Shark over 8ft long the best birthday gift - Harry Pardoe

“My dad and I booked a trip to Falmouth in the hope of catching a shark over 50lb to celebrate my 30th birthday.

“We headed out with Andy Howell, who owns the Anglo Dawn charter boat, in a confident mood, and started by putting down a chum trail to attract the sharks, and within an hour there were two giants circling the boat. Eventually one took the bait, and it felt very heavy from the word go! 

“It took an hour to beat the fish but it was more than worth all the effort. It measured 8ft 8in long, with a girth of 3ft 8in, which meant an estimated weight of 251lb.

“The day got even better when my dad got stuck into a giant of his own that was also over 8ft long and estimated at 180lb.

“Over two days of fishing we banked 15 blue sharks. It was an absolutely incredible trip!”

Harry Pardoe and his Dad with the 250lb-plus blue shark