there she blows

[munterhunter]

Fished sunday with Nick, drifted old harry for maccy then fished 200 yds of old harry/ballard was slow fishing with a couple of smuts to 6 1/2lb (great fun on spinning rod and 2oz of lead!) nothing on fish baits.

 

Notice a black fin meandering about @150 yds from us moving downtide @1knot and coming out and going back under slowly was not a dolphin/pourpoise so asume a whale/shark(wishfull thinking, although was livebaiting a mackerel at the time). was narrowish and more rectangular than fin(triangular) shape.

 

Then we fished evans rock a couple more smuts to 5lb 2oz and a few bream to 1 1/2lb nothing on fish baits again not even doggies! Nick wasnt 100% so we came in just as the evening was getter flatter and flatter.

[Bob F]

Sounds like a Whaleshark, at least I hope so that close to the shore. Wonderful sight to see.

 

[duncan]

What bait were the Smuts taking? Interesting that they were also ignoring fish baits?

[Afishionado]

Wassa 'Smut' ?

 

Thr shark was almost certainly a Basking shark. They are very common along the SW coast and appear when the water temperature rises. Hence the 'basking' in the sun bit. They are plankton feeders and slowly swim along with their mouths open filtering food through a sort of mesh infront of their gills. Suprisingly for a feeder on the smallest things in the sea, they can grow to 30ft long. They are totaly harmless, if you fell in ones mouth it has no teeth to bite with.

 

Mad Mike

[Newboy]

Wonder what it would be like if accidentally hooked into one of them?!

[Maverick Martin]

I would agree with Mike a Basking shark for sure. I have seen them along Chesil Beach on occasions nice to see.

 

Mike a smut is an abreviation for a Smooth Hound.

 

Martin

[munterhunter]

the smoothies were falling to peeler crab and rag and rag/peeler. size 1/0 and 3/0 hooks.

 

Will be informing durlston whale watch of what saw so maybe they can identify the species probably a basking shark or pilot whale

[Bob F]

...yes! a Basking Shark, not a Whaleshark. Whaleshark's are bloody huge and don't frequent our waters (I believe). Blimey, another senior moment.

I'm getting worried...

[munterhunter]

Durlston Marine Watch reckon was most probably a basking shark as pilot whales dont come in that close.

 

[domino]

I had one (basking shark) cruise past my boat, about 6'-8' away, in crystal clear water, while drifting just outside The Bar at Salcombe/Kingsbridge estuary a couple of years ago.

 

I realised what is was but it still made the heart beat a little faster having something that big swim by so close. It was a probably 2'-3' longer than my boat(15' - Warrior 150).

[duncan]

we met one whilst about 3 miles of Hope Cove in a mirror with a seagull on the back - we thought we knew what it was but (I am ashamed to say) didn't hang around to check!

They are big, and relative to a mirror they are *****y big!!!

[Webmistress]

Hope you guys realise how lucky you are - people actually pay to fish / swim / be in a boat around any shark - would love to see one myself or dolphin for that matter - here's hoping

 

cheers

 

Hells

[Maverick Martin]

Hells

 

Your will see Dolphins off the Dorset coast sometime, Dolphins especially are spotted regularly of Poole and Swanage, in fact I believe there is a resident pod along our part of the coast. According to the Durlston Marine watch oct/nov/dec are the best times to see Dolphins, however I have only seen them in the summer months

 

Last time I saw them was the week before we went to Alderney they were off of Durlston swimming towards Swanage Bay

 

Martin

[Paul D]

But with Pair trawling for Bass they will probably not be spotted as regularily now ..... ( NB : This is quite shocking )

 

Dolphin Deaths