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Porbeagle Shark, Lamna nasus

Introduction: The Porbeagle Shark is less common in Irish waters than it once was, largely due to commercial pressures. It prefers the cooler more northern waters of the North Atlantic and as such is available all year round.  A comparatively short rotund shark, it can grow to 220 kilos (500 lbs) in weight.  All the larger sharks identified on this site are typically caught using chumming... so patience is required!  As a slow growing species with very little exchange or migration between the "resident" populations in different areas, any fish killed takes a long time to be replaced - and these are a slower growing shark too compared with the Blue Shark - so again catch and release is strongly recommended to anglers. The name derives from the French for a Cornish village.

Boat tactics: A 30 lbs rod and reel is a must for Porbeagle Shark fishing, and the drop down to 20 lbs really isn't recommended as these are typically far larger than their Blue Shark kin!  Wire trace is essential as shark skin (never mind the teeth) are abrasive and can cut through mono or braid.  Normal bait is half or a full mackerel, usually trolled behind a boat with chumming bags over the side.  Porbeagle Sharks are typically encountered by accident when fishing for Blue Shark.  Sadly these are increasingly rare encounters.  A forged 10/0 hook is standard.  Most people catch and release, often using a tailer rather than a gaff, and whilst experienced charter boat skippers can unhook them with gloved hands, it is not recommended for novices!

Shore tactics: Shore tactics for shark - surely not!  Porbeagle sharks have been caught from the shore from a number of marks around Ireland, perhaps the most famous being the Green Island mark in Co. Clare.  To allow for bite detection at distance, a balloon rather than a float is used as the marker, and again mackerel is the key bait.  Finding a beachcaster rod that is capable of holding onto a shark from the shore is not a simple task, and you will need substantially more line (> 500 yards, 450 metres) so a big strong multiplier reel is needed.