Great white shark caught off La Jolla by fly fisherman
A great white shark about 6 feet long and 150 pounds was caught by a fly fisherman off La Jolla last week.
It's believed to be the first great white taken off the California coast using a fly rod and reel.
Jeff Patterson, director of sales for reel manufacturer Abel Automatics, was testing company products about five miles offshore when the white shark hit.
"The grab was instantaneous, and the shark cooperated with a quick left turn to allow the proper hook set," said Patterson.
The fight lasted about 25 minutes. Patterson thought it was a mako shark until he got it close enough to the boat and skipper Conway Bowman identified it as a great white.
It is not legal in California to take great white sharks, which have been protected in all state waters since Jan. 1, 1994.
"Anglers cannot target great whites, and if caught accidentally while fishing for something else you have to immediately release them," Department of Fish and Game marine biologist Carrie Wilson said.
Patterson released the shark after taking the picture shown here.
-- Kelly Burgess
Photo courtesy of Jeff Patterson
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Man that is a scary thing to catch. I don't know if I want to grab something like this when I am fishing. Hopefully I will have something else that might be edible for me instead of a shark. I just don't think that it would be that tasty. Too much recoil I think if i ate a shark. I'm sure one would come up and eat me.
Posted by: recoil reducer products | September 23, 2010 at 01:59 PM
Luca thinks sharks smell like "Cheez crackers"!!!
Posted by: Designed2Design | October 12, 2009 at 04:52 PM
Salmon Shark................. Thank god it looks like a Great White and was released. Same law should be enforced for the Salmon Shark.
Posted by: Rick | September 06, 2009 at 04:52 PM
As an Ocean Swimmer and Paddler I wish that Shark Warriors would stop conditioning sharks to equating boats to a free lunch. Remember we all share the ocean and show a little respect to those that don't feel the need to kill these beautiful fish. I would suggest that there should be zero chumming allowed within 10 miles of the coast and away from all heavily used channels...Catalina Channel between Dana Point and LA.
Posted by: Dan | August 13, 2009 at 10:02 AM
five miles off shore -it has to be a salmon shark...
Posted by: nanook | July 28, 2009 at 07:29 PM
sorry i meant John Connor. Capt Bill is all good! and yes it is a white shark. Salmon sharks do not have the white belly and their nose and eyes are shaped differently.
Posted by: Jayna | July 28, 2009 at 04:16 PM
The authorities are not "dumb". Think about it - how would they prove if a fisherman was targeting a white shark or not. They have to leave the regulations at "no retention", otherwise people could technically target white sharks and just tell the Game warden they caught it by accident. Beside, not all white sharks are trying to kill surfers and swimmers. More people die every year from bee stings than shark bites. Get a clue Capt Bill. Someone should use your head as a trophy.
Posted by: Jayna | July 28, 2009 at 04:09 PM
people who use the word kudos are spectators/sideliners who attempt nothing
Posted by: John Connor | July 27, 2009 at 02:49 PM
Just how dumb can the authorities be? I don't think you should hunt great whites, but if you catch one it would make a better trophy than having one attack another surfer/swimmer.
Posted by: John Connor | July 27, 2009 at 02:48 PM
IT IS a Great White - I know Conway and Jeff personally, this is the real deal. Conway always does catch and release. He is a great steward of the sea! High five to both Jeff and Conway on an amazing catch and release.
Capt. Bill
Posted by: Capt. Bill Matthews | July 24, 2009 at 06:56 PM
Compare photos and you'll see that its a Great White.
Posted by: Mel | July 24, 2009 at 04:41 PM
Glad to see that at least a few Great White pups are being born off the CA coast.....hopefully this one will grow up to be a nice 16-footer and not end up in a net or soup bowl.
Posted by: Al | July 24, 2009 at 01:44 PM
Happy there are laws in place to protect such a beautiful animal and that it was released.
Posted by: Will Noble | July 24, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Salmon shark?!
Are you out of your mind?! That's a GREAT WHITE!
Posted by: Robin | July 24, 2009 at 09:29 AM
That is most certainly a juvenile Great White Shark. You can tell by the color on the underside of it's nose. The salmon shark's nose is grey from the nostrils out. The Great White's nose is white all the way up to the tip. And a swimmer was taken last year about 150 yards off the coast of San Diego. You're odds of being bitten by a shark are so minute, that you should be more afraid of driving to the beach than going in the water. Great Picture.
Posted by: Bill | July 24, 2009 at 08:27 AM
This is definately a Juvenile Great White Shark without a doubt. Good that it was released, it is so worrying with the amount of sharks that are caught and killed for their fins each year just further down the coast! It is about time people stopped giving them such bad press, they are in the ocean for a reason as we are on land for a reason. Enter their realm they should be respected and not slaughtered. I have surfed and dived for many years and when I have encountered sharks (lots of different species), they are more scared of us and just shoot off.
Posted by: Joy | July 24, 2009 at 05:25 AM
Five miles out or 500 yards sharks swim and with the death of swimmer not to long ago just out side of waves scares me I like to sponge surf Im shure its nothing to worry to much but dam makes you think . I think 6 ft juvie great whitecaught on fly rod is a nice catch cool.
Posted by: Dustman | July 23, 2009 at 11:03 PM
I seen that shark sufring up close the same day. It is a great white and his name is WIlliam and he said he was hungry when I met him. After a roundhouse kick to the nose he decided to eat that bait instead of me.
Chuck
Posted by: Chuck | July 23, 2009 at 03:10 PM
Are you people serious?
First, just how far do you think La JOlla is from San Diego? 5 Miles "off San Diego" is pretty much the same as 5 miles OFF La Jolla. She didn't say that it was caught from shore, just that it was caught OFF La Jolla.
Second, I am pretty certain that Conway Bowman, a man who makes at least part of his living on the water guiding shark fly-fishers is NOT going to mistake a Salmon Shark for a GWS. Give the guy a little credit...he's been around.
Posted by: PRCPA | July 23, 2009 at 01:54 PM
Salmon shark...NOT.
Posted by: Magnus | July 23, 2009 at 01:33 PM
That is definitely a juvenile white shark.
Glad it was not gut hooked, and was carefully and successfully released by the fly angler.
Cordially,
Sean
S.R. Van Sommeran
Executive Director/CEO
Pelagic Shark Research Foundation
Santa Cruz California
Since 1990
Posted by: Sean R. Van Sommeran | July 22, 2009 at 06:37 PM
Certainly Not a Salmon shark.... lol
Posted by: cdiver | July 22, 2009 at 06:26 PM
Kudos to Bowman and Patterson for releasing all their shark catches.
Posted by: TheDorsalFin | July 22, 2009 at 05:37 PM
That shark is most certainly a juvenile great white. The stark white underbelly and unique nose are not found on salmon sharks.
Posted by: SCFisher | July 22, 2009 at 04:15 PM
The Great White shark was not caught off La Jolla, Children's Pool, or La Jolla Shores. Please provide an ocean map of the exactly where the shark was caught in deep ocean waters so that readers are not confused.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/fishing/2009/07/top-great-white-shark-caught-fly
According to Field and Stream, the Great White shark was caught five miles off the coast of San Diego in deep ocean waters during a two day fishing trip.
Five miles off of San Diego's coast in the deep ocean is very different than "off La Jolla."
Posted by: La Playa Heritage | July 22, 2009 at 10:18 AM