to pieces (and often miss a few that go limping into the forest to die a slow lingering death) This shark was returned to the sea with little more than a scratched mouth? lol yeah sure.... I guess you were there?
no and i dont think you were there either.so hush your gums and suck your mum.this potter has rights to and i say kill all sharks you catch,its not against the law so whats the big deal.im going to get a photo done now with a really big shark from eastleigh,nationwide i think its called,and stop useing my sayings.make your own up,all the worst

King Mush, Woolston says...
11:17pm Mon 6 Aug 07

"King mush get a life and grow some balls.... what was the biggest adrenaline rush you have ever had....... you aint gonna get it on here slating a very well respected shark angler. Well done Danny top piece of angling!"

Er..is this a dedicated hard core shark hunting website? Maybe 'well respected' amongst fellow animal killers but not 'respected' by millions of ordinary people who get adrenaline rushes (lol) from say rollercoasters, or high speed motoring on 2 or 4 wheels etc.

These aggressive posts merely indicate the anger and frustration problems that have to find outlets such as 'big game hunting' despite most animals being on less favourable odds.



King Mush, Woolston says...
11:20pm Mon 6 Aug 07

As for Pottersrites.


????

The medication is wearing off?

King Mush, Woolston says...
11:26pm Mon 6 Aug 07

bob wrote:
sounds like this "King Mush" needs to get off his computer bleating on like an old sheep and see what the real world is all about!!! Bleeding Dogooder
I bet I know more about the real world then you dear boy.

Do-gooder? Nah. Just have a sense of respect for the animal kingdom - shared by most people.

Before any more spouts- I am not a veggy and do eat meat, fish and other products that (mostly) emanate from humane killing etc.

The food industry is far too big and established to allow a tiny minority put them out of business. I just like to make distinctions between killing any creature in the name of 'sport'

Whats the big problem?

kim, southampton says...
11:33pm Mon 6 Aug 07

Yet again king mush is about the only one talking any sence on here.

kt, says...
12:15am Tue 7 Aug 07

Ian wrote:
Headline '' Monster shark landed off IOW '' Gives one the thought of looking out for low flying sharks.
well said!!!!

kt, says...
12:20am Tue 7 Aug 07

kt wrote:
Ian wrote: Headline \'\' Monster shark landed off IOW \'\' Gives one the thought of looking out for low flying sharks.
well said!!!!
i ment 2 quote the kingmush. bwahahahahahaha.

its late...im tired....lol

King Mush, Woolston says...
10:18am Tue 7 Aug 07

To be fair, I wasnt really having a dig at this particular IOW shark fisherman - just at the whole subject.

Some of the responses clearly indicate the kind of mentality one expects from those that hunt for 'sport'

Not the nicest of people ae they?

Ian, Turkey says...
11:22am Tue 7 Aug 07

King Mush wrote:
To be fair, I wasnt really having a dig at this particular IOW shark fisherman - just at the whole subject. Some of the responses clearly indicate the kind of mentality one expects from those that hunt for 'sport' Not the nicest of people ae they?
Are you 'fishing ' for compliments now, Kýng Mush?

King Mush, Woolston says...
11:28am Tue 7 Aug 07

Nope. I have now 'fin' ished this thread.


Ian, Turkey says...
11:33am Tue 7 Aug 07

No doubt looking for other targets to 'bait' and wind up hook,line and sinker

King Mush, Woolston says...
12:14pm Tue 7 Aug 07

Ian wrote:
No doubt looking for other targets to 'bait' and wind up hook,line and sinker
Thats what I normally do on odd occasions.

At least it seems to kickstart a lively thread in amongst the more mundane stories that get kicked around.


Trouble is - some people take it all far to seriously and cannot see through what's going on.

Sorry, but I'm just threshing about

Reminds me of the world's shortest joke:

Man swimming around shark infested waters and is heard to shout

(Deep voice)

HELP!

(Very high voice)

SHARK!

(Some wont get it...)

SAM, USA says...
2:15pm Tue 7 Aug 07

Kudos to Danny Vokins for releasing this shark and all the others he has caught. So many would kill these endangered animals just to see their name in a book.

Deb, Tacoma, WA says...
9:36pm Tue 7 Aug 07

At least this guy let the shark go; he knows the dire situation sharks are in now. Far too many, however, don't - and wouldn't care, even if they did. Massive sharks (comparatively for their species) are too old - overcoming insurmountable odds - to just be arbitrarily killed for the "sport" or the "challenge" of it, or the "adrenaline rush", or the "macho man points", or whatever other pathetically moronic reason men have for killing animals like this. And for those who say "Well, SHARKS kill PEOPLE all the time" - don't even GO there with me. Sharks kill maybe ONE or TWO people a year; on the other hand, people kill MILLIONS of sharks every year! They're killed at a far faster rate than they can reproduce - and their numbers are now suffering alarmingly because of it. There are plenty of other fish in the sea - LEAVE THE SHARKS ALONE!!!!!!!!!!

