Blue sharks from a kayak!

These are the pictures of the first ever blue shark caught in the UK or Ireland from a kayak.

The fish was taken by kayak enthusiast, Graham Smith, after he and a friend, James Leahy, got a lift out to the shark grounds 15 miles off Youghal, County Cork, Ireland with skipper Kieran Ring.

Once they’d launched their kayaks the pair had to wait 40 minutes for the first signs of any action.

Graham said: “I had a couple of plucks on the line but waited until the balloon started to go under. With two or three good strikes the hook was set and a great fight ensued. We knew it wasn’t a monster but it was the first blue from a kayak in Ireland or the UK, so it would be a special fish whatever the size.

“The fight was like that of a smart mullet - he let me get him close several times but when I thought I had him beat he would scream off on a powerful run.”

Eventually, Graham beat his prize and estimated the shark at around 35lb to 40lb. Things then went quiet but at 9pm, as the light was starting to fade, James hooked and lost a shark.

“I was about to change my bait when I received another bite,” Graham went on to say. “I struck hard and was met with a powerful run. There was no stopping the shark I was attached to and it was dragging me all over the place.

“Eventually, after an epic hour long fight, I got the fish alongside my kayak. Kieran helped me get it on my lap for a couple of pictures before lifting it on to his boat to get an accurate measurement. This gave us a weight of 112lb – to me it was a true monster and I was overjoyed. It’s been an ambition of mine to catch a blue shark from a kayak for a long time so I’m delighted to have finally achieved it,” he added.

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