'It was just like Jaws': Angler on kayak is dragged half a mile out to sea after hooking 6ft SHARK off Devon coast

By STEPHANIE DARRALL

Catch of the day: Rupert Kirkwood had been fishing a mile off the coast of Ilfracombe, North Devon, in his 16ft kayak when he hooked the five-stone shark

A vet fishing from a kayak was dragged half a mile out to sea after hooking a 6ft shark.

Rupert Kirkwood, 51, was towed around for 15 minutes after a 70lb Tope after it took his bait and headed for the deep.

He had been fishing a mile off the coast of Ilfracombe, North Devon, in his 16ft kayak when he hooked the five-stone shark.


Hair raising: The angler said he had been sitting in his vessel for about four hours before he felt a huge pull on the line and his canoe 'suddenly shot off through the water'

'It was pretty hair-raising stuff. I had been sitting there for about four hours before I felt a huge pull on the line and my canoe suddenly shot off through the water.

'These creatures are known to do a runner and it's just like Jaws - the line flew off the reel. I just had to hold on and wait for it to tire. Eventually it did, and I was able to lean in the water and pull it on board.


The father-of-four, who also works as a farm vet, has been canoe fishing for around ten years and landed the beast using mackerel bait

'You have to handle them very carefully and I nestled my hand under the tail and pectoral fin before landing it.

'The weight was incredible. I had to be extra careful as one snap of the jaws and I could easily lose a finger or hand.

'It was thrashing around on the canoe before eventually becoming quite still.'


You're gonna need a bigger boat: The angler was towed around for 15 minutes by a 70lb Tope after it took his bait and headed for the deep


Scary: Mr Kirkwood described the landing like a scene out of Jaws. He said: ' I just had to hold on and wait for it to tire. Eventually it did, and I was able to lean in the water and pull it on board'

source: dailymail