Matt, Woolston says...
10:07pm Tue 7 Aug 07

A fish hook in the mouth of a shark is not going to have any significant long term effect on a shark......Have you ever seen the array of teeth that they possess? They can even replace any that are broken. They chomp up large fish and seals, bones and all so they must have resiliant mouths to cope with splintered bones.

The other point is the 'scaremongering' about shark attacks, Thresher Sharks are mainly deep water sharks and have been around are coast for donkeys years....as have porbeagles, blues and makos resulting in the attack of how many beach goers??? None that I recall.

Sport fishermen have given the scientific world alot of data to help understand many species including sharks.....perspecti
ve is sometimes a very important issue.

Notlikeyours, S.F. says...
12:07am Wed 8 Aug 07

Hmm, wonderful comments, but any of these so-called "PETA" related people even think about going for a swim? I would LOVE to read a news article about one of their **** getting eaten by one of their BELOVED sharks!! But surprisingly enough non of them go for a simple dip, because they know that they can get eaten by what they protect the most! Think about that! Human being gives birth to 1 baby, shark gives birth to at least 20! Count that! Then think of how many female sharks out there and how many humans?? and shark birth happens every year, Human - once in a life time! Cutting them up for fins is cruel, but when they eat your legs - its ok, its just an animal being stupid - mistaking us for a bait! And you say " Sharks are smart" - Riiight....If you kill an animal or a fish, don't do it for sport, do it for food or gathering purposes!!!!

Sandtiger, U.S.A. says...
2:27am Wed 8 Aug 07

Hmm, wonderful comments, but any of these so-called "PETA" related people even think about going for a swim? I would LOVE to read a news article about one of their **** getting eaten by one of their BELOVED sharks!! But surprisingly enough non of them go for a simple dip, because they know that they can get eaten by what they protect the most! Think about that! Human being gives birth to 1 baby, shark gives birth to at least 20! Count that! Then think of how many female sharks out there and how many humans?? and shark birth happens every year, Human - once in a life time! Cutting them up for fins is cruel, but when they eat your legs - its ok, its just an animal being stupid - mistaking us for a bait! And you say " Sharks are smart" - Riiight....If you kill an animal or a fish, don't do it for sport, do it for food or gathering purposes!!!!


I suggest you do a bit of research on basic ecology and shark biology. For starters, the majority of sharks DO NOT produce 20 young every year. White sharks for example only produce about three and that's after taking about 14 years to reach sexual maturity. Other sharks take longer, some even have gestation periods of two years. Sharks, being on the top of the food chain aren't as common as one might think. They can't be, the ecosystem would not be able to sustain them. That's why large predators are rare, there can only be so many until an ecosystem suffers from it. It's like a food pyramid. Plankton would be the bottom, then fish, then seals and at the very top sharks. This is why sharks are vulnerable...nature makes sure there isen't a lot of them. You also compair sharks to humans and that is a mistake. Though humans often produce one child in a lifetime all our offpsring typically survive. Most shark pups likely die before they reach maturity.

Oz, ireland says...
8:07am Wed 8 Aug 07

I dont fish. I have no interest in something so boring, but if i want to fish for sharks by hell will i fish for sharks. If i want to **** on hillary clintons face, by hell i will **** on hillary clintons face, so the f**k what if they dont like it, i want to do it...

King Mush, Woolston says...
11:52am Wed 8 Aug 07

Good to see some intelligent input from an educated perspective and I feel thoroughly vindicated over my posts.

However - Oz, Ireland clearly shows signs of un unbalanced mind.

Perhaps he would wish to forget his sexual obsession with Hilary Clinton and offer himself as shark bait in some research studies off the coast of California??

Billy, CT SA says...
5:53pm Wed 8 Aug 07

King Mush wrote:
I think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks.

They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life.

Ever since \\\'Jaws\\\' so many gullible goons have been suckered into the falsehood that their cosy paddle will result in being ripped to pieces by a Great White - even if risking the freezing waters off Netley shore!

This \\\'amateur fisherman\\\' got his kicks out of torturing this creature for two hours - what a psycho.

58 yr old \\\'Property developer\\\' eh? Probably bored with making so much money and needs \\\'excitement\\\' in his life - been at it some 30 years or more.

Pathetic. \\\"This shark was a freak,\\\" he said\\\" Sorry pal - I think its the other way round.

His parting shot:
\\\"I am not about killing sharks, there\\\'s not enough of them in the ocean\\\"

Great scientific insight there. Why doesnt he sod off to the South African coast, cover himself with fresh offal and go for a swim.......



Dude not everyone likes sharks OK. Personally everyone of them can disappear and I wouldn't miss a wave or a nights sleep.

quint, UK says...
1:25pm Thu 9 Aug 07

You all know me. You know what I do for a living. I'll catch this bird for ya but it ain't going to be easy. Bad fish. It's not like going down to the pond chasing bluegills or tommy cods. This shark. Swallow you whole. Little shaking. Little tenderizing, down you go. Now we gotta do it quick. That will bring back all the tourists and put all your businesses on a paying basis. But it's not going to be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks chief. I'll find him for 3 but I'll catch him and kill him for 10. Now you gotta make up your minds. You want to stay alive anti up. Want to play it cheap. Be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers I don't want no mates, there's too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head. The tail. The whole **** thing. Mr Mayer. Chief. Ladies and gentlemen.
quote

Nic, Isle of Wight says...
11:51am Fri 10 Aug 07

Why does everyone seem to want to penalise this man for doing the right thing? If he isn't getting stick by anglers for not killing the shark, he is getting abuse for catching it in the first place! Mr Vokins tagged and released this shark to aid with their conservation, I am glad that he saw this as being more important than a record, although it is unfair that the record cannot be held unles the shark was killed. Yes, it was a 2 hour battle to reel the shark in, but this was done for essential tagging. As a wildlife conservation student, i feel this is an important step in conservation. What many people don't realise is that many thresher sharks have been caught, tagged and released in brittish waters in the past few years. There are sharks in our waters, but i strongly doubt that they are going to turn into 'Jaws' and kill us all. Surely it would have been wrong if he had killed the shark purely for a record and financial gain. There are too many people out there who dont understand the need for conservation. If every thresher shark caught was killed, has anyone even thought about what this would do to underwater ecosystems not to mention a decrease in numbers of an already declining species. I agree with what others are saying, commercial fishing is much more destructive than sport fishing, yet no one gives their fish supper this much abuse. Why is it that i feel i am the only one talking any sense. Mr Vokins deserves congratulating, not abusing.

Nick, southampton says...
12:04pm Fri 10 Aug 07

I would just like to say to those of you who are giving flack out to those catching and releasing sharks are braindead and need to look out for those who are slaughtering thousands of sharks in our water on long lines. It's these who you need to give grief to, cutting fins off and making expensive fin soup! Get with the picture and understand that catching and releasing is giving us valuable information about the sharks, allowing us to understand them more and help the conservation of them.
Don't start me on the white shark thing, there may well be one in Cornish waters! This is a good thing.

dave, isle Of wight says...
3:32pm Fri 10 Aug 07

Un-informed people only make themselves look stupid by making statements such as King Mush.
More people go fishing in this country every weekend than participate a in any other sport thats including football and all its spectators.The revenue raised from fishing is solely resposible for the revival of our inland water ways.The revenue generated by sport sea fisherman supplies a large income to the govermant to pay for such thing a DEFRA never mind the revenue generate through VAT and corportaion TAX.This Shark as many others each year was released unharmed. Shark tagging as already stated has enable people who care to track and monitor the sharks in our waters enabling there regeneration from a time when they were not so well respected.I am not going to get in a slanging match but would suggest King mush gets all the facts before shooting his mouth off next time.

Brad.B, Sussex says...
12:13pm Sat 11 Aug 07

What the likes of king mush dont understand is that fishing has been one of the first forms of human survival, and mans basic instinct to hunt for food, he is what i call a numpty, who knows nothing of life and its way in which it evolves,
Some may say fishing is cruel even if the fish are released, but the fact remains that most anglers use catch and release methods as they themselves care for the ever declining stock , due to over trawling. Which means that the likes of king mush and there noble rants( not). wont be able to have their cod with their chips from their local chippy if anglers did not take this method of fishing into hand.
As for shark fishing, it comes into its own as a sport fish, with the angler getting excited at the prospect of something huge rising to the surface, but whether for food or fun. You cant put individual anglers into any classification when you can consider the damage large industries, commercial fisheries and global change have made their impact on the world today!King mush and all alike need to get ther heads out the clouds, stop smoking weed and get on with evolution!!!!

Alex(fishinmidget), Galway, Ireland says...
9:11pm Mon 13 Aug 07

lads, i dont think that there is anything wrong with catching sharks and releasing them. there is alot wrong with catching them and killing them. i am a fisherman myself and i would love to catch a shark like that although due to commertial fishing, i doubt i ever will. i go fishing to catch fish and mabey catch dinner, and(this is directed at king mush) why do you think it is cruel to catch a shark? do you believe that they fel pain? i dont think they do, there fore i dont think it is cruel to catch them. also, as many people have said, the tagging programs around the world contribute about 50% of all the knowlege we have of different shark species and their habbits. also, king mush, why dont you display your real name? im afariad i cant take you seirously if you insist on hiding behind a fake name like "king mush"

Alex Dainty

Brendan Maas, Philadelphia, PA says...
3:36pm Wed 15 Aug 07

Too Alex and everyone else on here that lashed out at King Mush. When scientist tag sharks, they lure them to the boat with chum and shoot a tag into their dorsal fin, which takes all of 2 seconds! They don't hook the animal with a massive hook and pursue in a 2 hour battle, to get the shark on board! Most sharks that are hooked and battle like that for 2 hours, even after realesed die due to exhaustion! You people need to due more reading on these species and educate yourself before you post your moronic comments!

mark, hampshire says...
9:07am Fri 17 Aug 07

Unfortunatly there are a lot of morons out there and some of them are indeed anglers I know this as I have met a few! but please don't tar us all with the same brush please!
I am a keen saltwater and freshwater angler but despite the fact it involes a hook I treat all the fish I catch with the respect they deserve and send them back alive.
Many anglers are more aware of whats happening to our enviroment and the impact humans are having on it than many of you who are sat at home in your front room watching the discovery channel and thinking you know it all.
Try watching a trawler and see what happens to your fish and chips now thats suffering and torture.
The other thing to remember is its called fishing and not catching, the human does not win and more often than not the fish will outwit the angler thats if there even there and the sea bed has not just been wiped out by a trawler but thats ok eh?
oh and yeah you can probably shoot a tag in a shark that comes up a chum line, im no expert but some sharks like threshers are deep water fish and cant be tagged in this manner.
Unfortunatly you have lots of retards in america (and england) that probably dont know how to handle these great fish and dont swim them properly next to the boat?

Graig, Edinburghj says...
12:38am Sun 19 Aug 07

quint wrote:
You all know me. You know what I do for a living. I'll catch this bird for ya but it ain't going to be easy. Bad fish. It's not like going down to the pond chasing bluegills or tommy cods. This shark. Swallow you whole. Little shaking. Little tenderizing, down you go. Now we gotta do it quick. That will bring back all the tourists and put all your businesses on a paying basis. But it's not going to be pleasant. I value my neck a lot more than three thousand bucks chief. I'll find him for 3 but I'll catch him and kill him for 10. Now you gotta make up your minds. You want to stay alive anti up. Want to play it cheap. Be on welfare the whole winter. I don't want no volunteers I don't want no mates, there's too many captains on this island. Ten thousand dollars for me by myself. For that you get the head. The tail. The whole **** thing. Mr Mayer. Chief. Ladies and gentlemen.
quote
Brilliant! Over to you King Mush........

Mike, Penzance says...
2:16pm Thu 22 Nov 07

Having read all of the comments running down through here. For all of the comments re the angler's sport. Try looking at the Thresher shark that was 1/2 ton 16 feet long and DROWNED as it was caught in a traweler's gill net!!!!!!!!
I fish regulary from the beaches for Bass and rigidly stick to the size limit of 41 cm for bass (whilst its only 37 1/2) But then I have to watch the boys from newlyn going out netting a WHOLE bay across the mouth, then LEAVE THE NET highly illegal let alone immoral. RESULT a net full of bass under the limit all dead. But landed and sold as a by product. Please do not breach about the line angler as e is the conservationist and those that knock him the hipocrit.

andy, portsmouth says...
10:32am Mon 5 May 08

King Mush wrote:
I think its a shame that certain people have nothing better to do than go hunting beautiful creatures such as sharks.

They are an amazing species going back a few million years and if you take the time to study them you will be amazed by their social structure and whole way of life.

Ever since \'Jaws\' so many gullible goons have been suckered into the falsehood that their cosy paddle will result in being ripped to pieces by a Great White - even if risking the freezing waters off Netley shore!

This \'amateur fisherman\' got his kicks out of torturing this creature for two hours - what a psycho.

58 yr old \'Property developer\' eh? Probably bored with making so much money and needs \'excitement\' in his life - been at it some 30 years or more.

Pathetic. \"This shark was a freak,\" he said\" Sorry pal - I think its the other way round.

His parting shot:
\"I am not about killing sharks, there\'s not enough of them in the ocean\"

Great scientific insight there. Why doesnt he sod off to the South African coast, cover himself with fresh offal and go for a swim.......



how sad are you in my opinion the guy should off skinned the bloody thing and cooked it
quote

Ken, The English Channel says...
6:55am Thu 15 May 08

"We're gonna need a bigger boat!"

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